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Vietnam Conflict

Vietnam Conflict. Geography. Long, narrow, hilly nation Comparable size to California Anamite Mountains South China Sea, Gulf of Tonkin Mekong Delta. Chinese Rule. 2,000 years ago China wanted Vietnamese rice fields Vietnamese adopted many Chinese traditions

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Vietnam Conflict

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  1. Vietnam Conflict

  2. Geography • Long, narrow, hilly nation • Comparable size to California • Anamite Mountains • South China Sea, Gulf of Tonkin • Mekong Delta

  3. Chinese Rule • 2,000 years ago • China wanted Vietnamese rice fields • Vietnamese adopted many Chinese traditions • Freed themselves in the 900’s from China

  4. French Rule • 1500’s: Catholic missionaries • Vietnamese were Buddhists • Some missionaries were murdered • French military took over Indochina • Bringing “civilization” to Vietnam

  5. Turned farmers into share-croppers • Rice, alcohol, opium • Many small rebellions against France failed

  6. Battle for Independence

  7. Ho Chi Minh • Revolutionary leader, Communist • 1941: Japan took over • “Vietminh” organized resistance groups • Americans aided Ho Chi Minh • Guerilla tactics defeated the Japanese

  8. Vietnam declared independence • Minh expected the U.S. to recognize his government (Communist) • Truman instead supported French efforts to re-take Vietnam

  9. French-Indochina War • 1946-1954 • China armed the Vietminh • Americans armed France • Battle of Dienbienphu • French sent in 13,000 • Vietminh had 50,000 • May 7, 1954: France surrenderedhere

  10. Dividing Vietnam

  11. Ho Chi Minh compromised with the Geneva Conference • Division was supposed to be temporary • North: Ho Chi Minh (Communist) • South: Ngo Dinh Diem (U.S. supported)

  12. American Policy

  13. U.S. opposed a nation-wide election fearing a Ho Chi Minh victory • Domino theory: if one nation in Southeast Asia fell to Communism, others would fall as well • Diem’s S. Vietnamese gov’t was corrupt & dictatorial

  14. Vietcong • “Vietnamese Commie” • National Liberation Front: Communist & Non-Communist Southern revolutionaries • Killed hundreds of Diem’s officials & attacked his bases

  15. American Involvement • Eisenhower gave billions in aid & sent military advisers & CIA • Kennedy gradually increased personnel from 1,500 to 16,000 • He had been strongly advised against an all-out war

  16. Ngo Dinh Diem • Buddhists monks burned themselves in public protest to Diem • Diem killed dozens of monks, imprisoned others, & destroyed 2,000 temples • Diem was assassinated & government were overthrown

  17. War Escalates

  18. Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: President may all necessary force to repel attacks against U.S. troops • Operation Rolling Thunder: U.S. bombing campaign along the Ho Chi Minh Trail and into North Vietnam • Ho Chi Minh Trail: NVA & Vietcong supply route that went through parts of Cambodia & Laos

  19. Defoliants, “search & destroy”, pacification • dove: people opposed to war • hawk: those in support of the war • Incorrect & misleading numbers

  20. Tet Offensive: coordinated attack on 100 cities & 12 U.S. bases in South Vietnam by the Vietcong

  21. Election of 1968 • 1968: Robert Kennedy assassinated • Dem.: Hubert Humphrey • Repub.: Richard Nixon • Amer. Indep.: George Wallace • Nixon won easily

  22. Nixon: Vietnam & Cambodia • “Vietnamization”: gradually turning over fighting the war to South Vietnamese while withdrawing U.S. troops • Nixon invaded Cambodia to cut off NVA supply lines

  23. Kent State University • May 4, 1970 • National Guard troops fired randomly at student anti-war demonstrators • 4 killed, 9 injured • Similar occurrence at Jackson State College in Miss.

  24. End of the War • Jan. 1973: cease-fire signed • April 30, 1975: South Vietnam surrendered unconditionally • 26th Amend.: lowered voting age from 21 to 18 • War Powers Act: limits President’s ability to send troops out indefinitely

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