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30:1 Moving Toward Conflict. French Vietnam. Colony Rice/rubber plantation Oppression of Vietnamese. Ho Chi Minh. Resisted French rule Founded Indochinese Communist Party 1930 Exiled to USSR/China. Vietminh. Japanese occupation 1940-1945 Vietminh Goals: win independence
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French Vietnam • Colony • Rice/rubber plantation • Oppression of Vietnamese
Ho Chi Minh • Resisted French rule • Founded Indochinese Communist Party 1930 • Exiled to USSR/China
Vietminh • Japanese occupation 1940-1945 • Vietminh Goals: win independence • Sept. 2, 1945 (VJ Day) Vietnam declared independence
France wants it back! • 1950 French Indochina War • Truman foreign policy-containment • US supports France/ally in war on communism
Eisenhower’s Domino Theory • Contain communism • Sink or Swim with Ngo Dinh Diem
Geneva Accords 1954 • Dien Bien Phu falls • French Quit May 1954 • Vietnam divided 17th parallel • Reunification elections 1956
North VietnamHo Chi Minh Communist-Hanoi South Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem Nationalist-Saigon
Ho Chi Minh v. Ngo Dinh Diem Oppressive Oppressive Communist corrupt Land reform no land reform National hero Catholic
1957 Vietcong • South Vietnam Communist Opposition Group • Oppose Ngo Dinh Diem • Guerilla Attacks
Ho Chi Minh Trail • Cambodia, Laos • Supply route for Vietcong
Ngo Dinh Diem’s Assassination • Land reform • Hamlet program • Buddhist demonstration • November 1, 1963 • JFK’s Assassination
LBJ and Vietnam • U.S. will not be an appeaser
Tonkin Gulf Resolution • August 2, 1964 USS Maddox • August 4, 1964 USS Maddox • LBJ bombs North Vietnam • August 7, 1964-Congress gave LBJ broad military powers in Vietnam
Operation Rolling Thunder • Feb. 1965 First sustained bombing of North Vietnam • June 1965-50,000 U.S. troops in SV
Johnson commits troops • Campaign platform? • Secretary of State-Dean Rusk • Secretary of Defense-Robert McNamara • Congress/public support
General William Westmoreland • American commander • Questions ARNV abilities • 1967-500,000
Vietcong Tactic • Jungle • Guerilla • General population • Tunnels • Land mines and booby traps
U.S. Strategy: War of Attrition • Break morale • Continuous harassment • Body count
Winning “Hearts and Minds”? • Theory • Napalm • Agent orange • Search and destroy missions
Sinking Morale of U.S. troops • Causes: guerrilla warfare, jungle, not winning • Effects: drugs, violence
Great Society Suffers • Inflation • Tax revenue spent on war/not domestic reform
“Living Room War” • American v. Vietnamese deaths • Credibility gap