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

› 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

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New Left

Move away from the 1930’s “LEFT” of socialism.

Called the Hippie Movement in the US Mostly well off White college students

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

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”

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

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

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

› To destroy North Vietnam's transportation system, industrial base, and air defenses

› to halt the flow of men and material into South Vietnam

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

› 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