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The Vietnam War

The Vietnam War. French Indochina. France had been ruling the people of Indochina (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia). Ho Chi Minh organized a communist party in Vietnam known as the Vietminh . This group fought for Vietnam’s independence from France.

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The Vietnam War

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  1. The Vietnam War

  2. French Indochina • France had been ruling the people of Indochina (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia). • Ho Chi Minh organized a communist party in Vietnam known as the Vietminh. • This group fought for Vietnam’s independence from France. • U.S. first entered the conflict in the 1950s by supporting France with money (billions $$). • Vietminh defeated France at Dien Bien Phu.

  3. U.S. Initial Involvement • After France lost, the U.S. still wanted to prevent Ho Chi Minh’s party from taking control, even though… • He was very popular with everyone in North Vietnam and many in South Vietnam. • He was seen as a hero for his fighting in WWII and the fight for independence from France. • The U.S. supported the nationalist president Ngo Dinh Diem, who was anti-communist.

  4. Ngo Dinh Diem’s Issues • He was unpopular with the people, especially Buddhists. • He was a corrupt, oppressive, ineffective leader. • He cancelled the Vietnam election of 1956 because he thought he was going to lose! (which he probably would have) • U.S. supported canceling the election because they thought he was going to lose! • Communist group called Vietcong began staging attacks on Diem’s corrupt gov’t.

  5. Gulf of Tonkin Incident • U.S. ship was in North Vietnamese waters (Gulf of Tonkin). • U.S. sailors said the ship was attacked while in the Gulf (we still don’t know for sure). • This gave President Johnson (LBJ) an excuse to authorize more military force in Vietnam. • By June 1965, over 50,000 U.S. troops were in Vietnam.

  6. Escalating the War • President Johnson was advised by Robert McNamara and Dean Rusk to escalate the war. (remember these guys?) • By the end of 1965, over 180,000 troops were sent to Vietnam. • By 1967, there were 500,000 troops.

  7. War Tactics • Vietcong used guerilla tactics. • They used the jungle to their advantage. • They created a system of underground tunnels in which they lived. • They used a tactic of wearing down the enemy. • They were so intent on obtaining their independence that they would have fought to the end.

  8. U.S./South Vietnam Tactics • Napalm: a bomb that set fire to the jungles. • Agent Orange: a chemical spray released from planes that destroyed the entire landscape. • Both were harmful to humans, too. • Also conducted search-and-destroy missions in which they burned Vietcong villages and killed livestock.

  9. “We had to destroy the town in order to save it.”– U.S. Major in 1968

  10. Public Support Wavers: 1965-1967 • Public opinion began shifting away from the war. • People were finding ways to avoid the draft, such as college, fake medical excuses, moving to Canada… • Many people became conscientious objectors. • Hawks still supported the war. • Doves supported peace.

  11. Tet Offensive • Surprise attack by the Vietcong on the U.S./South Vietnamese. • Lasted for over a month. • Vietcong lost 32,000 lives; U.S. lost 3,000. • American public now knew that the gov’t reports saying the Vietcong were “close to defeat” were wrong. • Public now distrusted gov’t info on Vietnam.

  12. Nixon Replaces Johnson • Johnson doesn’t run; Nixon is elected. • Began gradual withdrawal of troops in 1969 (took until 1973 to bring all of them home). • At the same time, Nixon continued bombing. • Called his tactic the “madman theory”….. • Then, the following four incidents greatly affected public opinion…

  13. Four Divisive Incidents • My Lai Massacre: U.S. soldiers killed all the women and children in a town with no enemy soldiers. Orders were “kill anything that breathes”. • Invasion of Cambodia: 1970, Nixon orders troops to invade Cambodia, just as they were supposed to be winding it down. • Kent State Shooting: Students were protesting; ROTC building set afire; National Guard came in shooting; killed 4 students (2 who were just bystanders). • Pentagon Papers: Showed that LBJ had planned to go to war when he was still telling the public he wouldn’t; also showed that there were no plans to end the war ever.

  14. The End of the War • U.S. withdrawals completely in 1973. • War continued in Vietnam. • In 1975, North Vietnamese were victorious. • Vietnam exists today as a unified communist nation.

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