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America’s “Vietnam Experience”

America’s “Vietnam Experience”. Background history… French-Indochina. Indochina (Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam): Occupied by France in 1858, Indochina became a French colony in 1887 Indochina has a rich, diverse and predominantly Buddhist culture. Many different ethnic tribal groups

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America’s “Vietnam Experience”

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  1. America’s “Vietnam Experience”

  2. Background history…French-Indochina • Indochina (Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam): • Occupied by France in 1858, Indochina became a French colony in 1887 • Indochina has a rich, diverse and predominantly Buddhist culture. • Many different ethnic tribal groups • Mainly rural, agrarian; few cities and industry • Villages and “hamlets” (connected villages). • The French are European and Christian (Catholic). • Were repressive, restricted education, religion and culture, tried to “westernize” an ancient , native civilization. • 1919 – Versailles: Vietnamese (represented by Nguyen Ai Quoc – “Ho Chi Minh”) sought self-determination - were denied. France retained its colony. • 1920: Nguyen Ai Quoc (Ho Chi Minh) became a founding member of the French Communist Party. • 1923: HCM studied Marxism in the USSR. • 1930: HCM founded the Vietnamese Communist Party (VCP); vowed to liberate Indochina from France. French charged him with TREASON. • French sentenced him to death in absentia in 1930.

  3. The Conflict in Southeast Asia 55 years of struggle and 35 years of war: • 1919: Wilson snubs Ho Chi Minh at Versailles; France keeps Indochina colony • 1930: Ho Chi Minh pledges to liberate Indochina from French • 1940-1945: As a US ally, Indochinese fought against Japanese occupation • 1945-1954: French-Indochina war/1st War of independence (Vietminh vs. France) • 1955-1964: Civil war in South Vietnam (NLF/Vietcong vs. ARVN) • 1964-1975: 2nd war of independence/Vietnam War • NLF (Vietcong)/NVA vs. USA/South Vietnam Army/ARVN • 30 April 1975, the VC/NVA won the war; independent Vietnam is created. • Was this a war of “national liberation” from a colonial power (France, and then, the United States) or a war fought to stop the spread of communism? • The United States failed to contain communism in Southeast Asia.

  4. Conflict in Southeast Asia30 years of war for America: • FIVE AMERICAN PRESIDENTS: • HARRY S. TRUMAN: 1945 – 1952 • DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER: 1953 – 1960 • JOHN F. KENNEDY: 1961 – 1963 • LYNDON B. JOHNSON: 1964 - 1968 • RICHARD M. NIXON: 1969 - 1974

  5. Indochina: 1940 to 1954 • Japanese occupation of Indochina during WW2 (1940-1945). • 1941: HCM created the communist “Vietminh” in Vietnam. • Allied with US against Japan. • Yalta (Feb. ’45) and Potsdam (July ’45) Agreements: • FDR, Truman supported Vietnamese independence • French wanted to retain the colony • 2 September 1945 – VJ Day and Vietnamese “Declaration of Independence” • Indochina remained a French colony - Independence denied a 2nd time • A war of liberation against France: FRENCH-INDOCHINA WAR • Vietminh vs. France • Vietminh: aid from USSR, China (US weapons) and used what Japanese left behind after WW2; US supported Vietminh • France: Beginning in 1950, US paid for 80% of their war; no combat support • “spread of communism” or “war of national liberation”?

  6. The Results of the French-Indochina War • 1954: Battle of Dienbienphu • Vietminh defeated French • US: “China and USSR will expand into SE Asia” • Vietnam: Finally…independence • Revolutionary movements against colonialism throughout the Third World • 1954: SEATO • THE GENEVA ACCORDS (1955 Peace Treaty) • Created Laos, Cambodia and… • 2 Vietnams: partitioned at the 17th parallel • Independence denied a 3rd time • North Vietnam under Ho Chi Minh. • South Vietnam under Ngo Dinh Diem. • Promised re-unification elections in 1956 • US did not sign the Geneva Peace Accords

  7. US support of Diem in South Vietnam: 1955-1963Why does the experiment fail? • 80% of the South Vietnamese people supported HCM • Diem (a Catholic) realized that he would lose any election. • Repeatedly cancelled elections between 1956 & ‘62 • regime was corrupt in many other ways • This sparked a civil war in South Vietnam by 1959. • 1960: South Vietnamese members of the National Liberation Front (NLF or the ‘Viet Cong’), aided by North Vietnam, fought a civil war against the Diem government. • 1960: Eisenhower sent 900 Green Berets to SV to “advise” and train the ARVN • 1961: JFK sent 16, 000 “advisors” to South Vietnam to train the ARVN and defend Diem govt. • 1963: due to widespread corruption and very little public support, CIA backed a coup of the Diem government and he was assassinated. • JFK’s “withdrawal plan” in 1963. • US troops out of Vietnam by end of 1965 • JFK assassinated on November 22, 1963 • This ended his plan to withdraw US forces from Vietnam • …and changed the direction of US policy in Vietnam under the new American president, Lyndon B. Johnson…the torch has been passed BACK…. NGO DINH DIEM

  8. US Intervention in South Vietnam:The Vietnam War: 1964 to 1975 A war that the US must win quickly or risk losing the support of the American people. A war that the Vietnamese will fight for however long it takes to achieve their goals of unification and independence. How could the United States, a nation with over 200 million citizens and a military second to none in the entire world, be UNABLE to defeat its enemy in Vietnam (the NLF/Vietcong) from South Vietnam and the NVA from North Vietnam, a nation with limited resources and a population of just 17 million?

