The Vietnam War Mr. Grimaldi U.S. History
Feb 12, 2016
The Vietnam War
Mr. GrimaldiU.S. History
“Vietnam”
- What comes to mind?
Quick background on Vietnam: Constant War
-2000 years of resistance to outsiders
-China
-Mid 1800’s French Colonialism in Indochina
-WWII Japan
-1941 Birth of the Viet Minh
-WWII ends, Ho Chi Minh tries to declare independence (modeled after U.S. Dec. of Ind.)
-France goes to war to make Viet. their colony again
-U.S. gives France $2.6 billion = contain communism
Q: Look closely at H. C. M. Why was he considered a people’s leader?
- 9 years of war against France
- 1954 French are defeated
Geneva Accords – July 1954-Independence for Indochina
-Agreement that Vietnam divided at 17th parallel
-North = Communists
-South = Democracy
1956 – there would be an election to unify Vietnam
The United States Enters the War:
- U.S. does not sign the treaty for election to unify because:
-Domino Theory: if South Vietnam falls to Comm. = all of Southeast Asia follows
Unpopular Actions:
-Imprisoned those who opposed him
-Corruption, rigged elections, and nepotism
-Catholic in a Buddhist country
Diem Regime:
Q: How is Diem’s appearance different to Ho Chi Minh’s?
Puppet Regime?
Warning: next slide is graphic
How would an American of the time interpret this image?
Do you know of any instances of protest in recent times that mirror this event?
Q:
Kennedy Years:
1. Strengthen S. Vietnam Army with aid and training
2. Pressure Diem’s decisions
- South Vietnam Army failed = money given to officials
The Overthrow of Diem:
May 1963 = Buddhist start to protest
June 1963 = Monk sets fire to himself
Nov. 1963 = Diem is killed in a coup
-Shortly after Diem’s assassination, tragedy strikes in the U.S. …
Lyndon Johnson 1963 - becomes president
Johnson’s War:
- He kept Kennedy’s foreign policy team (“flexible response” strategy)
- Needed strong anti-communism stance to win re-election
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDTBnsqxZ3k&feature=related
Johnson calls Goldwater an extremist / nuclear war
1964 Presidential Campaign:
A. Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
-North Viet. torpedo boats attack U.S. destroyers at Gulf of Tonkin
- Aug. 1964: Gulf of Tonkin Resolution Congress gives Johnson authority to “take all necessary measures…”
B. Operation Rolling Thunder
- Feb. 1965 = Vietcong attack U.S. military base (8 U.S. killed)
- U.S. bombed N. Vietnam (Nonstop for the next 3 years)
D. Fighting the War
U.S. plan = break V.C. will to fight
Success = not by land, but body count
( read Ho quote pg. 773)
1. The Air War
• U.S. = intense bombing raids
• Vietcong’s defense = 30K miles of tunnels
“Tunnel Rats”
2. The Ground War
• U.S. = Search + Destroy Missions
• Suffocating envir. = swamps, heat, thick jungle, traps (B.B.)
•Who’s who? – Vietcong or S. Viet. farmer?
3. Guerilla Tactics of Vietcong
• small bands of fighters use: - ambush / hit + run
• 2 Advantages - knew the terrain - support from the peasants (food + shelter)
By 1967 = 14,000 US killed
Aver. Age = 19 yrs old
Private First Class Phillip Wilson – Killed in action 12 days later.
First-aid center, where wounded Marines were treated before being helped to air-evacuation points. (Life)
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