Vietnam War

Overview

Background Presidents and

Vietnam Gulf of Tokin

Resolution 1964 Operation Rolling

Thunder War for the US Tet Offensive Critics of US Policy Election of 1968 Ending the War Vietnam’s Legacy

Background…

A. First Indochina war… Vietnam and the French

B. in 1954 the Geneva convention divided Vietnam at the 17th Parallel Eisenhower refused

to sign the Geneva Agreement

C. The war spread across 5 presidents 1. Truman 2. Eisenhower 3. Kennedy 4. LBJ 5. Nixon

Background…

The US direct involvement was from 1964-1973

The leader of the Communist North Vietnam was Ho Chi Minh

The leader in South Vietnam that the US supported was Ngo Dinh Diem

Domino Theory Determined

Eisenhower's policies in Southeast Asia in the 1950’s and continued into the 1960’s

Civil War in Vietnam

South Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem was

backed by the US ▪ He was a Catholic

Autocrat that ruled over Buddhist peasants

In 1955 Ngo cancels Vietnam elections causing serious division in the country

Eisenhower promised economic and military aid to Ngo’s regime in return for social reform

Civil War in Vietnam

North Vietnam Viet Cong were

communist insurgents in the south supported by Ho Chi Minh and the NLF military

Officially call the NLF National Liberation Front

The NLF”s main goal was… ▪ Take out pro-American

government leaders ▪ This group would

eventually assassinate 2000+ government officials during the 60’s

The US Presidents and Vietnam

Kennedy ( JFK) JFK increase the US

Military “advisors” from 652 to 16,000▪ These men were

suppose to train Southern Vietnamese soldiers to strengthen the army

The fall of NGO ▪ Nov. 1963 South

Vietnamese generals overthrew Ngo (he was killed)

▪ JFK is assassinated three weeks later

Johnson (LBJ) LBJ keeps most of

Kennedy’s cabinet including ▪ Dean Rucks Sec. of

State ▪ Robert McNamara- Sec.

of Defense LBJ won’t accept

anything but non-communist government in Vietnam

Golf Of Tonkin Resolution 1964 Triggers the Start

of the Vietnam War LBJ says that North

Vietnamese ships attacked U.S. destroyers LBJ claimed that attacks were “unprovoked”

The resolution Gives LBJ more

authority to increase war effort without waiting for Congress to declare war

LBJ gave orders for limited retaliation

Escalation!

South Vietnam is unable to stabilize itself. Vietnam becomes a “quagmire”

In Feb. 1965 the US base of Pleiku was attacked LBJ responded on

March 2, 1965 He decides to

escalate the war..

Operation Rolling Thunder Bombing is

ordered by LBJ and won’t stop for 3 years Bombs target

bases, roads, railways and the “Ho Chi Mihn” Trail

Increase of US Troop 1965- 184,000 1966-385,000 1967-485,000 1968-538,000 1969-543,000

These numbers are matched by the Viet Cong and aid for North Vietnam comes from the USSR and China

War for the US

US Troops are led by Gen. William C. Westmoreland

Air War- Air Strikes were

preferred because it saves lives

By 1967 US had dropped more bombs on ‘Nam than in WWII

Napalm was used to burn out the heavy Jungle Areas

Ground War Search and Destroy Missions Enemy is “Charlie” Westmoreland was always

needing and asking for more troops

Vietcong knew more about the land and had better peasant support

Agent Orange- Chemical that kills vegetation

Average age of solder was 19 during WWII is was 26

Due to the horrific atmosphere most soldiers developed what will later be known as PTSD

Tet Offensive

1968 was the beginning of the end for US troops

Viet Cong– Tet New Year Jan 31, 1968 80,000 Vietcong attack

100 cities, bases and embassy

It’s not militarily successful but psychologically destroyed America’s hope of winning

