The Vietnam Conflict Begins

1. The Vietnam Conflict Begins

2. How did the U.S. become involved in Vietnam? French Rule in Vietnam (Indochina) U.S. assists WWII ally France in controlling the colony The Vietminh, under Ho Chi Minh, are a Communist group pushing for independence

4. How did the U.S. become involved in Vietnam? Vietminh attack the French as a Communist army and the U.S enforces the Truman Doctrine to stamp out the Communist ideology around the world U.S. joins the conflict through the idea of the Domino Theory

5. What is the domino theory? *Domino Theory – countries would fall to Communism in a domino fashion of one after another until the whole world is in Communist control

6. How did the U.S. become involved in Vietnam? Ho Chi Minh calls for a popular election Communist in the North vs. anti-Communists, under Ngo Dinh Diem, in the South Anti-Communists and the U.S. cancel the popular elections in Vietnam U.S. later supports an assassination of Diem (anti-Communist) and Vietnam fractures

7. How did the U.S. become involved in Vietnam? The Tonkin Gulf Resolution U.S.S. Maddox is attacked by the North Vietnamese 2 days later 2 American ships are attacked…though no sailors report it (?) Lyndon Johnson calls for U.S. bombing and involves ground personnel

8. How did the U.S. become involved in Vietnam? American Conscription American has a small standing Army after WWII and the Korean War so a draft is instituted All men aged 18-26 are entered into the draft lottery Ways out: physical, mental, student, or draft dodging Known as the war of the “working-class” Massive protests, sit ins, and demonstrations rage in the U.S. over forced military service Riots and protests break out all over the U.S.

9. U.S. Troop Strength

10. The Vietnam Conflict

11. What was combat like in Vietnam? Discouraging The Vietnamese, both our ally and enemy, were difficult to keep separate The majority of the Vietnamese fought as civilian militia (no uniforms) Deadly Aside from combat Americans had to deal with disease, combat suicide, and terrorism

12. What military technology was created for the Vietnam conflict? Napalm Incendiary gel used by the military to burn dense jungle (sometimes enemy personnel)

13. What military technology was used in the Vietnam conflict? Guerilla tactics (used by the Viet Cong) unpredictable unconventional deceitful depriving "The enemy advances, we retreat; the enemy camps, we harass; the enemy tires, we attack; the enemy retreats, we pursue.“ – NVA general

15. What military technology was used in the Vietnam conflict? P.O.W. Torture Americans were knowingly tortured by the Viet Cong In retaliation the American GIs resorted to torturing Vietnamese prisoners (and sometimes civilians)

16. What was the result of the Vietnamese guerilla tactics? Psychological stress U.S. soldiers turned to alcohol and drugs to escape the hellish conditions of Vietnam Psychological breakdown U.S. soldiers “snapped” and performed horrific acts against Vietnamese soldiers, civilians, and prisoners Ear necklaces, scalping, rape, murder, & torture

17. What was the result of the Vietnamese guerilla tactics? Hatred at home Extreme actions by a few were seen as the norm for all military personnel Some soldiers were starting to be seen as baby killers, rapists, and sadists who lusted for blood and enjoyed taking lives

18. The End of the Vietnam Conflict

19. What events led to the end of the Vietnam conflict? The Tet Offensive Prior to the 1968 Viet Kong advance the U.S. primarily supports the war in Vietnam After the offensive the U.S. is in opposition to the conflict President Lyndon Johnson is blamed for the failure of American forces and his popularity plummets He decides not to run for re-election Nixon is then elected to office and begins his Vietnamization The gradual withdrawal of U.S. forces from Vietnam

20. What events led to the end of the Vietnam conflict? Mai Lai Massacre U.S. platoon executed over 150 innocent Vietnamese women and children in the village of Mai Lai “We huddled them up…and I poured about four clips into the group…the mothers were hugging their children and we just kept on firing.” - 22 year old Private Paul Meadlo U.S. citizens are outraged and the evacuation of Vietnam speeds up

22. What events led to the end of the Vietnam conflict? Invasion of Cambodia U.S. troops are pulling out of Vietnam but Nixon pushes them into Cambodia (Domino Theory in use here) College students strike across the nation Kent State University experiences the only violence in the protest as the National Guard kills 2 students and wounds 12 others with machine gun fire

23. What events led to the end of the Vietnam conflict? Peace is at Hand America officially ended its longest continual conflict in October of 1972 The last U.S. military regiment pulled out of Vietnam in March of 1973 Vietnam then united into one Communist nation 1st U.S. military loss in armed conflict

24. What were the effects of the Vietnam conflict? 58,000 American’s killed in action 365,000 wounded or missing 1.5 million Vietnamese killed Cambodia fell to a Communist takeover in a bloody civil war won by the Khmer Rouge 1973 War Powers Act Limited the power of the President in war time