Vietnam WarVietnam War

U.S. U.S. InvolvementInvolvement

History of Vietnam

• China repeatedly tried to control Vietnam since ancient times

• Had been under foreign rule since the later half of the 1800s

• Had been partially taken over by the Japanese during WWII

• Wanted the US to help them fight off the French after the war

Vietnam WarVietnam War• 1954 – Civil war ended

between communist North Vietnam under Ho Chi Minh and weak neutral government in South Vietnam

• 1956 - War begins again and by 1960 the South Vietnam forces were confined to the cities

• Southern Communist forces formed the Viet Cong by 1960

• Northern Communist forces were known as the Vietnam People’s Army or the North Vietnamese Army

Vietnam War• 1960-confilict spreads to Laos—2 sides

in Laos: one U.S. and other communist

• 1961- U.S. sign an agreement creating a coalition government in Laos

• 1961- May- Kennedy sends 400 Green Berets to help train South Vietnamese in guerilla war fare-it fails

Vietnam War

• 1961-August- U.S sends 600 green berets and helicopters

• 1962- South Vietnam hold their own in battles

• 1963-Vietcong emerge from jungle and chew up inept South Vietnamese

Vietnam War• Without massive

American intervention

the war would be lost

Tonkin Gulf• August 2, 1964- American destroyer

“Maddox” claimed to be attacked by communist patrol boat in Tonkin Gulf, off the coast of North Vietnam

• August 4- Maddox and another ship, “C Turner Joy” claimed to have been attacked-neither ship saw enemy vessel or suffered any damage.

• Johnson ordered air raids against torpedo boats and oil storage tanks

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution• Johnson asked and got more power

when congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

• Basically gave the president the authority to take the nation to war without congressional approval

• Article 1 of constitution says congress has that power

• 1973- congress placed restriction on the resolution

Gulf of Tonkin

More trouble in Vietnam• Spring 1965-South Vietnam

regime had completely lost control of the countryside and huddled in the cities

More Involvement

• Presidential advisor said without American intervention South Vietnam government would collapse

• Johnson decides to get involved deeper

Vietcong AttacksVietcong Attacks

• Feb 7, 1965-Vietcong raids camp of American military advisers

• Killing 8, wounded 100

• The raid gives Johnson excuse to order air strikes

More Involvement

• April 1965-35,000 American troops

• June-doubled• 2 years – 500,000

troops• 20,000 deaths

Guerrilla war• Vietnam was a

guerrilla war• Every village as

a potential battleground

• 150,000 civilians died annually

$$$$$$$$$$$$

• 1966-cost $8 billion

• 1968- cost $27 billion

UnpopularUnpopular• Three causes that made the Vietnam War

to be the most unpopular in U.S. history.

T.V., Cost, LiesT.V., Cost, Lies• Television- First time Americans could see

a child running down a street of thatch-covered houses her clothes aflame.

• LIES - Government Falsehood- Statement contradicted one another: reported only 103,000 Vietcong and suffered 79,000 casualties-Jan1,1966 237,000 Vietcong.

• Cost- Every Vietcong communist killed cost the U.S. $322,000

Television and the War

ProtestProtest• “New Left”- Antiwar movement by college students and intellectuals.

• Beginning in 1964 and Berkeley, Cal. Students wreaked havoc at American universities—called for “non-negotiated” demand and class disruption.

Non-violenceNon-violence• April 1967- 125,000 students surged through the streets of New York to the United Nation building to ask the U.N. to intervene.

•October 1967- 75,000 descended on the Pentagon

•They blocked the building entrance in a massive act of non-violence disobedience.

Discontent • Only 29% of the American people thought the President was doing a good job.

• Burning of draft cards gesture of opposition of the war.

• “New Left” destroy itself by its violent methods that antagonized everyone else in the country.

Tet Offensive

• Jan. 1968-Tet is the Vietnamese New Year

• Vietcong made a surprising move and came down on every city of substantial size in South Vietnam and dozens of American bases

• Thousands of guerrillas enter the heart of Saigon, captured the American Embassy for 6 hours

• City was leveled by US bombers to regain control of cities

1968 Election

• Democrats were divided

• Nixon promised to end the draft

• Nixon was not associated with the Johnson Administration

Vietnam Withdraw

• Nixon and Kissinger dictated a final withdraw of Vietnam.

• It was clear the war could not be won and its continuance hampered negotiation elsewhere in the world.

• It was important that the withdraw not appear to be a surrender.

Vietnam Pull-out

• Peace talks opened up in Paris in 1968• Vietcong demanded a role in the gov.• South Vietnam military leaders in Saigon

had little popular support to stay in power had to keep fighting

• US to win the war had to send million of troops to Southeast Asia

• To withdraw was to confess that the tens of thousands of lives lost in Vietnam had been lost for nothing

U.S. Had 3 ChoicesU.S. Had 3 Choices1. Continue the war at the present level--

lead nowhere2. Pull out quickly and let the South

Vietnamese take care of themselves--cause political reaction at home

3. Begin a slow pull out, while trying to negotiate a settlement

• Nixon chose the third---allowing South Vietnamese to fight on the ground and US forces to supply air power

19701970• March 18-a right wing

general seized control of the government in Cambodia

• North Vietnamese troops moved in the defense-less country

• April 27-Nixon ordered combined American and South Vietnam troops to remove the Vietcong in Cambodia

Kent State Massacre

• Kent, Ohio• May 4th, meant to

be a protest rally• Police arrive to

disperse them but students retaliate by throwing rocks

• 4 Students killed by the National Guard

The TruthThe Truth• Tet offensive demonstrated that in 3

years of war, the Vietcong was still a military power

• Also demonstrated that the Vietnamese people had turned against their government

• Thousands of peasants must have known about the moves of the Vietcong forces yet the government knew nothing

End of VietnamEnd of Vietnam

• Kissinger and North Vietnamese finally come to terms:

• U.S. agreed to permit the North Vietnam army to remain in South Vietnam after cease-fire

• Nixon calls is “peace with honor”

• Help Nixon get re-elected

1972 Election

• Democratic nominee: George McGovern

• Nixon wins by a landslide

• Electoral vote:

520 to 17

More Trouble in Vietnam• December-Nixon unleashes new B-

52 attacks on the North because of haggling over details at peace talk

• Bombing causes world outcry but it works

• Final cease-fire was signed on Jan. 27, 1973

The Real EndThe Real End• Neither side obey peace settlement

• Nixon orders air raids over Cambodia

• August 15, 1973-Congress passed resolution for ceasing all American military activity in S.E. Asia

Aftermath for Veterans

•Average age around 19

•Did not fit clearly identified soldiers

•They were not coming back from a victorious war

Vietnam Falls• Spring 1975-

Communist mounted a massive attack

• April 30 communist forces force Saigon South Vietnam to surrender