The Vietnam War

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The Vietnam War
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French Indochina

• France had been ruling the people of Indochina
  (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia).
• Ho Chi Minh organized a communist party in
  Vietnam known as the Vietminh.
• This group fought for Vietnams independence from
  France.
• U.S. first entered the conflict in the 1950s by
  supporting France with money (billions ).
• Vietminh defeated France at Dien Bien Phu.

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U.S. Initial Involvement

• After France lost, the U.S. still wanted to
  prevent Ho Chi Minhs party from taking control,
  even though
• He was very popular with everyone in North
  Vietnam and many in South Vietnam.
• He was seen as a hero for his fighting in WWII
  and the fight for independence from France.
• The U.S. supported the nationalist president Ngo
  Dinh Diem, who was anti-communist.

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Ngo Dinh Diems Issues

• He was unpopular with the people, especially
  Buddhists.
• He was a corrupt, oppressive, ineffective leader.
• He cancelled the Vietnam election of 1956 because
  he thought he was going to lose! (which he
  probably would have)
• U.S. supported canceling the election because
  they thought he was going to lose!
• Communist group called Vietcong began staging
  attacks on Diems corrupt govt.

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Gulf of Tonkin Incident

• U.S. ship was in North Vietnamese waters (Gulf of
  Tonkin).
• U.S. sailors said the ship was attacked while in
  the Gulf (we still dont know for sure).
• This gave President Johnson (LBJ) an excuse to
  authorize more military force in Vietnam.
• By June 1965, over 50,000 U.S. troops were in
  Vietnam.

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Escalating the War

• President Johnson was advised by Robert McNamara
  and Dean Rusk to escalate the war. (remember
  these guys?)
• By the end of 1965, over 180,000 troops were sent
  to Vietnam.
• By 1967, there were 500,000 troops.

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War Tactics

• Vietcong used guerilla tactics.
• They used the jungle to their advantage.
• They created a system of underground tunnels in
  which they lived.
• They used a tactic of wearing down the enemy.
• They were so intent on obtaining their
  independence that they would have fought to the
  end.

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U.S./South Vietnam Tactics

• Napalm a bomb that set fire to the jungles.
• Agent Orange a chemical spray released from
  planes that destroyed the entire landscape.
• Both were harmful to humans, too.
• Also conducted search-and-destroy missions in
  which they burned Vietcong villages and killed
  livestock.

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We had to destroy the town in order to save
it. U.S. Major in 1968
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Public Support Wavers 1965-1967

• Public opinion began shifting away from the war.
• People were finding ways to avoid the draft, such
  as college, fake medical excuses, moving to
  Canada
• Many people became conscientious objectors.
• Hawks still supported the war.
• Doves supported peace.

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Tet Offensive

• Surprise attack by the Vietcong on the U.S./South
  Vietnamese.
• Lasted for over a month.
• Vietcong lost 32,000 lives U.S. lost 3,000.
• American public now knew that the govt reports
  saying the Vietcong were close to defeat were
  wrong.
• Public now distrusted govt info on Vietnam.

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Nixon Replaces Johnson

• Johnson doesnt run Nixon is elected.
• Began gradual withdrawal of troops in 1969 (took
  until 1973 to bring all of them home).
• At the same time, Nixon continued bombing.
• Called his tactic the madman theory..
• Then, the following four incidents greatly
  affected public opinion

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Four Divisive Incidents

• My Lai Massacre U.S. soldiers killed all the
  women and children in a town with no enemy
  soldiers. Orders were kill anything that
  breathes.
• Invasion of Cambodia 1970, Nixon orders troops
  to invade Cambodia, just as they were supposed to
  be winding it down.
• Kent State Shooting Students were protesting
  ROTC building set afire National Guard came in
  shooting killed 4 students (2 who were just
  bystanders).
• Pentagon Papers Showed that LBJ had planned to
  go to war when he was still telling the public he
  wouldnt also showed that there were no plans to
  end the war ever.

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The End of the War

• U.S. withdrawals completely in 1973.
• War continued in Vietnam.
• In 1975, North Vietnamese were victorious.
• Vietnam exists today as a unified communist
  nation.