The Making of a Stalemate. The Vietnam War

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1 The Making of a Stalemate The Vietnam War

2 LBJ s search for advice - Eisenhower WhiteHouseTapes.org Transcript + Audio Clip WhiteHouseTapes.org Transcript + Audio Clip WhiteHouseTapes.org Transcript + Audio Clip

3 Many Flags campaign - Allied support 1.) South Korea largest contingent 48,000(would lose 4407 men)-us financial support 2.) Australia 8000, lost )New Zealand, 1000, lost 37 4.) Thailand 12,000 troops, 351 lost 5.) Philippines medical and small number of forces in pacification 6.) Nationalist China covert operations

4 The Stalemated War 1.) Battles with the North Vietnamese Americanization of the War - Ia Drang, November 1965WhiteHouseTapes.org Transcript + Audio Clip 2.) Bombing Halt December 1965-January LBJ and Eisenhower on Bombing North Vietnam White House Tapes Miller Center 3.) Westmoreland s Strategy of Attrition the body count designed for limited war 4.) Search and Destroy operations Operation Masher/White Wing January-March 1966 Operation Attleboro September-November 1966

5 American Force levels/casualties in Vietnam(K=killed W=wounded) ,200 K 147 W ,000 K 1369 W , , , , ,000 14,589 46, , , , , , ,

6 Soviet and Chinese Support for North Vietnam 1.) Despite Sino-Soviet dispute and outbreak of Cultural Revolution in China, support continues 2.) Soviet supply of anti-aircraft technology and supplies to the North along with medical supplies, arms, tanks, planes, helicopters, artillery, and other military equipment. Soviet ships provided intelligence on B-52 raids 3000 soldiers in North Vietnam (Soviet govt. concealed extent of support) 3.) Chinese supply of anti-aircraft units and engineering battalions 327,000 troops sent more than 17,000 killed

7 The Thieu-Ky government

8 Problems of the South Vietnamese Government 1.) Gradual stabilization constitution, elections - ARVN responsibility for pacification 2.) Creation of a Revolutionary Development program 3.) Problems of corruption, poor training 4.) Key problem of security thousands kidnapped and killed by the Viet Cong 5.) Refugee problem 4 million 6.) Social and Economic Impact of the American presence - Dependency

9 Signs of Discontent the Fulbright Hearings Feb. 1966

10 George Kennan the Realist Critique 1.) Vietnam not a vital national interest 2.) Domino theory events in Indonesia; failed Communist coup of October 1965 hundreds of thousands slaughtered (reference in Barack Obama s autobiography) 3.) Victory not possible 4.) Misplaced priority relations with Soviet Union more important

11 The Debate at Home 1.) Hawks escalate the war 2.) Doves a.) Pacifists b.) New Left c.) Liberals

12 Draft Card Burning

13 Antiwar Demonstrations

14 The Kennedy Challenge

15 Kennedy as Rock Star YouTube - Bobby Kennedy - fearless

16 Johnson 1966 Political Problems 1.) Image Problems the Credibility Gap 2.) Domestic Problems Inner City Riots, the White Backlash 3.) Midterm Election Losses in 1966

17 Public Opinion Polls Was sending troops a mistake? NO August % March % May % Sept % Feb % July % October % March % August %

18 The Drive for Peace Talks mediators, Wilson, Kosygin

1967 Origins of the Progress Offensive 1.

) LBJ calls for a 10 Percent surtax to pay for the

) Public approval of Johnson s handling of the war

19 1967 Origins of the Progress Offensive 1.) Increasing Discontent with the War 2.) Long Hot Summer Riots in Detroit 3.) Inflation Fears 4.) LBJ calls for a 10 Percent surtax to pay for the war 5.) Public approval of Johnson s handling of the war falls to 28 percent 6.) Martin Luther King s opposition, March on the Pentagon October 1967, McCarthy Campaign, McNamara s decision to resign (Events of Two days in October 1967)

20 Martin Luther King s Opposition

21 Riverside Church speech, April 1967 YouTube - Martin Luther King Jr_Opposing The Vietnam War King s opposition also demonstrating a strong move to the Left, sign of the radicalization of the civil rights movement, the rise of black power

22 Eugene McCarthy

) Digital Classroom Initiative : Template 4.

23 McCarthy s Background 1.) Senator from Minnesota 2.) Johnson considered him as a possible running mate in ) Digital Classroom Initiative : Template 4.) McCarthy announces candidacy -November 1967 only 5 percent in the polls -"I am concerned that the Administration seems to have set no limit to the price it is willing to pay for a military victory."

negotiations for a peaceful settlement of the conflict, and if he would promise not to use the bombing halt as an opportunity to increase their

24 San Antonio formula 1.) Background debate within the Administration military urging a major escalation McNamara arguing against it 2.) Speech - September 29, 1967, in San Antonio, Texas, Johnson offered to cease the bombing of North Vietnam if Ho Chi Minh would agree to begin serious negotiations for a peaceful settlement of the conflict, and if he would promise not to use the bombing halt as an opportunity to increase their infiltration of troops and supplies into South Vietnam. 3.) Transmitted through Henry Kissinger and contacts in France (Willingness to include NLF in negotiations) Hanoi rejects it

negotiations, destabilize Saigon, wear down the Americans, force coalition government 2.

25 North Vietnamese Planning for Tet 1.) Maximum and Minimum objectives maximum, another August Revolution minimum psychological advantage for negotiations, destabilize Saigon, wear down the Americans, force coalition government 2.) Strategy main force units divert the Americans Khe Sanh, Viet Cong hit the cities 3.) Oct. and Nov battles in the north and central highlands, Con Thien and Dak To 4.) Beginning of build-up around Khe Sanh

) LBJ orders surveillance of the peace movement activities at home and abroad Operation Chaos dossiers on 7000 Americans violation of CIA charter 4.

26 Johnson s Progress Offensive 1.) Johnson s November press Conference 2.) Bringing Westmoreland home to report to Congress - the end begins to come into view the light at the end of the tunnel 3.) LBJ orders surveillance of the peace movement activities at home and abroad Operation Chaos dossiers on 7000 Americans violation of CIA charter 4.) Objective signs of progress enemy suffering high casualties, problems with recruiting, ARVN desertion rate dropping, even McNamara believed progress was being made 5.) PR campaign Committee for Peace and Freedom in Vietnam coordinated with the White House

Chapter 30-1 CN I. Early American Involvement in Vietnam (pages ) A. Although little was known about Vietnam in the late 1940s and early

Chapter 30-1 CN I. Early American Involvement in Vietnam (pages 892 894) A. Although little was known about Vietnam in the late 1940s and early 1950s, American officials felt Vietnam was important in their