Standard 8.0- Demonstrate an understanding of social, economic and political issues in contemporary America. Opening: Great Society Chart Work Period: Vietnam War Notes Political Cartoon Double Flow Map Closing: Quiz
VIETNAM WAR The Vietnam War split conservatives and liberals in the post WWII era Developed as a result of Cold War fears and the containment policy
STRUGGLE FOR VIETNAM After WWII the French attempted to restore control of Southeast Asia Met with resistance from Viet Minh (nationalists forces) Leader was Ho Chi Minh French were defeated (even with help from Americans during Truman and Eisenhower administration)
GENEVA ACCORDS Geneva Accords was a peace conference in Switzerland that attempted to unify Vietnam and restore the peace in Indochina Divided Vietnam at the 17 th parallel until elections were held
US SUPPORT US backed unpopular and corrupt governments in South Vietnam. Why? Thought Ho Chi Minh was a communist directed by Moscow and Bejing Domino theory Governments refused to hold elections and were supported by Eisenhower. Why? Ho Chi Minh would have won
Viet Cong were a resistance movement that was formed in response to the South Vietnamese government US supplied aid and military advisers to the government of South Vietnam North Vietnam supplied help to the Viet Cong South Vietnamese people supported the government less and less A CIA-supported coup overthrew the corrupt president of South Vietnam He was assassinated Shortly after JFK was assassinated
JOHNSON S PRESIDENCY Gulf of Tonkin Incident: 1964 US ship engaged three Vietnamese submarines while collecting intelligence No American causalities, only mild damages to one aircraft carrier Led Congress to pass the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution which allowed the buildup of American troops to help the South Vietnam without specific authorization of Congress (gave Johnson power) Congress never officially declared war
INCREASED AMERICAN FORCES IN VIETNAM Later Tonkin Gulf incident was shown to be exaggerated Not wanting to lose the war Johnson started a bombing campaign against North Vietnam and sent more troops Did not want to be called soft on communism by his opponents By 1967, there were 500,000 American troops in Vietnam
OPPOSITION Seen as the poor man s fight Draft was seen as unfair Some young men were granted medical exemptions and college deferments Some enlisted in the National Guard to avoid having to go to war
Organizations that had started in response to McCarthyism and civil rights turned their attention to the Vietnam War Protests became more provocative and lost public support Ex: Burning draft cards
TET OFFENSIVE Extensive television coverage of the war and protests divided the nation into hawks and doves Media coverage of the Tet Offensive in 1968 showed that forces could attack at anytime or anywhere Tet Offensive was a series of surprise attacks at a time when there were not supposed to be any attacks Led to a shift in public opinion against war
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ELECTION OF 1968 Johnson withdrew his name from consideration for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1968. Why? Public opposition Split within the Democratic Party over the war Began negotiations to end the conflict
NIXON S WAR Nixon was elected and voters understood that he would end the war Nixon was unable to admit that the war could not be won Extended the war with a secret, massive bombing campaign of Laos and Cambodia (hoping to cut off N. Vietnamese supply lines) Started Vietnamization which was supposed to take troops out
Protest movement continued with a massive peace march on Washington Nixon administration ended the draft and started the lottery system Protests were calmed until American forces invaded Cambodia to close the Ho Chi Minh trail
KENT STATE SHOOTING Resulting protests led to the Kent State Massacre Took place at Kent State University in Ohio Four students were killed and nine were wounded when Ohio National Guard fired into the crowd during a protest Some who were shot were protesting the American invasion of Cambodia Others were walking by or observing the protest from a distance
NIXON S FOREIGN AFFAIRS Nixon opened a dialogue with China in hopes of undermining Chinese support of North Vietnam Followed a policy of détente (easing of strained relations) with the Soviet Union in hopes of dividing them and China
END OF THE WAR 1972: US reached an agreement with the North Vietnamese Troops were withdrawn American POWs were returned home in 1973 1975: Saigon fell to the North Vietnamese and the war was over Containment policy failed in Southeast Asia
VIETNAM AS A CULTURAL PHENOMENON Called into question American values on: 1. My Lai Massacre 2. Use of Agent Orange and Napalm 3. Fragging and heavy use of drugs among the troops 4. Mistreatment of returning veterans
MY LAI MASSACRE Mass murder of hundred of unarmed Vietnamese civilians during the war Most of the victims were women, children, and the elderly Many of the women were allegedly raped before they were killed
Herbicidal warfare US sprayed chemicals on forests and rural lands to try to kill some of the foliage so guerilla fighters would not have cover to hide behind Also targeted food crops with Agent Blue (similar) 400,000 people were killed or maimed 500,000 children were born with birth defects AGENT ORANGE Napalm
PENTAGON PAPERS New York Times revealed the Pentagon Papers which gave information about politicalmilitary involvement for Vietnam Proof of false information being provided to the public Increased credibility gap It was the situation in Vietnam that led to Watergate, Nixon s resignation and further mistrust of government
The Watergate Scandal Break in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C. Nixon and his administration attempted to cover up the questionable actions and led to his impeachment hearings. Nixon resigned the presidency on August 9, 1974 and Gerald Ford became his successor.
VIETNAM SYNDROME Congress passed the War Powers Act to try to curb the President s war-making powers Fear of the Vietnam syndrome : Fear that we will become involved in a long unpopular war Influenced US foreign policy for the next several decades
Activity Cause Effect Cause Vietnam War Effect Cause Effect
Quiz time! Assessment
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