Vietnam War
Chapter 22
Section 1 &2
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnSUBFEHmB0
• 1950
• French Indochina War
• France = trying to gain control back in Vietnam
• America Supports France
• Massive economic aide’
• Stop communism
• France ruled
• Vietnam
• Laos
• Cambodia
• Restricted freedom of speech = jailed nationalists
Beginning
• Revolutionaries fled to China
• Ho Chi Minh
• Created the Indochinese Communist Party
• Returned home with help and formed:
• Vietminh
• Organization who wanted independence from foreign
rule in Vietnam
Vietnam
• France not giving up
• Ho Chi Minh fights from the North
• Truman send $15 million to France
• Next 4 years U.S. pays for much of the war = $1 Billion
France Battle Vietminh
• Battle of Dien Vien Phu
• French forced to surrender - May 1954
• Countries meet to decide the fate of Vietnam
• Peace agreement
• Geneva Accords
• Temporarily divide Vietnam
• 17th parallel
• Ho Chi Minh controlled the north = Capital Hanoi
• Diem controlled the south = Capital Saigon
Drive out the French
• US aides South Vietnam
• Ho Chi Minh winning support from the North
• Land redistributing to Peasants
• National Hero
• Diem refused to take part in elections
• Not holding up his part of bargain
• Corrupt government
• Suppressed opposition
• Angered Buddhists = restricted practices
• (he was catholic)
U.S. Steps In
• 1957
• Vietcong
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Communist opposition group in the South
Attack Diem’s government
Assassinating thousands
Supported by Ho Chi Minh
• Suppling arms
• Ho Chi Minh Trail
Cont.
• Kennedy increases aide
• Troops sent to train the South
• 1963 = 16,000
• Diem’s popularity plummets
• Corruption
• Moved villagers
• Attacks intensified on
Buddhism
• Killed 100+
• Destroyed temples
• Monks burn themselves in
protest
Kennedy
• November 1, 1963
• U.S. supported military coup
• Diem assassinated
• Kennedy was going to withdraw
• Johnson escalates U.S. role in the war
• Diem’s death brings more chaos
• Unstable because of no clear leader
• Vietcong’s influence grows in the South
Johnson
• August 2, 1964
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=gYf6JZtVClY
• Tonkin Gulf Resolution
• American destroyer fired upon by
North Vietnamese
• USS Maddox
• Returned fire
• 2 days later reported more enemy
torpedoes
• U.S. destroyers began firing
• Gave Johnson broad military
powers in Vietnam
• Blank Check
• Operation Rolling Thunder
• 1965 = 50,000
• Johnson retaliates
• Launching bombing strikes on North
Vietnam
Tonkin Gulf Resolution
• Much of America supported Johnson’s attempt to contain
communism.
• Began sending large amounts of troops to aide S.
Vietnamese.
• By end of 196 500,000 American soldiers over there
U.S. involvement and
escalation
• Guerilla Tactics
• Hit and run, ambush
• No rules
• 3.5 million land mines
• Civilians still being killed by them
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl8-dAPCQmQ
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDzGj0mHMxM
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo7XBaG_-SE
Fighting the Viet Cong
• U.S. goal was to destroy moral of Viet Cong through
Attrition.
• Gradual wearing down of enemy
• Body counts
• To the U.S. soldier it was just a military battle, to the
Vietcong it was a battle for their existence.
War of Attrition
• Napalm
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbEhsqStPTM
• Agent Orange
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1r8Jn07Oxg
Nasty Warfare
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Brutal warfare took its toll on soldiers
Many resorted to drugs and alcohol
U.S. economy began to falter
Increased protests
Sinking moral of U.S.
soldiers and citizens
• Casualties and statistics every night on the news
• Between 1961-67 16,000 U.S. soldiers died
• No end in sight
The Living Room War