Background• VietnamhadbeenaFrenchcolonyunderthenameofFrenchIndochina(alongwithCambodiaandLaos).

• BegantofightforitsindependencefromFranceduringWWII(whenFrancewaspreoccupiedwithEuropeanconflict). Therevolutionaryleader wasHoChiMinh,aCommunist.

• In1954,FrancedecideditwantedoutandcalledapeaceconferenceinGeneva,Switzerland(attendedbyFrance,Vietnam,theUS,andtheUSSR).

Background• ThedecisionoftheconferencewastopartitionVietnamintoacommunistNorthandademocraticSouth.

• ThesettlementhighlightsColdWartensionsbetweentheAmericansandSovietsandclearlyreflectedtheUSpolicyofcontainmentwithrespecttoSovietcommunistexpansionism.

• TheUSviewedSouthVietnamasa‘domino’thattheycouldn’taffordtolose.

DominoEffect• Abeliefthatacommunistvictoryinonenationwouldquicklyleadtoachainreactionofcommunisttakeoversinneighboringstates.

• InSoutheastAsia,theUSgovernmentusedthedominotheorytojustifyitssupportofanon-communistregimeinSouthVietnamagainstthecommunistgovernmentofNorthVietnam,andultimatelyitsincreasinginvolvementintheVietnamWar(1954-75).

DominoEffect

• TheVietnamWarwasfoughtbetweenNorthVietnam—supportedbytheSovietUnion,Chinaandothercommunistallies—andthegovernmentofSouthVietnam—supportedbytheUnitedStates,Philippinesandotheranti-communistallies.

ChallengesintheVietnamWar

Guerrillawarfare• Asmallgroupofparamilitaryorarmedciviliansusingambushes,sabotage,raids,hit-and-runattacks,andothernon-traditionalwarfaretoweakenanenemy.

ChallengesintheVietnamWar

• Disease• Bugsduetohumidity&rain• Weather• Dangerousboobytraps• Hiddenenemy

BoobyTraps

Costofwar• TheU.S.spentover$140billion• 58,000U.S.soldierswerekilled• 350,000werewounded• MostoftheU.S.soldierswhofoughtinVietnamweredrafted.

• AsthenumberofU.S.troopsinVietnamgrewitbecamemorecostlyandtheU.S.economysuffered.PresidentJohnsonincreasedtaxestohelppayforthewar.

TVWar• UScasualtieswerehighandcausedanincreaseinantiwarsentimentinAmerica.

• VietnamwasaTVWar whereAmericanaudiencessawthebrutalityofwarfirsthandforthe1sttime.

WarProtests

• ProtestsoftheVietnamWarwerewidespreadandpolarizedthenation.

• ThiswasintensifiedaftertheKentStateMassacre- NationalGuardsmenopenedfireonstudentprotestorsinOhio,killingfour

• Evensomegovernmentofficialscalledthewar‘amess’and‘adisaster’.

VietnamWarProtests

VietnamWarProtests

VietnamWarProtests

VietnamWarProtests

VietnamWarProtests

VietnamWarProtests

Aftermath

• TheUSwithdrewtroopsJanuary27th,1973.• TheNorthVietnamarmyeasilydefeatedtheSouthby1975;theSouthappealedtoPresidentNixonforaid,whichhadbeenpromised,butdidnotreceiveit.

• 1975– theUSabandoneditsembassyinSaigon,whichwasrenamedHoChiMinhCityinthenewlyunifiedandcommunistVietnam.

FleeingtheEmbassy

Aftermath

• U.S.economysufferedbecauseoftheincreasecostofthewar.

• About15%ofthe3.3millionVietnamveterans(495,000)developedP.T.S.D.andseveralthousandcommittedsuicide

• TherehavebeenmanyaccountsofveteransoftheVietnamWarclaimingthattheywerespatat,callednamessuchas“babykiller” anddeniedservicessuchasrestaurants,taxisandbuses.