Vietnam
Chapter 22 Sect 1-2
Why did the U.S. fight in Vietnam?
• Strengthen ties to France post WWII
• Domino Theory- Must stop spread of
Communism
• U.S. Changed view of Ho Chi Minh- (Now he is a
communist aggressor)
• France was defeated, U.S. must pick up slack
• LBJ wants to look tough on Communism
• Final Spark- Gulf of Tonkin Incident- They fired at
us?…?
What was the war like before U.S.
entry?
• Diem was corrupt!!! But anti communist…
• Diem suppressed Buddhism (Majority of
population) Monks respond
What was war like before U.S. entry?
• Vietcong assassinate South Vietnam officials
• Diem losing support of his own people and
the U.S.
• 1963 Diem was overthrown by the CIA backed
coup.
• Diem was assassinated during the coup.
How did the War Change once U.S.
enters?
• 61% of U.S. citizens support War in Vietnam
1965. Only 24% oppose War.
• Massive amounts of troops
– 50,000 -1965 early
– 180,000- 1965 late
– 500,000- 1967
• Vietcong use Guerrilla tactics
Vietcong Guerrilla War Tactics
• Blend in with local villagers
• Fight using tunnels
• Booby Traps
How did the War Change once the U.S.
entered?
• Try to win through Attrition
– Gradual wearing down of enemy by continual
harassment.
• Napalm- “Apocalypse now” video
• Agent Orange
• Search and Destroy- suspected Vietcong
– “Must destroy the town in order to save it”
How did the War Change the U.S. at
home?
• American support fades away as the war
continues.
• Military Draft- All men over 18 have to register
– Could get out of it by going to college.
– Result- 80% of soldiers lower economic level.
• LBJ Great Society loses funding to the War.
• Civil Rights leaders Voice opposition
– MLK Jr. War distracts from Civil Rights movement
– “Blacks are good enough to go fight, but not have
equality at home?”
How did the War Change the U.S. at
Home?
• College students protest
• SDS- Students for a Democratic Society
– Corporations/government has taken over America
• March on Washington 1965
– 20,000 March to Protest War
in Vietnam
Why did the Youth Oppose the War?
• Vietnam War was a Civil War. Let them deal
with it.
• South Vietnam was just as bad as North
Vietnam.
• U.S. Cannot police the entire world. It is a
drain on American society.
• Morally wrong!
Morally Wrong
Protest Music
• Listen to Jimi Hendrix playing the “Star
Spangled Banner”
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wt3cYpFLJiM
• What feeling or emotion do you think he is
trying to portray with this version of the song?
• How does he do this?
Protest continues
• 1967 - 70% anti war protest show disloyalty
• Hawks Vs. Doves
• 1967 Robert McNamara “Defense Secretary”
resigns
• Tet Offensive 1968- North Vietnam launches
surprise attack– U.S. Public realized Westmoreland (General) was
not truthful about how close U.S. was to winning
Tet Offensive
• Pages. 748-749
• Tet Offensive 1968- North Vietnam launches
surprise attack• Results…
– U.S. Public realized Westmoreland (General) was not
truthful about how close U.S. was to winning
– Public opinion against war increased.
– Media openly starts to criticize the war
– Clark Clifford, (McNamara’s replacement) “We seem
to have a sink hole…No end in sight to the action”
– 60% of American’s now think Vietnam is a mistake.
1968 Cont…
• Johnson does not seek re-election
• Later admits “That war… killed the lady I really
loved- The Great Society”
• MLK Jr. and Robert Kennedy Assassinations
• Riots after MLK assassination all over country
• College campuses 200 major demonstrations
• 1968 Chicago convention Riot
– http://www.history.com/videos/violence-batters1968-democratic-convention#chicago-sevenconspiracy-trial
Protest cont.
• Lost of support for the War at home
– My Lai massacre-1968- U.S. marines kill 200
innocent villagers. Only Lieutenant Calley is
imprisoned.
– Invasion of Cambodia 1970- 1.5 million students
protest.
Kent State University
Kent State University
• Kent State University- Protest results in 4
dead, 9 wounded.
• Jackson State- Protest results in 2 dead, 12
wounded
Losing support for the War cont.
• Pentagon papers– 7,000 page document written by McNamara in
1967-1968
– Details plans for Vietnam War during time period
that LBJ promised not to escalate the war
– No plan to end the war as long as North Vietnam
persisted
– Most Americans view pentagon papers as proof
the Government is lying to the public
Fast Fact
• 2.6 Million tons of bombs dropped during
WWII and Korean War combined
• 8 million tons of bombs dropped during
Vietnam War.
How the U.S. got out of the Vietnam
war
• Vietnamization- Gradual withdrawal of U.S.
troops starting in 1969 to allow South
Vietnam’s military to have a more active role
in the war.
– 500,000 troops 1968
– 25,000 troops 1971
60% of Americans want full withdrawal 1971
Cont.
• 1973 U.S. signed agreement to end war in
Vietnam. Stalemate = divided country
• 1975 North Vietnam invades South Vietnam and
the U.S. refused to send troops back in to help
South Vietnam this time.
• South had to surrender to North Vietnam.
• General Ford’s comment “America can regain its
sense of pride that existed before Vietnam. But it
cannot be achieved by refighting a war that is
finished as far as America is concerned.”
Lessons from Vietnam
• Americans feel more cynical toward government
– Watergate scandal/Pentagon papers
• Divided nation over foreign affairs
– Think first then react. (Bomb Syria? Why not?)
• Hawks believe Anti-war movement made us lose
the war. Anti war= unpatriotic?
• War Powers Act of1973– President must inform congress within 48 hours when
troops are deployed
– Troops cannot remain past 90 days without approval