the vietnam war
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The Vietnam War. Section 1 – Background to Conflict. Opening Questions. Where is Vietnam? Who is Ho Chi Minh? Why was the U.S. involved there?. A. Vietnam History. Where is it? Easternmost country of Southeast Asia - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
The Vietnam War
Section 1 – Background to Conflict
Opening Questions1.Where is Vietnam?2.Who is Ho Chi Minh?3.Why was the U.S.
involved there?
A. Vietnam History1. Where is it?
– Easternmost country of Southeast Asia– Bordered by China to the north, Laos and
Cambodia to the west and South China Sea to the east
– Most of population is centered in two areas - Red River delta in the north (Hanoi) and Mekong River delta in the south (Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City)
2. Rice is grown twice a year in the moist, tropical climate
A. Vietnam History3. Chinese occupation –
– 200 BC to 939 AD– Again tried to regain control in the
early 1400s but were ultimately driven off
4. French colonization – – Vietnam granted complete control to
France in 1883– Combined with Laos and Cambodia
to form colony of French Indochina
B. Vietnamese Independence1. Nationalist feelings remained
despite French occupation2. Ho Chi Minh – “He who enlightens”
– Nationalist leader who spent many years living in China and Soviet Union, became committed to communism
B. Vietnamese Independence3. France and Vietminh go to war
a) Who were the Vietminh? • Resistance movement started by Ho • He had secretly returned to Vietnam during
Japanese occupation in 1941b) Trying to get U.S. support
• Ho Chi Minh begins writing letters to Truman in 1946, asking for help
• Cited Declaration of Independencec) Why was Truman unwilling to support
Ho in 1946? • France was an ally • Didn’t like connections to Communism
B. Vietnamese Independenced) When he took over, Eisenhower held
similar beliefs to Truman• China, Korea, etc.
e) Domino theory – f) 1954 – U.S. is funding most of
France’s effort against Vietminhg) Dien Bien Phu (May 7, 1954) – In
Vietminh-controlled northern Vietnam, French were outnumbered almost 4-to-1 and surrounded, had to surrender to the Vietminh
Ho Chi Minh
“If the tiger ever stands still, the elephant will crush him with his mighty tusks. But the tiger does not stand still…He will leap onto the back of the elephant, tearing huge chunks from his hide, and then the tiger will leap back into the dark jungle. And slowly the elephant will bleed to death. That will be the war of Indochina”.
Ho Chi Minh
“You can kill ten of our men for every one we kill of yours. But even at those odds, you will lose and we will win."
B. Vietnamese Independence4. Geneva Conference
a) Meeting between French and Vietminh to settle Indochina conflict
b) Result – • Vietnam was divided at the 17th parallel• Vietminh controlling the north • France regained control of the south with
an election to reunify the country scheduled for July 1956
c) U.S. refused to support the agreement
• Feared that the Communists would win a nationwide election, civil war follows
C. Rule of Ngo Dinh Diem1. Who was Ngo Dinh Diem –
– Anti-communist became president of South Vietnam in 1955 (rigged election)
– Refused to call election in 1956, knowing that the Communists would win
2. Why was Diem unpopular? – Roman Catholic when most were Buddhist – Corrupt and controlling, opponents were
tortured by police3. Vietcong (National Liberation Front –
NLF) – rebel force opposing Diem’s regime, many but not all were Communists
C. Rule of Ngo Dinh Diem4. U.S. involvement grows
a) JFK agreed with domino theoryb) Number of U.S. military advisers
increased from 900 to over 16,000 within a few years
– Number of American casualties rose from 14 in 1961 to almost 500 in 1963
C. Rule of Ngo Dinh Diem5. Diem’s overthrow
a) Buddhist leaders openly opposed Diem’s regime• Many were arrested and several others
set themselves on fire in public (self-immolation)
b) U.S. officials threatened to end support c) U.S. quietly orchestrated coupd) November 1963 – Diem and his brother are
shot and killed, not part of U.S. plane) Kennedy was concerned about growing
U.S. involvement, said “it is their war” but he was killed three weeks after Diem
The Rusk – McNamara Report (1961)
1. According to the report, what would happen if the Communists took over South Vietnam? Why would this endanger American security interests?
2. What limits, if any, did Rusk and McNamara attach to American involvement in Vietnam? Explain.
3. In what respects did this report epitomize the premises of the Cold War?
Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.
