Chapter 22. The Vietnam War Years

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1 Chapter 22 The Vietnam War Years

2 Chapter 22-1 Moving Toward Conflict

3 French Indochina 3 countries Vietnam Laos Cambodia French colonies late 1800s-WWII

French Indochina French took land from native people Rice and rubber plantations for export Oppressed people speech and assembly Vietnamese staged strikes & protests Organized by communist party

4 French Indochina French took land from native people Rice and rubber plantations for export Oppressed people speech and assembly Vietnamese staged strikes & protests Organized by communist party 1930s Led by Ho Chi Minh from exile in China Japanese take Indochina 1941 Ho Chi Minh returns home Forms Vietminh communists and nationalists join To overthrow all foreign rule Japan defeated -1945

5 French Indochina French return 1946 Regain control of southern Vietnam Ho Chi Minh fights French from north US sends aid to French 1950 Domino theory Countries on brink of communism When one goes, others follow quickly French defeated at Dien Bien Phu By Vietminh forces Geneva Accords divided Vietnam 17 th parallel Video: Domino Theory

Vietnam Splits Ho Chi Minh rules North Hanoi Popular with peasants national hero Anti-communist Ngo Dinh Diem rules South Saigon Calls off election US sends military and economic aid Diem government

6 Vietnam Splits Ho Chi Minh rules North Hanoi Popular with peasants national hero Anti-communist Ngo Dinh Diem rules South Saigon Calls off election US sends military and economic aid Diem government is unpopular at home Suppressed opposition No help offered to peasants Restricted Buddhist practices Vietcong oppose Diem (aka National Liberation Front) Favored communism Supported by Ho Chi Minh via Ho Chi Minh Trail

7 French Indochina Ends

8 Ho Chi Minh Trail

9 US Supports Diem At First Sends advisors to train S. Vietnamese military Diem becomes more unpopular Resettles peasants to protected areas Imprisoned Buddhists US supports military coup of Diem Nov 1963 Not his execution Military Leaders run South Vietnam Video: LBJ

10 LBJ Americanizes the War Congress passes Gulf of Tonkin Resolution After NV attack US destroyer USS Maddox Had been secretly raiding North Vietnam Gives LBJ broad military powers US bombed North Vietnam - Operation Rolling Thunder Sent 50,000 combat troops to fight Vietcong US stays engaged why? Dems don t want to lose Vietnam Dems don t want to appear to be soft on communism Video: GT Resolution

11 Chapter 22-2 US Involvement and Escalation

12 LBJ Escalates War 180,000 troops by end of 1965 Why? Public mandate as a moderate, beat Goldwater Congress backed him Foreign policy advisors in favor SECDEF Robert McNamara SECSTATE Dean Rusk Gen William Westmoreland asked for more ARVN Army of the Republic of Vietnam incapable

13 War Does Not Go Well Vietcong used guerilla warfare Hit-and-run ambush tactics Lived among the general public Used booby traps and landmines Network of tunnels Overcame disadvantages superior US weapons War of attrition gradually wear down enemy through constant harassment To US - a military effort To Vietcong - a battle for their existence.to the death

14 War Does Not Go Well Could not win hearts & minds of S. Vietnamese Unpopular tactics Napalm bombs set fire to jungle Agent Orange defoliant to expose tunnels Search-and-destroy missions Level towns, burn crops, kill livestock Unpopular leader Nguyen Cao Ky Refused to allow elections Low morale of US troops Drug and alcohol abuse Killing superior officers fragging

15 Public Turns Against War Great Society suffers Funding not sustainable with war going on Congress raised taxes, cut G.S. programs America s first living room war Public views combat footage on TV nightly news Public perceives credibility gap Administration talks success huge body counts of VC Not reality as seen in the media

16 Chapter 22-3 A Nation Divided

Working Class War Most who fought in Vietnam were drafted 18-26 year old males - ave age = 19 From lower economic class Black soldiers = 20% of all casualties Draft could

17 Working Class War Most who fought in Vietnam were drafted year old males - ave age = 19 From lower economic class Black soldiers = 20% of all casualties Draft could be manipulated (avoided) College deferment middle- & upper-middle class Medical waivers Service in National Guard or Coast Guard Women served as nurses 7500 in army and navy

18 Student Unrest Boomers in colleges and universities Protests non-political at first Dress codes, curfews Focused anger on Vietnam War Draft (can t vote at 18) ROTC programs ( war machine ) College deferments (students in good academic standing) No part in a civil war War is morally unjust US can t police the world

19 New Left Youth Movement Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) Founder - Tom Hayden (U of MI) Oppose federal government & corporations Restore democracy & individual freedoms Free Speech Movement (FSM) (U of CA-Berkeley) Students vs administrators over free speech Critics of the American corporate & government machine Video: Hayden

From Protest to Resistance - 1967 Marches on Washington 1965 20,000-30,000 protestors Call for civil disobedience against draft boards Move to Canada Returning veterans

