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VIETNAMVIETNAM, 1946-75 , 1946-75 (the (the 10 000 Day War10 000 Day War))

Scott MastersScott MastersCrestwood CollegeCrestwood College

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PHASE 1 - A WAR OF PHASE 1 - A WAR OF COLONIAL INDEPENDENCECOLONIAL INDEPENDENCEAGAINST THE FRENCHAGAINST THE FRENCH

Vietnam had been a French Vietnam had been a French colony under the name of colony under the name of French IndochinaFrench Indochina (along with (along withCambodia and Cambodia and Laos)Laos)

Vietnam began to fight for its Vietnam began to fight for its independence from France independence from France during WW II ( when France during WW II ( when France was preoccupied with was preoccupied with European conflict)European conflict)

the Vietnamese revolutionary the Vietnamese revolutionary leader was leader was Ho Chi MinhHo Chi Minh, a , a CommunistCommunist

wanted to be the leader ofwanted to be the leader ofan independent, communist an independent, communist Vietnam; Ho received support Vietnam; Ho received support from both the USSR and from both the USSR and “Red” China“Red” China

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this colonial war raged from this colonial war raged from 1946-54, culminating in the 1946-54, culminating in the French defeat at French defeat at DienbienphuDienbienphu

Fr. decided it wanted out and Fr. decided it wanted out and called a peace conference in called a peace conference in Geneva, Switzerland (attended Geneva, Switzerland (attended by France, Vietnam, the US, by France, Vietnam, the US, and the USSR)and the USSR)

the decision of the conference the decision of the conference was to partition Vietnam into a was to partition Vietnam into a communist North led by Ho communist North led by Ho and a “democratic” South and a “democratic” South Vietnam led by Vietnam led by Ngo Dinh DiemNgo Dinh Diem

the settlement was an the settlement was an outgrowth of basic Cold War outgrowth of basic Cold War tensions between the tensions between the Americans and Soviets and Americans and Soviets and clearly reflected the US policy clearly reflected the US policy of of containmentcontainment with respect to with respect to Soviet communist Soviet communist expansionismexpansionism

the US had come to see South the US had come to see South Vietnam as a “Vietnam as a “dominodomino” that ” that they couldn’t afford to losethey couldn’t afford to lose

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PHASE 2 – AMERICAN ESCALATION AND MILITARY PHASE 2 – AMERICAN ESCALATION AND MILITARY INVOLVEMENTINVOLVEMENT

this phase originated with this phase originated with ““Ike” and JFK but was Ike” and JFK but was intensified under Lyndonintensified under LyndonBaines Johnson (LBJ), who Baines Johnson (LBJ), who assumed the presidencyassumed the presidency afterJFK’s assassinationafterJFK’s assassination

The U.S. never formally The U.S. never formally issued a declaration of war, butissued a declaration of war, but after the after the Gulf of Tonkin IncidentGulf of Tonkin Incident, , where 2 Americanwhere 2 Americandestroyers were apparently destroyers were apparently fired upon by the North fired upon by the North Vietnamese, Congress Vietnamese, Congress passed the passed the Gulf of Tonkin Gulf of Tonkin Resolutions (August 1964)Resolutions (August 1964)- - herehere Congress gave LBJ Congress gave LBJ their support in sending their support in sending American personnel and materielAmerican personnel and materiel

