MOVING TOWARD CONFLICT IN VIETNAM
(CHAPTER – 22 / SECTION -1)
French Vietnam
 In the late 1700’s Catholic missionaries discover the region of
Vietnam.
 1783 to prevent a French takeover of Vietnam, Tu Duc sends an
emissary to ask President Grant for help, he responds “Where
the heck is Vietnam?”
 By 1883 the French send armed forces to take control of
Vietnam and embark upon the creation of an Indochina colony.
Years of imposed high taxes and limited political freedoms
would bring the people to fight against their new rulers.
____________________________________________________
 What did the Vietminh declare as it
main goal?
____________________________________________________
 Starting in 1900 nationalists began their fight for independence
from France. The person that rose above the others was Nguyen
That Thanh; known also as Hồ Chi Minh (meaning he who
enlightens) Hồ spent many years in France studying and
believed the best way to fight colonial imperialism was through
a communist revolution.
 The Việt Minh "League for the Independence of Vietnam”
was formed by Hồ Chi Minh in 1941 to seek independence for
Vietnam from France as well as to oppose the Japanese
occupation. During WWII the Japanese and the Việt Minh
drove the French out of Indochina
 What did Hồ Chí Minh declare after
Japan was forced out of Vietnam?
____________________________________________________
 Due to their opposition to the Japanese, the Việt Minh received
funding from the American and the Chinese, though the Chinese
would later imprison Hồ Chí Minh for more than a year during
the fight against the Japanese
President Roosevelt wants to see the war torn French military
recapture its world power appearance again and accepts De
Gaulle’s wishes to control Vietnam
 When Japan surrendered Hồ proclaimed the Democratic
Republic of Vietnam on September 2, 1945. However, within
days the Chinese Army arrived in Vietnam to supervise the
repatriation of the Japanese army
The US actually supported Hồ Chí Minh because of his help
during WWII v. the French and how they fought against the
Japanese.
 During WWII Hồ Chí Minh almost becomes an employee of the
US but because he was unable to secure a passport from China
he does not
France Battles the Việt Minh
 The Democratic Republic of Vietnam only existed in theory
and effectively controlled no territory
 A few months later the Chinese, Vietnamese and French came
to a three way understanding
______________________________________________________
 How did Hồ Chí Minh respond to the
return of the French?
______________________________________________________
 The French gave up certain rights in China, the Viet Minh
agreed to the return of the French in exchange that they
promise of independence within the French Union
 Negotiations between the French and Viet Minh broke down
quickly and Hồ Chí Minh vows to fight from North
Vietnam to liberate the South
____________________________________________________
 Whom did the US support and what did
they provide?
____________________________________________________
 With the support of the US through economic aid (for
military purposes) the French fought for nearly ten years in
the conflict known as the French Indochina War.
 Why did the US get involved in the
struggle?
________________________________________________
 The US is involved in the war to prevent another Asian
country from becoming Communist
 The French quickly pushed the Việt Minh out of Hanoi. The
French encircled the Việt Minh base, Việt Bắc in 1947 and
almost captured Hồ Chí Minh, who slipped into a camouflaged
hole.
 The Viet Minh were unable to fight effectively against the
French until 1949 when the Chinese communists reached
Vietnam's northern border
 China now gives the Việt Minh both sheltered bases and heavy
weapons to fight the French with. With the additional weapons
the Việt Minh were able to take control over many rural areas
of the country. But they failed in every attempt to attack the
central areas of Vietnam.
 Following their defeat Battle of Dien Bien Phu,
was significant because it was also the first time that a western
nation was defeated by a South-Eastern Communist country,
the French began negotiations to leave Vietnam.
 How did the Geneva Accords change
Vietnam?
______________________________________________________
 As a result of peace accords worked out at the Geneva
Accords, the country was divided into North and
South Vietnam at the 17th parallel until unifying elections
would take place in 1956.
North Vietnam was under the Việt Minh was given in 1954.
and Hồ Chí Minh was appointed Prime Minister of North
Vietnam, which would be run as a socialist state.
Ngo Dinh Diem eventually assumed control of South Vietnam
with the supplies and military support from the US. Ngo Dinh
Diem, with U.S. support; feared that Ho Chi Minh and the
Communists would win.
In the words of U.S. President Eisenhower, "It was generally
conceded that had an election been held, Hồ Chí Minh
would have been elected Premier.”
______________________________________________________
 What Eisenhower compare to a row of
dominoes?
A Divided Country
The domino theory was a 20th Century foreign policy
theory that speculated if one land in a region came under the
influence of Communists, then more would follow.
