Ho Chi Minh

1. Ho Chi Minh • Communist leader of North Vietnam • Began as a nationalist seeking independence from France. • Asks US for help (no) • Asks Soviets for help (yes) • Creates the Vietminh & fights the French

2. French War in Indochina French paratroopers land Vietminh march • Begins in 1945-1954 • French meet stiff resistance & guerilla tactics • Request American aid • By 1954--US provided 80% of $ for war!!

3. Dien Bien Phu • Mountaintop French air base and fortress • NW Vietnam by Laotian border • 1953--16,000 French troops take on 60,000 Vietminh • Turned back constant attacks, but siege began • May 7, 1954 surrendered with no ammo & supplies Vietminh front lines Destruction at Dien Bien Phu

4. Dien Bien Phu results • French had 5,000 Killed; 10,000 captured • Vietminh had 25,000 killed • Only 1000 French left Vietminh charge base Vietminh capture base

5. Leads to Geneva Conference • Split North & South Vietnam • North is communist • South is Democratic with US help • Ngo Dinh Diem chosen (Catholic)

6. Buddhist Protests

7. North invades South Vietnam • Begin fighting each other

8. Tonkin incident • US destroyers attacked in Gulf of Tonkin • “allegedly” • Johnson calls for Congress to grant war powers • Johnson receives total contol with the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

9. US begins--SATURATION BOMBING • Before launching major attacks on the North--US tries massive bombing • B-52 bombers • Thousand of tons in each plane • Tried to overwhelm Northern cities B-52 bombers doing work Aftermath of bombs

10. Helicopter landings • Trying to leave after search & destroy missions or patrols • Helicopters were widely used for difficult transportation and evacuations

11. TUNNEL SYSTEM

12. MORE TUNNELS

13. Village searches: for VC

14. Search & Destroy

15. More War conditions • Conditions for Americans were miserable • 90-95 degrees & humid • Carry 60 lb packs • Swamps & paddies • Leeches & jungle rot • Fungi infections • Malaria • Skin diseases & more

16. ELEPHANT GRASS • 90 plus degrees • Up to 15 feet high • Edges of grass like rose thorns or razor blades • Enemy can easily hide in the grass • Booby traps along paths

17. BOOBY TRAPS • Things you might see along walking paths, in villages, elephant grass, rice paddies, etc. • Animal snares • Punji stakes • Landmines & grenades attached to tripwires • Poisonous snakes in tunnel entrances

18. LANDMINES • Thousands littered across Western Vietnam and in other regions of the world still today…. • Afghanistan • Africa (civil wars) • Angola Buried landmines & grenades Vietnamese boy teen hit by mine

19. NAPALM • Jellylike, gasoline substance used extensively in Vietnam • Tumbled out of planes • Used on jungle, villages, and humans!! • Total destruction

20. The monsoon season

21. Carrying wounded through swamps

22. More streams to cross

23. Leeches • Catch these while wading across streams, paddies, rivers, and more • Grow up to 6 inches • Only way to get off skin--cut them off with a knife!!!

24. TET OFFENSIVE • Before Tet, Americans thought we were winning the war. • Morning of Jan.30, 1968 - surprise attack by V.C. & NVA • Tet is a major holiday in Vietnam - “Gentleman’s Agreement”

25. TET OFFENSIVE • V.C. & NVA attack 68 cities and 50 towns • Fighting lasted from 3 days to 2 weeks • Bloody & Ferocious: both sides suffered high casualties • In Hue: V.C. captured 1,000 politicians & teachers and buried them alive in one mass grave

26. TET OFFENSIVE • Tet was a military & psychological defeat for Americans • After Tet: How do we get out of Vietnam??? • Two months later: President Johnson is out, Nixon is in.

27. Role of the Media • Brings the war “home” to Americans daily • Presents the “reality” of war • Helps to fuel the anti-war protests that had been developing in America • Johnson forced out