Chapter19: The Vietnam War Years

Chapter19: The Vietnam War Years

19.1: Going to War in Vietnam

The United States tries to control the spread of communism in Vietnam

A. Roots of American Involvement

1. Rulers of Vietnam

a. before WWII?

France

b. during WWII?

Japan

c. after WWII?

Ho Chi Minh/North

Ngo Dinh Diem/South

Growth of Nationalism in Vietnama. Ho Chi Minh:

communist leader of Northern Vietnam

b. What did he want?Independence of Vietnam from French

c. Who were the Vietminh?Communist Vietnamese who wanted independence from France

d. How does he relate to containment?he was supported by SU and China

France vs. Vietminha. U.S. supports Ho Chi Minh?

• During WWII to get rid of Japanese

b. France retakes the south of Vietnam (1946)

c. U.S. dilemma ?i. no longer supporting

colonization but still trying to fight against communism

ii. China’s fall ’49 & Korean War ‘53

iii. Truman decides to aid France

d. 1950-1954: U.S. spends $2.6 billion supporting France

VS.

Vietminh Drive out the Frencha. Eisenhower’s Domino

theoryb. 1954: French post at Dien

Bien Phu falls/guerilla tactics

c. July 1954:Geneva Accords (peace agreement) temporary divide at 17th parallel

d. Diem agreed to countrywide elections for 1956 – never happens

e. Korea ends in stalemate (1953)

French out = U.S. Stepping In

1. Diem cancels elections of 1956

a. Minh supported by the people

b. Diem Corrupt/suppressed opposition

c. Repressed Buddhist practices

d. Vietcong (NLF): worked w/Ho Chi Minh to remove Diem

Ngo Dinh Diem (South V.)

Nationalist

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America Becomes Involved inVietnam

• Vietcong – South Vietnamese communists organize after cancelled elections

• Eisenhower sends in military advisers to train SV army

• Vietcong begin to kill gov’t officials

Strategic Hamlets

• The Strategic Hamlet Program was a plan by the governments of South Vietnam and the US to combat the Communist insurgency by means of population transfer

• Made things worse for Diem

Kennedy and Vietnam

a. 1960: JFK now in office; continues to support Diem

b. Diem continues with corruption

c. Nationalist Vietnamese executes Diem/JFK assassinated

d. LBJ now president and does not want to appear “soft” on communism

Pres. Johnson expands the conflict

1. Tonkin Gulf Resolution (1964): Granted Johnson military powers in Vietnam without officially declaring war

a. Operation Rolling Thunder– First prolonged bombing

of North Vietnam

– Attempt to avoid sending in troops

B. War in the Jungle

1. Tricks of the Vietcong

a. Guerilla tactics: irregular warfare such as hit and run and ambush tactics

b. Hiding within civilian population/city and countryside

c. Booby traps and land mines

d. Terrain and tunnels

Vietcong Tunnels

2. US Strategies

a. War of Attrition: wearing down the enemy by continuous harassment; progress measured by the # dead

b. Body countc. Win over the “hearts and minds” of the S.

Vietnamesed. Napalm/agent orangee. Search and destroy missions

Agent Orange

Napalm(gasoline-base bomb) attack

Effects of Agent Orange

• http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/12/AR2006111201065.html

Ho Chi Minh Trail

• SU and China supplied N. Vietnam

• US concerned China will help N. Vietnam militarily as they did in Korea