10 th American History Unit V – A Nation Facing Challenges

1. 10th American History Unit V – A Nation Facing Challenges Chapter 19 – Section 2 – U.S. Support of the War at Home and Abroad.

2. Why are we in Vietnam? • “Domino Theory”- Eisenhower • Stop Aggression • Protect our reputation- our “credibility”

3. U.S. Support of the War at Home and Abroad • The Main Idea • As the United States sent increasing numbers of troops to defend South Vietnam, some Americans began to question the war. • Reading Focus • Why did U.S. superiority in the air war fail to win quickly in Vietnam? • What made the ground war in Vietnam so difficult to fight? • How were U.S. forces mobilized for the war? • How and why did public opinion about the war gradually change?

4. Bombing Resumes in Vietnam [02:10]

5. Why did U.S. superiority in the air war fail to win quickly in Vietnam? • Operation Rolling Thunder • A bombing campaign over North Vietnam • Bombed military targets—army bases and airfields—as well as bridges, roads, railways, and power plants • Main target was the Ho Chi Minh Trail • Weapons of the Air War • Agent Orange—defoliant, or chemical, that destroys vegetation • Napalm—jellied form of gasoline used to create firebombs • “Cluster bombs”—sprayed sharp metal fragments when exploded • The Air War • Bombing did not succeed • Flow of goods from North to South Vietnam actually increased • Vietcong repaired bridges, had bunkers underground, and used weapons from the Soviet Union and China

6. The Air War • Why did U.S. superiority in the air war fail to win quickly the Vietnam War? • Recall – What was Agent Orange? • Analyze – Why did the Ho Chi Minh Trail continue to be useful even with massive bombing? • Summarize – How much international aid came to North Vietnam?

7. 1965 • U.S. combat troops in Vietnam- 3,500 • Johnson orders bombing of North Vietnam. • “The one thing that the American people will not take is another shooting war in Asia.” That’s what they got. • To avoid defeat more and more American power was needed. Johnson committed the U.S. to victory in Vietnam. We must avoid humiliation. • Over 47,000 men to Vietnam • By the end of 1965- over 185,000 men in Vietnam.

8. Difficult Ground War in Vietnam • The number of U.S. ground forces in Vietnam continued to grow. • U.S. strategy called for ground forces to go on search-and-destroy missions. • General William Westmoreland commanded the U.S. ground troops in South Vietnam. • Ground troops located the enemy and called for air strikes. • Areas that were “cleared” rarely remained that way for long. • U.S. forces implemented a program of pacification to “win the hearts and minds” of the South Vietnamese people. • Nonmilitary pacification involved construction projects. • Military pacification involved moving people out of their villages when Vietcong were nearby.

10. NVA Tunnels Angled walls; airshafts were camouflaged and entryways disguised by filled wells dropping 50 feet. Variety of types: squad-size tunnels- less than 6-feet deep and 100-feet long; company-size tunnels were wider b; and battalion-size tunnels could burrow 50 feet underground and up to four different levels. Extensive booby-trapping

11. Declining Troop Morale • American forces in Vietnam faced many challenges. • Vietcong struck and then melted back into the jungle • Vietnamese peasants seemed peaceful during the day, but at night aided or became Vietcong. • Vietcong knew the local geography. • Nearly impossible to tell the difference between a Vietcong fighter and a civilian. • Enormous casualties inflicted upon the Communist forces did not lead to victory. • With the aid of the Soviet Union and China, North Vietnam sent a steady stream of supplies and soldiers to the South. • Vietcong continued to refill their ranks with civilians. • U.S. air strikes and the pacification program turned many peasants into Vietcong fighters.

12. The Ground War • What made the ground war in Vietnam so difficult to fight? • Identify – Who was William Westmoreland? • Make Judgements – Why was the U.S. pacification program unlikely to win support from the South Vietnamese?

13. The Ground War • Recall – Why were the body counts reported in the press often wrong? • Explain – Why were body counts used rather that traditional war progress through territory? • Make Inferences – What made some American troops think they could succeed in Vietnam where French troops had failed?

14. U.S. Forces Mobilize for the War More than 2.5 million Americans served in the Vietnam War. • On average, the soldiers who served in Vietnam were • slightly younger than the U.S. troops who fought in Korea and World War II, and • not as well educated. At the start of the war, most American troops were professional soldiers—volunteers who enlisted in the armed forces. However, the U.S. government came to depend on drafted soldiers.