The domino theory was applied by President Eisenhower and his
top advisers in 1954 believed that if Vietnam fell to the
Communists, all of Southeast Asia would fall as well.
The South Vietnam government was corrupt and brutal and the
North favored the social reforms and land redistribution.
However, not everyone benefited as Hồ blamed the landlords for
the poverty in the North. Hồ Chi Minh killed and imprisoned
thousands of farmers whom he branded as landlords.
______________________________________________________
 What importance did the Ho Chi Minh
Trail have in the Vietnam War?
_____________________________________________________
The Vietcong
The National Front for the Liberation of Southern Vietnam
was also known as the Viet Cong, VC, and an insurgent
organization fighting the Republic of Vietnam.
Many nationalists joined the Vietcong because of their discontent
with the Diem government. To aid the fighters in the south the
north developed the "Ho Chi Minh Trail".
This was a network of major supply routes from North to
South Vietnam in the neighboring countries of Laos and
Cambodia to provide support to the North Vietnamese Army.
It was a combination of truck routes and paths for foot and bicycle
traffic. Parts of the trail had actually existed for centuries as
primitive foot paths that facilitated trade in the area.
At its peak, over 40,000 people worked constantly to maintain the
network of roads that made up the trail.
The US tried to reduce the amount of jungle cover by using
chemicals such as napalm and Agent Orange.
The Division Grows
Despite US support Diem’s government quickly lost power and
popularity. Diem became more unpopular with many South
Vietnamese when his troops attacked Buddhist demonstrators.
Over time many of Diem’s military leaders felt he was hurting the
war effort and in November of 1963 a group of generals took over
the government. The situation would get even worse.
President Kennedy after assuming office he chose to continue in
supporting Ngo Dinh Diem because he was afraid that the
Democrats would appear soft on communism.
Kennedy increases financial aid and sends thousands of military
advisors to help train the South Vietnamese forces.
Diem’s popularity begins to plummet because of corruption and
failing to create land reform. Fed up with the protesting Buddhists
Diem imprisons and kills thousands of them.
To insure that the South would remain stable Kennedy orders the
assassination of Diem.
 What authority did the Tonkin Gulf
Resolution grant the US president?
Gulf of Tonkin Incident
The Gulf of Tonkin incident involved the USS Maddox which had
been involved in providing intelligence support for South
Vietnamese attacks was only supporting South Vietnam in military
operations.
Attacks upon the ship were never proven. He thus characterized
the attack as "unprovoked." He also claimed before Congress that
there was "unequivocal proof" of an "unprovoked" second attack
against the Maddox.
Two days after the incident the Gulf of Tonkin
Resolution is created. It is of historic significance because it
gave US President Johnson broad military powers in Vietnam,
without a formal declaration of war.
The resolution states, "To take all necessary steps, including
the use of armed force requesting assistance in defense of
its freedom."
Both Johnson and President Nixon used the Resolution as a
justification for escalated involvement in Indochina.
Mainly as a result of McNamara's testimony in 1964, the US
Congress passed a joint resolution that started the increase of U.S.
involvement in the Vietnam War.
The Resolution was approved by the House unanimously (416-0),
and by the Senate (88-2).
 What did Operation Rolling Thunder do
in North Vietnam?
Operation Rolling Thunder
The code name for a U.S. military campaign during the Vietnam
War that was first extensive bombing of North Vietnam.
The objective of the operation was to destroy the will of the North
Vietnamese to fight, to destroy their industrial base and air
defenses, and to stop the flow of men and supplies down the Hồ
Chí Minh Trail.
Over all it was unsuccessful to ending the Vietcong’s ability to
wage war.
Though periodically interrupted by "bombing pauses" the US
dropped a greater tonnage of bombs during this campaign than
with all the bombs dropped by America during WWII.
Afraid the war might escalate out of hand, Johnson and McNamara
micromanaged the bombing campaign.
Rules of engagement were imposed to limit civilian casualties or
attacks on other nationals, such as the Soviet and Chinese advisors.
US INVOLVEMENT & ESCALATION
(CHAPTER – 22 / SECTION -2)
 What role did each of the following
*people* play in the decision to escalate
US military involvement in Vietnam?
From 1965 to 1967 *President Johnson*, with the
support and advisement from Secretary of Defense *Robert
McNamara* and Secretary of State *Dean Rusk*,
pursues a policy of escalation in Vietnam by increasing the use
of ground forces.
This was contrary to Johnson’s campaign stance during the
election. However, Americans saw this as a continuation of a
policy that US must confront communism anywhere in the world.
