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The Vietnam War: 1954-1975

The Vietnam War: 1954-1975. Chapter 26. Vietnam. Ruled by the Chinese for 100’s of years 1800-1940’s- was a French colony. Post-WWII- seen as vital to contain communism. French Indochina : Laos, Cambodia & Vietnam ruled by France until WWII. Early War. Ho Chi Minh :

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The Vietnam War: 1954-1975

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  1. The Vietnam War: 1954-1975 Chapter 26

  2. Vietnam • Ruled by the Chinese for 100’s of years • 1800-1940’s- was a French colony. • Post-WWII- seen as vital to contain communism. • French Indochina: Laos, Cambodia & Vietnam ruled by France until WWII

  3. Early War • Ho Chi Minh: • nationalist leader led the Communist Party that pushed for independence from France. • Name means “bringer of the light”. November 22, 1954 July 16, 1965 May 12, 1975

  4. Struggles Begin • Vietnam previously a colony of France (1800’s to WWII) • Vietminh • Both communists & non-communists who fought together to expel the Japanese • Ho Chi Minh’s nationalist group • US sent aid to the Vietminh in WWII.

  5. America Aids the French • France & Vietnamese fighting • France appeals to US for help • Colonialism vs Communism • Truman convinced to help France because: • Fall of China to Communism • Outbreak of Korean War • Eisenhower continues with Domino Theory • If Vietnam falls to Communism the rest of Asia will too

  6. France vs Vietnam • Vietminh = guerilla war tactics (& very good at it!) • Battle at Dien BienPhu - Falls • Supply point • French lost it agreeing at the end of the battle to withdraw from Vietnam

  7. *Geneva Accords • divided French territory into 3 nations, Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia. • divided Vietnam in half at 17th parallel • North = Vietminh • South led by Ngo Dinh Diem – pro-western regime • general elections were to occur pulling the country together • Diem refused because Ho Chi Minh would rig the elections and win, so tensions between the North & South increased with U.S. getting caught in the middle.

  8. US Presidents & USInvolvement in Vietnam • 1949- President Truman sent money to help the French who were fighting against Ho Chi Minh. • 1950’s- President Eisenhower sent money & non-combat military advisors to help train the South Vietnamese Army to defend their land against Ho Chi Minh. • 1961-1963 President Kennedy dramatically increased the number of US military advisors to Vietnam (from 1,364 to 15,000). • 1964-1968- President Lyndon Johnson sends first US combat troops & begins bombing North Vietnam (“escalation”) • 1969- 1975- Presidents Nixon & Ford- US & North Vietnam sign a cease fire; US troops withdrawn. • All of Vietnam falls to Ho Chi Minh & the communists

  9. Vietcong: Ho Chi Minh’s guerilla army formed to reunify Vietnam • Strategic Hamlets: • special fortified villages created by the South • moved Vietnamese to these villages to protect them from the Vietcong and prevent them from helping them. • villagers resented being moved to these hamlets and resisted the South Vietnamese

  10. Buddhists • discriminated against by Diem • made him very unpopular since most of Vietnam was Buddhist. • Buddhists protested against his policies. • Self-Immolation: • a Buddhist monk set himself on fire to protest Diem’s religious policies • (1963)Diem was overthrown by military generals with the backing of the U.S. – he was executed – which created a problem in South Vietnam as the government grew weak and unstable

  11. Attack on the gulf of tonkin? • August 2, 1964-President Johnson announced that North Vietnamese torpedo boats had fired on two US ships. • Two days later—he announced that another attack had taken place. • Johnson asked Congress for authority to defend US forces & allies in SE Asia. • Johnson was campaigning for another term in 1964 & he did not tell them that US ships had been actively helping South Vietnam.

  12. *GULF OF TONKINRESOLUTION • authorized President Johnson to “take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the U.S. and to prevent further aggression.” • basically means the president had war powers – • After an American base was attacked by the Vietcong leaving 7 dead and over 100 wounded, President Johnson decided to respond by sending in airstrikes

  13. Military Aspects • Operation Rolling Thunder: a sustained bombing campaign against the Vietcong (Johnson Admin. 1965-1968). • Search and Destroy Missions: U.S. troops used this tactic in searching for Vietcong then destroying them by bringing them out in the open • Airstrikes destroyed landscape with napalm and Agent Orange: a chemical that strips leaves from trees and shrubs • Ho Chi Minh Trail: a network of trails from the North to the South that the Vietcong used as a supply route • North Vietnam received most of their supplies from China and the U.S.S.R.

  14. President Johnson & Escalation • 1965- Operation Rolling Thunder= LBJ’s popularity ratings went up to 60% • 1965- LBJ sent 1st US combat troops to Vietnam • 1966- 360,000 US troops in Vietnam • By 1968—500,000 US troops in Vietnam.

  15. Tactics used by the Vietcong & US Government • Booby traps, ambushes, guerilla “hit & run”, underground passageways, blend with civilians. Tactics Used by the US & South Vietnam • “search & destroy” missions- US & S. Vietnamese troops searched village to village for the enemy. • Agent Orange- chemical that was meant to kill vegetation to make the enemy more visible. • Napalm- jellied gasoline; used to destroy jungle & kill the enemy. • LBJ refused to invade North Vietnam because it might anger China • LBJ refused to attack Ho Chi Minh Trail- did not want to widen the war (Limited War)

  16. Victims of Agent Orange and Napalm

  17. Americans become divided over the war • US political & military leaders (Gen. Westmoreland) declared that the enemy was near defeat • 1st Televised War- daily news reports discredited US politicians & military leaders • “Credibility Gap”- the gap between what citizens were being told versus the reality of the info they were seeing & what was being reported. • Congress held hearings with Johnson’s staff to determine how the war was going.