20 From Protest to Resistance Marches on Washington ,000-30,000 protestors Call for civil disobedience against draft boards Move to Canada Returning veterans Entertainment media More protests in Washington Broke through police barriers Tear gas at Pentagon 200,000 refused to be drafted ,000 went to jail 10,000 flee to Canada

21 American Public Divided Doves (1/3 pop.) Opposed to the war, the peace crowd Hawks (2/3 pop.) Favored our involvement Must increase our effort in Vietnam Let military leaders run the war Then we ll win Protesting war is act of disloyalty LBJ policy continued slow escalation SECDEF McNamara resigns Nov 1967 Loses faith in our policy

22 Chapter : A Tumultuous Year

23 Tet Offensive Tet New Years Holiday in Vietnam Jan 1968 Month-long offensive against American troops 100 cities and towns 12 military bases Won the battle..32,000 Vietcong killed Lost the war public saw enemy s capability LBJ lost public s confidence SECDEF Clark Clifford - unwinnable war Half of public saw war as a mistake

24 Assassinations & Campus Unrest Martin Luther King, Jr. - April 1968 Riots erupt across country Robert F. Kennedy June 1968 Protests on college campuses Took over administration buildings sit-ins

25 Election of 1968 Democratic National Convention Chicago 10,000 anti-war protestors there Wanted Dems to adopt anti-war platform Yippies wanted to embarrass Mayor Daley Youth International Party members Outside: police riot Inside: bitter debate, speakers shouted down Democrats: The Party of Disorder!

26 Election of 1968 Republicans make gains Nixon campaign Restore law and order End Vietnam war honorably George Wallace 3 rd party candidate American Independent Party - Alabama Segregationist Promoted states rights

28 Chapter 22-5 The End of the War and Its Legacy

Nixon Vows to End the War Policy called Vietnamization Aug 1969 Gradual withdraw of US troops South Vietnamese take over combat role Paris peace talks at

29 Nixon Vows to End the War Policy called Vietnamization Aug 1969 Gradual withdraw of US troops South Vietnamese take over combat role Paris peace talks at stalemate Must have peace with honor Orders massive bombing campaign North Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia Nixon appeals to silent majority Moderate, mainstream Americans

30 Unrest at Home My Lai Massacre March 1968 Army platoon under Lt. William Calley Massacred villagers - later covered it up 25 Army officers charged only Calley convicted, jailed US invades Cambodia April 1970 Clear out enemy supply centers 1.5M students shut down 1200 college campuses Kent State University Shootings May 1970 Protestors burned ROTC building Mayor called out National Guard Panicked and shot protestors killed 4

31 Unrest at Home National Guard killed 2 in Jackson State College Anti-war demonstrators Public divided Supported students vs got what they deserved Hardhats spoke out in favor of war effort Blue-collar workers rallied in NYC May 1970 Congress responds Repealed Gulf of Tonkin resolution - Dec 1970 Limited president s ability to send troops overseas

32 War Winds Down Enemy launches attack on SV March 1972 US bombs NV Lays mines at Haiphong Harbor port city Moves to conclude peace talks Upcoming election of % Americans bring troops home Drops demand to remove NV from South Rejected by Thieu SV leader Talks break off US bombs NV

South Vietnam Defeated Cease fire agreement signed Jan 1973 Last US troops leave March 1973 NV and SV troops continue to fight NV launches drive to

33 South Vietnam Defeated Cease fire agreement signed Jan 1973 Last US troops leave March 1973 NV and SV troops continue to fight NV launches drive to take all of SV Thieu appeals to US for help Saigon falls April 1975 The Saddest Day Fall of Saigon video The Marmalade Reflections of My Life - VNVets

34 Vietnam s Legacy 58K Americans killed 1.5M Vietnamese killed Southeast Asia now unstable Military morale takes hit First loss for military forces 3.3M vets served - not honored by public See PTSD for first time Many turn to drugs, alcohol, suicide Vietnam Veterans Memorial 1982

35 Instability in SE Asia SV sent to re-education camps 1.5M Vietnamese fled boat people Communists seize power in Cambodia Khmer Rouge Kill 2M people Goal: peasant society

36 Americans Divided Doves No-win war morally unjust Risked expansion to fighting Chinese, Soviets Hawks War was winnable domino theory Military leaders constrained by politics Blamed anti-war movement destroyed will to win Most Americans cynical about their government LBJ misled public Nixon conducted secret activities - Watergate

37 US Policy Changes Draft ended Extremely unpopular War Powers Act passed Nov 1973 Limited president s power to use troops overseas Must inform Congress within 48 hours hostile areas Troops cannot remain for over 90 days Without approval by Congress Altered foreign policy Vietnam Syndrome Cautious about overseas police action What are the national interests? What is the exit strategy?

SECTION 1: MOVING TOWARD CONFLICT PAGE 730

CHAPTER 22 SECTION 1: MOVING TOWARD CONFLICT PAGE 730 Main Idea: America gets involved in Vietnam to stop the spread of communism TERMS AND NAMES: Ho Chi Minh Ngo Dinh Diem Vietcong Vietminh domino theory