The Vietnam War
■ During the Cold War, the U.S. was
committed to containing communism
–The U.S. was effective in limiting
communist influence in Europe
–But, the spread of communism in
Asia led the U.S. to become
involved in a civil war in Vietnam
–Involvement in Vietnam from 1950
to 1973 proved to be America’s
longest & most controversial war
America’s Commitment to Vietnam
Since 1887, France
controlled the colony
of Vietnam in SE Asia
By 1945, Communist
leader Ho Chi Minh led
a war of independence
for Vietnam
Truman & Eisenhower
feared the spread of
communism in Asia
(“domino theory”)
& sent aid to France
America’s Commitment to Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh gained
control of communist
North Vietnam
Vietnam won
independence in 1954
but was divided along
the 17th parallel
Ngo Dinh Diem became
democratic president
of South Vietnam
America’s Commitment to Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh’s
communist supporters
in the North were
called the Vietminh
In South Vietnam, a
group of communists
called the Vietcong
were formed to oppose
Diem & unify Vietnam
America’s Commitment to Vietnam
South
Vietnamese
In 1963,
Buddhist
“Strongly
in
our
mind
President
Diem
led
a
monk Quang Duc
is
what
happened
in
corrupt
government,
immolated himself to
China
at
the
end
of
offered
little
assistance
protest Diem’s regime
World War II, where
to the poor, &
China was lost. We
oppressed Buddhists
don’t
want
that.”
In
1963
President
Presidents Eisenhower
—JFK
After
JFK’s
death
in
Diem’s
assassination
Kennedy
recognized
& Kennedy supported
1963,
the
responsibility
led
to
chaos
that
Diem
had in
lost
Diem
despite
his
for
Vietnam
fell
to
South
Vietnam
control
of
Vietnam
&
growing unpopularity
Lyndon
Johnson
gave
approval
for the
assassination of Diem
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, 1964
In 1964,
a North Vietnamese
gunboat attacked the
USS Maddox in the
Gulf of Tonkin
Congress responded
with the Gulf of Tonkin
Resolution which gave
Lyndon Johnson broad
powers to “defend
Vietnam at any cost”
The Escalation of the Vietnam War
In an effort to
contain the spread
of communism into
South Vietnam,
LBJ began sending
U.S. troops in 1965
In “Operation Rolling
By 1968, over 500,000
Thunder,” theU.S.
U.S.Troops
U.S. soldiersinwere
Vietnam
military began bombing
fighting in Vietnam
North Vietnam
Fighting the War in Vietnam
■The goal of U.S. military was to
defeat the Vietcong & support
democracy in South Vietnam:
–But, the Vietcong lived among the
civilians in Vietnamese in cities &
villages (who is the enemy?)
–The Vietcong used guerilla tactics
to combat U.S. military superiority
–Jungles made fighting difficult
The U.S. military used a variety of
tactics to fight the war in Vietnam
The air force bombed
villages & supply lines
(Ho Chi Minh Trail)
The U.S. military used a variety of
tactics to fight the war in Vietnam
The military used napalm to destroy villages
& pesticides (Agent Orange) to destroy crops
The U.S. military used a variety of
tactics to fight the war in Vietnam
Soldiers were sent on deadly “search & destroy”
missions into the jungles to find the Vietcong
Despite
overwhelming military superiority
“My Lai
the U.S. could not win in Vietnam
Massacre”
& the
1968war became unpopular at home
TV broadcasts reported body counts, atrocities,
Television
made
Vietnam
a “living
room
war”
declining
troop
morale,
& lack
of gains
in the
war
General Westmoreland & the Credibility Gap
“Vietcong
surrender
is imminent”
“There is a
light at the end
of the tunnel”
“The U.S. has never lost
a battle in Vietnam”
But, the military
continued to draft
more young men to
fight in Vietnam
The American public believed their was a
“credibility gap” between what the gov’t was
saying & the reality of the Vietnam War
The Tet Offensive, 1968
In 1968, the
Vietcong launched
the Tet Offensive
against U.S. forces
in South Vietnam
The attack was
contrary to media
reports that the
U.S. was winning
the Vietnam War
The Tet Offensive, 1968
The Tet Offensive
was a turning point
in the Vietnam War
American
President attitudes
Johnson
began
towards
to question
the war
changed
whether&the
anti-war
war
movement
could be won…
grew
…& LBJ announced
that he would not
seek re-election
“Johnson’s War”
Protesting the Vietnam War
Since 1965, U.S. troops had been in Vietnam…
As 1968
morewas
menthe
were
drafted
into
the war,War
the&
but
height
of the
Vietnam
larger
theof
anti-Vietnam
protests
became
the year
the disastrous
Tet Offensive
Protesting the Vietnam War
Students
protested the
killing of civilians
& the draft,
especially the
large numbers of
African Americans,
Hispanics, & highschool dropouts
Richard Nixon & the Election of 1968
LBJ’s decision not to run for re-election & the
assassination
of Robert
left theof
Republican
Richard
NixonKennedy
took advantage
divided for
ofelection
1968
theDemocrats
divided Democrats
& the
wonelection
the 1968
Nixon wanted “peace with honor” in
Vietnam
Vietnamization
Nixon & National Security
Advisor Henry Kissinger
developed a plan called
Vietnamization:
gradually withdraw U.S.
