Significance?

The Vietnamese finally drove out the Chinese in 939, after a war lasting thirty years. Their methods were simple and would change little through the centuries that followed. Their weapon was patience, outwaiting the enemy while inflicting enough damage to make him lose heart. General Tran Hung Dao explained the plan three hundred years later. When the enemy is away from home for a long time and produces no victories, and families learn of their dead, then the enemy population becomes dissatisfied. Time is always in our favor. Our climate, mountains, and jungles discourage the enemy.

America in Vietnam: Marrin

Chapter 30: The Vietnam War YearsVietnam History To late 1800s: Vietnam either fighting

China or Independent Late 1800s to World War II: French control

Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia as part of their colonial empire French Indochina

World War II: Japanese control Vietnam. Vietminh (Vietnamese communists led by Ho Chi Minh) fight against Japanese with American Help

After World War II: On September 2, 1945 Ho Chi Minh declares Vietnam independent. France reclaims Vietnam for its empire.

French/Vietminh War (1946-1954)U.S. role in the war: Truman and Eisenhower:

U.S. provides money & supplies but no troops

By 1954: U.S. paying for 80% of the war Containment Policy: U.S. wants to stop

the spread of communism. U.S. wants French support in Europe. Domino Theory: Eisenhower belief

(1954) that if one country in Southeast Asia becomes communist, it will spread to all countries in SE Asia like a row of dominoes being knocked down. Failed to look at each countries situation. Doesn’t happen.

French are defeated in 1954.

Geneva Accords 1954

Vietnam divided at the 17th parallel North Vietnam: communist led by Ho Chi

Minh with Hanoi as its capital South Vietnam: non-communist led by

Ngo Dinh Diem with Saigon as its capital Unification election to be held in 1956 Laos and Cambodia are to be independent Results:

Diem refuses to hold elections because communists would win.

Eisenhower/U.S. begin economic & military aid to South Vietnam.

National Liberation Front (NLF) South Vietnamese communists (called

Vietcong, VC, or Charlie by U.S.) Begin a guerrilla war against the South

Vietnamese government in 1957 North Vietnam begins supplying the NLF

by a series of trails coming down from North Vietnam through Laos & Cambodia into South Vietnam known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

Laos & Cambodia would be safe places for the NLF during the war

U.S. would try unsuccessfully to stop supplies and troops from using the Ho Chi Minh trail and this would be one of the reasons why the U.S. would lose the war.

Eisenhower and Kennedy in Vietnam Increase aid to Diem’s government

Send U.S. military advisors to train the South Vietnamese military (16,000 by 1964)

Kennedy withdrawal: Talk of Kennedy removing the U.S. from Vietnam after 1964. Part of assassination conspiracy theory. No proof/unlikely to happen

President Diem & other South Vietnamese governments Nepotism (jobs to relatives), Corruption, &

Oppressive

Civilian & Military dictators

No land reform which helps communists win support of peasants/people

Persecution of Buddhists: led to several acts of self-immolation

Poor military leadership

President Diem & other South Vietnamese governments Military doesn’t fight communists early

in the war, instead used to keep South Vietnamese governments in power. South Vietnamese military dominated by U.S.

November 1, 1963: President Diem overthrown & executed with U.S. support

Numerous governments would rule South Vietnam over the next two years.

1965-1975: Nguyen Cao Ky & Nguyen Van Thieu would lead the South Vietnamese government with little improvement

Strategic Hamlet Program

Moving all villagers to a protected area to deprive communists of support

Major failure: Villagers don’t want to move Government money & supplies

stolen from them Similar to U.S. treatment of Indians

Tonkin Gulf Resolution: August 7, 1964

Congress granted President Johnson the power to take “all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the U.S. military and to prevent further attacks.”

Our declaration of war in Vietnam. Based on two attacks (August 4 & 6) by North

Vietnamese forces on American ships in the Gulf of Tonkin U.S. ships were participating in covert actions

against North Vietnam. First attack occurred but second one didn’t and the government knew

it.

By summer of 1965

Over 50,000 U.S. combat troops fighting the Vietcong (first arrived in March 1965 at Da Nang)

U.S had also begun a bombing campaign against North Vietnam called Operation Rolling Thunder. Narrow target list to limit civilian

casualties and not anger the USSR or China

Mission is a failure.

LBJ and Vietnam

Escalation of U.S. involvement

Containment/Cold WarDoesn’t want to be seen as

“soft on communism”Felt U.S. would win

Vietcong Tactics & Effects

US Military Tactics

Use superior technologySearch and destroyPrimarily use 3 things:

HelicopterNapalmAgent Orange

Agent Orange Exposure

NAPALM

Agent Orange

Agent Orange

Impact

Tactics/fighting styles have a profound impact on soldiersIncreased drug useMilitary action against

civilians

Support & Opposition

For most of the war, public opinion supported it

TV made Vietnam America’s first “living room” war.

Opposition: grew as the war continued Protest by youth, returning

veterans, musicians/entertainers, and Civil Rights leaders

Tet Offensive

Effect?

Nixon and Vietnam

Vietnam/Southeast Asia after the War

Communists imprisoned around 400,000 South Vietnamese. Many South Vietnamese fled the country to other Asian nations or the U.S. (boat people)

Cambodia: Civil War in Cambodia results in a victory for the Khmer Rouge (Communists) led by Pol Pot. Over the next few years, over 2 million Cambodians killed by the Khmer Rouge in what becomes known as the “killing fields.”

Legacy of the Vietnam War

Destroyed LBJ presidency and his Great Society

America more distrustful of its government

America more cautious about foreign involvement and wars

U.S. abolished the draft

Legacy of the Vietnam War

War Powers Act (November 1973): Passed by Congress to limit the president’s war making power and power as Commander in Chief. President must inform Congress within 48 hours of putting troops into a hostile area. Troops must be withdrawn in 90 days unless Congress approves a longer stay. Supreme Court has never ruled on constitutionality of the act.

Legacy of the Vietnam War

Returning veterans received a cold welcome home. Many suffered from Delayed Stress Syndrome or other health problems. Since the opening of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in 1982, Vietnam vets have been perceived in a more positive light.

Costs: 58,000 dead, 300,000 wounded, 2,200 MIA, $165 billion

1995: President Clinton restored diplomatic relations with Vietnam.

So…

The Vietnamese finally drove out the Chinese in 939, after a war lasting thirty years. Their methods were simple and would change little through the centuries that followed. Their weapon was patience, outwaiting the enemy while inflicting enough damage to make him lose heart. General Tran Hung Dao explained the plan three hundred years later. When the enemy is away from home for a long time and produces no victories, and families learn of their dead, then the enemy population becomes dissatisfied. Time is always in our favor. Our climate, mountains, and jungles discourage the enemy.

America in Vietnam: Marrin