*Congress* as well as the *American people*
supported the war. An early poll was taken in 1965 that
showed 64% of the people supported the war and 24%
disapproved.
During the Kennedy administration the military uses computer
scenarios to see the various impacts of different war strategies.
 Every time the US would use or change their war strategies the
VC would adjust and avoid any real damage. Thus creating a no
win scenario for the US.
 Did Kennedy’s war planners fail again, after the Bay of Pigs
failure, to understand the situation in Vietnam? Remember we
are the most powerful military in the world at this time.
 Was the US prepared for Guerilla Warfare? The military under
the Eisenhower administration was developing more nuclear
preparedness v. developing the ground forces.
 Within the “Think Tank” at the Pentagon any Colonels that
pointed out the problems of the military and going into Vietnam
were reassigned.
 South Vietnam military leaders were extremely corrupt and
lacked any leadership. Battle after battle they failed to commit
and would back away from confrontation even though they had
a major advantage over the VC.
 South Vietnam troops comprised of poor men that just wanted
food and shelter. They would show up one day and a few days
later leave.
The Troop Buildup Accelerates
By the end of 1965 the US had sent some 180,000 troops to South
Vietnam. The American commander in the region was
*General William Westmoreland*. A veteran
of WWII and the Korean War he continually requests for more
and more US troops due to the inability of the ARMY OF THE
REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM (ARVN) to fight effetely.
By 1967 the US had some 500,000 troops fighting in South
Vietnam.
At the beginning many of the troops supported the war. However,
as the war dragged on support for the war declined as the casualty
rates increased.
 What military advantages did the
Americans have over the Vietcong?
 What advantages did the Vietcong have
over the Americans?
US Strategy Used Fighting in the Jungle
Early within the fighting the US believed that superior weapons
would lead to a victory over the Vietcong.
The Vietcong had a great knowledge of terrain and the ability
to blend in with civilians. Most important was their willingness to
pay any price for victory.
The VC would use refused to follow the traditional tactic of frontal
attacks and resorted to guerilla warfare. By day they are people
that live amongst the US soldiers and by night are vicious fighters.
The VC built an extensive tunnel network that ran throughout
Vietnam. The more the Americans attempted to drive the VC out
of their land the more they buried themselves under it.
 What military strategies did the
Americans use against the Vietcong?
 What military strategies did the
Vietcong use against the Americans?
War of Attrition
Throughout the conflict General Westmoreland attempted to
fight a war of attrition – the gradual wearing down of the
enemy by continuous harassment.
Westmoreland would use the body count and the tracking of VC
killed to show if the number rose the opposition would give up.
The VC never thought of giving up and with supplies from China
and Russia they were able to take the pounding the US was dishing
out on a daily basis.
The difference between the US and the VC was the US saw this as
a military struggle and the VC saw it as a battle for existence.
Battle for “Hearts & Minds”
In 1966, the nation-building of South Vietnam began to receive
increased U.S. emphasis. The failure of earlier rural development
and nation-building projects was due primarily to the lack of
coordination and cooperation between the various agencies.
In March 1967, President Johnson demanded a greater share of
the U.S. effort in South Vietnam be devoted to the "other war"
"to win the minds and hearts of the population."
The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) was left with the
task of providing territorial security. Even though the people were
to be protected by the government troops, the Viet Cong attacked
the people at night because the troops would stay in their camps
and not in the villages.
To expose the various hiding places of the VC the US used
napalm and Agent Orange.
 Napalm was gasoline-based bombs that would burn away much
of the land surrounding villages making farming very hard.
 The use of the highly toxic Agent Orange would kill leaf or
vegetation that would destroy the surrounding landscape.
 It also created illness in both the civilians and soldiers. Both
groups would suffer with high rates of cancer after the war.
A tactic used in the war was search and destroy,
referring to a means in which US patrols would search for
enemy camps and hidden supplies by moving through the
jungle.
The idea was to insert ground forces into hostile territory on a
special mission to uproot Vietnamese villagers with suspected ties
to the VC and then kill livestock and burn villages suspected of
helping the enemy forces and then withdraw the US forces
immediately afterwards.
The S&D mission ambush typically involved use of fixed
claymore mines, crossing lines of small arms fire and mortar
support. The Vietcong would offset their inferior fire power by
setting traps and mines.
The South Vietnamese summed up this strategy by saying “to
save a town one must destroy it”
Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara admitted “He would
though differently at the start of the conflict if he had been
aware of the VC resilience.”
Vietcong Strategy Used Fighting in
the Jungle
The Vietcong used a variety of tactics to break the will of the US
and South Vietnamese soldiers.
