Chapter 22

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Chapter 22

The Vietnam

War(1954–1975)

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Section 1: Moving Towards Conflict

Section 2: U.S. Involvement and Escalation

Section 3: A Nation Divided

Section 4: 1968: A Tumultuous Year

Section 5: The End of the War and its Legacy

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Section One:Moving Towards Conflict

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The War Unfolds What events led to the war between

North Vietnam and South Vietnam? What were the Vietnam policies of

President Kennedy and Robert McNamara?

How did President Johnson change the course of the war?

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South Vietnam

North Vietnam

United States

The Players in Vietnam

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American Foreign Policy Rationale Domino theory if one

Southeast Asian nation fell to communism, others would soon follow.

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French Indochina Historically, the

French had controlled Vietnam and much of southeast Asia.

During WWII, the French lost Vietnam and after the war they wanted to regain their lost colony.

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Ho Chi Minh, a pro-Communist leader in Vietnam. Led a group

called the Vietminh against French control of his nation before, during, and after World War II.

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During World War II… Japan had de facto control

of Vietnam The Vietminh helped the

Allies: Provided info on Jap troop

movements Helped rescue downed Allied

pilots Ho Chi Minh and the communists

declare their independence when the war ends

France tries to re-assert its control

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U.S. Involvement Begins Truman began providing

economic aid to the French in Vietnam in 1950.

300,000 small arms/rifles $1 Billion in aid to the

French Covers 80% of the cost

of the war, but refuses to send U.S. troops

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And Continues Under Ike In 1960,

Eisenhower sent hundreds of military advisors to help South Vietnam’s struggle against the North.

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The French lose at Dien Bien Phu Dien Bien Phu the

Vietminh successfully defeated the French (1954), despite superior French firepower.

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The Geneva Accords Geneva Accords temporarily

divided Vietnam into Communist North Vietnam and anti-Communist (Nationalist) South Vietnam.

The country would be divided at the 17th parallel.

A unity election was scheduled for 1956; whoever wins unites the country.

Elections were called off by Diem for fear of losing

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Ho Chi Minh led

North Vietnam.

Ngo Dinh Diem led

South Vietnam.

Vietnamese Leaders Ho Chi Minh

Communist North Vietnam Totalitarian Popular because he

gave land to peasants Supported Viet Cong

in South Vietnam.

Ngo Dinh Diem Anti-communist South Vietnam Unpopular because

seen as corrupt, brutal and favored wealthy.

Refused to partake in 1956 nationwide election.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Ngo_Dinh_Diem_-_Thumbnail_-_ARC_542189.gif

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Ho_Chi_Minh_1946_cropped.jpg

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JFK’s Vietnam Policies

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JFK’s Policy Diem must defeat the guerillas, not the U.S. U.S. CANNOT send combat troops Problem: South Vietnamese Army (ARVN)

is poorly led, poorly trained and poorly equipped

Solution: Increase U.S. military advisors 700 to 1,200 to 3,000 to 16,000 in 1963

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Diem’s Downfall During the early 1960s, Ngo Dinh

Diem’s policies lost him the support of his people. Diem was a Catholic controlling

a Buddhist nation. Political corruption. Political favors for families

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Why would Buddhist monks perform such an act? The pictures of the monks engulfed in flames brought international attention to the corruption of Diem’s government. Diem had imprisoned many clerics and destroyed Buddhist temples. Diem’s wife insensitively referred to these self-immolations as “Buddhist barbeques”.

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President Kennedy told South Vietnamese military leaders that the United States would not object to Diem’s overthrow.

In November 1963, military leaders seized control of South Vietnam and assassinated Diem.

United States was upset over the assassination of Diem.

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LBJ’s Vietnam Policies

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Shortly after Diem’s assassination in November 1963, President Kennedy was assassinated.

Vietnam now becomes LBJ’s war.

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In South Vietnam, the military leaders who had taken over the government were unsuccessful and unpopular.

As a result, Communist guerrillas in South Vietnam, known as the National Liberation Front, made gains in both territory and loyalty.

The National Liberation Front was founded in 1960 This South Vietnamese group supported the

unification of Vietnam It opposed Diem’s corrupt government It opposed U.S. involvement in Vietnam The group came to be known as the Viet Cong (VC)

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At the same time, popular support for the Vietcong was growing. Ho Chi Minh strongly supported the VC with troops and munitions, as did the Soviet Union and China.

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Expanding Presidential PowerThe Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

LBJ Escalates the War Causes: “Attack” on the USS Maddox August 2, 1964 in Gulf of Tonkin

“Attack on USS Turner Joy on August 4, 1964 Were the incidents fabricated? Release of LBJ tapes in 2001 indicated LBJ mislead the public In August 1964, Johnson announced that North

Vietnamese torpedo boats had attacked American destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution Congress gave Johnson authority to send troops to Vietnam.

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Under the resolution, the President had authority to “take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression.”

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The War Quickly Escalates By the end of 1965

LBJ increased U.S. troop levels to 75,000

Johnson also unleashed “Operation Rolling Thunder”- the first sustained bombing of North Vietnam

• Believed in the Domino Theory• Increased the number of military advisors and army special forces,

or Green Berets• Advisors were not to take part in combat, but many did

Eisenhower• Domino Theory; aided French forces at regaining control after

WWII.• Began sending money and weapons to South Vietnam• Military advisors sent to train South Vietnamese army

Kennedy

• Believed an expanded U.S. effort was the only way to prevent a Communist victory in Vietnam

• Asked Congress to pass the Tonkin Gulf Resolution• Escalated war by sending more troops

Johnson

Recap: U.S. Involvement in Vietnam

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Ch.22.2 U.S. Involvement and Escalation Essential Questions:

What were the reasons behind escalation of U.S. involvement in Vietnam

What were the military tactics and weapons used by U.S. forces and the Vietcong?

