The War Escalates

Problems in the South

Diem losing support Why?

Not allowing Buddhists to practice their religion

Killing Buddhist Priests Cracking down on protests Assassinated in 1963

June 11, 1963 Quang Ngai, protest the policies of South Vietnam’s President Ngo Dihn Diem. Several other monks also commit suicide.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

Authorizes President Johnson to: “take all necessary

steps including the use of force.”

Basically a declaration of war

1965—American combat forces sent to S. Vietnam

Massive Build-Up: 3/65—100,000 troops 12/65—180,000 12/66—360,000 By 1968—500,000

USSR and China supporting N. Vietnamese and Viet Cong

By 1969—US spent $100 billion

US Tactics Massive Bombing

Military installations Oil reserves RR

Napalm Bombing Sets human flesh aflame

Pacification Burn villages Move civilians Search and Destroy—

surveillance, air strikes, armed patrols

Viet Cong Tactics

Guerilla Warfare Terror and

Coercion in the villages

Convince citizens to “get rid of US”

Tet Offensive 1/31/68

Lunar New Year—generally a time of truce North launches a huge offensive on major

southern cities Move as far South as the US embassy in Saigon 6 hour, televised battle!

NOT successful—militarily 40,000 VC 3,500 US/S. Vietnamese

The chief of the south Vietnam’s National Police executes a Vietcong guerrilla on February 1, 1968, the 2nd day of the Tet Offensive.

March 31, 1968 Johnson announces he will halt

bombings of N. Vietnam April 3, 1968

N. Vietnam accepts Johnson’s offer to begin peace negotiations

Ends up taking 5 years for the U.S. to be out of Vietnam

1968 Presidential Election Richard Nixon says he

plans to pull U.S. troops out of Vietnam

Tough Position U.S. stays in Vietnam,

public opposition increases

Withdraw troops without peace agreement, Nixon becomes 1st president to lose a war!!!

Nixon introduces NEW foreign policy

Two-Step Plan:1) Phased withdrawal

of U.S. troops from Vietnam

2) Replace them with trained Vietnamese soldiers

South Vietnamese soldiers train in the use of

artillery as part of the Vietnamization program.

Coming to a Close… The U.S. dropped more

than twice the amount of bombs on Vietnam as they did in both WWII and Korea COMBINED!

January 23, 1973, a cease-fire is signed by all parties

U.S. troops withdraw completely from S. Vietnam

Once U.S. forces leave S. Vietnam, N. Vietnam launches a major offensive on the South in hopes of capturing Saigon.

By April 1975, S. Vietnamese army collapses and N. Vietnamese is on the doorstep of Saigon.

President Ford sends $300 million to protect Saigon and remove Americans.

April 29, Saigon is overtaken and an emergency evacuation of Americans takes place.

Goodnight Saigon

Vietnam Today

Saigon government surrenders on April 30, 1975.

North and South Vietnam are united as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on July 2nd.