With the advantage of knowing the terrain and where the armies
would be moving to the VC were able to use the Hit-and-run
ambushes.
The VC were successful in creating large amounts of injuries
because of the massive tunnel systems, the well disguised booby
traps along the paths, land mines, surprise attacks and the use of
guerrilla warfare. This truly wore down the morale of the US
soldier.
 What role did the following play in the
change of the American public support?
(The US Economy / Television /
Fulbright Hearings)
The War at Home
The initial thought in the Johnson administration was that the war
would end quickly. However, as it dragged on the domestic
programs and the US economy began to fall apart.
Funding for the Great Society programs began to dry up because of
the increasing demands for the costs of the war. Inflation tripled in
the late 1960’s from the early 1960’s (2% to nearly 5.5%).
To maintain funding for the war and to keep inflation from
increasing Johnson asked for an increase in taxes. The
Republicans only agreed after Johnson agreed to take 6 billion
from Great Society programs.
With the advances in technology the Vietnam War would become
the first “living room war”. Each night on the evening news would
broadcast daily events and expose the horrors of this conflict.
The reports would contradict the Johnson administration’s
optimistic opinion and paint a gloomy picture. The difference in
what the Johnson administration and television reports were saying
created a Credibility Gap. The American people were
asking “What is really happening?”
In 1967 Senator Fulbright (once an ally of Johnson) held a series of
hearings to ask the Johnson administration to defend their Vietnam
policies.
The hearings never really exposed anything new about the war but
added to the growing discontent among the young people in the
US.
In 1967 the US was split evenly on the war. A woman expressed
the current mind set of the US by saying: “I want to get out, but
I do not want to give in.”
The US would begin to see an increasing discontent with the youth
of this nation over the war in Vietnam. Their voices and actions
would grow stronger and disrupt the nation.
A NATION DIVIDED
(CHAPTER – 22 / SECTION -3)
 What were some of the ways young
American men avoided military service
in Vietnam?
As the war progressed through the years a growing number of
people began to protest and attempt to participate in the fighting. A
conflict grows with people that serve and those that do not. The
nation begins to split apart.
________________________________________________
The Working Class Goes to War
The majority of US soldiers that fought in Vietnam were called
upon by the Selective Service System or Draft. This system of
creating a fighting force was first established during WWI.
Ever male that turned 18 was required to register with their draft
board. All of the registrants were screened and if they had a
medical condition they were excluded.
Any male between the ages of 18 – 26 was eligible to serve in the
military in the event of a war.
As the doubts for the war grew so did the attempts to avoid
military service.
 Some men found sympathetic doctors that would give medical
deferments
 Some would change their addresses so they could go to a more
lenient draft board
 Joined the National Guard or Coast Guard that would most
times allow a deferment from serving in Vietnam
 The most common way to avoid war was to enroll in college
and put off their military service.
______________________________________________________
 In what sense did the Vietnam War
become a “Working-class” battle?
______________________________________________________
Because most of the college students were white financially well
off the ranks of the military were filled with lower-class whites or
minorities.
Nearly 80 percent of U.S. soldiers came from lower economic
levels. This situation made the Vietnam War a working-class
battle.
In the early stages of the struggle a disproportionate number of the
ground troops were African Americans. African Americans would
account for 20% of the combat deaths but only 10% of the US
population.
The military attempted to change this disparity by adopting the
lottery system in 1969. The feeling of persecution on the part of
the African Americans created tension in mixed race platoons.
It also contributed to the low morale of the troops in Vietnam.
 What organizations & groups of
Americans tended to oppose the war?
Roots of Opposition
The Civil Rights movement helped expose the ability of groups to
bring about a change through participation of large numbers. The
success breed the fact that the nation and its youth were about to
call for a change in direction in how the US fought this war.
One of the growing youth organizations was the New Left
that would call for sweeping changes within America’s society and
how it existed.
One of the more vocal leftist groups was the Students for
a Democratic Society (SDS). The group was
founded by Tom Hayden and Al Haber in 1959 which called
for the return to a “participatory democracy” and greater individual
freedom.
In 1964 at the University of California Berkley the Free
Speech Movement (FSM) focused upon its criticisms
on what it called the American “machine”. These were the faceless
and powerful business and government institutions.
These groups were able to gain support with college students
because they addressed the issues of dress codes, curfews, dorm
regulations and required Reserved Officer Training Corp (ROTC).
The Protest Movement Emerges
In early 1965, with the help of the SDS, some 20,000 people march
on Washington D.C. to protest the war. In November of that same
year another 30,000 protesters move on Washington to show their
displeasure for the war in Vietnam.
