The Vietnam War
A Long History of U.S.
Involvement, 1940s-1975
Why Do We Care about the
Vietnam War?
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Example of Cold War ideologies and policies
Student activism, New Left, protests against
war
A media war, heightened exposure/criticism
New type of warfare, guerilla war, thorny
questions of friends and foes
Draft raised issues of support for war, duty
vs. freedom of dissent
Why Did U.S. Get Involved in Vietnam?
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General ideological or policy inertia:
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Fear of communism
Containment policies
Domino Theory
Duty as powerful nation
Peacekeeping nation
Learning from past experience with Nazis, Soviets:
leadership believed that they must stop evil before it
spread
Video Clip: PBS, “Vietnam: A Television History”
Background History of Vietnam
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2000+ years of war: Video Clip
Repeated invasions and subjugation from outside
imperial powers
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China – for 2000 years
French – colony since 1860s
Japanese – occupiers during WWII: Video Clip
Chinese – occupier at end of WWII
French again – colony again after WWII
U.S.?
Vietnamese resistance to them all
Lessons?: (at least some) Vietnamese would resist
U.S. as outside aggressor
Doc: Vietnamese Declaration
of Independence
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Link to document, written by Ho Chi Minh
Criticism of French and colonialism – pointed
out irony of French colonialism vs. French
ideals of liberty and equality
Appealed for U.S. support – used language
of U.S. Declaration of Independence
Vietnamese supported Allies during WWII
Allied “Atlantic Charter” (self-determination),
so let them have independence
Vietminh: Communist or
Nationalist? Does it matter?
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What were goals of Ho Chi Minh and the Vietminh?
 Independence
 Resistance to colonialism, outside control
 Ho and Vietminh were nationalists first, communists second
Why do goals matter?
 Not all communists are the same
 Nationalist struggle not the same as communist aggression or
spread of communism
 If Vietminh were nationalists, then movement was primarily a
home-grown historical phenomena, not part of domino theory or
inevitable spread of communism from outside the country
 Nationalism, movement for independence provided opening for
U.S. to get involved in supportive way, rather than oppositionally
OR stay out of internal politics of new independent country of
Vietnam
Vietnam, late 1940s and 1950s
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U.S. support for France – bulwark against communism in Europe
and Asia
 Allowed France to reassert control over colonies, incl. Vietnam
May, 1950, Truman authorized direct aid to French against
Vietminh
U.S. became primary financier of French efforts to defeat
Vietminh
 In early 1950s, 80% of war funds came from U.S., over a billion a
year
Problems with U.S. stance?
 Anticommunism was primary goal, rather than other U.S. ideals
 Conflict with U.S. anti-colonial history
 Conflict with Atlantic Charter: nations have right to selfdeterminiation
End of French Control; Now
What?
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Battle of Dien Bien Phu, 1954:
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French base in mountains, believed they were unbeatable
Vietminh surrounded base, cut off supplies
French surrendered: 1500 killed, 4000 wounded, 10000
captured; Vietminh, 8000 killed
Lessons?: Vietnamese are strong, committed foe, question
getting involved in war with them OR if you want to fight a
war, better to fight yourself rather than leave it to French
Geneva Conference, 1954:
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What will happen to Vietnam?
One country? Or divided like Korea?
Elections?: Ho and Vietminh would win
Ceasefire; country divided; elections to be held in 1956
Ho accepted compromise under pressure from Soviets and
Chinese
America’s War in Vietnam
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Problems from the beginning
 U.S. support for S.V. leaders in 1950s: Ngo Diem: Catholic
(Buddhist majority), corrupt, lacked popular support
 Many factions in South Vietnam, French interference – who should
U.S. support?
 Diem repressed and killed all critics – democracy?
S.V. and U.S. violation of Geneva agreement – no election held in
1956 – feared Ho Chi Minh would win
Formation of National Liberation Front (NLF) in S.V.: against
Diem, a communist-led coalition of anti-Diem and anti-U.S. forces
Civil war in S.V. – should U.S. choose sides in a civil war?
Questions:
 1. Does U.S. support democracy if those elected aren’t capitalist?
 2. Should U.S. support Diem (or any ruler) if he isn’t supported by
his own people?
U.S. Escalation, JFK, 1961-63
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U.S. proving its mettle against USSR
JFK making up for early failures, proving he was
tough on communism
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Bay of Pigs, 1961
JFK support for counter-insurgency efforts – 15,000
“advisors,” money, special forces training, arms to
S.V.
Secrecy and evasion in U.S.
Support for coup against Diem – killed in 1963; more
instability in S.V.
1964: Restraint to Escalation
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LBJ tried to show restraint
Won Presidential election on promises of
restraint in Vietnam (Daisy ad)
Domestic goals vs. foreign policy: Video Clip
Responded to VC attacks on U.S. bases with
bombing of North Vietnam, Operation Rolling
Thunder: Video Clip
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National Security Council & McGeorge Bundy,
were pro-bombing
Opposition, George Ball, UnderSec. of State
LBJ and Tonkin Gulf
Resolution, 1964
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Video Clip
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Importance?:
1965
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March 8, 1965, 3500 Marines landed to protect U.S.
airfields used for bombings (Westmoreland’s request):
Video Clip
Continued troop build-up, played down or hidden by LBJ
and McNamara
 72,000 by spring
Change in mission from defensive to offensive against
VC (first time offensive)
LBJ promised Ho Chi Minh a TVA on Mekong Delta for
Vietnam if Ho ended goals
Bombing did not end supplies from north to south
Successful VC attacks on S.V. troops and villages
Fall of S.V. government, Nguyen Cao Ky became P.M. –
continuing pattern of instability in South Vietnamese
government
1965: “Debate” on Troop Build-up
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Video Clip
Video Clip
McNamara memo
1965: Decision, 200,000
Troops
Summary and Evaluation
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U.S. involvement and escalation in Vietnam:
based on sound ideals or policies?
Evidence?
Major problems or issues?
Effects on U.S. society, politics, culture?
Problems of War: My Lai
Massacre
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Pacification strategy: clear strategic hamlets
of Vietcong support
Question of friend or foe?
Video Clip on pacification strategies
My Lai Massacre, March 16, 1968
Between 300-500 civilians killed by U.S.
Army unit
Increased domestic U.S. opposition to the
war
Only one serviceman prosecuted
1968: Protests and Chicago
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1968 Democratic National Convention in
Chicago:
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Video, Chicago, 1968: Link to #1 (of 4)
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Video, 1968: The Year that Shaped a Generation:
Link to #1 (of 6)
1968: Watershed Year
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Tet Offensive in Vietnam: losing war
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Video Clip
LBJ decided not to run for 2nd term: opening
for Democratic peace candidate?
Assassinations of MLK and Robert Kennedy
Urban riots
1968 Democratic National Convention in
Chicago: Humphrey nominated (pro-LBJ);
death of idealistic liberal alternative
Vietnam: Major Events Post1968
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1968 Presidential election: Nixon’s victory
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Domestically, Nixon ran on southern strategy and
Law and Order campaign themes
On foreign policy, ran on “Peace with Honor”
rhetoric
Nixon’s Vietnamization strategy: Video Clip
Nixon’s mixed war strategies: Video Clip
Nixon secrecy: Video Clip
End of Formal U.S.
Involvement
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April 29, 1975: North Vietnamese took
Saigon – U.S. evacuated last personnel
Video Clip