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The Vietnam War

The Vietnam War. Dr. Kevin B. Witherspoon Lander University. Vietnam*. Chinese involvement French colony Conditions Ho Chi Minh World War II Japan May 1941, Vietminh The August Revolution. Vietnam*. The Elephant and the Tiger Vietminh strategy: 1. Defensive 2. Equilibrium

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The Vietnam War

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  1. The Vietnam War Dr. Kevin B. Witherspoon Lander University

  2. Vietnam* • Chinese involvement • French colony • Conditions • Ho Chi Minh • World War II • Japan • May 1941, Vietminh • The August Revolution

  3. Vietnam* • The Elephant and the Tiger • Vietminh strategy: • 1. Defensive • 2. Equilibrium • 3. Offensive • French failure • U.S. involvement • Domino theory • Dien Bien Phu

  4. Vietnam* • Geneva Accords • Cease-fire • Temporary division • 1956 elections • N = Ho Chi Minh • S = Ngo Dinh Diem • 1960 National Liberation Front (Vietcong) • Kennedy • “Flexible response” • “Strategic Hamlet” • Advisors from 900 to 16,000

  5. Vietnam* • Johnson • Bombings • Ho Chi Minh Trail • Gulf of Tonkin • “Operation Rolling Thunder” • Break supply lines • Cut off troops • Destroy morale • Ground troops • 1965: 184,000 • 1966: 389,000 • 1967: 463,000 • 1968: 495,000 • 1969: 541,000

  6. Vietnam* • Search and destroy • Problems • The enemy • U.S. discipline • Locate the enemy • Tunnels • Conditions • Frustration • Morale on the home front • How aggressive? • No political victory • Fail to identify objective • Political objectives • Measure success?

  7. Vietnam* • Three stages: • Infrastructure • Search and destroy • Vietnamization • Mistakes • Bombing in the South • Operation Ranch Hand • Morale • Hydration • Foot problems • Purpose • N. Vietnam objective

  8. Into the quagmire • Home front, opposition • “Credibility gap” • Discouraging news • POWs • Technowar: • Loud • Helicopters • Radio traffic • Weapons for the enemy • “free-fire” zones • Pacification efforts

  9. Vietnam* • Body counts • Risky missions • Scoreboards • Counting bodies • Rules of combat • Desensitized • Falsified reports • Open Arms program

  10. Vietnam* • Tet Offensive, 1968 • Khe Sanh • Losing support • LBJ • Nixon • After Tet • “Vietnamization” • Phoenix program • Operation Wandering Soul • Propaganda

  11. The Home Front • Anti-war movement • Tet • VVAW - Vietnam Veterans Against the War • 1969 March on Washington • My Lai • 1970 Kent State massacre • 1971 Pentagon Papers

  12. Getting out • Peace talks, and more war • 1972 Christmas bombings • 1973 Agreement • 1973 War Powers Resolution

  13. Vietnam War • Costs of the war: • 2 million Vietnamese dead • 58,000 U.S. dead • U.S. reputation • Why did U.S. fail? • On their “home turf” • Guerilla warfare • Land war in Asia • Not enough support from S Vietnam • Protest on the home front • Legacies of the War

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