In early 1966 the Johnson administration changes the deferments
for college students revoking college deferments for those not in
good academic standing
College students and Americans begin to belief that:
 The Vietnam War did not concern the U.S. because it was a
civil war
 That the Southern (Democratic) Vietnam government was
worse than the Northern (Communist) Vietnam government
 The belief that the war was draining U.S. strength in other parts
of the world
 That the US could not police the entire world
 The belief that the Vietnam War was immoral and unjust
(why?)
From Protest to Resistance
The belief of anti-war protesters was that they were not having an
effect upon the course of the war. They move to bring more
attention and effort to the cause.
 In New York’s Central Park a half a million protestors chant
“Burn cards not people” and “Hell no, we won’t go!” as they
burn their draft cards.
 Number of draft resisters grows until it ends in 1974. 270,000
men avoid being drafted by being imprisoned or fleeing the
country.
 In October of 1967 some 75,000 people march in Washington
and later 30,000 move toward the Pentagon to disrupt the war
marching. They are greeted with tear gas and police batons.
 What were some of the reasons that
“doves” opposed the war?
 In what ways did they show their
opposition to the war?
Opposing the War
The Vietnam conflict was reported and seen in our homes like no
other previous war. The pictures and stories told a different story
than the one the military was telling. People began to doubt the
ability for us to win this war.
Protests against the Vietnam War took place in the 1960’s and
70’s. The protests were part of a movement in opposition to the
Vietnam War and took place mainly in the US.
People that called for the U.S. to with drawl from Vietnam were
called Doves.
 In 1966, Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay) refused to go to war,
famously stating that he had "got nothing against any Viet
Cong" and that "no Vietcong ever called me negro." In
1967 he was sentenced to 5 years in prison, but was released on
appeal.
 In the summer of 1967, Neil Armstrong & various other NASA
officials toured South America to raise awareness for space
travel. According to Armstrong during the tour, several South
American college students protested the astronaut, and shouted
such phrases as "Murderers get out of Vietnam!" and other antiVietnam War messages.
______________________________________________________
However, a majority in Congress supported Johnson and believed
this was a battle against the spread of communism was more
important than domestic programs.
The political leaders that pushed for increased military spending to
win the Vietnam War were known as Hawks.
Up until 1967 Johnson remained firm in his commitment to the
war. Attacked by either side Johnson was dismissive of their
agendas and maintained his slow escalation of the war.
McNamara resigns after trying to understand high enemy body
counts and the stop of VC troops from the north had not ended the
war.
1968: A TULMULTUOUS YEAR
(CHAPTER – 22 / SECTION -4)
 The Cause & Effect of the Tết Offensive
Despite the growing protests in the US, a majority of the people
still supported the war in the early part of 1968.
During the night of January 30–31, 1968, the Vietnamese New
Year the North Vietnamese and VC launched the Tết Offensive
pushing to capture cities in South Vietnam.
 The Tết Offensive can be considered a crushing military defeat
for the Communist forces, as neither the Viet Cong nor the
North Vietnamese army achieved any of their tactical goals
 The operational cost of the offensive was dangerously high,
with the Viet Cong essentially crippled by the huge losses
inflicted by American and South Vietnamese forces
 The Offensive is widely considered a turning point of the war in
Vietnam, with the VC winning an enormous psychological and
propaganda victory.
The US Military and Defense Department told the public that the
war was a matter of destroying the insurgency in the countryside.
The Tết Offensive created a dramatic fall in the popularity of
Johnson and the war and forced Johnson to change his Vietnam
policy and not to seek reelection in 1968.
Effect on the Viet Cong and North
Vietnam
The Viet Cong's operational forces were effectively crippled by the
Offensive. The organization was preserved for propaganda
purposes, but in practical terms the Viet Cong were finished.
In reality, this change had little effect on the war, since North
Vietnam had no difficulty making up the casualties inflicted by the
war. The Tết Offensive showed that the North Vietnamese still
had the strength and will to fight.
______________________________________________________
Media Impact
The most famous example of an anti-war attitude on the part of an
influential press figure was Walter Cronkite’s special report on the
war of February 27, 1968.
After touring the battlefields of the Tết Offensive and interviewing
discouraged soldiers and officers, he directly criticized the military
leadership and the Johnson administration: "We have been too
often disappointed by the optimism of the American
leaders, both in Vietnam and Washington, to have faith any
longer in the silver linings they find in the darkest cloud."
