The Vietnam WarThe Vietnam War

Vietnam War

1950-1973Why we fought?

America supports France in Vietnam1950s

• Late 1800s Vietnam colony of France

• Occupied by Japan during WWII

• France wanted to regain control

• Vietnamese wanted independence

• U.S. supported France

French dropping Napalm on N. Vietnam

Vietnamese Independence Movement1924- 1945

• Ho Chi Minh Communist leader

• Trained in China and Soviet Union

• Helped fight off Japanese

• National Hero• Declared Independence

from France• Not so fast . . .

Vietminh drive out French1954

• Goal win independence from foreign rule

• Split in North and South/ 17th Parallel

• North Communist/Ho Chi Minh

• South controlled by France/ Dien Bien Phu

• French surrender

Domino Theory1954

• President Eisenhower supports South

• Fear if one south east Asian country “Fall” to communism all would

• France gone• U.S. aided South

Viet Cong/ Ho Chi Minh Trail1957

• Communist supporters in South Vietnam

• Supplied by Ho Chi Minh Trail

• Trail crossed through Cambodia and Laos

President Kennedy and Vietnam (1961-1963)

• Stop spread of communism• Sent aid and supplies• 1963 16,000 U.S. “personnel”• “In the final analysis, it’s their war”• Support of South• Problem- Southern leader

corrupt/unpopular• U.S. supports a coup and Diem was

overthrown and assassinated Nov 1, 1963

• JFK assassinated only weeks later

• A small number of U.S. soldiers A small number of U.S. soldiers were stationed in South Vietnam were stationed in South Vietnam

• President Lyndon B. Johnson President Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) wanted to “contain” N. (LBJ) wanted to “contain” N. VietnamVietnam

•August 2, 1964August 2, 1964 – A U.S. spy ship was A U.S. spy ship was

fired at by N. fired at by N. Vietnam Vietnam

– This happened in the This happened in the Gulf of TonkinGulf of Tonkin

– Another alleged Another alleged attack on August 4, attack on August 4, 1964 1964

As a result of the As a result of the attack (s)…attack (s)…

President Johnson/ Tonkin Gulf Resolution

1964• Feared being “soft” on

communism• Wanted to avoid

appeasement• Wanted to keep America’s

credibility• Aug 2- USS Maddox attacked• Aug 4- Another alleged attack

that turned out to be fake (never happened)

• Johnson bombed N. Vietnam• No declaration of War• Broad military powers

Tonkin Gulf Tonkin Gulf ResolutionResolution• Gave the president (LBJ) the power to go Gave the president (LBJ) the power to go

to war without having to ask Congressto war without having to ask Congress• Authorized him to use full military force Authorized him to use full military force

without an official declaration of warwithout an official declaration of war

• Just over 2 million Americans Just over 2 million Americans would fight in Vietnamwould fight in Vietnam

• He soon called for an He soon called for an escalationescalation– 13,700 Americans were drafted 13,700 Americans were drafted

in 1965in 1965

Operation Rolling Thunder

1965• Major bombing of

North Vietnam• 500,000 American

troops• Fighting Vietcong in

South• Problem no credible

Vietnamese leader to hold together South’s government

• Most Americans supported Most Americans supported the War in the beginningthe War in the beginning

• Most soldiers Most soldiers thought the War thought the War would be over would be over quicklyquickly

War for Independence

The Vietnamese felt it was a war against U.S. occupiers. Most didn’t care about communism . . . Wanted an independent country free from foreign rule.

SurvivalFor the soldiers Vietnam was survival against Guerrilla forces. A Different kind of enemy and different kind of war from the generation before.