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in spite of ongoing escalation in spite of ongoing escalation throughout the 1960s, the USthroughout the 1960s, the USexperienced a lack of successexperienced a lack of successagainst the Vietnamese against the Vietnamese guerrilla forces in S.guerrilla forces in S.Vietnam (the Vietnam (the VietcongVietcong) as the) as theUS Army was unprepared forUS Army was unprepared for

their tactics and mentality their tactics and mentality

The US was also never entirely The US was also never entirely successful in shuttingsuccessful in shutting

down the down the Ho Chi Minh TrailHo Chi Minh Trail, a, a supply line that ran betweensupply line that ran between North and South Vietnam viaNorth and South Vietnam via difficult jungle terrain, difficult jungle terrain,

often underground and often underground and through neighbouring nationsthrough neighbouring nations

like Cambodialike Cambodia

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the war definitely turned the war definitely turned against the US in 1968, against the US in 1968, when the NVA’s General when the NVA’s General Giap began the Giap began the Tet Tet OffensiveOffensive, a surprise , a surprise offensive on a major offensive on a major Vietnamese holiday that Vietnamese holiday that saw attacks all over the saw attacks all over the country, including in country, including in Saigon itselfSaigon itself

ongoing US casualties ongoing US casualties and losses saw an and losses saw an increase in antiwar increase in antiwar sentiment on the sentiment on the American Home Front,American Home Front,in large part because in large part because Vietnam was a Vietnam was a TV WarTV War where American where American audiences saw the audiences saw the brutality of war firsthandbrutality of war firsthand

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American atrocities at American atrocities at My LaiMy Lai (Lieutenant (Lieutenant Calley)Calley)

they also witnessed they also witnessed the usage of weapons the usage of weapons like like napalmnapalm and and Agent OrangeAgent Orange, which , which devastated the devastated the environmentenvironment

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as the Counterculture as the Counterculture gathered momentum gathered momentum (Hippies, Flower (Hippies, Flower Children, etc.), protests Children, etc.), protests became widespread and became widespread and began to polarize the began to polarize the nationnation

this was intensified after this was intensified after the the Kent State MassacreKent State Massacre– National Guardsmen National Guardsmen

opened fire on student opened fire on student protestors in Ohio, protestors in Ohio, killing four, and by killing four, and by Senator William Senator William Fulbright’s (Chairman Fulbright’s (Chairman of the Senate Armed of the Senate Armed Forces Committee) Forces Committee) admission that the war admission that the war was a “mess”was a “mess”

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increasingly the increasingly the American people American people came to perceive the came to perceive the ““Credibility GapCredibility Gap”, i.e. ”, i.e. they no longerthey no longerbelieved that LBJ was believed that LBJ was telling them the truth telling them the truth about events in the about events in the warwar

in 1968, LBJ chose in 1968, LBJ chose not to run for not to run for president, and president, and Republican Richard Republican Richard M. Nixon was elected M. Nixon was elected on a platform of on a platform of ““Peace with HonourPeace with Honour””

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Nixon wanted the South Nixon wanted the South Vietnamese to play a Vietnamese to play a greater role in the war, a greater role in the war, a policy he labeled policy he labeled VietnamizationVietnamization

in spite of that, he in spite of that, he continues carpet continues carpet bombing Hanoi and bombing Hanoi and orders a secret invasion orders a secret invasion of Cambodiaof Cambodia

He relied on the He relied on the diplomacy of diplomacy of Henry Henry KissingerKissinger to achieve to achieve peace and/or an peace and/or an American withdrawalAmerican withdrawal

the US does manage to the US does manage to extricate itself by Jan. 27, extricate itself by Jan. 27, 19731973

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PHASE 3 – VIETNAMESE CIVIL PHASE 3 – VIETNAMESE CIVIL WAR, 1973-75WAR, 1973-75

the NVA easily defeated the NVA easily defeated the South by 1975; the the South by 1975; the South had appealed to South had appealed to Nixon for aid, which had Nixon for aid, which had been promised, but by been promised, but by 1975 Nixon was 1975 Nixon was embroiled in the embroiled in the domestic Watergate domestic Watergate Crisis, and he was in Crisis, and he was in essence a “lame duck”essence a “lame duck”

1975 – the US abandoned 1975 – the US abandoned its embassy in Saigon, its embassy in Saigon, which was renamed which was renamed Ho Chi Minh CityHo Chi Minh City in the in the newly unified and newly unified and communist Vietnamcommunist Vietnam