He concluded by saying that the U.S. was "mired in a stalemate"
and called for a negotiated end to the conflict.
 What were the Causes and Effects of
Johnson’s poor showing in the New
Hampshire primary?
Tết Offensive changes public opinion
Johnson replaces McNamara with Clark Glifford as his
Secretary of Defense. Glifford declares that the war
is a ‘sink hole’ and is unwinnable. The more we send in men,
arms and money the more the U.S. has in casualties.
Days after Westmoreland's request for additional troops, President
Johnson suffered a staggering setback in the New Hampshire
primary, finishing barely ahead of US Senator Eugene
McCarthy.
McCarthy receives 42% of the vote in New Hampshire and thus
forces President Johnson to announce that he would not seek
reelection.
The result of the NH primary showed how unpopular Johnson’s
Vietnam policies had become.
Soon after, Senator Robert F. Kennedy joined the
contest for the Democratic nomination, further emphasizing the
falling support for Johnson's Administration.
Johnson threw his support behind Hubert Humphrey.
Yet Kennedy’s support was growing because of his anti-war,
domestic program ideas and his brother’s popularity.
 What are some of the Causes & Effects
of the Assassination of Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr.
Violence and Protest grip the Nation
Two months prior to Robert Kennedy’s assignation in CA, on
April 4, Martin Luther King Jr. is killed in Memphis, TN.
Some people believe that the death is due to racism, hatred,
intolerance and the existing atmosphere of violence
The feeling of rage and anger creates violent breaks out across 130
of the major cities in the U.S.
Buildings are burned, protest marches are met with violence and
the life of a leader of change is ended.
 What were the Causes and Effects of
the assassination of Robert Kennedy?
After McCarty’s surprising showing in the New Hampshire
primary Kennedy decides to enter the presidential race.
Robert Kennedy’s platform for running as president was the pledge
to further unify the country by ending our involvement in the
Vietnam War and to continue the pursuit of Martin Luther King Jr.
vision for equality.
However after winning the democratic CA primary on June 5,
1968, Robert Kennedy was assassinated. Kennedy’s past as
Attorney Journal may have created a group of people that did not
want to see him as the president.
The effect of his death left the country with the feelings of despair
and hopelessness among his followers. Another voice of change
had been silenced.
 What Causes and Effects did the
disorder at the 1968 Democratic
Convention create in the upcoming
election?
______________________________________________________
The Democratic convention displayed anger and disorder.
Disagreements among Democrats grew over how the Vietnam War
should be dwelt with.
McCarthy had little chance to defeat the Democratic choice of
Hubert Humphrey. Yet other outside influences would help decide
the election outcome.
10,000 demonstrators in Chicago attempted to bring attention to
the problems with the war and to force the convention to draft an
anti-war platform. As they converged toward the convention center
they were met by Mayor Daley’s police.
Fresh with the riots from King’s death Daley mobilized some
12,000 policemen and some 5,000 National guardsmen to confront
the protestors.
Mayor Daley’s poor handling of the situation, coupled with that of
the poor judgment and brutality of the Chicago police exposed to
the nation “If the Democrats could not take care of their own
party how could they take care of a nation?”
The country was stunned by these pictures of chaos. Although the
Democratic Party was divided by disagreements over the Vietnam
War, the convention choose Hubert Humphrey as their presidential
nominee in 1968.
______________________________________________________
 What was the Cause of Richard M.
Nixon’s presidential election victory in
1968?
The Republicans selected Richard M. Nixon. His pledge
for restoring order and that he had a “secret plan” for ending the
war and with the entry of Wallace into the race Nixon wins the
1968 Presidential election by only 510,314 votes.
Throughout Nixon’s campaign he promises to restore order and in
vague terms bring an end to the Vietnam War.
His Candidacy was further helped by the entry of third party
candidate George Wallace. Wallace was a southern
democrat that was a strong supporter of school segregation and
state rights.
Labeled as the “The White Backlash” candidate in the 1968
election he captures 5 southern states with some 9,906,473 votes.
He also gains support from northern whites tired of the riots and
anti-war protestors.
THE END OF THE WAR & ITS LEGACY
(CHAPTER 22 / SECTION 5)
 What is Nixon’s policy of adopting
Vietnamization?
Peace with Honor
The “secret plan” as outlined by Nixon during his presidential
campaign was one of which we would end the war as quickly as
possible without making it appear that we lost the war.
In the spring of 1969 President Richard M. Nixon initiated his new
policy of Vietnamization. The plan was the policy to turn
over all the fighting to the South Vietnamese.
