Vietnam War

1. Vietnam War By: Debra Storbrauck

2. Abbreviations • DRV- Democratic Republic of Vietnam • NLF- National Liberation Front • GVN- Government of the Republic of Vietnam

3. Locations • Vietnam • Laos • Cambodia

4. Time Period • Vietnam War followed after the First Indochina War • From November 1, 1955 to April 30, 1975

5. North Vietnam Communist allies South Vietnam United States Other anti communist nations North Vs. South

6. North Vietnam a. conventional warfare- no use of nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons South Vietnam a. air superiority b. heavy firepower c. at one point the U.S. considered the use of nuclear weapons Strategies

7. Casualties • Both Vietnam Sides • 3- 4 million • Laotians and Cambodians • 1.5- 2 million • United States • 58,159

8. Why The United States Entered • Prevent communist takeover of South Vietnam • Another strategy for containment

9. Background • Before WWll, France controlled Vietnam • During the war, Vietnam was taken by Germany and it’s ally, Japan • When Germany was defeated, it went to Japan until they surrendered

10. Background • Ho Chi Minh, leader of the Viet Minh, declared Vietnam free • This angered the United Kingdom, United States, and the Soviet Union • The countries stated that it still belonged to France

11. Background • Since France did not have enough military resources at the time, Britain occupied the South while nationalist China took the North • The Viet Ming was gaining political power in North Vietnam, so the French drove them out of the city of Hanoi on March 1946

12. Background • This event angered the Viet Ming • They soon began a guerrilla war against France and thus began the First Indochina War

13. France’s Defeat • The Battle of Dien Bien Phu marked the end of the French in the Indochina War • The Viet Minh defeated the French under the command of Vo Nguyen Giap • France and Viet Minh settled a ceasefire agreement at the Geneva Conference • Finally, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam were free

14. Moving Forward • Eisenhower’s administration helped create a new nation for South Vietnam • One year later, Ngo Dinh Diem won the election and became president of the GVN (Government of the Republic of Vietnam) • Diem learned news of an attack from the North Vietnam

15. Preparing For An Attack • Got aid from the United states • Diem passed a series of acts that made it legal to hold someone if they are suspected to be communist

16. Attacks on Diem • Buddhist monks, nuns, students, business people, intellectuals, and peasants attacked Diem’s troops and secret police for his harsh actions towards the people • Diem blamed communists

17. Overthrow of Diem’s Government • Kennedy’s administration grew suspicious of how well Diem’s Government was working • Later, they approved a plan to overthrow Diem’s government and liberate Vietnam

18. Nation Liberation Front • Brought together Communists and Non- Communists • Opposed Ngo Dinh Diem • Wanted to unify Vietnam • The NLF started violent attacks against the Saigon Regime • U.S. feared a communist take over and developed a series of government “White Papers”

19. December 1961 White Paper • Kennedy sent troops to Vietnam to report the conditions in the South and to assist for future aid requirements • This was known as the December 1961 White Paper

20. December 1961 White Paper • Argued to increase military technical, and economic aid • Argued an introduction of large scale American advisors to help stabilize the Diem regime and crush NLF • Kennedy agreed but refused to send large amounts of troops

21. Failing • Their plan was failing as their were more reports of NLF victories • They then tried to isolate NLF from villagers

22. Buddhist Monks • Ngo Dinh Nhu raided Buddhist dwellings of South Vietnam • They claimed they were communists and were causing the political instability • This picture of monks on fire made world headlines and alarmed Washington

23. Overthrow • Buddhist protests caused Kennedy’s administration to support a coup • Diem’s own generals in the army planed with the American Embassy in Saigon to overthrow Diem • November 1, 1963, Diem and his brother were captured and killed

24. Kennedy Assassination • Three weeks after Diem and his brother were killed, President Kennedy was assassinated on the street of Dallas, Texas

25. Lyndon Johnson • Political problems in Saigon convinced Johnson that more aggressive actions were needed

26. More Power for the President • DRV raided two U.S. ships in the Gulf of Tonkin • This caused the Johnson administration to argue for expansion of war power for the president

27. Gulf of Tonkin • DRV planed attacks on American and GVN in response for their act of spying along the coast • Attacked Turner Joy and the U.S.S. Maddox; two American ships • First attack was on August 2, 1964 • A second was said to have taken place August 4, 1964, but some say it never took place

