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Exploring American History Unit IX – Post War America Chapter 29 – Section 2 – Escalation in Vietnam. Why are we in Vietnam?. “Domino Theory”- Eisenhower Stop Aggression Protect our reputation- our “credibility ”. Escalation in Vietnam. The Big Idea
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Exploring American History Unit IX – Post War America Chapter 29 – Section 2 – Escalation in Vietnam
Why are we in Vietnam? • “Domino Theory”- Eisenhower • Stop Aggression • Protect our reputation- our “credibility”
Escalation in Vietnam • The Big Idea • Johnson quickly expanded U.S. involvement in Vietnam, but American soldiers faced a determined enemy. • Main Ideas • President Johnson committed the United States to victory in Vietnam by expanding U.S. involvement. • American soldiers faced new challenges fighting the Vietnam War. • The Tet Offensive was an important turning point in the war.
Main Idea 1:President Johnson committed the United States to victory in Vietnam by expanding U.S. involvement. • August 1964– North Vietnamese torpedo boats are reported to have attacked U.S. ships. • President Johnson saw actions as act of war. • Congress passed Tonkin Gulf Resolution, giving president authority “to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States.” Tonkin Gulf Resolution Johnson Takes Action • First U.S. combat troops sent to South Vietnam in March 1965 • Operation Rolling Thunder, a series of air strikes, targets North Vietnam war industries and attempts to disrupt the Ho Chi Minh Trail, a North Vietnamese supply route. • By late 1968 more than a million tons of explosives had been dropped on North and South Vietnam.
Diem’s Overthrow Diem’s government continued to grow more and more unpopular. He arrested and killed Buddhist protesters. U.S. leaders said they would withdraw support if Diem did not change his ways. Diem refused to change his stand against Buddhists, and the United States began to support a plot to overthrow Diem. In November 1963 the South Vietnamese plotters murdered Diem. Tonkin Gulf Resolution To increase the American military effort in Vietnam, Johnson needed to obtain authority from Congress. Johnson asked Congress for this authority claiming that the USS Maddox had been attacked by North Vietnamese torpedo boats in the Gulf of Tonkin. Johnson claimed this attack was unprovoked, but really the Maddox had been on a spying mission and had fired first. The Tonkin Gulf Resolution was passed on August 7. Increasing U.S. Involvement
The Tonkin Gulf Incident During the night of 4 August a second attack was believed to have taken place against both the Maddox and the Turner Joy, leading to retaliatory strikes on North Vietnam by U.S. carrier planes. U.S.S. Maddox- On 2 August 1964, while on patrol in the Gulf of Tonkin, she was attacked by North Vietnamese motor torpedo boats- torpedoes and machine gunfire. Orders were to conduct some electronic eavesdropping, monitoring North Vietnamese radio traffic, and to support South Vietnamese patrol boat raids on North Vietnamese Coastal Radar. Most historians are nearly certain that no communist attack had occurred. U.S.S. Maddox U.S.S. Turner Joy U.S.S. Maddox U.S.S. Turner Joy
Tonkin Gulf Resolution- Jan 7, 1964 • The resolution passes unanimously in the House, and by a margin of 82-2 in the Senate. The Resolution allows Johnson to wage all out war against North Vietnam without ever securing a formal Declaration of War from Congress. • Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Congress approves and supports the determination of the President, as Commander in Chief, to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression. • Johnson did not believe the Commander in Chief needed this resolution (approval)
Main Idea 2: American soldiers faced new challenges fighting the Vietnam War. • President Johnson pursued policy of escalation, or increased involvement, in the war. • By 1968 more than 500,000 American troops were serving in Vietnam. • General William Westmoreland commanded U.S. ground forces. • Used strategy based on search-and-destroy missions, where U.S. patrols searched for enemy camps, then destroyed them with massive firepower and air raids • War was fought in jungles and villages of South Vietnam.
Challenges of War • Vietcong and North Vietnamese Army were challenging opponents. • Used their knowledge of region and guerilla warfare tactics • Continual supply of troops at the ready • Received weapons and supplies from Soviet Union and Communist China • Civilians of South Vietnam were often caught in the middle of fighting. • Vietcong killed people they believed were cooperating with the South Vietnamese government. • U.S. and South Vietnamese forces attacked villages they suspected of assisting the Vietcong, undermining the U.S. goal of winning support and loyalty from the South Vietnamese.