“We are launched on a course from which there is no respectable turning back: the overthrow of the Diem government. There is no turning back because US prestige is already publicly committed to this end in large measure, and will become more so as facts leak out.”
The Vietnam War
Section 2 – The War Escalates
Advantages and DisadvantagesU.S. advantages
Better training and technology
Better conventional weapons
Supply of chemical and nuclear weapons
More money
U.S. Disadvantages Poor knowledge of
the terrain Lack of training in
guerilla warfare Weapons ineffective
in jungle fighting Unable to distinguish
between friends and enemies, most in South or North supported Ho Chi Minh
Low morale
A. Gulf of Tonkin Resolution1. Johnson
– McNamara advises Johnson to increase troops
2. 8/2/64– Incident in Gulf of Tonkin– Unprovoked? Did USS Maddox fire first?– 2nd attack?
3. Gulf of Tonkin Resolution1. Full War Powers given to the President – “all necessary measures to repel any armed
attack against forces of the United States”1. Not everybody happy
Opposition to Gulf of Tonkin
“I believe history will record we have made a great mistake…We are in effect giving the President war-making powers in the absence of a declaration of war.”
Sen. Wayne Morse of Oregon, who was one of just two senators to vote against the resolution
LBJ and Vietnam “I am not going to lose
Vietnam” “They can’t bomb an
outhouse without my approval”
By 1965 50% of South Vietnam was controlled by the Vietcong: “We will not be defeated”, “We will not withdraw”
“Win the hearts and minds of the Vietnam people”
B. U.S Forces in Vietnam1. Escalation – buildup of forces ordered
by LBJ2. April 1965 – Selective Service
authorized to increase draftees– More than 2 million total– At first, most were professional soldiers who
enlisted but more draftees were used as time passed
3. “Blue Collar War” – Deferment of service was given to those in
college or certain jobs– 1967 Stop the Draft Week– 1969 – Lottery system installed, deferments
ended
B. U.S Forces in Vietnam4. The air war
a) Ho Chi Minh Trail• Network of jungle paths used by the
North to bring supplies into South Vietnam
b) Operation Rolling Thunder (March 1965) – • Bombing campaign against military
targets in North Vietnam to get a quick victory
• Result – Roads and bridges were quickly repaired or rebuilt by Vietcong or not missed
B. U.S Forces in Vietnam4. The air war
a) Ho Chi Minh Trailb) Operation Rolling Thunder c) Types of weapons used –
a) Napalm – jellied gasoline mixture used in firebombs
b) Cluster bombs that sprayed metal fragments
c) Defoliants – chemicals that stripped land of vegetation
• Example: Agent Orange
B. U.S Forces in Vietnam5. The ground war
a) More South Vietnamese joined the Vietcong
b) Increase of U.S. troops – from 185,000 in 1965 to 486,000 by end of 1967
c) Search-and-destroy missions – • “dark room full of spiders”• Attempts to drive Vietcong from
hideouts • Used ground troops to find the enemy
and air support to finish them offd) Pacification –
• Moved residents to new, secure locations and burned old villages
Hunting the Vietcong!!
B. U.S Forces in Vietnam6. Morale declines
a) Pacification means that body counts were the only measure of success
• Inaccurate if not completely inflatedb) Optimism of a quick victory began
to go away • Troops realized they were fighting a
determined enemy on their land, which was unlike anything we were accustomed to
C. Opposition to the War1. By end of 1967, over 16,000 U.S. killed2. The first TV War
– Unprecedented media access – Images from Vietnam on TV news every night
3. Doves – opposed the war– All war was wrong– Vietnam was not important to national security– Fear of nuclear war– Majority of Vietnamese wanted communism
4. Conscientious objector – meaning?5. Other opponents – MLK – Why?6. Hawks – supported the war’s goals
– Criticized the way the war was being fought
D. Different Opinions1. Defending the war – Secretary of
State Dean Rusk – If the U.S. didn’t support its ally in South
Vietnam, no one would trust us again2. Against the war – Arkansas Sen. J.
William Fulbright – – Head of the Foreign Relations
Committee criticized administration’s methods and held televised hearings
The Vietnam War
Section 3 – A Turning Point
A. 1968 – A Year of Turmoil1. Tet Offensive – January 30, 1968
a) What is Tet? • Vietnamese New Year, usually honored
by U.S. with a break in fightingb) Tet Offensive –
• VC and NVA attack hoped to catch U.S. by surprise and bring down South Vietnam’s government
c) Result – • Vietcong occupy courtyard of U.S.