28. Gulf of Tonkin Resolution • Johnson used the second attack as a cover for the resolution to give the president more war powers

29. The Joint Chiefs of Staff wanted to expand the air war over the DRV and quickly stabilize the new Saigon regime The civilians in the Pentagon wanted to gradually pressure Communist Party with precise and selective bombings. Debate for the Correct Strategy in Vietnam

30. Operation Rolling Thunder • The Pentagons strategy was selected • Bombing missions • Caused the Communist Party to develop their own war strategy

31. Communist Strategy • It was to overwhelm the United States so it could not win • The United States had no clearly defined objectives, so they thought they would eventually give up and demand a negotiation

32. Limited War • Washington called for little mobilization of resources, material and humans, and cause little disruption in American life.

33. Effects on America • Not enough volunteers so the government instituted a draft • Protest on college campuses arose • Later in August 1968 in Chicago, a huge protest broke out against the American involvement in the war and for the Democratic Party for continuing to prosecute the war

34. The Tet Offensive • Things went from bad to worse for the Johnson administration • DRV and NLF launched attacks against major cities in southern cities • These attacks were known in the West as the Tet Offensive • They were designed to force the U.S. to the bargaining table

35. Communist View • The Communist Party believed even though American was gaining success in the country side, the communist party was gaining something as well • Even though the Tet Offensive was a lose for the Communists it had its own psychological victory • It reached them to their desired results

36. Communists Achievement • President Johnson declared that he would not be running for the elections • Communists thought that hinted towards the U.S. about to go to the bargaining table

37. Hubert Humphrey vs. Richard Nixon • Johnson held secret negotiation in the spring of 1968 in Paris between Americans and Vietnamese to discuss an end to the war • Despite this progress, Democratic Party with its runner Hubert Humphrey could not win against Republican runner Richard Nixon, for he claimed he had a plan to end the war

38. Nixon’s Secret Plan • He was planning to use Vietnamization the same plan Johnson used in his office • Vietnamization implied that Vietnamese were not fighting and dying in the jungles of South Asia

39. Brought many troops home to America Expanded the war into Laos and Cambodia Pros and Constowards Vietnamization

40. “They are Killing our babies in Vietnam and in our own backyard” • Bombing campaigns in Cambodia sparked campus protests all across America • Four students were killed by national guardsmen on a campus • Another set of students were shot and killed at Jackson State Mississippi • One mother stated “They are killing our babies in Vietnam and in our own backyards.”

41. No Peace • Nixon’s Vietnamization expanded the air war and had to bring in more troops • Many citizens grew angry • U.S. secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, and DRV representatives, Xuan Thuy and Le Duc Tho developed the preliminary peace draft but leaders in Saigon rejected the Kissinger- Tho peace draft.

42. Christmas Bombings • Conflict increased in December 1972 when the Nixon administration unleashed a series of deadly bombing raids against the DRV’s largest cities, Hanoi and Haiphong • These attacks were known as the Christmas Bombings • This forced the Nixon administration to reconsider their tactics and negotiation strategy

43. The Paris Peace Agreement • In January 1973 the White House convinced the Thieu- Ky regime in Saigon that they would not abandon the GVN if they signed onto the peace accord • On January 23, the final draft initialed ending open hostilities between the U.S. and the DVR

44. Disadvantage to the Peace Agreement • It did not end the conflict in Vietnam

45. America Slowly Decreasing • U.S. troops started slowly reducing • Saigon received aid from the U.S.

46. Nearing the End • Chaos broke out in Saigon • Communists troops began attacking the city

47. Evacuation • U.S. helicopters started evacuating U.S. and South Vietnamese officials, and civilians from Saigon on April 29, 1975

48. Fall of Saigon • President Ford gave a speech on April 23, declaring the end to the Vietnam War and the end of U.S. aid • On April 30, VPA troops overcame captured key buildings and installations in Saigon • A tank crashed through the gates of the Presidential Palace and the NLF flag was raised above it • President Duong Van Minh surrendered

49. Communist Victory • The Communists had reached their goal by taken the Saigon regime • But by the end, one Vietnamese in every ten had been a casualty of war

50. Effect on America • Many were doubting and questioning those in authority such as generals, military, and the Pentagon • It left America in a large federal budget deficit • Casualties were severe