Vietnam

1. The Neverending War Vietnam

2. Post WWII Vietnam • Ho Chi Minh • Fought against Japanese forces • Support by US • Hopes for independence from Post-War French rule • End of War • Ho leads rebellion against French • Dienm Bien Phu • French routed • Vietnam divided in 2 until elections in 1956 • Ho controls north • Diem controls south

3. Domino Theory • Ho has communist ties • Though really just seeking independence • Domino Theory • If Vietnam falls to communism so will the rest of South East Asia • Eisenhower • Ok block of 1956 elections by Diem • Funnels money to prop Diem gov’t • 90% villagers • Hate Diem

4. Kennedy and Coup • 1963 • Diem becomes a liability • Corrupt • Lost faith of South • Needs to go • US supports a Coup • Diem goes into hiding and is arrested • While transported he is killed

5. Gulf of Tonkin • Aug. 2, 1963 • USS Maddox is attacked by 3 N. Vietmanese small boats • A second incident is reported but questions remain • Gulf of Tonkin Resolution • Congress gives LBJ authorization to engage N. Vietnam

6. War Begins • Feb. 1965 • Gen. Westmoreland sent to see situation in South • Requested Marines to protect air bases in Da Nang • LBJ approves • 150,000 Marines land in Vietnam • Start of War

7. The Enemy • NVA • North Vietmanese Army • Actually troops • Vietcong • Revolutionary army used in South • Tactics • Use of jungle • Tunnels • Booby Traps • Kill and mame

8. Tactics of Westmoreland • Search and Destroy • Essentially use US forces as bait • Pull enemy out of hiding • Destroy them • “Free-Fire” Zones • Designated areas of South free for US soldiers to essentially kill everything in sight • Civilians forced out

9. Strategic Bombing • Idea to disrupt enemy • No ports bombed • Russian and China ships in port • Hanoi bombing • Only made enemy more determined • Ho Chi MinhTrail • Swept through Laos and Cambodia • Large amounts of bombs dropped • Failed to disrupt flow

10. Early Support • Many Americans supported the war • Red Scare • The people fighting • Middle/poor class • American Pride • Younger Generation • Resentment growing • Centered around draft • Protests begin in 1966

11. Drastic Changes in Support • By 1967-68 Growing protest against war • Boys are dying • Stalemate • Lies • Told that America us winning but gains don’t show it • Television • First televised war • Reporters show battles and American dead • Distaste for long drawn out conflict

12. 1968 the “War is Lost” • Jan. 1, 1968 • Cease-fire to celebrate New Year • North surprise attack • Make gains but utterly destroyed • Propaganda Success • Americans told that the back is being broken • Now see North soldiers taking US embassy • Walter Cronkite • Most loved reporter • Tells America war is lost

13. 1968 a Bad Year • LBJ • Vietnam breaks him • Announces he will not run for re-election • Mach 16, 1968 • My Lai Incident • April 2, 1968 • Columbia University • Students take over buildings • Police remove them with brutal tactics • April 4, 1968 • Martin Luther King Jr Assassinated • June 5, 1968 • Robert Kennedy Assassinated • Aug. 6-8, 1968 • Democratic National Convention • Police and anti-war protestors battle on the streets as the Dem’s select their candidate

17. The Counter Culture • Began with the 1950’s Beatnik • Leftist/liberal • More in the art and literature scene • Rebelled against conformity • Centers • San Francisco • Greennich Village, NY • Died out as the 1960’s approached

18. The New Counter Culture • Election of Kennedy • Democrats control all levels of Gov’t • Focus on Civil Rights • African Americans • Women • Hispanics • Native-Americans

19. African-Americans • Early • Passive/non-violent resistance • SNCC • Later • Break with MLK style • Malcolm X • Black Power • Stokely Carmichal • Riots

20. Women • NOW: National Organization of Women • Focus on fair treatment and equal pay • Empowerment of women in society • Especially work place • Envil • First pill birth control • Seen a step in the liberation movement

21. Hispanics • Cesar Chavez • Led farm workers • Unionized them • Boycotts • Gained better pay and treatment • Chicano Movement • Break with Spanish and embrace of Native heritage • Chicana Movement • Better treatment • Not accepted into NOW

22. Native Americans • AIM: American Indian Movement • Sought to break the assimilation • Sought to end discrimination • Sought to address the neglect and mistreatment on Reservations

23. Youth • Age of Aquarius • Change • Sexual Revolution • Drugs • Marijuana • Timothy Leary • LSD • Heroin • Rock and Roll • Break with parents music • Acid Rock • Dress • Mini skirts and jeans

24. Epitome of the Movement • Woodstock Music and Arts Festival • Aug. 15-18, 1969 • Biggest bands of the times performed • Except The Doors • Almost the last hurrah of the Peace and Love Movement • Becomes darker after this

25. Anti-War • Post 1968 • Growing protest against war • SDS: Students for a Democratic Society • Focused mainly on college campuses • Opposition to Draft • Opposition to American tactics • Opposition to College research

26. Achievement • Some change did occur • Civil rights changes • Attention on Society • Environment • Education • Poor • Every lasting changes • Music: Rock • Media: Sex and Violence • Empowerment of the people

27. Majority of Americans not involved • Status quo • Saw anti-war protest differently • College, middle class kids who weren’t actually fighting the war • Every candidate running in 1968 was committed to remaining in Vietnam • Republicanism • Nixon wins in 1968 • Dominate Presidency since “The Silent Majority”

28. The Lasting Effects • 1960’s seen through the prism of Counter Culture • Thanks largely to television and media • Reality is that the movements were relatively small • Great change did come, but not everything was acheived

29. A New Era Has Begun

30. Nixon and Vietnam • Nixon wins 1968 election with “Peace with Honor” platform • War: • Anti war movement stronger • Pentagon Papers released • Exposes faults of America’s war • Nixon starts new phase of the war

31. Escalation • Ends restricted bombing • Hits harbors and civilian centers in Hanoi • Ho Chi Minh Trail • Nixon begins bombing in Cambodia and Laos • CIA now operating within both nations

32. Anti-War movement During Nixon • Kent State: May. 1970 • National Guard fires on protestors throwing rocks • 4 students are killed • Nixon ends the draft in 1972 • Hopes to quiet anti-war movement

33. De-escalation • Nixon begins Program of Vietmanization • South will take over combat operations • Begins withdrawing troops • By 1973 150,000 in Vietnam down from the 1968 high of 500,000

34. Peace with honor • Peace-talks begin in Paris • Hanoi pounded into submission • Agree that elections will be held • US will continue to support S. Vietnam • N. Vietnam agrees to withdraw to borders

35. Fall of Saigon • 1975 • N. Vietnam invades S. Vietnam again • US does not engage • Instead all US personel are withdrawn from Vietnam • South falls in June 1975 • Vietnam now a communist/nationalist nation under the capital of Hanoi

36. Effects • Cambodia • Nationalist Khmer Rouge rise against gov’t • Take over nation • Begin re-education and extermination campaign • Estimates place totaled killed between 2.2-3.4 million killed • US does nothing • Same occurs in Laos and Vietnam

37. Nixon • During 1972 Dem. Convention men caught breaking into headquarters at Watergate hotel • Nixon denies any involvement • Post reporters Woodward and Bernstien learn of tapes from “Deep Throat” • Expose story • Request for tapes • Nixon claims executive priveledge • Court overrules him • Nixon resigns the presidency before impeachment begins

38. Memory of the War • America hopes to forget the dark past of Vietnam • Lack of veteran support • 1982 the Vietnam Memorial Wall is dedicated • Designed by Mya Lin • 58,000 names etched in black marble