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War in Vietnam

War in Vietnam. Background of Vietnam. French Rule in Vietnam Late 1800’s-WWII, French ruled most of Indochina French used rice and rubber for their own needs Peasants started to up rise, French jailed many and forbid freedom of speech and assembly Japan

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War in Vietnam

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  1. War in Vietnam

  2. Background of Vietnam • French Rule in Vietnam • Late 1800’s-WWII, French ruled most of Indochina • French used rice and rubber for their own needs • Peasants started to up rise, French jailed many and forbid freedom of speech and assembly • Japan • Occupied French Indochina. When US, sent supplies to leader Ho Chi Minh and backed him • Fought a guerilla war with his communist Viet Minh • Japan left Indochina after WWII. Minh declared free country

  3. Background of Vietnam • France • Refused to give up Indochina • Sent French Foreign Legion to fight the battles • US • Backed France’s effort to take Indochina • Domino Theory (Country would fall under communism like dominos)

  4. France • Couldn’t retake Vietnam. Surrendered May 1954 • Backed France by giving money, weapons and supplies. • Domino Theory: linked the countries on the brink of communism to a row of dominos; waiting to fall one after the other

  5. Geneva Accords • Temporarily divided Vietnam along the 17th parallel • Ho Chi Minh’s communist people control N Vietnam. Capital is Hanoi • Ngo Dinh Diem’s Nationalists controlled S Vietnam. Capital is Saigon • A country wide election was to take place in 1956

  6. Vietnam as a whole • Ho Chi Minh gained popularity in the north by breaking up large estates and dividing it between the peasants • Ike supported Diem and promised military aid and training to fight off the N Vietnam in return for a stable government in the south • Corrupt government took over in the south

  7. Vietcong in Vietnam • A communist group in the south called the Vietcong attacked Diem’s government, later called the National Liberation Front (NLF) • Assassinated thousands of government officials • Ho Chi Minh supported the Vietcong in 1959 and supplied them through the Ho Chi Minh Trail

  8. Kennedy and Vietnam • “Swim” in Diem and increased aid to support • Sent thousands of military advisers to train S Vietnamese troops • 1963, 16k US military was in S Vietnam

  9. Diem • Popularity dropped due to corruption and lack of land reform for the south • Hamlet program • Move villagers to protected areas • Diem, a Catholic, attacked Buddhism • Murdered and imprisoned many Buddhist clerics and destroyed their temples • Monks and nuns publicly burned themselves to death in the street to protest • Nov 1, 1963 US supported military coup took Diem out of control and against Kennedy’s approval, assassinated him

  10. Gulf of Tonkin • Aug 2, 1964, a N Vietnamese patrol boat fired a torpedo at American destroyer USS Maddox. Returned fire and damaged patrol boat • Aug 4, 1964, Maddox’s crew spotted enemy torpedoes and began firing. There was bad weather and visibility was bad. Later stated they didn’t see or hire hostile gunfire • Boat attacks prompted LBJ to ask Congress for powers to take “all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the US and to prevent further aggression” • Congress adopted Tonkin Gulf Resolution on Aug 7, 64

  11. Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) • Led by Tom Hayden and Al Haber • Radical group formed on many major colleges to protest Vietnam War • Corporations and large government institutions had taken over America • Restoration of participatory democracy and individual freedom

  12. Free Speech Movement • University California at Berkeley • Grew out of a clash between students and administrators over free speech on campus • Criticized the America for being faceless and powerful business and government institutions

  13. New Left • Move away from the 1930’s “LEFT” of socialism. • Called the Hippie Movement in the US • Mostly well off White college students

  14. Protests Grow • 1965, protests in DC grew to 30k to protest Vietnam involvement • Feb 1966, Johnson announced you must be “in good academic standing to get a deferment to the draft” • SDS called for civil disobedience at Selective Service Centers • Helped people flee to Canada and Sweden

  15. Opposition to the War • This is a civil war • US can’t patrol the entire global • South Vietnam’s government is corrupt and not worth defending • Songs opposing the war • “Ballad of the Green Beret,” “War,” “Who’ll Stop the Rain”

