The Cold War gets HOT!Vietnam Where? Southeast Asia What? A divided land:

French Colony during the Age of Imperialism Conquered by the Japanese during WW II Colonialists return after the WW II to take it

back! WAR Against the French: 1946-1954

Background: Vietnam

Who? Ho Chi Minh

Opposed European colonial rule Strongly influenced by/advocated communism Led guerilla warfare/ succeeded in getting the

French to leave!

Vietnam and the Cold War

1954: French leave & an international conference is held where Western and Communist powers agreed to a temporary division of Vietnam. Ho’s communists controlled the North Noncommunists controlled the South The agreement called for elections to reunite

the two Vietnams but these elections were never held!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Early 1960s

Communist guerilla fighters appeared in the jungles of South Vietnam.

AMERICA RESPONDS! Domino Theory adopted!

The view that a communist victory in South Vietnam would cause noncommunist governments across South Asia to fall to communism, like a row of dominoes.

U.S. gov’t wanted to prevents this!

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

August, 1965 – LBJ announced N. Vietnamese torpedo boats had attacked two U.S. destroyers patrolling in the Gulf of Tonkin

Congress passes the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution on August 7, 1965 thereby authorizing the President to take all necessary measures to prevent further aggression in Southeast Asia.

United States began bombing North Vietnam.

The Vietnam War

Eventually 500,000 U.S. troops were committed to the war.

American men were required to register for “the draft” from which men were selected in a random lottery. Some believed this as their patriotic duty Others left the country – “draft dodgers”

Approximately, 58,000 American soldiers were killed. U.S.S.R. and China sent aid but no troops to help

North Vietnam.

Hawks vs. DovesGuns vs. Butter Americans were deeply and bitterly divided. Vietnamese Communists refused to give up. Vietnam was seen as a quagmire, or swamp,

in which we were increasingly bogged down!

The End of the Vietnam War

In January 1973, Pres. Nixon negotiated the Paris Peace Accord which established a cease-fire, or a halt in fighting. U.S. agreed to withdraw its troops N. Vietnam agreed NOT to send any more

troops into the South.

The Result:

North Vietnam won. Two years after American troops had left, the

North conquered the South. South Vietnamese capitol, Saigon, was

named Ho Chi Minh City. Hanoi, the North Vietnamese capitol, became

the capital of a unified Vietman.

Harsh rule ensued. Hundreds of thousands fled – most in small

boats. Survivors landed in refugee camps in

neighboring countries while some settled in the United States.

America imposed a trade embargo.

Vietnam…

What do YOU think?