Vietnamization had two distinct elements:
 First, the unilateral withdrawal of American troops from South
Vietnam;
 Second, the assumption of greater military responsibilities by
the South Vietnamese armed forces to make up for that loss.
Military planners had based previous withdrawal plans on
reductions in enemy forces.
 Vietnamization rested on the twin assumptions that the
combatants would not reach any kind of political settlement, or
understanding, and that the fighting in the South would continue
without any voluntary reduction in enemy force levels.
The negotiations for a peace treaty were going no where with the
North Vietnamese. Nixon conferred with his National
Security Advisor Henry Kissinger to help bring an
end to the war.
This “Peace with Honor” plan was to help both maintain dignity as
it withdrew from the war and to maintain clout at the negotiation
table.
Senior advisors in Vietnam were asked for their opinions on South
Vietnam's ability to handle a Viet Cong threat, or a combined Viet
Cong - North Vietnamese threat, and their answers were for the
most part the same.
All doubted that the South Vietnamese could do little more than
hold their own, and judged their offensive capabilities marginal at
best. Toward the end of 1969, the first American troops left
Vietnam.
Secretly he launched attacks on VC supply sanctuaries in
Cambodia and Laos to show them that he could do anything.
To further his support for his policies on the war Nixon calls upon
the Silent Majority. This is the moderate mainstream
Americans who quietly support the war efforts in Vietnam.
 What shocks Americans at My Lia?
In March of 1968 a New York Times reporter discloses a story that
a platoon of soldiers under the command of Lieutenant William
Calley Jr. had massacred some 200 innocent Vietnamese civilians.
For months US troops had been ambushed by VC fighters,
suffering high losses.
Searching for VC fighters and turning up none Calley orders the
troops to round up the villagers. Mother, children and elders are
placed together and at the command of Calley the troops open fire.
One soldier responded to what was the order? “To fire upon any
thing that breathed.”
 What and why did Nixon give the order
to invade Cambodia?
Attack on Cambodia
As the US began to with drawl began in Vietnam a new war was
escalating in both Laos and Cambodia. Officially both countries
were neutral in the conflict. Supply routes for the North ran
through both countries and brought attacks by the US on their
lands.
The Khmer Rouge was a Cambodian communist army that
had the support of the North due to the increase in US bombings.
The Khmer Rouge increased its attacks across the boarder and
Nixon responded by moving into Cambodia. The assault into
Cambodia was perceived as expanding the war v. ending it.
In response some 1.5 million students call out a strike and close
some 1,200 campuses.
Kent State University
After the burning of the ROTC building the mayor calls upon the
National Guard to help restore order. However, on May 4, 1970
rock throwing students were fired upon by the guardsman with
nine students being wounded and four killed. Two of whom were
not part of the protesters.
Jackson Mississippi State had a similar fate where guardsman
again fired upon protestors wounding 12 and killing 2 (both were
innocent bystanders).
A national poll showed that most of America supported the
guardsman stating that “the protestors got what they deserved”.
 Why did Congress repeal the Gulf of
Tonkin Resolution?
A growing discontent was emerging on Capitol Hill because the
president did not consult Congress prior to the bombing of and
invasion of Cambodia.
On December 31, 1971 Congress repeals the Gulf of
Tonkin Resolution to protest Nixon’s policy in
Cambodia and to gain greater Congressional control over U.S.
policy in Vietnam.
In June of 1971 the support for the war is further damaged by the
leaking of the Pentagon Papers. The 7,000 page
document written for McNamara in 1967-68 reveals that
government had created plans even though Johnson had promised
not send troops into Vietnam.
That there was a plan in place that the U.S. would not end the war
as long as there was a North Vietnamese presence in the South.
This proved that the government had not been honest with the war
and the countries intentions. This was not so damaging to the
Nixon administration, but helped the opponents of the war.
After the publication of the report Congress threatens to cut off all
funds for the war.
With the 1972 elections approaching Nixon changes course and
ends the war in Cambodia and begins secret peace negotiations
with the North.
The Election of 1972
The Democratic candidate for the presidential election was George
McGovern, an outspoken opponent of the war.
In an attempt to gain the support of the young voters McGovern
attempted used the Twenty-Sixth Amendment. This
amendment prohibits both the federal government and the state
governments from denying the right of voting for 18 year olds.
The 26th Amendment was formally certified by President Nixon in
1971.
McGovern did win the support of the young voters. Yet fear of
disorder and the promise of getting the US out of the war allowed
Nixon, with the support of the older voters, to win in a landside.
 How did the Christmas bombings help
bring an end to the Vietnam War?
