WEEK 14 JOURNAL 52

1. WEEK 14 JOURNAL 52 • Read the information in the green booklet on your desk • Answer the following questions 1. What was the issue that influenced US involvement in Vietnam? 2. Which President sent combat troops to Vietnam? 3. How did support from American citizens change as the war progressed? 4. What event happened in 1968 that made it seem the war could not be won? 5. What countries border North and South Vietnam? 6. How were Vietnam veterans treated when they returned home?

2. CHAPTER 22 THE VIETNAM WAR • SECTION 1

3. Control of Vietnam • France • Vietminh • Ho Chi Minh • Japan • United States • Domino Theory • Dien Bien Phu

4. DIEN BIEN PHU • May 1954 • Last French outpost in Vietnam • Vietminh surrounded it and pounded it with heavy artillery for two months • French surrender and pull out of Vietnam

5. GENEVA ACCORDS • 1954 - Meeting of several countries including N. and S. Vietnam to hammer out peace agreement • Geneva Accords did the following: • temporarily divided Vietnam along the 17th parallel • Vietnam would hold election in 1956 to vote on unity

6. The Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations provided economic and military aid to South Vietnam’s anti-communist stand.

7. NGO DINH DIEM • South Vietnam’s president • Called off 1956 election • Ho Chi Minh had won a lot of support in North • Redistributed land – helped peasants • Ho Chi Minh was skilled at fighting opposition – fought against Japan…

8. The Eisenhower administration supported Diem’s decision to cancel elections • Eisenhower promised military aid to Diem and in return Diem would establish a stable government • “Sink or Swim with Ngo Dinh Diem” • Diem established a corrupt government • Did not redistribute land • He was Catholic and restricted Buddhist practices

9. SECTION 2 • US INVOLVEMENT AND ESCALATION

10. VIETCONG They were communist and located in South Vietnam • Used guerrilla tactics and tried to overthrow Diem’s government • Killed thousands of South Vietnam officials

11. HO CHI MINH TRAIL • Ho Chi Minh supported the Vietcong and sent them supplies along this trail • It ran through Laos and Cambodia • Eisenhower is still supporting Diem’s government Sink or swim with Ngo Dinh Diem

12. KENNEDY ADMINISTRATION • Took over in 1961 and continued Eisenhower’s policy • Democrats had been accused of being soft on communism so Kennedy – • Increased financial aid • Sent thousands of military to train S. Vietnam troops By end of 1963 – US had 16,000 military personnel in S. Vietnam

14. DIEM’S POPULARITY • Continued to decrease • No land reform • Much corruption • Attacked Buddhism • Imprisoned many Buddhist leaders because he was tired of their demonstrations • He also destroyed their Temples

15. Many Buddhists protested their treatment by burning themselves • Page 777 • US was shocked and asked Diem to stop – He would not • US realized that Diem had to go if S. Vietnam was to become stable • Nov. 1 1963 – US supported coup to end Diem’s administration • Diem was executed against Kennedy’s wishes

16. JOHNSON • Before Kennedy’s death he had announced plans to withdraw troops from Vietnam – “ It is their war” • Johnson however increased US involvement and eventually began America’s longest war!

17. All administrations after Diem were more corrupt • Vietcong’s influence in S. Vietnam was growing stronger • Democrats were accused of being soft on Communism • Johnson was determined not to lose Vietnam

18. TONKIN GULF INCIDENT • August 2, 1964 • N. Vietnamese patrol boat fired at the American destroyer the USS Maddox patrolling Tonkin Gulf • Missed and Maddox inflicted damage on patrol boat

19. August 4, 1964 • US Maddox and another destroyer were off N. Vietnamese coast • Bad weather - reported enemy torpedoes - US began firing • (Crews of destroyers reported NOT hearing or seeing hostile fire)

20. August 7, 1964 Congress passed the TONKIN GULF RESOLUTION Not a declaration of war but very broad military power • This made Johnson want to attack N. Vietnam • Asked Congress for powers to “repel any armed attack against US and to prevent any further aggression”

21. JUST A BIT OF INTERESTING INFORMATION • Johnson had been leading secret raids against N. Vietnam • USS Maddox had been collecting info for raids • Resolution had been prepared by Johnson months before just waiting for the best opportunity

