Chapter 12Chapter 12Lesson 1Lesson 1

The Vietnam War YearsThe Vietnam War Years

While many groups were trying to While many groups were trying to win better treatment and equal win better treatment and equal rights, President Johnson was rights, President Johnson was working on his plan to better working on his plan to better America.America.

His plan was called the Great His plan was called the Great Society.Society.

The Vietnam WarThe Vietnam War

Like Korea, Like Korea, Vietnam was Vietnam was divided into two divided into two countries after countries after World War II.World War II.

North Vietnam- North Vietnam- CommunistCommunist

South Vietnam-South Vietnam-RepublicRepublic

In the late 1950s, In the late 1950s, South Vietnamese South Vietnamese communists, called communists, called the Vietcong, tried the Vietcong, tried to take over South to take over South Vietnam. North Vietnam. North Vietnam helped Vietnam helped them.them.

•The United States The United States sent money, sent money, supplies, and supplies, and soldiers to help soldiers to help South Vietnam.South Vietnam.

By 1963, the By 1963, the Vietcong were Vietcong were winning the war.winning the war.

In 1964, a North In 1964, a North Vietnamese gunboat Vietnamese gunboat attacked a United attacked a United States Navy ship. States Navy ship. This caused the U.S. This caused the U.S. to send more soldiers to send more soldiers to Vietnam.to Vietnam.

When the U.S. and When the U.S. and the South the South Vietnamese troops Vietnamese troops failed to win quickly, failed to win quickly, the U.S. sent war the U.S. sent war planes to bomb planes to bomb North Vietnam.North Vietnam.

We also sent more We also sent more troops!troops!

By 1968, the U.S. had more than By 1968, the U.S. had more than 500,000 troops in Vietnam.500,000 troops in Vietnam.

The Vietnam War was The Vietnam War was now costing the U.S. now costing the U.S. billions of dollars each billions of dollars each year.year.

Despite what Despite what President Johnson President Johnson believed, the U.S. believed, the U.S. could not afford to could not afford to finance the war finance the war andand his Great Society his Great Society programs.programs.

To pay for both, To pay for both, the government the government had to borrow a lot had to borrow a lot of money.of money.

The borrowing led The borrowing led to inflation, which to inflation, which hurt our economy.hurt our economy.

Citizens are DividedCitizens are Divided

The Vietnam War The Vietnam War divided the divided the American people.American people.

Hawks- supported Hawks- supported the warthe war

Doves- wanted the Doves- wanted the war to endwar to end

The number of United The number of United States troops killed in States troops killed in Vietnam was now well Vietnam was now well into the thousands.into the thousands.

People at home began People at home began to have protests to to have protests to show their support for show their support for ending the war.ending the war.

Many people moved to Many people moved to Canada so they could Canada so they could not be drafted and not be drafted and sent to fightsent to fight

Many Americans Many Americans were unhappy with were unhappy with President Johnson.President Johnson.

He announced he He announced he would not run for would not run for President again.President again.

A New PresidentA New President “ “I’m going to end I’m going to end

that war-fast”that war-fast”

Richard NixonRichard Nixon

Kent State UniversityKent State University

Kent State is a Kent State is a university in Ohio.university in Ohio.

During a protest in During a protest in 1970, four students 1970, four students died.died.

Richard Nixon’s plan Richard Nixon’s plan for ending the war for ending the war involved training the involved training the South Vietnam troops South Vietnam troops to protect to protect themselves better.themselves better.

That way, they could That way, they could fight for themselves fight for themselves and the U.S. troops and the U.S. troops could come home.could come home.

Improved RelationsImproved Relations In 1972, President In 1972, President

Nixon visited China. Nixon visited China.

The U.S. had not been The U.S. had not been friendly with China friendly with China since 1949 when they since 1949 when they became communist.became communist.

After the visit, the U.S. After the visit, the U.S. and China agreed to and China agreed to begin trading with begin trading with each other.each other.

Three months later, Three months later, President Nixon President Nixon visited the Soviet visited the Soviet Union.Union.

The U.S. and the The U.S. and the Soviets also agreed Soviets also agreed to begin trading and to begin trading and limit their amount limit their amount of weapons.of weapons.

WatergateWatergate

During the 1972 During the 1972 elections, some elections, some people working to help people working to help Nixon win broke into a Nixon win broke into a Democratic office Democratic office building to steal building to steal secrets.secrets.

President Nixon found President Nixon found out and tried to cover out and tried to cover it up.it up.

When the American When the American people found out that people found out that he had lied, they were he had lied, they were very upset.very upset.

President Nixon was President Nixon was forced to resign.forced to resign.

Vice President Gerald Vice President Gerald Ford became the Ford became the President.President.

The War EndsThe War Ends In 1973, before Nixon In 1973, before Nixon

left office, the last left office, the last American troops left American troops left Vietnam.Vietnam.

However, once they However, once they left, fighting broke out left, fighting broke out again in Vietnam.again in Vietnam.

Without the help of Without the help of the U.S., South the U.S., South Vietnam was forced to Vietnam was forced to surrender.surrender.

On Veteran’s Day, On Veteran’s Day, 1982, the Vietnam 1982, the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial in Veteran’s Memorial in Washington, D.C. was Washington, D.C. was opened to visitors.opened to visitors.

The wall lists the The wall lists the names of over 58,000 names of over 58,000 people who lost their people who lost their lives in Vietnam.lives in Vietnam.