 Why does the South surrender to the
North?
The End of the War
After the elections the peace accords had come to a stalemate. To
bring the talks back to a level of success Nixon began a long
Christmas bombing campaign. The bombings were to force a
negotiated peace settlement between the U.S. and North Vietnam.
With the help of Henry Kissinger, President Nixon’s security
advisor, the peace talks resumed.
The Paris Peace Accords were signed in 1973 by the
governments of North, South Vietnam, and the US.
The agreement called for the removal of all US troops from
Vietnam and the return of all POW’s.
The United States agreed to a military withdrawal, leading to a
complete withdrawal by March 29, 1973.
The U.S. withdrawal had a devastating effect upon the morale of
the people of South Vietnam, who felt 'betrayed and deserted' by
the United States.
A little more than a year later they were left alone to fight the
North Vietnamese regular army soldiers, who were backed by
massive assistance from the China and the Soviet’s.
Thieu felt the Army of the Republic of Vietnam vulnerable if the
North decided to violate the cease-fire, as there was no real
provision in the Peace Accord to enforce it.
In December, 1974 Thieu's fears came true, as North Viet Nam
successfully launched a military offensive that quickly
overwhelmed the Army of South Viet Nam, leading to the
capturing of South Vietnam’s capitol, Saigon, on April 30, 1975.
 How were the returning Veterans of
the war treated?
The Consequences of War
The effects of the war produced:
 About one million North Vietnam and VC killed
 185,000 South Vietnamese dead
 500,000 civilians dead
 Almost one million orphans
 At the conclusion of the Viet Nam war the suffered 58,000
killed, 303,000 wound and there were about 2,000 US personal
missing in action.
Many of the Americans were very torn and bitter about the
Vietnam war. The American people became more cautious on
foreign policy or more cynical of their government.
Returning veterans were not well received as they returned home.
No parades, cheering crowds or supportive banners were present as
they arrived back home. Instead people would react by giving
dirty stares to vets in uniform or were met with harsh words.
Many vets would experience post-traumatic stress disorder. The
vets would suffer from recurring nightmares about their war
experiences, headaches or memory lapses. Other would turn to
alcohol or drugs to numb the experience and others would commit
suicide.
An attempt to heal the wounds of the war the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial is created as a national war
memorial that honored the members who served in the Vietnam
War.
The Memorial consists of three separate parts:
 The Three Soldiers statues
 The Vietnam Women’s Memorial
 The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, the most recognized part
of the memorial is the wall that depicts the first to last name of
the people killed or missing during the war.
April 1979, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Inc. was
establish and eventually raised $8.4 million through private
donations.
In May 1981 a design by Maya Ying Lin, a 21 year old Yale
architecture student, was declared the winner. Lin had originally
designed the Memorial Wall as a student project.
Controversially, the design lacked many of the elements
traditionally present in war memorials, such as patriotic writings
and heroic statues, and a flagstaff and figurative sculpture.
Lin's Asian heritage was also a sensitive issue, and she was not
even named in the memorial's 1982 dedication ceremony.
 Why does Cambodia erupt into a civil
war?
The end of the Vietnam War brought new turmoil within Southeast
Asia. At the end of the war the North Vietnamese winners declared
that no one had to fear them.
However, some 400,000 South Vietnamese were reeducated and
some 1.5 million people attempt to flee the country. The “boat
people” were part of the people leaving and lost 50,000 to droning,
disease and piracy.
People in Cambodia also felt the wrath after the war. The U.S.
invasion of Cambodia had created a civil war within their country.
Pol Pot, the leader of the Khmer Rouge, seizes power and executes
millions of Cambodians.
 Why does Congress pass the War
Powers Resolution?
In 1973 Congress passed the War Powers
Resolution is a law that requires the president of the US to
get the approval of Congress before committing US troops to an
armed struggle.
The purpose of the War Powers Resolution is requiring the
President to:
 Consult with Congress prior to the start of any hostilities as well
as regularly until U.S. armed forces are no longer engaged in
hostilities
 To remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities if Congress has
not declared war or passed a resolution authorizing the use of
force within 60 days. War Powers: To curb the president’s warmaking powers
______________________________________________________
Legacy of the Vietnam War
What are the lasting changes or effects caused by the Vietnam
War?
 The Pentagon Papers reveal that the Johnson administration was






lying about the war
The My Lai massacre
The government’s response to campus turmoil (Kent State)
Nixon’s secret invasion of Cambodia
Imprisonment of Vietnamese after war / boat people
Civil War in Cambodia
People & government more reluctant to send troops into war