Modern American History Unit 8: The 1960s The Vietnam War Notes and Questions

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1 Modern American History Unit 8: The 1960s The Vietnam War Notes and Questions The Vietnam War A. Vietnam: A Painful War U.S. involvement in conflicts in Vietnam lasted from mid-1940s to 1975 Only war the U.S. lost Study of limits for American citizens: limit of country s power and government B. U.S. participation in the War U.S. entered war in Vietnam to prevent the spread of communism in southeast Asia U.S. supported the government of South Vietnam against the communist government of North Vietnam The war became increasingly unpopular at home, the U.S. withdrew troops in 1973 Communists assumed leadership of a united Vietnam in 1975 C. The Costs of the War Approx. 58,000 Americans and 2-4 million Vietnamese were killed in the Vietnam War 1982: U.S. government unveiled the Vietnam War Memorial engraved with the names of all American soldiers who died in Vietnam The French in Vietnam A. The French In Vietnam During the 1900s France and England competed over control of the far east; France gradually gained control of the area known as French Indochina, located between India and China Indochina composed of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam ; controlled by France since 1886 When Nazis occupied France in 1940 during WWII, Japan was allowed to set up military bases in Indochina Japanese presence weakened France s control and led to intensified resistance of French occupation by the Vietnamese B. The Establishment of the Viet Minh 1941: Vietnamese nationalists led by Ho Chi Minh established the Vietnamese Independence League, or the Viet Minh Main objective: to overthrow colonial French Rule in Vietnam Ho Chi Minh downplayed the movement s communist ideology and appealed to the Vietnamese people's patriotism and hatred of the French C. Vietnam Declares Independence By the end of WWII, Minh s popularity among Vietnamese was enormous, especially among those in the north France attempted to regain control but Minh asserts the country s independence on August 25, 1956 during a speech In his speech, Minh quotes the declaration of Independence and compares his country's troubles with France to America s colonial struggle with British Empire D. U.S Support for France in Vietnam Minh hoped for U.S support, but U.S. supported the French U.S. more concerned with stopping the spread of communism and keeping alliance with France Already seeing communism spread in Korea, China and Soviet Union China and Soviet Union recognized Minh s communist regime U.S. recognizes the French puppet government of ex-vietnam Emperor Bao Dai U.S. offers to aid France in the war against the Viet Minh (France was about to back out) U.S. aid totals $3 Billion E. French Defeat in Vietnam Viet Minh defeated the French in 1954 In May 1954 delegations from 8 nations (china, France, Great Britain, Soviet Union, U.S, Viet Minh Gov.) Met in Geneva Switzerland, to resolve the war in Indochina Geneva Accords- the French agreed to leave Vietnam

