PRESENTED BY NICHOLAS STUMPSOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER

PANTHER CREEK HIGH SCHOOL

War in Vietnam and Confrontation over Developing

Nations

N O R T H C A R O L I N A S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y G R A D U A T E S T U D E N T , E C I 5 1 7

War In Vietnam

America was adamant about containing communism

The Road to War France controlled most of resource-rich SE Asia But there were nationalist movements beginning in Vietnam

Leader was Ho Chi Minh asked for communist help As Japan ruled during WWII and left after losing, Ho believed

independence was right around the cornerWar Breaks Out

French v. Communist Vietminh French ultimately surrender

Again, “domino theory” comes into play became justification for US foreign policy

Meeting at Geneva to split Vietnam into Northern Communists under Ho Chi Minh and a Southern Anti-communists with the aid of the US and Ngo Dinh Diem

War In Vietnam Vietnam – A Divided Country

Diem was unpopular and Ho became extremely popular with land redistribution US helped Diem with cancellation of elections Communist guerillas, called

the Vietcong, grew in opposition to Diem’s leadership

With US aid, group of S. Vietnamese generals planned a coup to kill and overthrow Diem New leader was just as bad

and it seemed inevitable that a takeover with the backing of North Vietnam and Vietcong was coming

War In Vietnam

The US gets involved US increased involvement b/c of Vietcong scare August 1954 – LBJ, told Congress that N. Vietnamese

patrol boats attacked two American destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin Authorized sending of troops late ’65, >185,000 troops with

no declaration of war By 1968, over 500,000 American troops were in Vietnam

US was the best-equipped, most advanced but faced two major difficulties1. They were fighting a guerrilla war in unfamiliar territory2. S. Vietnamese govt. became more unpopular Vietcong

became more popular Could not win on the ground lets try the air

Massive bombings on farmland and forests to destroy enemy hideout , which strengthened the peasants’ opposition to the S. Vietnamese govt.

War In Vietnam

The US withdraws War became really unpopular in the United States youth

revolts and riots President Nixon called for Vietnamization U.S. troops being

withdrawn gradually and preserve S. Vietnamese govt. Also authorized bombings in neighboring Laos and Cambodia

to wipe out Vietcong hiding places Last forces left Vietnam in 1973

N. Vietnamese overran S. Vietnam b/c they could not hold them off

Renaming of Saigon (former capital of the South) to Ho Chi Minh

Over 1.5 million Vietnamese and 58,000 Americans had died during the war.

Anti-WarDemonstrations

Columbia University, 1967

Anti-War Demonstrations

Anti-War Demonstrations

Anti-War Demonstrations

aMay 4, 1970a4 students shot dead.a11 students wounded

Kent State University

aJackson State UniversityaMay 10, 1970a2 dead; 12 wounded

divided US

Called Middle America, the Silent Majority

Supported Vietnam War

Traditional American values: hard work, family and patriotism

Feared and disliked new styles of music and dress of youth

Called counterculture Hippies, Flower Children

Opposed Vietnam War

Disillusioned with values of money, status, power; emphasized love, individual freedom, cooperation

Music and fashion emphasized movement toward new society, greater freedom

ESTABLISHMENT ANTI-ESTABLISHMENT

grunts 1971Nixon withdraws 100,000 troops.

Defensive role for U.S. ground forces. Offensive attacks by South Vietnamese Army.

Troop Levels:South Vietnamese 1,046,250American 156,800Australian 2,000New Zealand 100South Korea 45,700Philippines 70Thailand 6,000

War In Vietnam

Ongoing Turmoil in Cambodia Remained unstable due to US bombing 1975, Khmer Rouge, Communist rebels, set up brutal

Communist govt. under leader Pol Pot Killed over 2 million people to transform into rural society Overthrown in 1978 1993 became democratic and captured

Pol Pot in 1997 and placed in prison for his war crimesPostwar Vietnam

N. Vietnamese establish “Reeducation camps” for training in Communist thought

B/c of Communist oppression, over 1.5 million refugees Still Communist but welcomes foreign investment, US lifted

trade embargo in 1994 While Cold War superpowers were struggling for control

over Korea and Vietnam, also used economic and diplomatic means to bring other countries under their control.

