Vietnam War Years

1. Vietnam War Years Ms. Garratt Chapter 22:

2. French Indochina

3. Post World War II Vietnam • French colonies • French Indochina lost colonies to Japan • During Japanese occupation Ho Chi Minh and the US cooperated. • Ho formed the Vietminh for the liberation of VN from foreign control

4. Origins of US Involvement • US put pressure on Allies to get rid of colonies. • However, 2 factors led US to get involved in VN • “loss of China” • Stalemate in the Korean War • French defeat at Dien Bien Phuled to US involvement “containment policy.” • Begins with advisors, then air bombings and eventually troops by 1965. • All the while each president is promising not to send troops

5. The Vietminh & Vietcong • Who were we fighting? • Ho Chi Minh who formed the Vietminh whose goal it was to win VN independence (Japan, then France)

6. Eisenhower Admin • Ike continued supplying aid to the French • US had settled for stalemate in Korea which only stiffened America’s resolve to halt communism in VN • Ike explained the domino theory in 1954 • Despite massive aid the French couldn’t retake VN • They surrendered at Dien Bien Phu in 1954

7. Domino Theory

8. Geneva Accords • From May to July ‘54 major countries hammered out the Geneva Accords which stipulated • Temporary division of VN at 17th parallel • Ho Chi Minh controlled North from Hanoi • Anti communists controlled the South from Saigon and; • An election to unify the country would take place in 1956

9. Election Never Takes Place • The US and SVN feared that if elections took place the Communists would win. WHY? • Although Ho Chi Minh led repressive regime he was popular due to breaking up huge land estates and redistributing land to the peasants and for fighting for VN independence against both the French and Japan • Diem, by contrast, was corrupt and not popular

10. Diem • Corrupt • Failed to implement land reform • Strategic hamlet program • Catholic who persecuted the Buddhist majority

11. Vietcong • In 1957 a Communist opposition group in the South had begun attacks on the Diem gov---assassinating thousands of SVN officials

12. Ho Chi Minh Trail • Ho Chi Minh supported the Vietcong & in ‘59 began supplying arms to the Vietcong via a network of paths along the borders of Cambodia, Laos & VN • Aka the Ho Chi Minh Trail

13. JFK • Wary of the accusations that Democrats were “soft” on communism, JFK increased financial aid to Diem & thousands of military advisers • By the end of 1963, 16,000 military personnel were in SVN

14. Diem • Assassinated in 1963 due to: • Ongoing corruption • Failure to implement land reform • Strategic Hamlet Program • Intensified attacks against Buddhists • His death brought even more instability to SVN

15. Tonkin Gulf Resolution • NVN patrol fired torpedo at USS Maddox which was off NVN coast • 2 days later US claimed they were fired upon again • LBJ used alleged incident to begin bombing NVN • Asked Congress for power to “take all necessary measures to repel armed attack against US” • It was not dec of war but gave LBJ broad powers to wage war in VN • Congress gave LBJ the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution • LBJ prepared resolution months before

16. Operation Rolling Thunder 1965 • Sustained bombing of NVN • First US combat troops arrive (50,000 by June) • End section 1

17. Review Section One Questions • 1. Why was Ho Chi Minh seen as a hero by many? • 2. Why were the Democrats sensitive to the issue of VN? • 3. What did the Geneva Accords stipulate? • 4.Why was Diem unfit as a ruler of SVN? • 5. Who introduced the domino theory concept? • 6. Who was the Vietcong? • 7. How was the Tonkin Gulf Resolution achieved and for what was it used?

18. LBJ Admin Favors Escalation • Despite 1964 presidential campaign promise NOT “to send American boys 9 or 10,000 miles away from home to do what Asian boys ought to do for themselves.” • LBJ’s advisors urged escalation • General Westmoreland kept requesting more troops. • He was not impressed with the ARVN

19. The Elusive Enemy • Vietcong – Guerrilla warfare • Jungle Fighting • Tunnels • Allowed them to withstand bombings • Surprise attacks & ability to disappear quickly • Napalm • Agent Orange • Search & Destroy Missions • Strategic Hamlet Program

21. Jungle Tunnels

23. Westmoreland’s Strategy • Wear the NVN down through a war of attrition and high body count was NOT working. • Alienated South Vietnamese due to: • Napalm • Agent Orange • Search & Destroy Missions (3 million refugees) • Strategic Hamlet programs

24. Declining Morale • Guerilla warfare • Jungle terrain & climate • Drug use • Lack of domestic support • Corruption of SVN gov • Television war • High casualties

25. Credibility Gap • LBJ & Nixon misled the public • USS Maddox • Gulf of Tonkin Resolution • Tet Offensive exposed misinformation of the USG • Television War • Sen. Fulbright asked members of LBJ admin to defend their VN policies • American support for the war was split • End section 2

26. Manipulatable Draft • 18 years old • Those in college could get college deferments • Those that were in college could afford to be there. • War was disproportionately fought by lower classes and blacks. • Dr. King finally spoke out against the war

27. Roots of Opposition • New Left - • Youth movement • Campus Activism • Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) • Wanted return to “participatory democracy” • Free Speech Movement (FSM) • Anti-war movement – 3 reasons • Teach-ins • DC marches

