Vietnam Introduction Answer the following questions on a sticky note...
https://www.youtube.c om/watch?v=epfnsk5l 26U Burning Monk
1. Why was the burning monk event significant? How did people in the U.S. respond?
https://www.youtube.c om/watch?v=nbm2ny sg-sq
2. How do you feel about the government being caught lying to the American people? What are possible implications of that?
Battles were bloody, violent, and gruesome.
NAPALM AND AGENT ORANGE
https://www.youtube.c om/watch?v=bugijk-d Xss
3. Is it ever OK for a country to use such detrimental chemical weapons in a time of war? Why or why not?
Chapter 19: The Vietnam War
Section 1
History? Vietnam was controlled by many other countries for a very long time! China controlled until the 1800 s Then, France rule Vietnam as part of Indochina They wanted independence! Japan invaded Vietnam in 1940 surrenders in WWII - THIS IS THEIR CHANCE!
Who is this guy?!?! HO CHI MINH! Communist - Indochinese Communist Party Wants Vietnam independence Vietminh group led by him
NOT SO FAST!
Well crap now we (the U.S.) have to help France. BUT WHY?!?!
2 Reasons: 1. Fall of China to COMMUNISM (gahhh we hate that) 2. Korean War
Domino Theory The idea that if Vietnam fell to communism, the rest of Southeast Asia would follow
Okay so we re having problems in Vietnam What should we do? Well what do we always do in countries where there is problems?!?!? (Or at least it seems like it)
DIVIDE IT UP OF COURSE! Because that always works Geneva Accords: a. Divided Vietnam along 17th parallel b. Elections were held c. Recognized Cambodia s independence GENEVA ACCORDS
Ho Chi Minh Leader of North Vietnam Communist - Indochinese Communist Party Ngo Dinh Diem Leader of South Vietnam Pro-United States Hated Communism and Wants Vietnam independence worked hard to keep it down Vietminh group led by him But angered his own people after refusing to hold any more elections
Vietcong! Guerilla army of South Vietnamese communists President Eisenhower started sending troops in But Kennedy sent military personell to South Vietnam in great numbers Corruption! Diem s government was corrupt Unpopular with the people because they were forced to move for strategic hamlets discrimination against buddhism Buddhism! Diem banned the religious practices Buddhists protested - to the extreme
Diem Overthrown... Two reasons: a. Unpopularity b. American Sympathy The generals overthrew him after a visit from American Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge
President Johnson inherits the war... Gulf of Tonkin Resolution North Vietnamese torpedos fred on two american ships Ordered an attack on North Vietnamese naval fleet Did not tell the people that the US had secretly been helping the south vietnamese spy on the north Congress approved the resolution: take all necessary measures to repe an armed attack aginst...the us Operation Rolling Thunder the codename for an American bombing campaign during the Vietnam War attacked targets throughout North Vietnam from March 1965 to October 1968 major expansion of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War
Weapons... The Vietnamese were good at hiding in the jungles or tunnels dug in the earth Two chemicals were used by the U.S. in Vietnam to destroy the landscape to stop them from hiding A. napalm B. agent orange (strips leaves from trees, turning forests and farms into wastelands) Had other horrific effects Severe burns Deaths Birth defects Cancer And even the American soldiers who handled these chemicals could get MANY diseases from the exposure to agent orange
Ho chi Minh Trail Network of jungle paths that the North Vietnamese used to send arms and supplies south Bypassed the border by going through Cambodia and Laos Johnson refused to allow a full scale attack on the trail because he feared it would bring China into the war Forced to fight a war of attrition waring the enemy down Leads to a high body count Progress measured by how many of the enemy were dead
Section 2
The Vietnam War at Home Vietnam was the first television war. TRUE or FALSE The medium was in its infancy during the Korean conflict, its audience and technology still too limited to play a major role. The tech was more advanced in the 60 s during the Vietnam War Social classes Draft Many soldiers who went to Vietnam were from working class families College students could defer military service until after grad Most soldiers in Vietnam were volunteers, many minorities Those that refused to go to Vietnam... A. Burned their draft cards/skipped induction B. fled to Canada, Sweden or other nations C. Went to prison
