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26.1 – GOING TO WAR IN VIETNAM

26.1 – GOING TO WAR IN VIETNAM. French Indochina – French colonial area including Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia Ho Chi Minh – leader of the Vietnamese nationalist movement Presented a petition of independence at the 1919 Versailles Peace Conference; it was ignored. Ho Chi Minh.

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26.1 – GOING TO WAR IN VIETNAM

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  1. 26.1 – GOING TO WAR IN VIETNAM • French Indochina – French colonial area including Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia • Ho Chi Minh – leader of the Vietnamese nationalist movement • Presented a petition of independence at the 1919 Versailles Peace Conference; it was ignored Ho Chi Minh

  2. 26.1 – GOING TO WAR IN VIETNAM • 1930s – HCM founded the Indochinese Communist Party • Worked to overthrow French rule • 1940s: • HCM organized the Vietminh to expel the Japanese • French returned to claim control after WWII; fought the Vietminh • U.S. (Truman) decided to aid French forces against the Vietminh (why?)

  3. 26.1 – DIEN BIEN PHU • Vietminh used guerilla tactics to frustrate the French • 1954 – VM forces surrounded the French at DBP and eventually the French were forced to withdraw from Indochina

  4. 26.1 – GENEVA ACCORDS • The agreement to end the conflict: • Divided Vietnam along the 17th parallel • North Vietnam – controlled by Ho Chi Minh and the Vietminh • South Vietnam – pro-Western regime (led by Ngo Dinh Diem; allied with the U.S.) • 1956 – election to be held to reunite the country; Diem refused to allow them to take place Ngo Dinh Diem

  5. 26.1 – AMERICA GETS MORE INVOLVED • Ho Chi Minh reacted by starting an armed struggle to reunited the country • he created the Vietcong (guerrilla army of South Vietnamese communists) • Ike sent hundreds of U.S. military advisers to train South Vietnam’s army • Diem continued to look to the U.S. for more aid

  6. 26.1 – JFK TAKES OVER • JFK continued Truman/Ike’s policy of supporting South Vietnam • He increased the # of American military personnel in South Vietnam by almost 15,000 • He also urged Diem to: a. create a more democratic gov’t in the South b. Help the peasants c. Use strategic hamlets (failure)

  7. 26.1 – OVERTHROW OF DIEM • Diem discriminated against Buddhists; further increased his unpopularity • Nov. 1, 1963 – a coup overthrew and executed Diem • Actually made things worse; chaotic situation • U.S. became more involved in an effort to prop up the South Vietnamese gov’t

  8. 26.1 – LBJ & VIETNAM • Initially wanted a “limited” war to prevent the spread of communism • Gulf of Tonkin Resolution • LBJ announced that the N. Vietnamese attacked U.S. ships (Aug. 1964) • Aug. 7 – Congress passed the resolution, which gave LBJ the authority to “take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression” • LBJ basically had war powers

  9. 26.1 – LBJ & VIETNAM • Reacting to increased attacks by the VC, LBJ authorized the bombing of N. Vietnam (1965) • March 1965 • LBJ launches Operation Rolling Thunder against North Vietnam • LBJ sends in the first combat troops into South Vietnam

  10. 26.1 – WAR BECOMES A STALEMATE • By the end of 1966 there were almost 400,000 American troops in Vietnam • VC fought back with ambushes, booby traps, mixed in with the locals, used tunnels….guerrilla tactics • U.S. countered with “search and destroy” missions, napalm, Agent Orange

  11. 26.1 – HO CHI MINH TRAIL • N. Vietnam sent supplies and troops to the VC in the South by way of the Ho Chi Minh Trail • Wound through Laos and Cambodia • LBJ did not attack the trail or North Vietnam(why not?) • Failed war of attrition as a result? • By the end of 1966 more than 6,700 Americans were dead and citizens seriously questioned the war

  12. 26.2 – VIETNAM DIVIDES THE NATION • As casualties climbed and progress seemed lacking many Americans began questioning the war • Media reports contradicted reports by General Westmoreland • Credibility gap? • Congress began having doubts