Critics of US Policy

Antiwar movement Started in 1965 Massive student

protests began focusing on the Vietnam War

Anti- war groups included religious, anti-nuke, women and civil rights

The draft is one of the leading causes of the anti-war effort

NYC and San Francisco saw hundred if not thousands of marchers yelling

Draft number increased from 5,000500,000 (‘64-’67)

Critics of US Policy

The poor were 2x more likely to be drafted than the wealthy

Thousands of draft dodgers fled to Canada while others burned their draft card

Press Technology brought

Vietnam into people’s living rooms

Media grew increasingly critical of the war

Editorials in Newsweek, wall street and Times all called for a negotiated settlement

Public support of the war plunged from 40%26%

Hawks and Doves

Hawks defended the

president's policy and drew from Truman’s containment policy

Doves Said that the US

Should have never been involved ▪ Opposed bombings,

chemical weapons and killing civilians

Tet Offensive Changed public opinion Hawks drop from

62% to 22% Doves increase

from 22% to 42%

Election of 1968

LBJ says he will not run again … his presidency is stained by the war

Nominees Democrats.. Robert

Kennedy… assassinated and is replaced by Hubert Humphrey

Republicans… Richard Nixon

Independent… George Wallace

Results Nixon wins… owes the

victory to division caused by the war and protests against the unfair draft, crime and rioting

1968… Year of Shocksa. Tet offensive b. MLK assassinated c. Robert Kennedy

assassinated d. Nixon’s Victory e. Stoakely Carmichael

becomes leader of the Black panthers

Nixon and Vietnam

Nixon claimed to have plans to end the war… not true the war would last 4 more years

“Vietnamization” Nixon called for a gradual

withdrawal from Vietnam Reduces American troops

from 500,000 to 25,000 in 1973

Nixon Doctrine … Asia has to fight its own wars without the US ▪ People don’t want a slow

withdrawal they want immediate withdrawal

My Lai Massacre …

Public finds out in 1969

Lt. William Calley and his unit massacred 350 civilians in a small village Was charged with

murder and sentenced to life… claimed he was following orders and sentence was lowered to 10 years

Silent Majority Speech

November 3 Nixon’s speech on

TV was suppose to appeal to the great “silent majority” who presumable supported the war. Nixon verbally

attacked the protestors and media for not supporting the war

Cambodia

In April of 1970 Nixon sends troops into Cambodia to clear out communists who ignored Cambodian neutrality and disrupted the “ Ho Chi Minh” trail

Invasion lasted 60 days

Protests… Kent State ( May

3,1970 Ohio) Protestors burn the

ROTC building National Guard fires in

to crowd killing 4 people and injuring 11

Jackson State ( May 1970 all black school ) ▪ One week after Kent

State ▪ 2 killed 12 wounded

Pentagon Papers 1971

Classified papers are leaked to the Times Magazine/ newspaper Shows that the

government misled congress and the public regarding the intentions in Vietnam in the mid 1960’s

Ending the War

South Vietnam can’t beat communist forces

US withdrew from Cambodia in early ‘72

Spring of 1972 North Vietnam breaks through the DMZ

Nixon bombs north Vietnam

October 1972 Paris Peace Talks Nothing happens

Henry Kissinger continued to negotiate and finally in 1973 agreed to terms

Terms

Troops are pulled out of ‘Nam

North Vietnamese troops stay in S. Vietnam

South Vietnamese Government would stay until the next election

Vietcong would return all POWs and give full account of Americans that were MIA

Vietnam Legacy

58,000 dead American 300,000 wounded and 2,583 MIA

Derailed Johnson's “Great Society”

150 Billion spent on the War instead of Social Programs

Large percent of Americans stop trusting the government. Nixon abolished the draft and created volunteer army

Voting age dropped from 21 to 18 if they could die for their country they could vote

One of the most controversial wars in American History

Media Changed the war and the war effort

Vietnam Veterans have several medical issues an are seen not as heroes but as “baby killers”

First war that America “lost”

War Powers Act