The Vietnam War 1954 - 1975

Background to the War

z The French lost control to Ho Chi Minh’s Viet Minh forces in 1954 at battle of Dien Bien Phu

z Peace Conference :GenevaP Vietnam was divided at 17th

parallelO Ho Chi Minh: leader of nationalist

forces controlled the NorthO Ngo Dinh Diem: French-educated,

Catholic. Claimed control of the South

Background to the Warz A date was set for democratic elections

to reunify Vietnam

z Diem backed out of the elections, leading to military conflict between North and South

U.S. Military Involvement Begins

z Dictatorial rule by DiemP Diem’s family holds all powerP Wealth is hoarded by the eliteP Buddhist majority persecutedP Torture, lack of political freedom prevail

P The U.S. aided Diem’s governmentP 675 U.S. Army advisors sent by 1960.

Early Protests of Diem’s Government

Self-immolation by a Buddhist Monk

U.S. Military Involvement Begins

z Kennedy increases military “advisors” to 16,000

z 1963: zDiem’s unpopularity worries JFK

zUS supports military coup d’etatzARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam)

zARVN overthrew the government on November 1, 1963.

z Diem and his brother are murdered (Nov. 2)

Johnson Sends Ground Forces

z Remembers Truman’s “loss” of China Domino Theory revived

I’m not going to be the president who saw Southeast Asia go the way China went.

Johnson Sends Ground Forces

z Advised to rout the communists by Secretary of Defense, Robert S. McNamara

z Tonkin Gulf Incident 1964(acc. to Johnson, the attacks were unprovoked)

z Tonkin Gulf ResolutionP “The Blank Check” *P A joint resolution of Congress P What is a Joint Resolution?

P Gave Johnson authorization for war - without a formal declaration of war

U.S. Troop Deployments in Vietnam

0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

1961 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968

U.S. Troops

The Ground War 1965-1968

z No clear territorial goals for the US. z Body counts on TV every night (first

“living room” war)z Viet Cong supplies war via the Ho Chi

Minh Traila path from North Vietnam to South Vietnam via Laos & Cambodia .

The Air War1965-1968

z 1965: Sustained bombing of North Vietnam

z Operation Rolling Thunder (March 2, 1965)

z 1966-68: Ongoing bombing of Hanoi nonstop for 3 years.

z targets the Ho Chi Minh Trail.z Carpet Bombing – napalm

The Air War:A Napalm Attack

Who Is the Enemy?z Vietcong:

P Farmers by day; guerillas at night.

P Willing to accept many casualties.

P US underestimated resolve and resourcefulness.The guerilla wins if he does not lose, the conventional army loses if it does not win. -- Mao Zedong

The Tet Offensive, January 1968z N. Vietnamese Army + Viet Cong attack

South simultaneously z (67,000 attack 100 cities, bases, and the US

embassy in Saigon)z Take every major southern cityz U.S. + ARVN beat back the offensive

z Viet Cong all but destroyedz N. Vietnamese army debilitated

z BUT the IMPACT….

The Tet Offensive, January

1968

Impact of the Tet Offensive

z Domestic U.S. Reaction: Disbelief, Anger, Distrust of Johnson Administration

z Johnson’s popularity dropped in 1968 from 48% to 36%.

z ‘Hey, Hey LBJ! How many kids did you kill today?’

Are We Becoming the Enemy?

z Lt. William Calley,Platoon Leader

z Convicted of premeditated murder of 22 Vietnamese civilians. Calley

was sentenced to life imprisonment at hard labor

z Mylai Massacre, 1968z 200-500 unarmed villagers

Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry

1968 Presidential Election – A Critical Election: The Era of Divided Government

Nixon on Vietnam

z Nixon’s campaign promised : Peace with Honorz Vietnamization: Encouraged the South

Vietnamese to take more responsibility for fighting the war. z Hoped to enable the United States to

withdraw (gradually) from ‘Nam

z The “Secret War”P Cambodia – US forces famously invade

& bomb. Destabilize the nation. P Laos

“Pentagon Papers,” 1971

z Former defense analyst Daniel Ellsbergleaked govt. docs. about the Johnson administration and Vietnam

z New York Times.z Docs. Govt. misled Congress &

Americans about Vietnam during mid-1960s.

P Fighting not to eliminate communism, but to avoid humiliating defeat.

The Ceasefire, 1973

z Peace is at hand Kissinger, 1972P North Vietnam attacks SouthP Most Massive U.S. bombing

commences

z 1973: Ceasefire signed between P U.S., South Vietnam, & North

Vietnam

z Peace with honor (President Nixon)

The Ceasefire, 1973

z Conditions:1. U.S. to remove all troops2. North Vietnam could leave

troops already in S.V.3. North Vietnam would resume

war4. No provision for POWs or MIAs

z Last American troops left South Vietnam on March 29, 1973

z 1975: North Vietnam defeats South Vietnam

z Saigon renamed Ho Chi Minh City

The Fall of Saigon

America Abandons Its Embassy

April 30, 1975

The Costs1. 3,000,000 Vietnamese killed2. 58,000 Americans killed;

300,000 wounded3. Under-funding of Great

Society programs4. $150,000,000,000 in U.S.

spending5. U.S. morale, self-confidence,

trust of government, decimated

The Impactz 26th Amendment: 18-year-olds votez Nixon abolished the draft all-

volunteer armyz War Powers Act, 1973 ٭

P President must notify Congress within 48 hours of deploying military force

P President must withdraw forces unless he gains Congressional approval within 90 days