  18. The Anti-War Movement Grows US citizens held differing views on the war: • It’s a civil war- why are we in the middle? • Why are we propping up the corrupt South Vietnamese government & leaders? • It’s a war of Independence- why don’t we support it? • 1965- University of Michigan “teach-ins” –professors cancelled classes & taught about the situation in Vietnam. • “Doves”- anti-war protestors • “Hawks” –pro-war citizens

  19. The Draft Protests • 1960’s – numbers of US citizens protested the draft & refused to go to fight. • Why? • The growing unpopularity of the war at home. • The Draft was seen as unfair. • College Deferments- allowed higher income kids & academically advanced kids to postpone enrollment in the military= lower income kids & students not going to college more likely sent to Vietnam. • Disproportionate number were African-Americans= 1967 (20%) • 500,000 US citizens burned draft cards, left the country, went to prison to avoid the draft. • 1969- US adopted a draft lottery (more fair system) • *1971- 26th Amendment – lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.

  20. *The Tet Offensive • “Tet”- the Vietnamese New Year; seen as an unlikely time for a military offensive. • Jan. 30, 1968- the Vietcong & North Vietnamese launched a surprise attack on US airbases in South Vietnam & major cities in S. Vietnam. • US troops repelled the enemy- NOT MILITARILY SIGNIFICANT FOR THE ENEMY. • Gen. Westmoreland requested from Congress 209,000 more US troops???? • LBJ’s approval ratings fell • **Significance of TET** 1968 LBJ announces he will not seek another term as President • TV News man- Walter Cronkite- “Vietnam will end in stalemate…”

  21. What does this mean?

  22. The 1968 Democratic Primary & Convention • 1968 Democratic Convention- pro & anti-war protestors clash with Police outside the convention hall. • Democrats seeking nomination: • Eugene McCarthy (dove)- won 40% primary votes in NH • Robert Kennedy (opposed the war)- killed by Sir Han Sir Han before the party could nominate him. • Hubert Humphrey

  23. The 1968 Election • Republican-Richard Nixon: promised to restore “law & order” & end the war in Vietnam • Democrat- Hubert Humphrey- supported LBJ’s war policies at first; then wanted to end bombing. • Independent Party- George Wallace (segregationist former Gov. of Alabama) • * Nixon won!

  24. Nixon Moves to End the War • Appoints Henry Kissinger (Harvard Professor) as Special Asst. on National Security – in charge of getting the US out of the war. • “Linkage”- Kissinger policy of improving relations with China & USSR (suppliers of aid to North Vietnam)= so they would cut aid to N. Vietnam. • “Vietnamization”- Nixon reduced US troop levels in Vietnam in order for South Vietnam to take over the responsibility of fighting for themselves. • 1969-Kissinger began secret peace talks with the negotiator for N. Vietnam.

  25. *The My Lai Massacre (1968) • US platoon led by William Calley massacred unarmed South Vietnamese civilians • Calley sentenced to time in prison for the crime • Convinced many Americans that the war was senseless

  26. The Invasion of Cambodia (1970) • Nixon announced April 1970 that US troops had invaded Cambodia • Ordered to destroy Vietcong military bases • Some Americans angered-- saw this as a widening of the war!! *Result- Kent State Protests & Jackson State Protests • May 4, 1970- student protests at Kent State- National Guard killed 4 students. • May 14- Jackson State- two African-Americans protestors killed. • Result- Congress withdrew the Gulf of TonkinResolution

  27. The Pentagon Papers • Daniel Ellsberg- former Defense Department worker leaked secret documents to newspapers. • Revealed that Johnson officials had questioned the war privately • Presidents & advisors had expanded the war without consulting Congress • Government officials had tried to convince the press that Vietnam was going better than it was. • NY Times v. United States, 1971

  28. The US Pulls Out • Oct. 1972- Kissinger announces that “peace is at hand”- “October Surprise”- a few weeks before the election of 1972. • 2/3 of Americans wanted to end the war • Nixon won reelection- & peace talks broke down • *“The Christmas Bombings”- 11 straight days of US bombing North Vietnam- to force Vietnam to negotiate. • Negotiations resumed; Jan. 27, 1973 a cease-fire agreement- US pulled all troops out. • March 1975- North Vietnam invaded South Vietnam, captured capital of Saigon (renamed Ho Chi Minh City)= Vietnam under communist rule.

  29. The Impact of the War • Longest war in US History • $170 Billion direct costs • 58,000 US troops dead, 300,000 wounded, psychological effects • @ 1 million North & South Vietnamese dead • POW’s (Prisoners of War) & MIA’s (Missing in Action)still unaccounted • 1973- **War Powers Act: requires future presidents to: • Notify Congress within 48 hours if troops sent into action • Withdraw troops within 60 or 90 days unless Congress gives permission for longer stay. • All Presidents refuse to admit the limit • Every President since 1973 has gone to Congress for permission to use troops • 1982- Vietnam Veterans Memorial built

  30. The Vietnam Memorial

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