2 Countries was divided into 2 regions North Vietnam and South Vietnam Accords stated that Vietnam would be reunited within 2 years via a national election Elections were never held and the fighting continued between North and South Vietnam U.S Intervention in Vietnam Begins A. Eisenhower s Domino Theory Stated that if Vietnam fell to the communist, the rest of Indochina would quickly fall Became the basis for American intervention in the conflicts of Vietnam B. U.S. Intervention in Vietnam Begins Following the Geneva Accords the U.S strongly supported the democratic leader of the South, Ngo Dinh Diem, over Ho Chi Minh s communist government in the north Over time, Diem s rule became highly undemocratic and was unpopular among the Vietnamese people Diem asked the U.S for help in the 1961 to fight communism in the North Pres. Kennedy agreed to help and sent almost 1000 military advisors in 1961 By 1963 over 16,000 American military personnel were stationed in Vietnam Kennedy was aware that this was in direct violation of the Geneva Accords He and his advisors now believed that Diem was obstructing the fight against communism purposefully failed to warn Diem of a coup being planned by generals Diem was assassinated on Nov. 1, 1963 Kennedy was assassinated 3 weeks later by Lee Harvey Oswald in an unrelated act of Violence U.S. Presence Escalates in Vietnam A. Johnson s approach to Vietnam After he became president, advisors immediately pressured him to increase military aid to the South Vietnamese government Phone conversations later revealed that he had grave misgivings about American involvement in Vietnam He feared that if he looked soft on communism, he would not be reelected in 1964 so he sent more troops B. Gulf of Tonkin Incident- officially pulled the U.S. into war in the summer of 1964 U.S. hoped to eventually attack North Vietnam by air and sea Aug. 2, the U.S. destroyer clashed with communist patrol boats fired on the destroyer U.S. did not back down and justified the American assault by arguing that the Vietnam attack was unprovoked C. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution Gave the president the right to take all necessary measures to defend any nation in Southeast Asia threatened by communists Gave Johnson the legal right to send troops into Vietnam without an official U.S declaration of war D. Johnson Escalates the War U.S. conducted air raids on North Vietnam after the Gulf of Tonkin incident, and began bombing North Vietnam on a regular basis in early 1965 By the end of 1967 America had 500,000 troops in Vietnam Hardship and Disillusionment on the War Fronts A. Guerilla Warfare Wet and dense terrain made movement difficult North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops used a variety of guerrilla tactics engaged in close combat so that Americans would not call in air raids Darted out of tunnels and bunkers to ambush American troops Used land mines and booby traps B. Effective Vietnamese Forces U.S. was confident that it could defeat N. Vietnam with superior show of military force Vietnamese engaged in hit-and-run maneuvers so they could choose the terrain for battle and avoid direct confrontations Very familiar with the terrain and well disciplined C. Distinguishing Friends from Enemies

3 Soldiers could not always differentiate between hostile and friendly peasants D. Growing U.S disillusionment In the beginning of the war many soldiers believed that they were fighting for a good cause - stop the spread of communism Morale began to decline as the war progressed Vietnamese nationalism and determination A. The Vietnamese people s war Sole advantage of Vietnamese was determination Ho Chi Minh appealed to the people s intense national identity and linked the communist struggle with Vietnam s long history of resisting outsiders B. Communist Sacrifice At least a half a million troops died in action, yet there were always new recruits to replace them U.S troops would conquer territory by launching major air assaults only to have Viet Cong sneak back after the bombing Countless Vietnamese were killed, but the tactical triumphs failed to add up to victory C. The Ho Chi Minh Trail One important advantage Minh had over the U.S. Series of complex paths and roads ran through neighboring countries Cambodia and Laos Transported military troops and equipment from North into South Vietnam D. The Plight of Vietnamese Civilians 80% of people killed by U.S bombing in Vietnam were civilians In attempt to prevent the Vietcong from gaining territory Gen. Westmoreland s search and destroy strategy wiped out South Vietnam villages 9% of the U.S bombs dropped were napalm bomb, which were filled with a jelly like chemical mixture that burns anything it touches American Public Support for the War Wanes A. Anti-War Demonstrations at Home When U.S involvement began getting serious in early 1965, so did demonstrations Influenced by the civil rights demonstration of the 1950s and 1960s, college students and professors began having sit-ins and teach-ins First major anti-war protest was in Washington, DC, on April 17, 1965 Over 20,000 people in participation with posters yelling chants By 1967, demonstrations were almost daily on college campuses B. Unpopularity of the War President Johnson s escalation of the war by sending more troops into Vietnam seemed to correspond to the increasing death count Credibility gap : Gov t said U.S. was winning but that was not what Americans were seeing Military measures success by body count in battles leads to fraud and confusion Many Americans grew uncertain why the U.S was involved Disturbing images of the war in newspapers, magazines, and television served to increase American uncertainty C. Resistance to the Draft Rising U.S. casualties in Vietnam and questionable war goals led to resistance to the draft Many men burned or tore up their draft cards, refused to register for the draft or registered as conscientious objectors, or fled the country or hid D. U.S Leaders speak out As the war went on, many famous American leaders, such as Martin Luther King, Jr. stepped forward and condemned the war in Vietnam Fighting a Losing Battle A. War Reaches Its Height No end in sight U.S gov t assured the public that fighting would wind down soon

