Vietnam- The “Battlefield”

Ms. Garvin/ Mrs. GavenUS History II

Why Do We Care Why Do We Care About Vietnam?About Vietnam?

COMMUNISM

Vietnamese attain independence from France Ho Chi Minh: Communist

Followers: Vietminh North Vietnam: Hanoi

America backs French

1954: French finally surrender at Dien Bien Phu

US Gets InvolvedUS Gets Involved Korean War

Domino Theory

Geneva Accords: Vietnam Divided

North Vietnam: Communist: Ho Chi Minh

South Vietnam: “Democratic”: Ngo Dinh Diem

Supposed to reunite but South Vietnamese oppose. Vietcong forms: Supporters of

North Vietnam and Ho Guerilla Fighters

Even More Involved Even More Involved President Kennedy: Sends

aid and military advisors: NO TROOPS!

US withdraws support when Diem is found to be corrupt and totalitarian.

Diem Assassinated.

Kennedy Kennedy Assassinated : -( Assassinated : -(

Johnson and Johnson and VietnamVietnam

President Johnson: increases economic aid and sends over more military advisors. Authorizes secret actions against North

Vietnam.

SU and China are supporting North Vietnam.

Gulf of Tonkin: Shady account of North Vietnamese torpedo

boats attacking American destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin. President Johnson authorizes US air

strikes against North Vietnam. Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: Congress

approves all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression.

InvolvemeInvolvement nt

Escalates Escalates

1964: Johnson says he won’t send Americans to war.

President Johnson, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara and Secretary of State Dean Rusk decide to send troops to Vietnam in March 1965. Undersecretary of State George Ball- “once

on the tiger’s back, we cannot be sure of picking the place to dismount”

Vietcong attack an American base: Pleiku. 8 Americans dead. US air strikes that would last for 3 years.

Drastically increases military presence: 1965: 3,500 Marines.

Then 50,000 Then 184,000

By 1968: ½ million

The Vietnam Draft The Vietnam Draft Draft –

1965, first soldiers arrived in Vietnam

Four months later, # of young men drafted DOUBLED to 35,000 a month to meet the demand for new soldiers

Many tried to get a “deferment” (postponement of their service) by enrolling in college

•Men inducted by year:•1970: 162,746 •1971: 94,092 •1972 : 49,514 •1973 : 646 •The draft ended on July 1, 1973•American Forces fighting with the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnamese Army)

General William Westmoreland: Commander of American forces in South Vietnam

Understanding the LotteriesDrawing determined the order men would be drafted; gov’t started with men who turned 20 in the year of the draft

Birthdates and “priority” numbers were drawn in combination (randomly)

These numbers determined who would get an induction notice and what order

Ex: If the date April 22 and the number 42 was drawn, then men turning 20 years old on April 22 of the current year would be the 42nd group to receive induction notices (have to report for physical/psychological evaluations)

1st since 1942 held on Dec 1, 1969 Sept 14th = #1

When a man was found fit, he had 10 days to file a claim for exemption, postponement or deferment

An estimated 70,000 American men fled to Canada to evade the draft or as deserters.  Overall, an estimated 60% of potentially eligible men escaped the draft in the Vietnam years, mostly by qualifying for exemptions of many different kinds.

Jungle Jungle WarfareWarfare

Using hit and run ambush tactics the Vietcong attacked U.S. in the cities and countryside of Vietnam.

Vietcong far weaker than US but used Knowledge of land. (Sound familiar?!?!?!?)

Enemy lived among civilians- could not tell friend from foe.

Tunnel system allows them to withstand airstrikes and hide.

Disassembled and reused U.S. mines.

War of War of Attrition Attrition

1965: Nguyen Cao Ky takes power in South Vietnam. Stops Buddhist protests.

Not democratic but stable.

“Hearts and Minds” Campaign: American strategy to keep the

Vietcong from winning the support of South Vietnam’s rural population.

Get the people on your side- Vietcong will have no place to hide.

Search and Destroy Missions: Locate enemy stronghold. Helicopters would spray with

machine gunfire. Land and troops fan out. Goal: kill as many Vietcong as

possible. Destroys villages in the

process. “We had to destroy the town

to save it. “ Trying to get Vietcong to

surrender.

New Weapons New Weapons Americans had latest weapons and well trained.

Napalm: jellylike substance that burst into flames, sticking to people’s bodies.

Agent Orange: Herbicide dropped on Vietnamese countryside. Huge health side affects for Americans and Vietnamese. 1975: US says never use again unless enemy uses first.

Tet Tet Offensive Offensive

Back Home- opposition to the war is on the rise.

January 31, 1968 Tet: Vietnamese New Year Masterful plan- Villagers and coffins. Attack over 100 towns and cities and 12 air

bases.

Vietcong launch attacks on every major city in South Vietnam. Saigon: Break through the American embassy.

