CHAPTER 19

Vietnam

KEY IDEA

To understand the Vietnam War, you must remember that the Vietnamese have a VERY STRONG SENSE OF NATIONALISM!

For 2,000 years, Vietnamese fought off the Chinese

In the 1800s, the French created a colony in Vietnam

After WWII, Ho Chi Minh led an independence movementViet Minh: Umbrella group of all nationalist movement

groups The US only saw Ho as a communist and

therefore an enemy

Background

In 1954, The French lost to the Vietnamese Ho Chi Minh, Bao Dai, Cambodia, Laos,

France, USA, USSR, China, Britain met to discuss the situation: GENEVA CONFERENCE

At the Geneva Conference they decided to divide Vietnam into two separate nations

NORTH: Ho Chi Minh SOUTH: Ngo Dinh Diem

Diem declares South Vietnam a REPUBLIC

Background

The USA gets involved to keep South Vietnam from becoming COMMUNIST

The US and Vietnam refuse to hold ELECTIONS agreed on at Geneva

They were afraid Diem would be REMOVED from power

HO CHI MINH Communist Groups:

Vietminh (Independence movement)

NVA: North Vietnamese Army

Viet Cong: Guerilla fighters Ho supports

NGO DINH DIEM Republic (people

choose leader) Backed by USA

NORTH VIETNAM SOUTH VIETNAM

American Involvement

DOMINO THEORY: if a Southeast Asian country fell, others would soon follow

Eisenhower pledged support, sent in 675 military advisors

Kennedy was determined to prevent spread of communism, sent 16,000 “advisors” by 1963

Diem

Diem had military power, but not the support of his people He imprisoned people who criticized his

government Filled government positions with members of

his family Took US money and paid corrupt officials Moved peasants from ancestral lands to

government-run communities Forced Buddhist country to follow Catholic rules Buddhist monks burned themselves to death to

protest

Diem’s Downfall

Kennedy realized the struggle against communism couldn’t be won with Diem

Supported a military coup to throw out Diem Surprised when Diem was assassinated while

trying to flee Kennedy was assassinated three weeks later Communist guerillas, “Viet Cong” gained

more territory, control, and loyalty in South Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh aided the Viet Cong throughout war

“Charlie”

Johnson’s war

“I am not going to lose Vietnam, I am not going to be the President who saw Southeast Asia go the way China went.”

Gulf of Tonkin Incident: August 1964, The President said: North Vietnamese torpedo boats attacked the US destroyers in the international waters of the Gulf of Tonkin

Evidence was sketchy, many believed it was fake Johnson asked congress for authority to protect

the US against any more attacks Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: gave President

complete control over what the US did in Vietnam without a declaration of war

Johnson’s war

After winning the election of 1964, Johnson began a gradual escalation of the war, devoting more money and people to the conflict

Advisors propping up South Vietnam’s government

By 1965 the Viet Cong were expanding in South Vietnam

North Vietnamese had troops and supplies brought in via Ho Chi Minh Trail: supply route that passed through Laos and Cambodia

1965

February: Viet Cong attack at Pleiku killed 8 Americans and wounded 126

Operation Rolling Thunder: bombing campaign over North Vietnam, March 1965

General Westmoreland requested more soldiers Answer is the DRAFT

Beginning of 1965: 25,000 End of 1965: 184,000 End of 1966: 385,000 End of 1967: 485,000 End of 1968: 536,000

How do I think American Escalation will Affect North Vietnam’s strategy?

I know that there are hundreds of thousands of soldiers going every year

I know that We have the best weapons I think the NVA and Viet Cong will have

“hand me down” weapons from the USSR and China

I know that the Vietnamese have always used guerilla tactics

I also know that in WWI, to get away from fire power soldiers went into the ground

Go to youngshistory.com

Open AMC, Files, Viet Cong Link Click on images to view in greater detail Assess WHAT Viet Cong tunnels were,

how they worked, and why they might be a tricky foe

Open “Viet Cong Tunnel System” document and answer the questions

US Strategy

General William Westmoreland (US ground troop commander) ordered thousands of search-and-destroy missions to drive enemies out of their hideouts

Pacification: to win the hearts and minds of South Vietnamese people (to pacify, or calm)

Peaceful by day, Treacherous at night Declining troop morale Ambush, mines, booby traps

Napalm: incendiary device that shoots liquid fire

Read “Should the US Discontinue Involvement…” and answer questions

Hawk: Support the War Dove: Against the War

Collins Type III

Was American Involvement in Vietnam Appropriate (Why I am a Hawk or a Dove)

FCA1- Content, strong central statement with at least 2 paragraphs backing it up

FCA2- Conventions, spelling, grammar, capitalization

FCA3- Organization, Three paragraphs Introduction to Vietnam War, Answer to first

question Justification 1, with concrete examples Justification 2, with concrete examples

Tet Offensive: 1968

Tet: Vietnamese New Year, January 30 Viet Cong & North Vietnamese launch major

offensive Surprise attacks on major cities and military

bases Attack American Embassy in Saigon Turned back with HEAVY losses, Viet Cong won

psychological victory Demonstrates that Viet Cong could launch

major attacks on South Pictures on News in US makes some question

war

1968 Election

LBJ: “I will not seek, nor will I accept my party’s nomination” Bobby Kennedy runs for Democrats Richard Nixon: The war must end with honor, I have a secret

plan to end it! Bobby Kennedy killed after giving victory speech in

California Sirhan Sirhan, Palestinian killed him

Nixon Wins VIETNAMIZATION: TURNING OVER FIGHTING TO

SOUTH VIETNAM, GRADUALLY BRING TROOPS HOME Secretly bombed Cambodia – thought escalating the war

would bring it to an end

My Lai Massacre

US troops entered My Lai on search-and-destroy mission to find Vietcong

Killed at least 450 women, children, and elderly Initially kept quiet, but soldiers eventually

began to talk “We weren’t in My Lai to kill human beings,

really,” said Lieutenant William Calley, “we were there to kill ideology that is carried by- I don’t know – pawns.”

Calley convicted to life in prison

Pentagon Papers

1971 Revealed the history of US involvement

in Vietnam since the Truman years Government officials had been

misleading the American people about the war for years

Americans React

Kent State University Demonstrators set fire to campus ROTC

building National Guard sent in to control

demonstrations May 4: students gathered on grassy area

for antiwar rally Threw rocks and shouted at soldiers Soldiers began to fire into the crowd, killing

four students

1972 – Nixon promises “peace is at hand”

Around the clock bombings of North Vietnam to force them to talk peace

Settlement reached in 1973: US withdraw all its troops, help rebuild South Vietnam

1975: North Vietnamese invaded South Vietnam, by April they were in Saigon

US military rushed to evacuate 130,000 evacuated April 30, 1975: South Vietnam surrendered

Vietnam’s Legacy

58,000 Americans dead 2,500 Americans missing 300,000 Americans wounded Veterans were not given parades,

instead targets of anger

26th Amendment: 18 to vote War Powers Act: President can only

commit troops for 60 days

Read 18 Year Olds Get the Vote 1. Why didn’t politicians want to lower

the voting age? 2. What three wars changed voting laws

– and for whom? 3. How do Amendments get passed? 4. How long did it take to get the 26th

amendment passed? 5. What years (since 1972) has had the

largest voter turnout for ages 18-24