vietnam war i. overview of the vietnam war a. a painful war 1. longest war & only war lost 2....

VIETNAM WARVIETNAM WARI. Overview of the Vietnam WarI. Overview of the Vietnam War

A. A Painful WarA. A Painful War• 1. Longest War & Only War

Lost• 2. Show Limits = power, govt.

& “exceptionalism”• 3. Shape Foreign Policy for

Decades

B. US Participation in WarB. US Participation in War• 1. Enter War to Prevent Spread

of Communism• 2. US w/draw 1973,

Communists takeover 1975

The Costs of the WarThe Costs of the War• 1. 57,000 Americans & 4

million Vietnamese killed• 2. “Tragedy of epic

dimensions”

II. The French in VietnamII. The French in Vietnam

A. French Involvement & ControlA. French Involvement & Control

B. Establishment of the Viet MinhB. Establishment of the Viet Minh• 1. Vietnamese Nat’lists, led by

Ho Chi Minh = main goal of pushing French out

C. US Support for France in C. US Support for France in VietnamVietnam

• 1. Fear Communist Influence & Ally to France WWII

D. French Defeat in VietnamD. French Defeat in Vietnam• 1. Defeated at Dien Bien Phu

(1954)• 2. Geneva Accords = split

country into N. & S. w/ elections in two years = elections never held

VIETNAM WARVIETNAM WAR

III. US Intervention BeginsIII. US Intervention Begins

A. Eisenhower’s Domino TheoryA. Eisenhower’s Domino Theory• 1. Fear loss of Vietnam,

then loss of all Indochina• 2. Becomes basis for

intervention


B. US Support of South VietnamB. US Support of South Vietnam• 1. US supports Diem, leader

of the South• 2. President Kennedy sends

military “advisors” & military personnel to Vietnam

• 3. Diem’s rule undemocratic = losing support = US allows military coup to assassinate him


VIETNAM WARVIETNAM WARIV. US Presence Escalates in VietnamIV. US Presence Escalates in Vietnam

A. The Gulf of Tonkin IncidentA. The Gulf of Tonkin Incident• 1. US Boat clashes w/ N. Viet. Boat = US portrays as

unprovoked attack

B. The Gulf of Tonkin ResolutionB. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution• 1. President given right to “take all necessary

measures”• 2. Gives Johnson right to send troops w/out declaration

of war from Congress

VIETNAM WARVIETNAM WARC. Johnson Escalates WarC. Johnson Escalates War

• 1. 1965 = 200,000 troops 1967 = 500,000 troops

VIETNAM WARVIETNAM WARV.V. VietcongVietcong

A. Supported by North Vietnamese ArmyB. Organized peasants in the SouthC. Lived amongst the South Vietnamese

VI. Hardships and Disillusionment on the War FrontsVI. Hardships and Disillusionment on the War Fronts

A. Guerilla WarfareA. Guerilla Warfare• 1. Wet/Dense Terrain, guerilla attacks & ambushes

B. Effective Vietnamese ForcesB. Effective Vietnamese Forces• 1. Purpose, hit and run, know terrain


C. Distinguishing Friends from EnemiesC. Distinguishing Friends from Enemies

D. Growing US DisillusionmentD. Growing US Disillusionment• 1. Beginning – feel fighting for freedom• 2. End = Disillusionment


VII. Vietnamese Nationalism and DeterminationVII. Vietnamese Nationalism and Determination

A. The Vietnamese “People’s War”A. The Vietnamese “People’s War”

B. The Ho Chi Minh TrailB. The Ho Chi Minh Trail

C. The Plight of Vietnamese CiviliansC. The Plight of Vietnamese Civilians


VIETNAM WARVIETNAM WARVIII. American Public Support for War VIII. American Public Support for War WanesWanes

A. Unpopularity of the WarA. Unpopularity of the War

B. Antiwar Demonstrations at B. Antiwar Demonstrations at HomeHome

C. Resistance to the DraftC. Resistance to the Draft

D. US Leaders Speak OutD. US Leaders Speak Out

VIETNAM WARVIETNAM WARIX. Fighting a Losing BattleIX. Fighting a Losing Battle

A. 1968 = The Tet OffensiveA. 1968 = The Tet Offensive• 1. 70,000 communist soldiers launch a surprise attack• 2. Shows US is vulnerable & public turns against the war

VIETNAM WARVIETNAM WARB. Cost of WarB. Cost of War

C. Johnson Leaves OfficeC. Johnson Leaves Office

VIETNAM WARVIETNAM WARX. Violence Escalates at Home and X. Violence Escalates at Home and AbroadAbroad

A. The 1968 Presidential ElectionA. The 1968 Presidential Election

B. The My Lai MassacreB. The My Lai Massacre• 1. 1969, US forces massacred village of My Lai


VIETNAM WARVIETNAM WARC. Nixon’s Policy of “Peace with Honor”C. Nixon’s Policy of “Peace with Honor”

• 1. Vietnamization = more responsibility to S. Vietnamese troops

D. US Bombing in CambodiaD. US Bombing in Cambodia• 1. Nixon Secretly authorized bombing & invasion

of Cambodia

E. Escalating Protests and Kent State ShootingsE. Escalating Protests and Kent State Shootings

XI. The US Pulls Out and the War EndsXI. The US Pulls Out and the War EndsA. Cease-Fire Declared =Jan. 1973A. Cease-Fire Declared =Jan. 1973B. US Forces Leave Vietnam = March 1973B. US Forces Leave Vietnam = March 1973C. Fighting Resumes in VietnamC. Fighting Resumes in Vietnam

• 1. 1975, Communists take over South


VIETNAM WARVIETNAM WARD. The Effects of the Vietnam D. The Effects of the Vietnam WarWar

• 1. US = 3 million serve; 58,000 died; Side Effects

• 2. Vietnamese = 4 million die

E. Vietnam after the WarE. Vietnam after the War

vietnam war i. overview of the vietnam war a. a painful war 1. longest war & only war lost 2....

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