  16. From Protest to Resistance • Divided Nation • Hawks • Supporters of the war in Vietnam • Doves • Opposed the war in Vietnam • Spring of 1967, 500k protesters met in NYC to burn draft cards • “Burn draft cards, not people” and “Hell no we won’t go!” were shouted

  17. Escalation • March of 65, tens of thousands US troops were sent to Vietnam • Contradictory of his political stance? • 1965 poll showed 61% believed containment was the right idea • End of 65 • 180k troops in Vietnam under General William Westmoreland, who wanted more soldiers in Vietnam. By 67, 500k troops

  18. Operation Rolling Thunder • March 1965-November 1968 bombings against the North Vietnam • 4 objectives • To bolster the sagging morale of the Saigon regime in the Republic of Vietnam • To persuade North Vietnam to cease its support for the communist insurgency in South Vietnam without actually taking any ground forces into communist North Vietnam

  19. To destroy North Vietnam's transportation system, industrial base, and air defenses • to halt the flow of men and material into South Vietnam

  20. Fighting an Invisible Enemy • Different fighting than previous wars • Jungle terrain and guerrilla tactics made it difficult to fight • Vietcong were living amongst the people • Didn’t know where the enemy was • Booby traps • Tunnel Rats • Punji Sticks: Sharp bamboo buried then covered • Bouncing Betty: Mine that’s propelled in the air and exploded at groin or head area

  21. A Battle for “Hearts and Minds” • Keep Vietcong from winning support of S Vietnam rural people • Napalm, a gas based bomb set fire to the jungle, was used to find the tunnels • Agent Orange, leaf-killing toxic chemical, was used to destroy the dense jungle • Search-and-destroy missions moved civilians with suspected ties, killed livestock, burned villages.

  22. Sinking Morale • Guerrilla warfare crushed the morale • Troops turned to alcohol, marijuana, heroine • Fragging Officers • Throwing a grenade into the tent of the soldiers commanding officer

  23. War at Home • Living-Room War • First “living room” war where people can see action on nightly news • News said large number of communist were dying in war, Gen. Westmoreland said Vietcong surrender was imminent • Def. Sec. Robert McNamara could “see the light at the end of the tunnel” • Credibility gap was growing between what LBJ said and what was really happening

  24. Johnson’s Administration • The stalemate in Vietnam was crumbling LBJ administration • Nov. 1967, Def. Sec. Robert McNamara resigned quietly to head of World Bank • The TET offensive turned the war in the United States

  25. TET Offensive • January 30 was the Vietnamese equivalent of New Years Eve • There was a week long truce for TET • Villagers had funerals, but coffins were filled with guns and villagers were VC • Jan 30, VC attacked over 100 cities and 12 air bases in S Vietnam for about a month

  26. Gen. Westmoreland claimed victory for US (32k VC dead) (3k US and ARVN) • 19 VC attacked the US Embassy in Saigon and killed 5 Americans • TV captured the events and changed minds of millions in the US • After TET, LBJ’s popularity dropped • Pre TET 60% approval on war • Post TET 60% disapproval on war

  27. Election of 1968 • Eugene McCarthy ran against LBJ on the platform to end the Vietnam war • Post TET, McCarty won 42% of the vote while LBJ won 48%. A defeat for LBJ • Robert Kennedy joined the race • LBJ addressed the US on March 31, 1968 and said US escalation would end, bombing would cease and larger rolls for ARVN would step up • He also said he would not accept the presidential nominee for a 2nd

  28. Violence is Erupting • April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, TN. • June 5, 1968, Robert Kennedy was shot in LA by an Palestinian American. • 1968 DNC was a bloody riot • 10k protesters led by SDS wanted an antiwar platform • Chicago’s mayor Richard Daley mobilized 12k police and 5k National Guard

  29. August 28, 1968, protesters moved from the park to the convention, but were met by the riot police • Police were seen using mace and sticks • Some protesters fled, some retaliated

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