Cont d Soldiers and draftees were frustrated They were old enough to fight and die, but not old enough to vote Amendment was passed in 1971 - Changed the voting age to 18 The nation was split on the war some supported it because it was attempting to stop communism and some were against it because of how many lives were lost Hawk - a person in support of the fight in Vietnam Dove - a person who wanted the U.S. to withdraw and stop fighting in Vietnam
The Tet Offensive was considered a failure, yet a success? Why? Success Heavy losses for the Vietcong/Destroyed much of their army Pushed the Vietcong back north Failure Huge political victory for the North The realization that America could not win the war
End of a Presidency... Johnson decides NOT to run again for president Why? The Democrats were divided and he did not want them to be so he decided to not accept the nomination Robert Bobby Kennedy JFK s brother, a senator, opposed the war, ran for President in place of Johnson Was on his way to winning the nomination! Assassinated on June 5 An Arab nationalist who was angered by Bobby s pro-israeli remarks So who wins then?... Nixon!
Section 3
Nixon (Republican) won the presidential election! Promised to: End Vietnam War Restore order at home
My Lai Nixon s first mission was to end the war Hired Kissinger to use diplomacy Linkage - Improving relations with the soviet Union and China (who supplied the North Vietnamese communists) to try and persuade them to cut back on their aid. Still began secretly bombing Viet Cong in Cambodia My Lai Massacre Spring of 1968 An American platoon under command of Lt. William Calley massacred unarmed Vietnamese civilians in My Lai. Most of them were the elderly, women, and children
Decisions Spark Protests Nixon Orders the Invasion of Cambodia - They were on a mission to destroy Vietcong military bases - People thought invading Cambodia would widen the war - Kent State University protest on May 4, 1970 that resulted in the death of 4 students by the Ohio National Guard
https://youtu.be/9pwro3vcudu https://youtu.be/ctnk7wdjmao
Pentagon Papers By 1971 support for the war weakened Daniel Ellsberg, a former Defense Department worker, leaked what became known as the Pentagon Papers to the New York Times. - The documents revealed that many government officials during the Johnson administration privately questioned the war while publicly defending it.
The Final Years Nixon would finally agree to peace talks with North Vietnam with Henry Kissinger communicating for the United States but would not be so successful Bombings and fighting would continue for 4 more years The United States finally started to pull out troops ending their 8 years of war with Vietnam but even longer involvement in the country Without American assistance, on April 30, 1975, the North captured Saigon the capital of South Vietnam https://youtu.be/0bvrhsqhe5m
Results of the War Cost: over $170 billion Lives Lost: 58,000 American soldiers died and over 300,000 injuries In Vietnam- around 1 million soldiers died POW- Prisoners of War MIA- Missing in Action Both of these left things unresolved for many American families
War Powers Act The goal was to reestablish some limits to the executive power A. B. Required the president to inform Congress of any commitment of troops abroad within 48 hours Withdraw them in 60 to 90 days, unless Congress approves of the troop commitment
In Class Work Chapter 19 Page 674 #1, 2 (Analyzing Visuals) Complete on a half sheet and turn into the basket when finished.
Vietnam War Letters You will get 3 minutes to read each letter. On a sheet of paper answer the following questions. 1. 2. 3. 4. What letter did you read? (Example: letter 1,2,3 etc) Who is writing the letter? Who are they writing to? What does the person miss? What are they talking about? Summarize the letter in your own words. **You will need this information later in class so make sure you use your time wisely and get down all the information.**
RAFT Writing **Must be at least 6-8 sentences! ROLE: AUDIENCE: Soldier/Loved one You are responding to the person who wrote the letter FORMAT: TOPIC: A Letter Vietnam War Letters