5 Americans killed Hue: Seized the former home of Vietnam's

emperors.

Americans respond quickly. By February 25th we had taken land back.

Turning Point of War: Vietcong lost 32,000 soldiers. U.S./ ARVN lost 3,000 soldiers Military victory for US or not? Realize the resolve of the Vietcong. President Johnson starts to realize this war

might not be one we can win. Shook American resolve to fight.

The Tet The Tet Offensive Offensive

Growing Opposition – Post Tet Growing Opposition – Post Tet

OffensiveOffensive

Media OPENLY criticizes war Walter Cronkite expressed that Johnson had misled

U.S. “That’s it. If I’ve lost Cronkite, I’ve lost America.”

Only 26% of Americans approved handing of war

LBJ Response: Appoints Clark Clifford as new Secretary of

Defense (McNamara) Clifford: war is unwinnable

Removed General Westmoreland as commander of U.S. forces

March 31, 1968: http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=johnson+doesn%2

7t+run+for+re+election&view=detail&mid=A590AE31E86B12C35D66A590AE31E86B12C35D66&first=0&FORM=LKVR

Video Clip – Johnson addresses nation

19681968

January: Tet Offensive

March: LBJ not running for reelection.

April 4: Assassination of Martin Luther

King Jr. 4-8: Worst set of widespread rioting

in almost every major city. 8: Siege of Khe Sanh ends. 23: Columbia Students protest

seizing university buildings.

June Assassination of Robert Kennedy.

August Riots at the Democratic National

Convention in Chicago.

November Nixon elected President.

Promises “Law and Order”

Beatles dominate the airwaves.

Rock n Roll is no longer cheerful!

Election of 1968Election of 1968

VietnamizatiVietnamizationon

Vietnamization: Gradual scaling down of U.S. troops to

allow the ARVN to take over. Establish “peace with honor”- aka

preserve U.S. clout and make it appear like we did not completely mess this thing up!!!!

Nixon begins scaling down troops and in April 1970 150,000 soldiers had left Vietnam.

Bombings in Cambodia start. Bombing Communist bases in

Cambodia along ho Chi Minh Trail. Does not hurt North Vietnamese. Causes chaos in Cambodia.

My Lai My Lai Massacre Massacre

November 1969 U.S. reporter Seymour Hersh reported that on March 16, 1968 a U.S. platoon massacred innocent civilinas in the village of My Lai. Under command of Lieutenant William

Calley Jr. Shot over 200 innocent Vietnamese

on a “search and destroy” mission. Mostly women, children and elderly

War Crimes Trial Troops said they were innocent

because they were “following orders”. “Kill anything that breathed.”-

Direct order 25 army officers charged- Only

Lieutenant Calley was convicted and imprisoned.

Graphic Images on Next Slide!!!!!!

My LaiMy Lai

Peace Peace Talks Talks

Peace talks had started and were dragging along. Take two steps forward and four

backward with bombing campaigns.

North Vietnamese want: US out of Vietnam. South Vietnamese with a new

government including Communist representatives.

Henry Kissinger was talking to North Vietnamese in secret. By September 1972: 60,000

remained. December 1972: Christmas

bombings- 100,000 U.S. bombs dropped over eleven days.

Paris Peace Accords: January 27, 1973

Last American troops left in March.

Allowed 150,000 North Vietnamese troops to remain in the South.

Vietnam Vietnam War not War not over for over for

Everyone Everyone 1974: North Vietnamese launch an attack against South

Vietnamese.

1975: North Vietnamese once again capture Hue. Convoy of Tears:

South Vietnamese troops retreat. Much of army is captured, killed, or desert.

April 29, 1975: North Vietnamese are near Saigon.

1,000 Workers in Saigon still. Americans stage a dramatic helicopter rescue.

American ships rescue thousands of South Vietnamese by sea.

April 30, 1975: North Vietnamese enter Saigon. South Vietnamese surrender. Vietnam united. Saigon: Ho Chi Minh City

Legacy of ‘NamLegacy of ‘Nam War leaves Vietnam and Southeast Asia

in total chaos.

Vietnam Communists in Vietnam imprisoned over

400,000 south Vietnamese in labor camps. 1.5 million flee.

“Boat people”- poor Vietnamese flee- 50,000 perish

Cambodia US Invasion started a civil war. Khmer Rouge- Communist group-

executed professionals and anyone with an education Killed at least 1 million

Cost of Cost of War War

58,000 Americans die in combat. 300,000 Americans are wounded. American paid $200 billion.

War memories lingered on. Veterans suffered from PTSD, effects of chemical

weapons, night terrors, and the constant ridicule from Americans.

Trust in Government ceased to exist. Congress passed the War Powers Act in 1973:

Declared that a President could not send military forces into action for longer than 60 days without congressional approval.

Twenty-sixth Amendment: 1971: Lowered the voting age to 18.

1982: Vietnam War Memorial is built.