Soldiers in Vietnam • American troops faced harsh conditions. • Carried 70-90 pounds of equipment in 100-degree heat and rainstorms • Never knew when they might encounter enemy fire • Danger of land mines and booby traps • Rarely able to control captured territories for very long • More than 2 million American soldiers served in Vietnam. • Average age was 18-21 • One-quarter of them were drafted, many from minority groups and poor families.
Main Idea 3:The Tet Offensive was an important turning point in the war. • January 30, 1968 was Vietnamese New Year, called Tet. • In previous years, a cease-fire halted fighting on this holiday. • Vietcong and North Vietnamese forces launched the Tet Offensive. • Surprise attacks all over South Vietnam • Attacked U.S. Embassy in Saigon, South Vietnam’s capital • Showed that they were still strong and determined • Attack was successfully fought off by American and South Vietnamese forces but they were shocked by the size and force of the offensive. • February 1968– President Johnson denied the military’s request for more troops. • American support for the war was dropping.
The Tet Offensive • A series of massive coordinated attacks throughout South Vietnam Tet Offensive • In January 1968 thousands of NVA and Vietcong troops attacked a U.S. military base in Khe Sanh. • This and other rural attacks were diversions to draw U.S. and ARVN forces away from urban areas. Khe Sanh • Main Communist offensive began on January 30, 1968, at the start of Tet, the Vietnamese New Year. • Some 84,000 Communist soldiers attacked 12 U.S. military bases and more than 100 cities across South Vietnam. The Main Attacks
Effects of the Tet Offensive • General Westmoreland called the Tet Offensive a decisive defeat for the Communists. • The cities taken by the Communists were retaken. • About 45,000 enemy soldiers were killed. About 1,100 Americans and 2,300 ARVN troops also died. • The Communists showed that they were determined to keep on fighting. • The Tet Offensive showed that no part of South Vietnam was safe from attack. • The Tet Offensive caused many Americans to question whether or not the war in Vietnam could be won. • President Johnson announced that he would not seek reelection.
Growing Doubts Walter Cronkite broadcast a television report in which he gave his personal assessment of the situation in Vietnam. Major national magazines such as Time and Newsweek also expressed doubts about the war and began to call for its end. Public criticism of the government’s policies grew louder and more intense. Leaders within Johnson’s administration began to criticize Johnson’s policies. Robert S. McNamara began to seek ways to end the war. Democratic Challengers Roughly 3 out of 4 Americans opposed his policies in Vietnam. Minnesota senator Eugene McCarthy challenged Johnson for the Democratic Party’s nomination. New York senator Robert Kennedy entered the race. Shaken by the divisions within his party, Johnson announced that he would not seek nor accept the office of the presidency. Effects of the Tet Offensive
On the Homefront • Television reports had important impact on public opinion. • Americans could see the action. • People were shocked by the brutality of war. • Public opinion on the war was split. • Supporters of the war, hawks, called for increased military spending. • Opponents of the war, doves, believed that the war was draining money that should be spent at home. • On March 16, 1968, a company of U.S. soldiers massacred hundreds of unarmed people in the village of My Lai. • The My Lai massacre caused many more Americans to question U.S. involvement in Vietnam.
My Lai Massacre - March 16, 1968 • American soldiers under the command of Lt. Calley entered the village of My Lai on a Search and Seizure mission. • By the end of the day the soldiers had slaughter between 175-400 men, women and children of the village. • Lt. Calley called the victims- non humans, an enemy with whom one could not speak or reason. • Lt. Calley had no remorse, and said simply that he was following orders- the “mere gook rule”, which meant he could be a self appointed Judge, jury and executioner. • Due to some large losses in Charlie Company, Calley had said the Capt. had given orders to treat all native as the enemy and destroy everyone and everything in My Lai. • Often prisoners in such cases were used as guides over trails that could be booby trapped or to walk first through mine fields. If they were too slow they were shot. • The orders of the day were common- burn the houses, kill the animals, destroy food and wells and round up the people. Lt. Calley was found guilty and served 1/3 of the sentence, and received a dishonorable discharge.