Embassy in Saigon for a short period• Attack is eventually fought off a month
later with 40,000 Communists dead
A. 1968 – A Year of Turmoil1. Tet Offensive – January 30, 1968
d) Gen. William Westmoreland – • Commander of U.S. forces in Vietnam
e) Effects of Tet Offensive – • Americans realize that no part of South
Vietnam was secure, confidence in the war is severely shaken
• CBS Evening News host Walter Cronkite “I thought we were winning the war. What the hell?”
• Johnson – “If I’ve lost Cronkite I’ve lost Middle America”
• Showed North’s desire to win; political and psychological victory for them
2. My Lai Massacre – March 16, 1968a) 200-300 innocent Vietnamese killed
by U.S. troops on search and destroy mission, angry about recent losses
b) Details not released in U.S. until 1969
c) Lt. William Calley – • Charged with murder two months before
report was published• What were his orders?• Highlighted leadership void in U.S.
militaryd) Causes public outrage
A. 1968 – A Year of Turmoil
“The infantryman lives on the ground. He walks on the ground, he sleeps on the ground, he eats on the ground. But, when you've got booby traps and land mines all of a sudden the earth becomes the enemy in a way, because you don't know what it may conceal that can kill you.” – Philip Caputo
B. Election of 19681. Eugene McCarthy – antiwar
candidate almost beats LBJ in NH primary
2. March 31 – LBJ decides not to seek re-election
3. Race opens up – McCarthy, VP Hubert Humphrey, and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy of N.Y. – Kennedy wins most states, headed
to nomination
4. June 5 – RFK assassinated after winning California primary– Sirhan Sirhan still in prison
B. Election of 19685. Democratic Convention – Chicago
a) Dissension on streets and inside conventionb) Humphrey receives nomination for presidentc) Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley ordered
police to clear out protestersd) Clubs and tear gas used, hundreds of
protesters were injured, more arrestede) “Chicago 7” – Protest movement leaders who
were arrested and put on trial6. Republicans – Former VP Richard Nixon,
who had a “secret” plan to end the war7. Result – Humphrey comes on strong late
but Nixon wins
1968 Events Jan. 30 – Tet Offensive begins March 16 – My Lai massacre April 4 – MLK assassinated April 8 – “Prague Spring” begins April 23 – Protest at Columbia University June 5 – RFK assassinated August 20-21 – Warsaw Pact invasion of
Czechoslovakia August 26-29 – Democratic convention in
Chicago October 18 – Smith and Carlos at Olympics October 31 – Johnson halts bombing in North
Vietnam November 5 – Nixon elected President
C. Nixon Continues the War1. Vietnamization
a) Nixon’s plan to turn the ground war over to South Vietnam
b) U.S. troops gradually withdrawnc) “Peace with Honor”
2. War extended –a) U.S. extends bombing to
neighboring Cambodia to destroy supply lines
b) Kept secret from almost everybody because they were neutral until 1970
c) Bombing spreads to Laos in 1971
D. Opposition becomes Outrage1. Effects of Cambodia –
a) Civil War breaks out, Khmer Rouge takes over
b) Gulf of Tonkin Resolution repealed Dec. 1970
2. Kent State shootings (May 4, 1970)a) Four students killed and nine
wounded by National Guardb) Sent by Governor to “eradicate”
protesters, some students were just walking across campus
c) Anti-war protests increase further
D. Opposition becomes Outrage3. Pentagon Papers (1971)
– Revealed that the government was misleading public about U.S. role in Vietnam
– Leaked to NY Times by Daniel Ellsberg– New York Times v. U.S. – Supreme Court
ruled First Amendment came ahead of national security
4. Vietnam Vets Against the War5. Ron Kovic
– Paralyzed in Vietnam, became anti-Vietnam and human rights protester
– Born on the Fourth of July became movie in 1989
Vietnam WarProtest
and
Counterculture
Student Movement• Why did many young people
question the values of American society? ‒ Cold War fears, massive civil rights
protests and Vietnam War• Generation gap –
– Different opinions between baby boomers and elders
– Parents often blamed for American problems
Student Movement• Where did the student movement
begin? – College campuses among white,
middle-class students• Examples – Cal-Berkeley and Columbia
• Groups– Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)
• Largest and most radical student group• Tom Hayden – Port Huron Statement
– Free Speech Movement – Mario Savio– Youth International Party (YIPPIE!)
