The Vietnam War –The War Ends

1968 – Turning PointWhat was the Tet

Offensive? • Jan. 30, 1968 – Cease fire

during Vietnamese Tet celebrations (Lunar New Year)

• NVA/Vietcong launches surprise attack on S. Vietnam & U.S. forces

• 84,000 forces attack 12 U.S. military bases/100 cities.

• Attack stunned U.S. forces/1000’s of S. Vietnamese killed

• U.S. able to push back Vietcong/NVA

1968 – Turning PointSignificance of the Tet

Offensive• MAIN IDEA: Turns public opinion

against war!– After 3 years of bombing/500,000

soldiers, NVA/Vietcong still launching offensive attacks

– Time & Newsweek urge withdrawal – Walter Cronkite tells millions of American

viewers that Vietnam is “unwinable” – LBJ: “If I’ve lost Cronkite…then it’s over.

I’ve lost middle America.”

The Fall of LBJ

• LBJ’s popularity declines 35%• “Hey, hey LBJ, how many kids

did you kill today.”• Anti-War candidates challenge

LBJ for Presidency (Eugene McCarthy & Robert F. Kennedy)

• LBJ announces he will not seek reelection

Nixon Elected in 1968

• Campaigned on the promise to end the war . . . Honorably.

• “Peace with honor”• Claimed to have a

“secret plan” to get U.S. out of war.

• Appealed to Americans wanting “law and order”

Nixon appealed to the

“SILENT MAJORITY”

Regular working Americans who disliked the youth protests/activism of the 60’s and wanted to see . . .

• More “law and order” in America• A responsible end to the Vietnam

War without a U.S. defeat

Nixon Doctrine1. U.S. would honor all treaty

obligations2. U.S. would provide a shield

if a nuclear power threatened an ally

3. U.S. would provide military & economic aide to allies, but would expect the nation to be provide the majority of the manpower to defend themselves.

Johnson:Directly support South Vietnam by sending the U.S. military to fight to defend South Vietnam

Nixon:Provide support but expect the South Vietnamese to bear more of the burden to defend themselves.

How did their policies differ?

“Peace with honor”

Vietnamization Nixon’s policy to . . .

GRADUALLY turn over fighting to the South Vietnamese while gradually bringing U.S. Troops home.

• U.S. would focus on training the S. Vietnamese army

• Return to policy similar to JFK’s policies in the early 1960’s.

540,000 U.S. troops in Vietnam when Nixon

took officeNixon begins Vietnamization

immediately . . . • June 1969: Nixon brings 25,000 U.S.

troops home from Vietnam• By December 1969: 85,000 U.S.

troops brought home. (By 1970, 335,000 U.S. troops in

Vietnam)

Nixon DECREASES troop levels and INCREASES bombing campaigns

CAMBODIA• March 1969: Nixon begins

secret bombing campaign of Cambodia

• April 30, 1970: U.S. troops invade Cambodia to clear out N. Vietnamese/Vietcong sanctuaries

Invasion of Cambodia sparks NEW WAVE of

protests

Kent State Massacre

KSU – May 1970• May 2: Students set fire to the KSU

ROTC building. Slash firehouse. Governor James A. Rhodes sends National Guard to KSU

• May 3: Students hold another rally. Dispersed by tear gas.

• May 4: 2,000 students gather for rally. Throw rocks at National Guard. As students pursue Guardsman, Guardsman fire shots . . . Killing four students.

Paris Peace Talks

• Throughout the Nixon Administration, Kissinger and N. Vietnamese representatives met in Paris.

• January 1973: CEASE FIRE AGREEMENT– U.S. forces to withdrawal immediately.– All P.O.W’s released.– South Vietnam permitted to determine

future.– 17th Parallel would continue to be dividing

line.

Communist Victory• January 1975: N.

Vietnamese launch offensive on northern South Vietnam.

• In a few months, S. Vietnam crumbles. President flees to Thailand.

• April 30, 1975: South Vietnam surrenders.

Post War Vietnam

• Vietnam united as Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

• Capital: Hanoi• Saigon

renamed Ho Chi Minh City

The Story of the Hmong • During Vietnam War, CIA recruited the Hmong to fight “the secret war”• Hmong soldiers to fight North Vietnamese infiltrators in Laos and help block the Ho Chi Minh Trail. • Hmong were loyal to U.S. and were heroes in their sacrifice and bravery• 1967 – 1971:4,000 killed / 5,000 injured

Laos Turns Communist

• 2 years after Vietnam War ends, Laos is overthrown by Communists supported by Vietnam

• The Hmong became targets of Communist government because of their support of the U.S. during the Vietnam War

• Thousands of the Hmong forced to flee Laos

Thousands of Hmong live in Refugee Camps in

Thailand

Hmong Resettle in U.S.

• First Wave (1975 – 1978): 30,000 Hmong migrate to U.S. Mostly men who fought in Laos.

• Second Wave (1980 – present): Over 100,000 Hmong (mostly families) emigrate to U.S.

• Today over 209,000 Hmong

live in the United States!

AssignmentFist Bump a Hmong AECHS student

today and thank them for their ancestors help and support during

the Vietnam War!