WelcomeBaltimore Polytechnic Institute

May 9, 2012U.S. History

Mr. Green

The students summarize U.S. Involvement and Escalation by describing the impact of the anti-war movement on the Vietnam War

Announcement: Quizzes will be used to assess your learning until the finals

Drill: Examine the diagram on page 731 and answer the following questions:

1. How are firing posts in the tunnels an example of the Vietcong’s guerrilla tactics?

2. What probably happened to enemy invaders who entered false tunnels?

Motivation: How might the expression ”home-field advantage” apply to U.S troops waging a war on foreign soil?

Agenda/Topics To Be Covered

Decision to EscalateLBJ went against campaign promiseFollowed former Presidents in stopping CommunismInitial popular support for the military actionWilliam Westmoreland-requested more troops/500,000 by 1967A war in the jungle

tunnels of the Vietcong, page 731A war of attrition-wear them down

Vietcong did not give up, no matter the costsDifficult to identify the enemy,

“Hearts and minds of the rural populationMorale sinks in the militaryMany fought bravely/imprisoned for yearsGreat Society suffers as more money is spent on the warCredibility gap

U.S. Involvement and Escalation Ch. 22 Section 2-5 pages 729-753

The draft was manipulatable Medical, college, religious80% in the war were from working class

Many African-Americans served in VietnamOpposition to the War

New LeftSDSFree Speech Movement

College protestsHawks/Doves

A Nation Divided

January 30-Tet OffensiveMarch 31-LBJ announces he will not seek

another termApril 4-MLK assassinatedJune 4-RFK assassinatedAugust –Democratic convention riot in

ChicagoNovember-Nixon wins

1968: A Tumultuous Year

Vietnamizationgradual withdraw of U.S. forces

Peace with HonorSilent Majority

Nixon’s supportersMy Lai Massacre-November 1969 Invasion of Cambodia-root out Vietcong supply

centersKent StatePentagon Papers

War Powers Act

The End of the War and its Legacy

1. What differing opinions did Johnson’s advisers have about Vietnam?

2. How were the Vietcong able to sustain themselves underground for such long periods of time?

3. Why did the U.S. forces have difficulty fighting the Vietcong?

4. What factors led to the low morale of U.S. troops?

5. What led to the growing concern in America about the Vietnam War?

Independent Work

Summarize the events that led to U.S. escalation in the Vietnam Conflict

Wrap-Up

1. Read Chapter 23

Homework