16. The Draft 25 percent were excused for health reasons; 30 percent received deferments, or postponements of service. College students were deferred, so men from higher-income families were less likely to serve. A high percentage of combat soldiers were African Americans. A draft lottery began in 1969; the draft ended in 1973. 3 percent of eligible men escaped the draft by either refusing to register or by leaving the United States. Non-combat Positions Most Americans in Vietnam served in non-combat positions—administration, communications, engineering, medical care, and transportation. About 10,000 American military women served. Some 20,000 to 45,000 more women worked in civilian capacities, many as volunteers for the Red Cross or other humanitarian relief organizations. U.S. Forces Mobilize

17. Vietnam • Selective Service- The Draft • lottery drawing - the first since 1942 - was held on December 1, 1969, at Selective Service National Headquarters in Washington, D.C. This event determined the order of call for induction during calendar year 1970, that is, for registrants born between January 1, 1944, and December 31, 1950. Reinstitution of the lottery was a change from the "draft the oldest man first" method, which had been the determining method for deciding order of call. • There were 366 blue plastic capsules containing birth dates placed in a large glass container and drawn by hand to assign order-of-call numbers to all men within the 18-26 age range specified in Selective Service law

18. RESULTS FROM LOTTERY FOR MEN FACING THE DRAFT IN 1972 • The lottery drawing held August 5, 1971, determined the order in which men born in 1952 were called to report for induction into the military. • How to read this chart: This chart shows all the birth dates in a given year and the lottery numbers assigned to those dates. Read this chart like a multiplication table. At the top of the chart are the months of the year. On the far left are the dates of the month. The numbers in the center represent lottery numbers. For example: To find the lottery number assigned to July 15, look down from "July" till it matches up with the number "15" on the left side of the table. The corresponding number in the middle is "088." This means that all men born on July 15, 1952, were assigned the lottery number 88. • The highest lottery number called for this group was 95; all men assigned that lottery number or any lower number, and who were classified 1-A or 1-A-O (available for military service), were called to report for possible induction.

20. U.S. Forces Mobilize • How were U.S. forces mobilized for the war? • Recall – How many Americans served in the Vietnam War? • Make Inferences – Why was the war mainly fought by the poor?

21. U.S. Forces Mobilize • Recall – Why were those who served in non-combat roles in danger of being injured or killed? • Describe – How did women serve in Vietnam?

23. Public Opinion Regarding the Vietnam War • Media’s Impact • Reporters and television crews went on patrol with the soldiers. • Television brought scenes of firefights and burning villages into America’s living rooms. • Criticized the government’s reports about the war • Hawks and Doves • Doves—people opposed to the war • Hawks—people who supported the war’s goals • Both criticized the war effort. • Hawks wanted more troops and bombing. • Doves opposed the war for many reasons. • Antiwar Movement • Movement attracted a broad range of participants • Much antiwar activity took place on college campuses. • Most vocal group—Students for a Democratic Society. • Antiwar protesters made up a small percentage of the U.S. population.

24. Reasons that Doves Opposed the War • Argued that Vietnam was not crucial to American national security (Ex. George Kennan) • Argued that the United States was fighting against the wishes of a majority of Vietnamese (Ex. Dr. Benjamin Spock) • Argued that the war was draining needed resources from Great Society programs (Ex. Martin Luther King Jr.) • Argued that it was unfair for African Americans to fight for democracy in a foreign land when discrimination continued at home (Ex. Civil rights activists) • Argued that Johnson’s policies were too extreme (Ex. J. William Fulbright)

25. The Peace Offensive + Anti-War Protest • Senators who voted for the Tonkin Gulf Resolution changed their minds. • Anti-War Teach-ins • Protest marchers in Washington D.C. • December 23, 1965- LBJ halts the bombing- “a peace offensive” to explore diplomatic avenues to end the war.

26. 1966- Support and Opposition • 1966- 400,000 men and women in Vietnam. • Casualties rising- 2,500 in 1965 to 33,000 in 1966. • War not making progress • New Left- student groups- anti war. • Most Americans believe that the U.S. should not walk away. • 1965-Opinion polls show American’s favor LBJ- 66% • 1966- 44% support LBJ • Sec. of Defense McNamara wants a negotiated peace.

27. 1967- Support and Opposition • 1967- 1,000 non-combatants are killed weekly. • U.S. dropping more bombs on Vietnam than all of WWII. • 1967- Pentagon papers- a commissioned study of the role of the U.S. involvement in Vietnam. • 1967- 475, 000 troops, and casualties of 80,000. • 300,000 march in New York; 100,000 at the Pentagon. • College demonstrations across the country.

28. Antiwar Movement - 07:28

29. Public Opinion Shifts • How and why did public opinion about the war gradually change? • Recall – How many Americans had been killed in Vietnam by 1968? • Explain – Why is Vietnam called a “living room war”?

30. Public Opinion Shifts • Recall – Who were the Hawks and Doves? • Analyze – What effect did the Vietnam War have on President Johnson’s domestic agenda? • Evaluate – Do you think the antiwar movement had a significant effect on the American opinion toward the war?

31. Public Opinion Shifts • Identify – What was the SDS? • Develop – Why do you think most antiwar activities took place on college campuses?