VIETNAM

1. VIETNAM Ancient times-1967

2. EARLY CONQUESTS • Fertile River Valleys • B.C. – 900 A.D., China • 900 – 1500, Independent • 1500’s – 1941 French

3. EARLY CONQUESTS • French • French Catholic missionaries • 5% converted • Buddhists resentful of Catholics • Missionaries murdered • French Control • stripped natives of land • large rice plantations (natives tenant farmers) • monopoly on opium and alcohol • Attempted revolts squashed

4. EARLY CONQUESTS • Independence movement • Led by Ho Chi Minh • Educated in France, Russia, and China • Priority: independence • became communist in 1920's.

5. STEPS TO U.S. INVOLVEMENT • 1941 – 1945 • Japan took over Vietnam • Vietminh formed • Fought with Allies • Expected independence • Led by Ho Chi Minh • 1946 –1954 • Ho Chi Minh declares independence • President Truman ignores Ho Chi Minh • French return • Vietminh begin fighting French • U.S. supports French with weapons and money

6. STEPS TO U.S. INVOLVEMENT • 1954 – MAJOR CHANGES • Eisenhower – Domino Theory • Countries will fall to communism if not stopped • Vietminh overrun Dien Bien Phu • French surrender • Geneva Accords • Split Vietnam • Communist North (Ho Chi Minh) • Non-communist South (Ngo Dinh Diem) • Reunification elections in 1956

7. STEPS TO U.S. INVOLVEMENT • 1956 – 1963 • Elections cancelled (by Diem) Why? • Vietcong (S.V. communists) begin attacks • Diem very unpopular • Catholic (5% minority) • Anti-Buddhist laws • Overthrown in coup (Nov. 1963); US did nothing

8. STEPS TO U.S. INVOLVEMENT • 1964 – 1965 • Gulf of Tonkin Incident • U.S.S. Maddox “fired” upon (Aug. 2, 1964) • Aug. 4 – 2nd “attack” • Led to Gulf of Tonkin Resolution • Johnson’s “blank check”

9. STEPS TO U.S. INVOLVEMENT • TONKIN GULF RESOLUTION • Johnson asks Congress for authority to retaliate • Congress gives full authority to do whatever he needs to in Vietnam • Good idea? Bad idea? Constitutional issues? • Passed House 416-0 • Passed Senate 98-2 • We find out years later it was a lie – there was no attack

10. STEPS TO U.S. INVOLVEMENT • 1965 – OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER IS LAUNCHED • Heavy bombing of North Vietnam by the US • Goal: bomb North Vietnam so much that they would give up • Where had that been tried before?

11. WHERE ARE WE BY 1965? • The U.S. had provided the South Vietnamese with: • Weapons • Money • Military advisors (15,000 by 1963) • Operation Rolling Thunder was not working • North Vietnamese (northern communists) and the Vietcong (southern communists) were continuing to fight – and growing stronger • As President, you have four choices . . .

12. WHAT WILL JOHNSON DO? • Remove all U.S. troops from Vietnam • Positives/Negatives? • Declare war on North Vietnam • Positives/Negatives? • Continue to provide defensive help for important South Vietnamese installations • Positives/Negatives? • Join the South Vietnamese and commit ground troops to the war • Positives/Negatives?

13. WHAT WILL JOHNSON DO? • Remove all U.S. troops from Vietnam • Positives: no money being spent or lives lost in a foreign war • Negatives: would let down our allies, would look weak for not stopping communism • NOT AN OPTION • Declare war on North Vietnam • Positives: we will be engaging the enemy on their own turf, the war is “official” • Negatives: we may engage North Vietnam’s allies, China and the Soviet Union, which may lead to nuclear war • NOT AN OPTION

14. WHAT WILL JOHNSON DO? • Continue to provide defensive help for important South Vietnamese installations • Positives: we will only be helping the South Vietnamese, it will cost less money, it will put fewer American soldiers in harm’s way • Negatives: it’s what we’re currently doing and it’s not working • NOT AN OPTION • Join the South Vietnamese and commit ground troops to the war • Positives: we will be taking out the Vietcong, General Westmoreland says it will take 120,000 troops and be over by 1967 • Negatives: it will cost more money and more lives • THE ONLY OPTION

15. GEN. WILLIAM WESTMORELAND • Ground commander • Tells Johnson . . . • enemy will be defeated by 1967 • Need 120,000 troops

16. TROOP BUILDUP – 1961-1963 • Kennedy: 1,500 military advisors in South Vietnam (1961) • At death: 15,000 military advisors in South Vietnam (1963)

17. TROOP BUILDUP – 1964-1968

18. WHAT TYPE OF WAR WAS IT? • Civil War • Vietnamese fighting Vietnamese • Guerilla War • Enemy blends in • Ambush • Hit and run attacks • Use of tunnels • Vietcong supplied by North Vietnam via Ho Chi Minh trail • supported by Chinese and Soviets • WHY THIS STYLE OF WAR?

19. USE OF TUNNELS

20. WHAT IS THE U.S. RESPONSE? • Get rid of Viet Cong • Eliminate hiding places • Napalm (burn down the jungle) • Agent orange (defoliate the jungle)

21. WHAT IS THE U.S. RESPONSE? • Pacification • Remove loyal villagers • Eliminate the Viet Cong • Allow the villagers to return

22. HOW DO THE VIETNAMESE FEEL? • Most apathetic • at war since 1941 • Tired of corrupt governments • Most rural people don’t care communist or not • Becomes a war of attrition • Viet Cong don’t have to win; simply must outlast Americans

23. WHAT IS THE IMPACT ON THE U.S.? • Westmoreland claims victory is close! • Leads to a credibility gap

24. THE DRAFT • Who is eligible? • 18-25 year old men • Who’s eligible for deferment? • College students • Medical conditions • National Guard • Conscientious objectors • How else could you avoid the draft? • Flee the country • Burn draft card • Have right “connections” • Who is left to fight?

25. THE ANTI WAR MOVEMENT • Who are the protesters? • Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) • College aged people • Called “Doves” • How are they protesting? • Refuse to go • Burn draft cards • Marches • Music

26. THE ANTI WAR MOVEMENT • October 21, 1967 • 100,000+ march at Pentagon • 1967 Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara resigns • Clark Clifford: new Secretary of Defense • war is “unwinnable” • Now what?