The Fall of Saigon

South Vietnamese Attempt to Flee the Country

The Fall of Saigon

America Abandons Its Embassy

April 30, 1975

Formerly Saigon

The New Vietnam

The Fall of Saigon

North Vietnamese at the Presidential Palace

Confrontations over Developing Nations

Cold War Strategies US, USSR, and China backed or sponsored wars of

revolution, liberation, or counterrevolution in 3rd World countries

CIA and KGB engaged in a variety of covert activities Assassination attempts, spying

US also provided military aid, built schools, sent volunteer workers USSR sent military and technical assistance to India and Egypt

Association of Nonaligned Nations Some countries wanted to remain neutral Banded together at Bandung Conference primarily India

and Indonesia

Postwar Face-off in L. America

Civil War in Nicaragua US funded Nicaraguan dictatorship of Anastasio

Somoza since 1933. 1979, Communist Sandinista rebels topped dictatorship Both US and USSR initially gave aid to Sandinistas and

their leader, Daniel Ortega Sandinistas also helped rebels in El Salvador but US

helped the El Salvadoran govt. by supporting Nicaraguan anti-communist rebels

This civil war last for over 10 years, severely weakening the economy

1990 Ortega decides to hold free elections and he is then defeated

Postwar Face-Off in L. America

Cuban Revolution 1950’s US supports Cuba’s dictator, Fulgencio Batista A young lawyer, named Fidel Castro led revolution in 1959

Brought many improvements in economy, literacy, health care, and conditions for women

But was a harsh dictator no elections, jailed/executed opponents, censorship

Nationalized Cuba’s economy, taking over sugar mills and refineries Ike placed trade embargo (still stands today)

1960 (Bay of Pigs) JFK and CIA plan invasion to train anti-Castro Cuban exiles yet during invasion JFK refused to send US planes to support it. Forces are defeated and the US looks silly

Postwar Face-off in L. America

Cuban Missile Crisis Khrushchev is now convinced US would not resist Soviet

expansion in L. America July 1962 USSR built 42 secret missile sites yet in October a spy

plane discovered the sites JFK demanded the removal of the missiles and placed a quarantine

on Cuba to prevent anymore building How did Castro react to being used as a tool of the Cold War?

US troops gather in FL to invade Cuba Khrushchev agreed to remove the missiles if US does not invade

Cuba Cuba is now completely dependent on Soviets

Castro back Communist revolutions in L. America and Africa Soviet Union’s end in 1990 crippled Cuba and they are still feeling

the effects today

• This U-2 reconnaissance photo showed concrete evidence of missile assembly in Cuba. Shown here are missile transporters and missile-ready tents where fueling and maintenance took place.Courtesy of

CIA

cuban missile2

• Low altitude view of missile preparation area. The pilot taking this shot flew at an altitude of about 250 feet, and at the speed of sound.

cuban missile2

cuban missile2

Photographed from an RF-101 Voodoo, this view of a Soviet SA-2 (surface-to-air) missile pattern provided additional evidence of the Russian arming of

Cuba.

• The crisis developed as the U.S. demanded the Soviets to dismantle missiles in Cuba or the U.S. would

invade Cuba.

cuban missile2

Adlai Stevenson shows aerial photos of Cuban missiles to the United Nations in November 1962.

cuban missile2

President Kennedy in the Oval Office with General Curtis LeMay and reconnaissance pilots who flew the Cuban

missions. Third from the left is Major Richard Heyser who took the first photos of Cuban missiles.

• U.S. and Soviets prepared for war…..U.S. placed a blockade around Cuba and warned Soviets not to break through the blockade. The

Soviets sent their Naval fleet to protect Cuba.

cuban missile2

•Last minute decision made: Soviets would dismantle missile sites in Cuba in return for U.S.not invading Cuba.

• U.S. would later dismantle missile sites in Turkey…..Not part of original deal.

cuban missile2

• Kennedy and Khruschev both

realized how close they came to nuclear

war.• The “monster” of

nuclear war must never be released.

• Both leaders vowed to better

communicate with one another.

•US and Soviet Union would sign their first

nuclear arms limitation treaty in

1963.

We went eyeball – to – eyeball with the Russians, and the other man blinked.