4 Hard to believe with rising casualties and costs, with few clear-cut victories At the height of the war, from 1968 to 1969 over 500,000 American troops were stationed in Vietnam, the U.S dropped almost 1.2 million bombs in 400,000 air raids, and destroyed over 20,000 acres of vegetation Over half million Vietnamese became refugees, 130,000 Vietnamese were killed per month, and 35,000 soldiers had been killed since the start of the war B. The Tet Offensive January 1968, the U.S and Vietnam agreed to temporary truce during the celebration of Tet, the Vietnamese New Year January 31, 1968, 70,000 communists launched a surprise offensive on South Vietnam Surged into more than 100 cities and towns, including the capital city of Saigon Took U.S. by surprise and shifted the war from rural to urban areas shocked U.S. public Trusted TV news anchor Walter Cronkite says on air that the war will end in stalemate Despite the shock, Tet Offensive was a military defeat from the Viet Cong- 50,000 died C. The Cost of War Rising costs forced Johnson to cut $6 billion from the domestic budget (what he really wanted to focus on) and impose an additional 10% tax surcharge on American goods Great Society funding lost to the Vietnam War D. Johnson Leaves Office 1968 Johnson announced that the U.S. would decrease bombing in Vietnam and was open to negotiate with North Vietnam March 31 st : surprise announcement that he would not seek another term in office Violence Escalates at Home and Abroad A Presidential election Many violent protests marked this election season Nixon became president on the promise to end the war and win the peace B. The My Lai Massacre March 16, American soldiers raided My Lai and fired on the defenseless villagers, killing over 200 women, children and old men C. Nixon s Policy of Peace with Honor Did not want to be the first president to lose a war Vowed to bring an honorable peace in Vietnam through reduction of troops and negotiations D. Vietnamazation Nixon s strategy to increase the role of South Vietnam s forces and reduce American forces E. U.S bombing in Cambodia Nixon secretly approved a plan to bomb communist enclaves in Cambodia Denied the illegal bombings, admitted to it one month later F. Escalating Protests and Kent State Shooting U.S bombing of Cambodia prompted even more protests May 7, 1970 Ohio National Guardsmen at Kent state opened fired on anti war demonstrators and killed 4 Outraged the public and brought more students strikes around the country United States Pulls Out and the Vietnam War Ends A. Peace Talks Falter By 1970 the war had spread to Laos Peace talks faltered after Minh s death in 1969 B. June 1971: Publication of Pentagon Papers secret history of U.S. involvement in Vietnam shows that gov t had no strategy for the war C. U.S. continues bombing equivalent of one Hiroshima bomb per week D. Cease- fire Declared January 27, 1973 E. U.S forces Leave Vietnam - March 29, 1973 the last U.S combat troops left the capital of Saigon and North Vietnam released its remaining American prisoners of war F. War Powers Resolution day limit without Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) G. 26 th Amendment Lowers voting age to 18 H. Saigon falls April 30, 1975 and renamed Ho Chi Minh City. Country reunified under Ho Chi Minh.

5 1. Summarize the French involvement in Vietnam? Notes Questions 2. Why do you believe Minh appealed for freedom citing the Declaration of Independence? 3. Explain the significance of the Geneva accords? What did it require? Did the U.S. abide by the Geneva Accords? Explain. 4. Who was the first president to send Americans into Vietnam? What was their purpose? 5.How did President Johnson respond to the situation in Vietnam when he took office? 6. Why if the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution significant? *** Refer to the constitution as well! 7. What were the advantages and disadvantages of the Viet Cong?

6 8. What were the advantages and disadvantages of American troops? 9. Why do you believe support for the war waned at home? What do you believe contributed to the anti-war movement? 10. Why do you believe morale among American troops declined as the war progressed? 11. Explain the significance of the Tet Offensive. 12. Why do you think Johnson did not seek another term in office? 13. Describe Nixon s role in Vietnam. 14. What were the effects on the United States and Vietnam as a result of the war? Please be specific.

Conflict U.S. War

Conflict U.S. War Conflict - 1945-1975 U.S. War 1964-1973 Overview of the Vietnam War Why is Vietnam still a painful war to remember? Longest war in U.S. history and only war we lost It showed Americans that our power is