  9. President Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1968): • McCarthy Era: US Asian “experts” purged from government • Therefore, LBJ had very few advisors Asian advisors • LBJ: conflict in Vietnam was more “domino theory” than “war of liberation” • was convinced that the US could easily win a war in Vietnam • needed a way to convince Congress and the American people that the US should wage war in Vietnam to contain communism. • August 2, 1964: Gulf of Tonkin Incident • August 4, 1964: Gulf of Tonkin Resolution • Operation Rolling Thunder • Military superiority of US, in escalating amounts of force, would convince enemy to give up • 7 million tons of US bombs were dropped on Vietnam during this operation • 1964: US Marines sent to Vietnam • Early 1965: US Army combat forces in South Vietnam • 1965 to 1967: • “Escalation”: “rural pacification” plus “search and destroy” strategy; • growing anti-war movement in US – as more people protested the war, LBJ would send more troops to Vietnam • “light at the end of the tunnel” (Westmoreland) • 1968: • Tet offensive, “credibility Gap” • the anti-war movement; counter-culture (end of “conformity”); a year of “chaos” • Presidential election: Nixon (R) vs. Humphrey (D)

  10. Nixon’s Vietnam: 1969-1974(Public support for the war virtually non-existent) • His Strategy: “Vietnamization” • Turn the war over to ARVN…gradually • “De-escalation” of US involvement • Reduce ground troops…gradually • Secret “incursions” into Cambodia and Laos broadened the war/angered Americans • Achieve “Peace with Honor” • US encouraged North Vietnam and Viet Cong to negotiate an end to the war in 1968. • US bombing of NV kept NV/VC from negotiating • Nixon increased bombing of North Vietnam • 1971: “The Pentagon Papers” • Paris Accords – US out by end of 1973 • April 30, 1975: • Communists (NVA and VC) finally win their war against government of South Vietnam • Vietnam is finally re-united and independent after years of colonial rule. Pres. Richard Nixon

  11. The Vietnam War • Why was the United States, a nation with over 200 million citizens and a military second to none in the entire world, UNABLE to defeat its enemy in Vietnam (the NLF from South Vietnam and the NVA from North Vietnam), a nation with limited resources and a population of just 17 million?

  12. Important Vietnam War Timeline • 1887-Indochina became a French colony • 1919-France kept Indochina (post war power balance ) • 1940-Japanese occupation during WW 2 • 1945-France kept Indochina (Domino Theory) • 1954-Defeated French at Dienbienphu • 1955-Geneva Accords • 1960-US “advisors” in South • 1963-JFK & Diem Killed • 1964-Gulf of Tonkin • 1965-US combat troops in SV • 1968-Tet Offensive (500K US troops in Vietnam) • 1970-Vietnamization and Paris Peace Talks begin • 1973-Last US troops out of South Vietnam • 1975-Fall of Saigon - Vietnam’s Independence

  13. Vietnam War Terminology • NVA, ARVN, Viet Minh, Viet Cong,/NLF • Ho Chi Minh, Ngo Dinh Diem • Gulf of Tonkin Incident and Resolution • Operation Rolling Thunder • Tet Offensive/KheSanh -1968 • Ho Chi Minh Trail • Rural Pacification/StrategicHamlets/Hearts and Minds, Search and Destroy, Vietnamization, PeacewithHonor • Cambodian Incursion • My Lai Massacre • The PentagonPapers (Daniel Ellsberg) • The Free Speech/Anti-WarMovement • Vietnam underPresidents Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon • Was US involvement in Vietnam consistent withcontainmentpolicy?

  14. IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS IN COLD WAR HISTORY • During the Truman Administration: • “Iron Curtain Speech” and Josef Stalin’s Response to it • The LONG TELEGRAM • X ARTICLE/CONTAINMENT and NOVIKOV TELEGRAM • TRUMAN DOCTRINE/MARSHALL PLAN and SOVIET REACTION • NATIONAL SECURITY ACT • NSC-68 • NATO CHARTER AND OTHER ALLIANCES • During the Eisenhower and Kennedy Administrations: • BRINKSMANSHIP AND MASSIVE RETALIATION • NEW LOOK POLICY AND EISENHOWER DOCTRINE • IKE’S FAREWELL & JFK’S INAUGURAL ADDRESSES • FLEXIBLE RESPONSE

  15. IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS IN COLD WAR HISTORY • X ARTICLE • TRUMAN DOCTRINE/MARSHALL PLAN • NATIONAL SECURITY ACT • NSC-68 • NATO AND OTHER ALLIANCES • BRINKSMANSHIP AND MASSIVE RETALIATION • NEW LOOK POLICY AND EISENHOWER DOCTRINE • IKE’S FAREWELL & JFK’S INAUGURAL ADDRESSES • FLEXIBLE RESPONSE • GULF OF TONKIN RESOLUTION

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