The Vietnam War

1959-1975

Prior knowledge What do you already know

about Vietnam?

Was this a popular war?

How did Americans at home feel about it?

How did it contribute to a new counter-culture? (HIPPIES!)

General info, continued

CasualtiesSouth Vietnam – 195-430,000

civilians; 171, 331-220,357 military dead

North Vietnam & Viet Cong – 50,000-65,000 civilians; 400,000-1,100,000 military dead/missing

United States – 58,220 dead; 303, 644 wounded

Illustrated Timeline Activity

Using the following dates, create a timeline (12 dates):

1859, 1874, 1940, 1945, 1946, 1950, **1954, 1956, 1960, **1968, 1973, **1975

All dates must have a caption describing what important event(s) occurred in that year

You must illustrate AT LEAST 2 events in addition to the starred events (everyone must illustrate this)

Due for a grade!

General Info: VietnamFought in S.Vietnam, N.

Vietnam, Cambodia, & Laos

Victory: North Vietnam Withdrawal of American forces Communist gov’t takes power

in S. Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos

Review… Why did the US get involved?

Containment: The idea that we wanted to CONTAIN the

spread of communism

Domino Theory: Refers mostly to Asia Idea that if one country in a region

became communist, then the rest would fall

The Vietnam War in Forrest Gump

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1eBS8avHrg

Americanizing the WarU.S. becomes more involved in the war1st sustained bombing campaign in Vietnam: Operation Rolling Thunder (video)

Americanizing the War

Leading U.S. officials during the war were:Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara andU.S. commander General William Westmoreland

Americanizing the WarU.S. dropped thousands of bombs on North Vietnam, some which had:

Napalm Jellied gasoline that

exploded and left larges areas in flames

Agent Orange Herbicide used to kill plants

& the enemy’s food supply, but was later found to cause cancer

An Elusive Enemy

North Vietnamese used guerrilla warfare

Fight small engagementsTraveled lightHide in tunnels at nightAmbushed U.S. soldiers

Used traps andexplosives

What was the state of the war by 1967?Half a million US troops, thousands of lives lostWar seemed to be stalemate

Effect on morale:Morale dropping, US cannot win the war outrightSoldiers fought bravely, but Americans began to question US involvement

Effects of the War at HomeWhat is President Johnson’s domestic program?

Great Society; what is its goal? How did the war affect the economy &

the Great Society?

Massive government spendingLed to inflation and a raise in taxesHad to cut back on Great Society programs

Americans most divided since the Civil War

Hawks Supported LBJ & the

war

Doves Against the war,

believedit was a civil war only

Vietnam WarProtests and Turning Points

The DraftDeferments

Some people could avoid the draft depending on their background

Unfairness of the draft

High number of working-class, African Americans & poor are drafted

Protests increase on the home front (video)College protests

College organizations, like the Students for a Democratic Society, protest the war

“Credibility Gap” American public did

not trust what President Johnson was saying about the war

1968… A time of desperaioin in the war

High casualties, low morale…

Turning Points Tet Offensive (1968)

Major offensive assault on S. Vietnamese cities; US realizes the war is far from over

LBJ: Does not run for re-election in 1968;

US begins to push for peace in Vietnam

Tet Offensive http://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-

war/videos#tet-offensive

Controversy & Violence in 19681968Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and Democratic candidate Robert Kennedyare assassinated

Democratic NationalConvention – ChicagoAnti-war protests turned violent outside the convention; protesters & police attack each other

The End of theVietnam War

EQ – How did the Vietnam War end, and what were its lasting effects?

Richard Nixon Elected President“Peace with honor”:

US will exit Vietnam, but on honorable peace terms

“Vietnamization”: Give more fighting responsibility to S. Vietnam

(1969) Some US troopsgo home & Nixon orderssecret bombing of Cambodia along the Ho Chi Minh Trail

The War ExpandsPeace negotiations are moving very slowlyThen, in 1970, Nixon orders American ground troops to attack Vietcong bases in CambodiaHow do the American people react?

Protests IncreaseMany Americans protest, believe Nixon is expanding the war, not ending itKent State ShootingsCollege protest turns violent, four killed by National Guardsmen

From Bad to Worse

My Lai MassacreAmerican forces killed over 400 unarmed civilians in this village in South Vietnam (1968)

New York Times prints the Pentagon Papers (1971)Documents reveal that officialsmisled the people and Congressabout US involvement in Vietnam

The War Ends

Paris Peace Accords January, 1973, all sides

agreed to a cease-fire and US troops leave S Vietnam

North and South Vietnam did not honor the treaty1975 – North Vietnam invaded and took over South Vietnam

Effects of the WarOver 58,000 Americans diedVeterans return home, little appreciation from the American public

War Powers ActRestricted the President’s war powers

Vietnam = first televised war and the longest warLed to increased distrust in government