The Cold War - Vietnam
March 2009
The French
 Controlled Vietnam from 1883-1954
 1941 Ho Chi Minh founds the League of
Independence of Vietnam know as
Vietminh
 1945 after the Japanese leave
Indochina, they declare their
independence
 Instituted guerilla warfare against the
French and won independence at Dien
Bien Phu in 1954
Vietnam:
 France had ruled
Background Indochina (Vietnam,
Cambodia, Laos) as a
colony before WWII
 WWII: Japan takes over
 Important
in leading to
Japan v. US in WWII
 After WWII (1945): Fr.
tries to regain control but
each country gains
independence by 1954
Just for fun
 Go to www.google.com and type in
“French Military Victories” and hit the
button that says “I’m feeling lucky.”
UNCLE HO
 asked for the help of the US in 1946 against
the French but Truman ignored him. Why
would the US
.
refuse to help a
nation struggling
for independence
against a colonial
power?
Answer:
 The United States saw the French as an
important ally in the war against
Communism
 By 1954 the US was paying much of the
cost of the French war effort
Vietnam: Division
 1954: Geneva Conference: V. divided into:
 (1) Communist-controlled North V. under Ho
Chi Minh
 (2) Pro-western South Vietnam
 Division supposed to end with national
elections in 1956. Elections did not take
place b/c S.V. knew Communists would
win.
 Communist Viet Cong guerillas will gain
control of much of S.V. over several yrs.
Ho Chi Minh mausoleum
Guess
which city
is the home
of the Ho
Chi Minh
mausoleum!
Vietnam Maps
Vietnam: Domino Theory
U.S. belief that if one
SE Asian country fell
to Communism, the
rest would soon
follow.
Vietnam: US Involvement
 “Domino Theory” led to gradual US
involvement supporting S.V.
 1964: Tonkin Gulf Resolution: Congress
authorizes military action in SE Asia.
 US Presidents:

Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969)

Richard M. Nixon (1969-1974)
 Prior to Vietnam, what was the U.S.’
record in wars?
Spreading Communism
 Based on the Vietminh and Vietcong
program and other observations, what
are the Vietnamese fighting for?
Vietnam: US soldiers
http://www.sss.gov/lotter1.htm
 Pre-1969, draft according to age
 1969: Lottery for draft by b’day
 Combat soldiers avg. age
 WWII: 26
 Vietnam: 22
Potential
Problems?
 “Tour of Duty:” Those enlisted &/or
drafted required to serve just one year &
then come home.
Vietnam: Fighting
Why did people go?
 http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/
reflect/index.html
Tet Offensive
 Turning Point: Tet Offensive (Jan.
1968)
 Tet:
Vietnamese New Year
 N.V. launched major attack but did not
capture any major cities
 ***US public now perceived US as losing &
began to question US objectives in V.***
Tet Offensive Map
Troop Levels and Deaths
Vietnam: Anti-War
 This photo
shows a SV
executing
what
appears to
be a
defenseless
Viet Cong
prisoner.
Photo by Eddie Adams, 1968
In fact, the prisoner had just
killed 8 SV.
Eddie Adams
Eddie Adams
My Lai
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/trenches/my_lai.html
The US goes out with a Bang!
 After Tet, US protests led to gradual
removal of troops in area w/ policy of
“de-escalation” (later “Vietnamization”)
 Bombings intensified w/ Nixon
 In
December 1972 some 40,000 tons of
bombs were dropped on North Vietnam
 Expands the war to Cambodia
 What is “Mad Man Theory”
 Peace with honor”
Vietnam: US gets out
 1973: All sides agree to ceasefire but
fighting continued-US forces withdraw
 1975: Viet Cong defeats SV
 1976: Vietnam unified as one
Communist country, Saigon becomes
Ho Chi Minh City
Vietnam: Results
 400,000+ SV died
 900,000+ NV & VC died
 58,000 Americans died
 10 million (about ½ of pop.) became
refugees
 http://www.archives.gov/research/vietna
m-war/casualty-statistics.html#age
Agent Orange
 http://flic
kr.com/s
earch/?
q=agent
+orange
+victim
Agent Orange:
Not Just in Vietnam
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asiapacific/4649452.stm
ROK
$62 million
Vietnam: Some effects in US
 2 Things US will try to avoid in future:
 Fighting
w/o a clear EXIT STRATEGY***
 US casualties***
*** = “Let me explain!”
Chicago ‘68
 The people had had enough
 Dissention and unhappiness with the
war policies of the US lead to a
demonstration of 10,000 activists
outside the convention
 The cops break it up using tear gas and
clubs to disperse the crowd
Key Players
popular among activists and
liberals,
supported social programs and
peace
Also for social
programs but disliked
by activists because he
was seen as too much
of a compromiser