troops & replace them with
South Vietnamese soldiers
But, Nixon really wanted a
“knockout blow” in Vietnam
& secretly sent U.S. troops
Cambodia & ordered
bombings of Laos
When Americans found out about
Nixon’s attacks on Cambodia & Laos,
it set off the largest protest in U.S. history
250,000 people, mostly
students on college
campuses, protested
the war & some
protests turned violent
4 students died when
the National Guard shot
into a crowd of violent
protestors at Kent State
University in 1970
Ending the Vietnam War
In 1973, the U.S. &
North Vietnam
agreed to a cease fire
& the U.S. withdrew
troops from Vietnam
In 1975, North Vietnam
violated the cease fire,
invaded South Vietnam,
& unified the nation
under a communist
government
The Impact of the Vietnam War
■The conflict in Vietnam was the longest
& most divisive war in U.S. history
•Of the 3.3 million U.S.
soldiers who served:
58,000 were killed
303,000 were wounded
15% were diagnosed with
post-traumatic stress
disorder after the war
Many vets faced hostility
from other U.S. citizens
when they returned home
The Impact of the Vietnam War
•The war changed foreign policy
Containment ended
as Americans became
cautious of the U.S.
role in the world
Congress limited
a president's ability
to send troops
without a declaration
of war by passing the
War Powers Act
in 1973
The Impact of the Vietnam War
•The war changed America at home
People began to lose
faith in the honesty of
gov’t leaders during the
Johnson & Nixon years
The $176 billion cost of
the war led to high
inflation in the 1970
& weakened LBJ’s
Great Society
The 26th Amendment
lowered the voting age
to 18 years old
Closure Activity:
Create a timeline of Vietnam events;
For each date, include a description & image
1954—
1954—Vietnam
gained independence
1963—
1963—Kennedy
gave OK to assassinate Diem
1964—
1964—Gulf
of Tonkin Resolution
1965—
1965—LBJ
ordered 1st U.S. troops to Vietnam
1968— Offensive; Height of Vietnam War
1968—Tet
1969—
1969—Nixon’s
Vietnamization policy
1970—
1970—Nixon
ordered troops to Cambodia
1973—
1973—U.S.
ceasefire & withdrawal of troops
1975—
1975—Communists
unified Vietnam
Richard Nixon (1969-1974)
The Vietnam War. Nixon was elected in 1968 with the
promise of “solving” the Vietnam War quickly. Nixon
wanted to “Vietnamize” the war meaning withdrawing
American troops and supplying the South.
“Peace with Honor”
Four Students Are Killed at Kent State University
in Ohio (1970). On May 4, 1970, 28 National
Guardsmen fired into a crowd of Kent State
University students protesting the war in
Vietnam.
The Pentagon Papers-New York
times Company v. United States
In Spring of 1975, the communist forces overtook the
capital of South Vietnam, Saigon (now called Ho Chi
Minh City). The last remaining American civilians and
military personnel was evacuated
•The War Powers Act, 1973
Nixon Visits China. In 1972, Richard Nixon
visited communist China and Mao ZeDong.
This effectively opened up diplomatic
relations between the U. S. and China. In
addition economic and cultural exchanges
opened up as well.
•Détente -The warming and easing of
tensions between the U. S. and
communist Soviet Union
Détente with Rock and Roll!
•SALT. The Strategic Arms Limitations
Talks which began the talks about
limiting nuclear weapons with the
Soviet Union
26th Amendment
lowers voting age
from 21 to 18!
The Watergate Affair
The United States v. Nixon, 1974, the Supreme Court
said Nixon must hand over specific tapes and
documents to the special Prosecutor. “Presidential
power is NOT above the law.” The President cannot
use “executive privilege” in criminal investigations.
On August 9, 1974 Nixon resigns out of pressure
of impeachment and removal from office.
Besides the Watergate affair there was evidence
of overall corruption: bribes, “hush” money, and
payoffs.
President Ford pardons Nixon
while some of his advisors were
jailed.