28. From Protest to Resistance • “Burn cards, not people” • “Hell no, we won’t go” • 4000 imprisoned draft resisters • 10,000 fled to Canada • Oct ‘67 demonstration at Lincoln Memorial. • Protesters moved to Pentagon where met with tear gas and clubs • Many injured and arrested

29. War Divides the Nation • Nation polarized between “doves” and “hawk” • By ‘67 despite “visibility” of protesters more than ½ of Americans supported the war • Shocked to see public criticism of war while soldiers were serving – see as disloyal • “Love it or leave it” • LBJ attacked by both hawks and doves? • End section three

30. Tet Offensive • Vietcong & NVN launched attack on 100 towns & villages, US embassy & 12 air bases • Tet Offensive lasted for about a month • US won militarily but lost psychologically and politically. • Shocked the American public who was led to believe that the enemy was close to defeat • LBJ admin’s “credibility gap” widened to a point from which it would not recover • Changed public opinion about the war – 60% disapproved

31. LBJ Not to Run for President • Background: 2 assassinations, urban & campus riots • Anti-war coalition developed with Dem party • Eugene McCarthy • Robert Kennedy • LBJ announces that “I shall not seek and I will not accept the nomination of my party for another term as your president”

32. Violence in 1968 • Assassination of MLK in April led to riots in more than a 100 cities • Assassination of RJK in June by a Palestinian • College campus protests • 40,000 students on 100 different campuses participate in more than 200 protests • Columbia University

33. Turbulent Race for President ‘68 • Democratic National Convention in Chicago • Violence between police & 10,000 protesters • Fractured the Democratic Party • McCarthy v. Humphrey • Protesters wanted an antiwar platform • Breakdown of law and order • Republicans will capitalize on this • Plus George Wallace will enter the race as independent • He was called the “white backlash” president

34. WHY? How Nixon Elected? • Democratic party was fractured. • Nixon portrayed himself as the “law & order” candidate • Americans were tired of the violence, urban riots, etc • Appealed to the “silent majority” • End section four

35. Nixon & Vietnamization • Gradual pull out of US troops to be replaced by ARVN forces • Nixon calls for “peace with honor” • Orders massive bombing of North & Cambodia & Laos • Bombing intended to maintain US clout at neg table • Madman Theory p. 755 • Withdrawal takes place in 1973 • Saigon falls in 1975

36. My Lai 1968 • New York Times reports of the atrocity in which 200 innocent Vietnamese were lined up and shot under the command of Wm Calley, Jr. • Calley’s group were searching for Vietcong • When asked what the directive had been, one soldier replied “Kill anything that breathed” • Only Calley was convicted & imprisoned

37. Invasion of Cambodia • Although war was winding down in April Nixon announced that US troops had invaded Cambodia (in addition to bombing that had been taking place) • Nix wanted to hit Vietcong supply stations • Did not want to appear like helpless giant • Expanded the war without even notifying Congress

38. Impact of Cambodian Invasion • Student protests erupted throughout the country • First general student strike takes place • More than 1.5 million students close down some 1200 campuses. • KENT STATE • Hardhats rally in May – represented blue-collar support for the war (100,000 participated) • CONGRESS repealed the Tonkin Gulf Res

39. Kent State/Jackson State • Nat’l Guard fired live ammo into students • 4 killed at Kent State • 2 “ “ at Jackson • Americans were sharply divided over campus killings

40. Hardhats Rally • Following the campus turmoil “hardhats” (construction workers & other blue collar workers) held a rally in NYC to support the gov • In May 1970 nearly 100,000 showed up

41. Pentagon Papers June 1971 • Daniel Ellsberg leaked the Pentagon Papers • 7000 page classified doc written for McNamara • Revealed the deceit of the gov • Plans for war were made while gov was promising not to go to war • People and Congress had been lied to • Quagmire – never any plan to end the war

42. War Comes to an End • Last US troops leave in 1973 • Ceasefire was violated by NVN almost immediately • US refused to send anymore mili aid • In 1975 NVN tanks rolled into Saigon • SVN surrendered

43. Painful Legacy • 58,000 dead • 303,000 wounded • SE Asia remained highly unstable • Americans were more cautious & cynical • Cold reception to returning veterans • 3.3 million vets developed post traumatic stress disorder • Others developed drug or alcohol problems • Some committed suicide

44. What happened to SVN people? • 400,000 were imprisoned in harsh “reeducation” or labor camps • 1.5 m fled including boat people, poor people who left on anything that floats. • Unfortunately about 50,000 perished at sea

46. Cambodia • US invasion of Cambodia caused civil war in which Communist group known as the Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot took over in 1975. • In an effort to create a peasant society, the Khmer Rouge executed at least one million Cambodians • They executed professionals and anyone with an education or foreign ties.

47. Legacy of VN • Hawks continued to insist the war could have been won & blamed anti-war movement • Doves argued it was stalemate that might bring in USSR or China

48. Policy Changes • Draft was abolished • 1973 War Powers Act curbed president’s war making powers & stipulated: • Cong must be informed within 48 hours of sending troops to hostile area w/o dec of war • Troops may only remain for 90 days unless Congress approves Pres actions or declares war

49. Vietnam Syndrome • Americans now consider the risks to their own interests before deciding to intervene in foreign countries • Led to cynicism due to all the misleading info gov provided