  13. 26.2 – NATION DIVIDED TEACH-INS DRAFT Prior to 1969 college students could defer until graduation Socioeconomic effect of this? 1969 – 62% of all battle deaths were draftees - If we can fight, why can’t we vote? (26thamendment) Majority of soldiers were volunteers (why volunteer?) Disproportionate number of volunteers were working-class African-Americans Unfair treatment? Disproportionate death rate? • March, 1965 – students and teachers discussed the war and reasons they opposed it • National Teach-In Day – May 1965; 122 colleges; by radio for more than 100,000 antiwar demonstrators • Why did they oppose it? Many reasons: • Civil War that was not America’s business • S. Vietnam had a corrupt gov’t and therefore did not deserve to be defended/supported

  14. 26.2 – NATION DIVIDED HAWKS DOVES Wanted the U.S. to withdraw from Vietnam; end the war • Early 1968 poll – 53% of Americans favored stronger military action; 24% wanted an end to the war • Hawks believed America should stay and continue to fight

  15. 26.2 – 1968 • Major events took place during this dramatic year: • January – Tet Offensive – victory and defeat at the same time? • March – LBJ announced he would not seek reelection • Assassinations of MLK and RFK • Riots between antiwar protestors and the police • Nixon wins the presidential election

  16. LINCOLN BY JOHN WILKES BOOTH IN 1865

  17. GARFIELD BY CHARLES J. GUITEAU IN 1881

  18. MCKINLEY BY LEON CZOLGOSZ IN 1901

  19. JFK BY LEE HARVEY OSWALD IN 1963

  20. MALCOLM X BY THOMAS HAGAN IN 1965

  21. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. IN 1968 BY JAMES EARL RAY

  22. ROBERT F. KENNEDY BY SIRHAN SIRHAN IN 1968

  23. 1968 – YEAR IN REVIEW POSTER TOPICS MUST HAVES Title (same as this slide) Headings (the 5 topics) At least 1 picture for each topic Caption for each picture that explains the significance of the picture and event • Tet Offensive • LBJ announcement • Assassinations of MLK and RFK 4. Nixon elected

  24. 26.3 – THE WAR WINDS DOWN • Steps taken by Nixon once in office: • Appoints Henry Kissinger and approves the policy of linkage • Vietnamization– gradual withdrawal of U.S. forces as South Vietnam took on more fighting • Increased bombing of North Vietnam • Secretly bombed Vietcong bases in Cambodia Richard Nixon

  25. 26.3 – TURMOIL AT HOME • Nixon’s policies, and events in the war, created more division and debate at home • Massacre at My Lai (1968) • American platoon killed unarmed civilians in the hamlet of My Lai • Led many more Americans to call for an end to the war; became a symbol/rallying cry of doves

  26. 26.3 – TURMOIL AT HOME • Invasion of Cambodia (1970) • U.S. invades; leads to many protests at home • Protestors saw this as a “widening” of the war • Kent State University (May 4, 1970) • Ohio Nat’l Guard was called in and fired on demonstrators; 4 students were killed • 2 days later two African-American student demonstrators were killed in Mississippi

  27. 26.3 – TURMOIL AT HOME • Pentagon Papers (1971) • Documents leaked to the NYT that showed: • Some in the admin. doubted the war while defending it • Abuse of power • Misleading of the public ---big picture – was the gov’t being dishonest about the war?

  28. 26.3 – U.S. LEAVES VIETNAM • April 1972 – Nixon dropped the major demand on NV (what was it?) • Nguyen Van Thieu– the president of SV would not agree at first, he eventually did • January 27, 1973 • Agreement ending the war is signed Nguyen Van Thieu

  29. 26.3 – SOUTH VIETNAM FALLS • Peace agreement collapsed in 1975 • Congress refused to give Ford authority to aid SV • April 30 – SV’s capital city of Saigon fell; renamed Ho Chi Minh City Gerald Ford

  30. 26.3 – LEGACY OF VIETNAM • About 58,000 died; over 300,000 injured (U.S.) • About 1 million Vietnamese died • Cost about $170 billion (U.S.)

  31. 26.3 – LEGACY OF VIETNAM - SOLDIERS • Psychological trauma; dealing with it when home • War was seen as a loss • Poor treatment of returning soldiers • Few parades, celebrations, Many POWs (prisoners of war) and MIA (missing in action) • The Wall was dedicated in 1982

  32. 26.3 – LEGACY OF VIETNAM 1. War Powers Act (1973) • Know what it did (p.903) 2. Loss of national confidence? • Questioning of our role in the world…should we be more isolationist? • Is containment better than negotiation or vice versa? • Increased cynicism regarding the government • Boat people

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