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Vietnamese History Foreign domination of Vietnam had lasted centuries: China: off and on for hundreds of years France: 1800 until World War II Japan: during World War II Military hero: Tran Hung Dao

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Vietnamese Nationalism Ho Chi Minh Joined independence movement fighting French rule during his youth Became an advocate of communism while visiting Soviet Union and founded Indochinese Communist Party Returned to Vietnam in 1941 and led struggle against Japanese Vietminh Led by Ho Chi Minh Formed to fight Japan Received aid from USA

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French Return to Vietnam Post WW II USA backs French in returning to rule in Indochina Domino Theory motivates USA If Vietnam fell to communism, other surrounding nations would follow Vietminh continue struggle for independence Guerilla tactics: hit and run, ambush, use jungles to hide

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1954 - Vietminh victory at Dien Bien Phu forces France to withdraw from Indochina Vietnamese independence is negotiated in the Geneva Accords French Indochina becomes North and South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia Vietnam divided at 17 th Parallel North Vietnam: communist under Ho Chi Minh South Vietnam: USA supported under Ngo Dinh Diem Elections to unite Vietnam scheduled for 1956 1956 elections never held Ho Chi Minh would have been a certain winner Vietnam Gains Independence

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Dien Bien Phu

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Battle at Dien Bien Phu

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American Involvement Deepens Ho Chi Minh forms guerilla army (Vietcong) to unify nation USA supports South Vietnams military with aid and advisors Eisenhower and Kennedy use this policy Goal - prevent spread of communism Vietcong grow more powerful and influential Ngo Dinh Diem overthrown and executed in 1963 Unpopular reforms Persecution of Buddhists USA supports series of weak, unstable govts in South Vietnam

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Flames envelope a young Buddhist monk in Saigon, 1963.

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LBJ and the Gulf of Tonkin LBJ reports North Vietnam attacked USA destroyers in Gulf of Tonkin He did not report that USA had been conducting raids against North Vietnam LBJ requests and receives Congressional approval for Gulf of Tonkin Resolution Authorized President to take all necessary measures against North Vietnam Gave war powers to LBJ

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Operation Rolling Thunder LBJ ordered Operation Rolling Thunder (1965) Massive bombing campaign against North Vietnam and its capital Hanoi 180,000 combat troops ordered to Vietnam USA arrives confident of its strength and purpose By 1966 the numbers doubled Vietcong escalate attacks on USA positions Dear America

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Leaflet Dropped by USA in Vietnam

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Leaflet dropped by USA in Vietnam Follow these Instructions below to Surrender 1.Go out and present yourself to the Vietnam Republic Force, or be alienated with those who are half-naked. 2.Carry your Gun on your shoulder with the Barrel pointed to the ground. 3.Place your hands behind your head. Don't be Scared you are Welcome

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Frustrating Warfare Vietcong were effective guerilla fighters and stayed well hidden in villages and jungles USA used search and destroy missions to locate Vietcong Destroyed landscape and eliminate hiding places in jungle Napalm (jellied gasoline) Agent Orange (strips leaves from trees) Dear America Dear America

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U.S. soldiers on a search-and-destroy patrol in Phuoc Tuy province, South Vietnam, June 1966.

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Questioning villagers in search for Vietcong

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Napalm

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Agent Orange

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A young Viet Cong suspect cries after hearing a rifle shot. His captors, Chinese Nung tribesmen in the service of the U.S. Special Forces, pretended to shoot his father, a ruse designed to make the boy reveal information

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Murder of a Vietcong by Saigon Police Chief Vietnam, 1968.

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Vietcong: Determined Enemy Vietcong: Largely comprised of South Vietnamese fighting for independence North Vietnam supported Vietcong guerillas Sent arms and supplies south along Ho Chi Minh Trail USA : Underestimated Vietcongs strength and determination Tactics (limited war of attrition) did not work against Vietcong or North Vietnamese Support for war begins to weaken Dear America Dear America

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Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos

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Credibility Gap General William Westmoreland (top American commander in South Vietnam) continually reported that the enemy was on the brink of defeat Vietnam becomes television war Media accounts contradicted Westmoreland Credibility gap develops between government accounts of war and public perception

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Tet Offensive Video Video 1/30/1968 Tet (Vietnamese New Year) Vietcong (VC) and North Vietnamese Army (NVA) launch surprise attacks American base camps Major South Vietnamese cities Communist forces retreat after a month of intense fighting Suffer heavy casualties, but score a political victory Americans were shocked at strength of enemy Majority in USA turn against war

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Tet Offensive

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Hue, 1968

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Khe Sanh under fire, 1968

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Khe Sanh, 1968

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Antiwar Movement 1965 first teach-in (leave classes and gather for discussions of war) occurs Protests against draft become widespread Many publicly burn draft cards Nearly 500,000 draftees refuse to serve Many faced jail or fled to Canada Nation divides into hawks (pro-war) and doves (anti- war) Dear America

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Early USA protest, 1966

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Election of 1968 LBJ chooses not to run for re-election Declining popularity due to war Democratic candidates run a closely contested primary Hubert Humphrey Eugene McCarthy Robert Kennedy (assassinated in June, 1968) Republican Richard Nixon wins close election over Hubert Humphrey and George Wallace

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We are winning the war

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Robert F. Kennedy Eugene McCarthy Hubert Humphrey Democrats for President, 1968

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Chicagos Grant Park, 1968

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Chicago, 1968

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Chicagos Mayor Richard Daley at Democratic Convention

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Nixon & Kissinger: 1969- 1973 Nixon used Henry Kissinger as his representative in peace negotiations Kissinger negotiated with Soviet Union, China, and North Vietnam Nixon policy of Vietnamization South Vietnam assumes greater role in war as America withdraws As USA troops withdrew, bombings increased

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Vietnamese Air Force drops napalm on Viet Cong targets

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My Lai Massacre News of massacre at My Lai shocks nation American platoon killed several hundred men, women, children in the village of My Lai Platoon commander, Lt. William Calley served a prison sentence for the crime Photos by Sgt. Ron Haeberle became public in 1969 Dear America Lt. William Calley

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My Lai Massacre: On March 16, 1968 the angry and frustrated men of Charlie Company entered the village of My Lai. "This is what you've been waiting for -- search and destroy -- and you've got it," said a superior officer. A short time later the killing began.

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My Lai: Sgt Haeberle photographed these women and children seconds before American soldiers shot and killed them

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My Lai: Among the civilians massacred by U.S. soldiers

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My Lai: Aerial photo of village burning

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Kent State Nixon announces that USA has invaded Cambodia Searching for Vietcong military bases Americans see it as an escalation of war Demonstrations against the war increase across the country Protest at Kent State University in Ohio ends in violence Four students are killed and at least nine wounded when National Guardsmen open fire on a crowd of protesters

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Kent State University: May 4, 1970

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Memorial at Kent State

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War Ends 1972 Nixon increased bombing raids on North Vietnam 1973 Peace agreement between USA and North Vietnam 1975 USA completes pullout from South Vietnam North Vietnam invades the South Saigon falls and is renamed Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam united under communist rule

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Last days at the American Embassy

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Fall of Saigon, 1975

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