23. A M E R I C A N I Z E D OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER • February 1965 • First sustained bombing of N. Vietnam • March 1965 • First US combat troops arrive in S. Vietnam • By June ’65 >50,000 US troops were fighting the Vietcong

24. CONTAINMENT • Keeping communism from spreading • Major issue in the ’64 election • US citizens wanted containment • Johnson – moderate approach • Goldwater – drastic approach WINNER

25. ROBERT McNAMARA • Secretary of Defense DEAN RUSK • Secretary of State Johnson’s Top Advisors Both supported sending troops to Vietnam

26. 1965 – • 61% of Americans supported war • 24% opposed the war

27. FRUSTRATING WARFARE • WILLIAM WESTMORELAND • American commander in South Vietnam • Continued to request more troops • He said the South Vietnamese were not skilled • 1967 – 500,000 US troops in Vietnam

28. To try to discourage the Vietcong Westmoreland introduced the “BODY COUNT” • He thought if they saw a large number of dead they would give up • Instead it made them more determined

29. FIGHTING THE VIETCONG • Very difficult because • They were in their home territory – the jungle • Used ambush tactics • Hit and run

32. Hard to tell friend from foe • Secretly move in and out of general population • No more front line – attacked in cities and countryside • Booby traps and land mines • Series of extensive tunnels

33. SEARCH AND DESTROY MISSIONS • If a villager had suspected ties with the Vietcong the US military had orders to kill livestock and destroy the village. • This caused large numbers of refugees

34. NAPALM • Gasoline based bomb used to set the jungle on fire

35. AGENT ORANGE • Leaf killing toxic chemical • One of the problems of using napalm and agent orange was that it hurt the general population • These were people we had tried to befriend!

36. US MORALE • Sinking • Many reasons • Guerilla warfare was frustrating • Brutal jungle conditions • No substantial headway – no front lines…

37. Soldiers turned to • Alcohol • Drugs • Things were not good in S. Vietnam • Corruption • Buddhist were still burning themselves • Still most US soldiers believed in their cause – stop the spread of communism

38. THE LIVING ROOM WAR CREDIBILITY GAP • The Vietnam War was known as the “Living Room War” • First to have pictures shown on TV each evening • These pictures did not match the positive reports released by the US administration

39. WEEK 14 JOURNAL 53 • Write MAP ACTIVITY in your journal for today • Find the map in your outline packet • You will need 7 different colored pencils and one marker. • You can share with your neighbor! • Complete the questions and activities on the worksheet. • Use map on page 733. • Use a pen to label the map!!!

40. SECTION 3 • A NATION DIVIDED

41. 80% of American soldiers Were from lower Economic levels. The “Working Class War” MANIPULATABLE DRAFT • Men ages 18-26 were called up • Had to register at 18 • Many ways to get out of draft • College • Medical conditions • Some draft boards were less strict • Some joined the National Guard and Coast Guard • Many draftees proudly went to Vietnam – Some even volunteered

42. DRAFT

43. AFRICAN AMERICANS • Served in disproportional numbers in the ground combat troops • In first 2 years of war – • 20 % of combat deaths • Only 10% of US population • A lot of racism resulting in violence

44. PROTESTS • Marches on Washington • Protests not to participate in the draft • Most common reason to protest was that the Vietnam conflict was a civil war and the US had no business there

45. The New Left • Students for a Democratic Society • Free Speech Movement • Folk singers wrote and sang about anti-war topics

46. STUDENTS FOR A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY • New Left • Called for an end to apathy • Focused on: • Vietnam • Poverty • Campus regulations • Nuclear power • racism

47. FREE SPEECH MOVEMENT • Started at the University of California at Berkeley • Administration was restricting student’s rights to distribute literature • Supreme Court upheld the First Amendment rights to freedom of speech

48. Mario Savio

49. 70 % of Americans believed protests were acts of disloyalty • They made their own signs to counteract the anti-war posters

50. 26th AMENDMENT • Lowered the voting age to 18 • Our government was sending our guys to war and they did not have the opportunity to vote for those sending them!