• Image of cultural radicalism
Counterculture• Counterculture
– An alternative lifestyle, followers were called hippies
• Aspects– Hippies
• Rejected materialism and work ethic • Favored simplicity and “doing your
own thing”• Behavior – shock value,
anti-“squares”, nudity and profanity
Counterculture‒ Haight-Ashbury – run-down
section of San Francisco where hippies formed their own community
‒ Dr. Timothy Leary –– Harvard professor who was a
supporter of LSD and the counterculture
– “turn on, tune in, drop out, and follow me”
Counterculture– Fashion
• Casual and colorful clothes, many were tie-dyed
• Other popular styles – – Pitfalls of the counterculture
• Increase in drug addiction and STD’s• Some feminists saw new sexual freedom as
a way of oppression• Crime, urban blight, Charles Manson
Sounds of the ‘60s
• Rock music– British invasion (1964) – Beatles, Stones, etc.– Electric guitars – Jimi Hendrix
• Folk’s rebirth– Artists – Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, Phil Ochs and
Bob Dylan– Dylan’s “betrayal” (1965) – uses electric guitar
• Motown and soul– What is Motown? Studio founded by Berry
Gordy– Examples – Supremes, Temptations, James
Brown
WOODSTOCK• What was it?
– August 1969 festival in upstate New York that drew over 400,000 people (expected 50,000)
• Good and bad – – Bad –
• Driving rain, knee-deep mud, severe shortages of food and water
• NY Thruway closed because of all the people going to festival
– Good – • Festival remained peaceful, celebration of an era
lasts to this day
END OF THE COUNTERCUL
TURE• Altamont Speedway incident (Dec. 1969)– Stabbing of African American at Rolling
Stones concert in California by Hell’s Angels hired as security
– Innocence of the counterculture begins to dissolve
• “Sex, drugs, and rock and roll” didn’t solve America’s problems, both real and perceived
The Vietnam War
Section 4 – The War Ends
A. The Beginning of the End1. Peace talks began in 1968 with
little progress2. N. Vietnam demanded U.S. set
dates for troop withdrawals3. 1970 secret meetings between
Kissinger and N. Vietnam4. Oct. 1972 agreement reached,
but SV government rejected– Why?
5. Christmas Bombings – – Hanoi and other N. Vietnam cities
bombed – Why would Nixon do this? – Impact
B. Results of Peace1. Paris Peace Agreement – Jan. 27, 1973
– Little change from October agreement that was rejected by South Vietnam
– POW exchange, N. Vietnam troops remain in the South
– U.S. agreed to withdraw its troops from Vietnam
– Both sides able to claim victory2. War Powers Act (1973) – passed by
Congress– 60-day limit on presidential commitment of
U.S. troops to foreign conflicts
B. Results of Peace3. Vietnam falls
– In 1975 N. Vietnamese troops invaded S. Vietnam
– Refugees retreated to Saigon– April, 30th 1975, Saigon falls to the N.
Vietnamese
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzcWZ7j1iTg
Aftermath1. Effort to prevent a united Vietnam
under Communist rule had failed2. War entered Cambodia and Laos and
damaged each country3. Domino theory never happened
– Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos became communist but they fought with each other
– Rest of Southeast Asia didn’t fall4. Total cost – $150 billion
– Added to national debt and inflation5. Americans question our role in foreign
affairs – did it stop us?
Effects of the War1. Death toll –
– 185,000 South Vietnamese soldiers– 500,000 South Vietnamese civilians– exact number of VC and NVA dead
near 1 million– almost 1 million Vietnamese
orphaned or disabled2. Refugees –
– More than 1.5 million Vietnamese fled, many in small, crowded boats
– Almost half have settled in the United States
Effects of the War3. Vietnam Veterans
– American numbers – • 2 million Americans served• 58,000 died, 2,500 MIA, 600 were
POWs for as long as six years– Reception upon return –
• Unlike other wars, many Vietnam veterans became targets for the anger, guilt or shame about the war
Effects of the War4. Effects on veterans –
– 30% of US soldiers in Vietnam were addicted to some drug during tour of duty
– Others ended up homeless or got cancer from defoliants such as Agent Orange
5. Vietnam Veterans Memorial – Washington, D.C. –
‒ Dedicated on Veterans Day 1982 ‒ Lists the name of every soldier who died in
Vietnam on a huge wall of black granite in chronological order