What were the advantages held by each side in the war?

What was the impact of the war on American society?

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McNamara’s Role Robert McNamara, President

Kennedy’s Secretary of Defense Influential in shaping American

policy toward Vietnam (chief architect).

McNamara used his strong business background to cut costs while modernizing the armed forces.

In the coming years, McNamara would push for direct American involvement in Vietnam.

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The Big Three Along with Secretary

of Defense Robert McNamara, Secretary of State Dean Rusk advised President Johnson to escalate the war in Vietnam

The war escalates…

In 1965, over 61% of Americans favored escalation of the war and by the end of 1965 180,000 US soldiers were in Vietnam

General William Westmoreland, leader of American forces in Vietnam, was unimpressed by the South Vietnamese allies and continually asked for more troops.

By 1967 there were over 500,000 US soldiers in Vietnam.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/94/Gen_William_C_Westmoreland.jpg/480px-Gen_William_C_Westmoreland.jpg

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Movie Intro- “We Were Soldiers” Setting: 1965, the Central Highlands of South

Vietnam (Ia Drang Valley, aka “The Valley of Death”) U.S. Air Mobile Division (7th Cavalry) vs.

regulars of the People’s Army of North Vietnam (PAVN)

Was supposed to be a search and destroy mission Up to this point 1,100 Americans had died

(mostly by 2s and 3s as advisors to the ARVN) 305 Americans would die in the 34 day campaign

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Ia Drang Valley Campaign North Vietnamese

soldiers infiltrated South Vietnam via the Ho Chi Minh Trail

The U.S. strategy was quick insertion and extraction via helicopters

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Ia Drang- The Battle that Convinced Ho Chi Minh He Could Win In 1965, Defense Secretary McNamara tells

Johnson he has a choice to make- Arrange “diplomatic cover” and get out of

Vietnam or, Give General Westmoreland the additional

200,000 troops he’s asking for (so that by 1967, there would be 500,000 U.S. troops in Vietnam, but, They would be dying at the rate of 1,000/month (the

eventual # would be 3,000/month in 1968), and There would be no chance of winning, only a draw

War in the Jungle

The US believed its superior weaponry would lead to victory in Vietnam but the jungle terrain and guerrilla tactics used by the enemy turned the war into a frustrating stalemate.

They used booby traps, land mines and even American weapons against them.

The Vietcong used hit-and-run tactics and were interspersed amongst the civilian population making it hard for American’s to determine friend from foe.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4a/110612-M-EV637-065.jpg/800px-110612-M-EV637-065.jpg

The Vietcong added to their elusiveness by constructing elaborate tunnels that they could use to launch surprise attacks and then quickly disappear. They could eat, sleep, store weapons, and treat their wounded in the tunnels.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/VietnamCuChiTunnelstrapopen.jpg

Tunnels

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ad/Tunnel_rats.jpg/476px-Tunnel_rats.jpg

Tunnel Rats and VC tunnels

wwww.Militaryvideo.com, ‘’Tunnel Rats in Vietnam War’’, from youtube.com on May 10, 2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6ZbPqvfvBI

U.S. weaponry and techniques

Westmoreland believed that the superior weapons and manpower the US possessed would make the communists crumble. The communists continued to suffer and resist and were willing to fight to the last to obtain their freedom.

Americans also tried to win the “hearts and minds” of the rural population but their tactics to combat the Vietcong included the use of napalm and Agent Orange which left the countryside in ruins.

US soldiers also conducted Search-and-Destroy missions which destroyed villages suspected of ties to the Vietcong.

Napalm-A gasoline based bomb that set fire to the jungle

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/French_indochina_napalm_1953-12_1.pnghttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d4/TrangBang.jpg/220px-TrangBang.jpg

Agent Orange- one of the many “Rainbow” chemicals used

a chemical defoliant used by the U.S. designed to eliminate the canopy cover used by the enemy

It was later found to be toxic and to cause many deaths and birth defects. Vietnam vets claim it also causes cancer.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1f/US-Huey-helicopter-spraying-Agent-Orange-in-Vietnam.jpg/800px-US-Huey-helicopter-spraying-Agent-Orange-in-Vietnam.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/60/Agent-Orange-dioxin-skin-damage-Vietnam.jpg

Search & Destroy Mission

Click the Link Below to watch a movie on Search and Destroy missions in Vietnam:

http://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/videos#search-and-destroy

“Search and Destroy.” 2012. The History Channel website. May 10 2012, 6:44 http://www.history.com/videos/search-and-destroy.

As the war continues soldiers became disillusioned with the war effort and morale declined a lot.

Many soldiers turned to alcohol, marijuana, or other drugs

Some soldiers even resorted to “fragging” their superior officers. killing them in the heat of the battle with a fragmentation

grenade.

The Soldiers

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Checking_house_during_patrol.jpg

The Early War at Home

The high cost of the war led to a decline in the economy and the lack of funds to continue the Great Society programs President Johnson had initiated.

Johnson and military personnel continually told the American public that the war was going well. American commanders used the term “body count” to prove that we were killing more of the enemy than they were of us, thereby winning the war of attrition.

A credibility gap developed between what Johnson said about the war and what the public began to believe based on the gruesome images of US soldiers in body bags that they saw on the nightly news.