Vietnam War

Chapter 22

Leading to war…

• French influence in Vietnam– Area had been a French colony for over 100 years (1940

Japanese gained control of Vietnam until French reclaimed in 1945)

– Exploited the land and people for their own gain (rubber, rice)

– Growing unrest among the Vietnamese people in the early 1900’s

– After WWII the French sought to reestablish control– U.S. supported France in their struggle for control of

Vietnam from the Vietminh (org. by Ho Chi Minh - communist)

» $15 million in aid from the U.S.» U.S. didn’t want communism to spread

Division

• Geneva Accords– Divided Vietnam

along the 17th parallel

– Ho Chi Minh and the communists controlled the northern part (Hanoi – capital)

– Nationalists controlled the south (Saigon – capital)

– Ngo Diuh Diem – president of South Vietnam

• Kennedy: feared appearing to “soft” on communists, so he aligned himself heavily with the South Vietnamese nationalists, 16,000 troops were sent; however, toward the end of his life he intended to remove troops

• Johnson: escalated U.S. involvement

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

• August 1964, N. Vietnamese patrol launched a torpedo at the USS Maddox

• The Maddox returned fire and hit the patrol boat• Two days later the Maddox and another destroyer were

in the Gulf and claimed to have been fired upon.• As a result, Johnson ordered bombing strikes on N.

Vietnam which the congress supported, hence the Tonkin Resolution (Aug. 7)

• Impact: This gave Pres. Johnson broad military powers in Vietnam which leads to increased involvement, military buildup and participation in Vietnam by America

Escalation

• Johnson started sending large #’s of troops

• March 1965 – troops were sent by the tens of thousands

• 1965 poll: 61% of Americans agreed with the war

• End of 65 – Over 180,000 troops were in Vietnam

Guerilla Warfare

• Vietcong:

– Inferior weapons so…– Use of ambush techniques

(hit and run)– Good knowledge of their

terrain– Difficult for U.S. troops/S.

Vietnamese to determine who the enemy was

– Used tunnels to evade air strikes and to surprise U.S. troops

– Used land mines

Weapons of War

• Napalm – gasoline based bomb (U.S.)

• Agent Orange – leaf killing toxic chemical to destroy villages, blamed for causing cancer (U.S.)

• Grenades

• Flame throwers – to flush Vietcong out of tunnels

• F4b jets

A country divided…

• Draft used (as the popularity for the war decreased many men tried to avoid the draft) (Common excuses: college, medical)

• Low troop morale• Protests were held across the country,

especially among college students• Music was a large forum for anti-war

messages…• http://www.powermediaplus.com/player.asp?

mediaID=38512&segmentID=214130

The Tet Offensive

• The Vietcong used the New Year’s holiday and the week-long truce to smuggle people and weapons into South Vietnam

• They attacked 100+ towns,12 U.S. bases and the U.S. Embassy in Saigon

• Lasted for over a month until controlled was regained by the South Vietnamese and U.S. forces

• This turned even more Americans against the war.• Convinced many Americans that the war was not

winnable.• http://www.powermediaplus.com/streaming/

downloadLocallyVideo.asp?videoID=38512&segmentID=214129

Death of another Kennedy

• Bobby Kennedy was shot June 5, 1968

• He was the front runner for the democratic nomination for president.

• He was killed by Sirhan Sirhan who was a Palestinian sympathizer

• Richard Nixon, the republican candidate, is elected as president

Nixon and the beginning of the end…

• U.S. troop withdrawal was slow and took over 3 yrs.

• Vietnamization – – Plan initiated by Henry

Kissinger, Sec. of State

– Gradual withdrawal of U.S. troops

– Increased role of the South Vietnamese in the conflict

– U.S. troops went from 500,000 to 25,000 in three years

My Lai

• Lieutenant William Calley Jr. ordered the massacre of over 200 in a northern South Vietnam village.

• He had been searching for Vietcong, but when unable to find any, he ordered all to be killed

• Most were elderly, women and children

Kent State Massacre

• Student protest, May 1970

• Students burned down the ROTC building

• Mayor called in the National Guard– Shots were fired on the crowd of protesters who were

throwing rocks at them– Four killed, nine wounded– Demonstrated the divided nature of the country

U.S. withdrawal…

• Nixon agrees to end U.S. involvement in Vietnam, March 29, 1973

• North Vietnamese led a full scale invasion in March of 1975

• South Vietnam appealed to the U.S. for help; however, the U.S. would only send aid, not troops

• South Vietnam fell to North Vietnam

Musical Expression

• Songs of Protest– Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, The Doors, Crosby Stills & Nash, Buffalo

Springfield, Edwin Stacy, Charlie Daniels Band and many others

The Doors – The Unknown Soldiers

Wait until the war is over And we're both a little older The unknown soldier

Breakfast where the news is read Television children fed Unborn living, living, dead Bullet strikes the helmet's head

And it's all over For the unknown soldier It's all over For the unknown soldier

Make a grave for the unknown soldier Nestled in your hollow shoulder The unknown soldier

Breakfast where the news is read Television children fed Bullet strikes the helmet's head

Bob Dylan – Blowin’ in the Wind

How many roads must a man walk downBefore you call him a man?Yes, 'n' how many seas must a white dove sailBefore she sleeps in the sand?Yes, 'n' how many times must the cannon balls flyBefore they're forever banned?The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,The answer is blowin' in the wind.

How many times must a man look upBefore he can see the sky?Yes, 'n' how many ears must one man haveBefore he can hear people cry?Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take till he knowsThat too many people have died?The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,The answer is blowin' in the wind.

How many years can a mountain existBefore it's washed to the sea?Yes, 'n' how many years can some people existBefore they're allowed to be free?Yes, 'n' how many times can a man turn his head,Pretending he just doesn't see?The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,The answer is blowin' in the wind.

Crosby, Stills and Nash - OhioTin soldiers and Nixon coming,

We're finally on our own.This summer I hear the drumming,Four dead in Ohio.

Gotta get down to itSoldiers are cutting us downShould have been done long ago.What if you knew herAnd found her dead on the groundHow can you run when you know?

Gotta get down to itSoldiers are cutting us downShould have been done long ago.What if you knew herAnd found her dead on the groundHow can you run when you know?

Tin soldiers and Nixon coming,We're finally on our own.This summer I hear the drumming,Four dead in Ohio.

http://music.yahoo.com/track/1126368

Edwin Starr - WarOhhh, war, I despise

Because it means destructionOf innocent lives

War means tearsTo thousands of mothers eyesWhen their sons go to fightAnd lose their lives

I said, war, huhGood God, y'allWhat is it good forAbsolutely nothingWar, it ain't nothingBut a heartbreakerWar, friend only to the undertakerOoooh, warIt's an enemy to all mankindThe point of war blows my mindWar has caused unrestWithin the younger generationInduction then destructionWho wants to dieAaaaah, war-huhGood God y'allWhat is it good forAbsolutely nothing

http://music.yahoo.com/track/1433269