The Vietnam War. BACKGROUND FRENCH INDOCHINABECOMING INDEPENDENT Before WW2 France ruled most of...

The Vietnam War

BACKGROUND

FRENCH INDOCHINA BECOMING INDEPENDENT

• Before WW2 France ruled most of Indochina (Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam).

• After Japan lost the war, France tried to take control of Vietnam again.

• The French lost the war against Nationalists led by Dien Bien Phu..

1954 Geneva Agreement

1954 Geneva Agreement

1) Cease-fire

1954 Geneva Agreement

1) Cease-fire

2) French troops to withdraw.

1954 Geneva Agreement

1) Cease-fire

2) French troops to withdraw.

3) Vietnam divided into North and South Vietnam at the 17th Parallel (demilitarised zone between the two).

The North was Communist (led by Ho Chi Minh); the South democratic (led by Ngo Dinh

Diem).

1954 Geneva Agreement

1) Cease-fire

2) French troops to withdraw.

3) Vietnam divided into North and South Vietnam at the 17th Parallel (demilitarised zone between the two).

1954 Geneva Agreement

1) Cease-fire

2) French troops to withdraw.

3) Vietnam divided into North and South Vietnam at the 17th Parallel (demilitarised zone between the two).

4) Laos and Cambodia = independent states.

1954 Geneva Agreement

1) Cease-fire

2) French troops to withdraw.

3) Vietnam divided into North and South Vietnam at the 17th Parallel (demilitarised zone between the two).

4) Laos and Cambodia = independent states.

5) National elections to be held in two years (by July 1956) throughout Indochina

This never happened. On 16th

July 1956, Diem made the

announcement not to call the election.

1954 Geneva Agreement

1) Cease-fire

2) French troops to withdraw.

3) Vietnam divided into North and South Vietnam at the 17th Parallel (demilitarised zone between the two).

4) Laos and Cambodia = independent states.

5) National elections to be held in two years (by July 1956) throughout Indochina

6) No foreign bases

President Eisenhower did not respect this as

he sent American troops in to replace the French.

1954 Geneva Agreement

1) Cease-fire

2) French troops to withdraw.

3) Vietnam divided into North and South Vietnam at the 17th Parallel (demilitarised zone between the two).

4) Laos and Cambodia = independent states.

5) National elections to be held in two years (by July 1956) throughout Indochina

6) No foreign bases

7) Freedom of movement between the North and South Vietnam for 300 days.

Resulted in fluxes of refugees moving

north and (mostly) south.

North vs South

North vs South

A combination of communist

camaraderie and Vietminh nationalism

ensured that the people were devoted to Ho Chi Minh, and in return, Ho looked

after the people.

North vs South

Diem never had a true connection with the people, nor did he seek to cater for their needs, or act in the best interests of

the population.

A combination of communist

camaraderie and Vietminh nationalism

ensured that the people were devoted to Ho Chi Minh, and in return, Ho looked

after the people.

Who were the Vietcong?

Who were the Vietcong?

The communist guerrilla force of

the National Liberation Front

Who were the Vietcong?

The communist guerrilla force of

the National Liberation Front

They were backed by the USSR and

China

Who were the Vietcong?

The communist guerrilla force of

the National Liberation Front

They were backed by the USSR and

China

They had the support of the peasants of

South Vietnam as they treated

them well

Who were the Vietcong?

The communist guerrilla force of

the National Liberation Front

They were backed by the USSR and

China

They had the support of the peasants of

South Vietnam as they treated

them well

They included South

Vietnamese opponents of the government and

Communist North Vietnamese

Who were the Vietcong?

The communist guerrilla force of

the National Liberation Front

They were backed by the USSR and

China

They had the support of the peasants of

South Vietnam as they treated

them well

They included South

Vietnamese opponents of the government and

Communist North Vietnamese

Took orders from Ho Chi Minh

Why did the USA get involved in the Vietnam

War?

Why did the USA get involved in the Vietnam

War?

1 minute to write down as many reasons you can think of

Fear of Communism

Truman doctrine and “Containment”

1949 Soviet Union 1st atomic bomb test

1949 China becomes Communist

French lose their colony

Domino Theory

Ngo Dinh Diem was disliked

The NLF were set up

President John. F. Kennedy

President Johnson

The Gulf of Tonkin Incident

TacticsWith such advanced

weaponry used by the American troops, it was

presumed the war would be short.

Why did the Americans find it

so difficult to defeat the Vietcong?

Tactic What was it?

Impact?

Operation Rolling Thunder

Search and Destroy

Agent Orange

Napalm

American tactics

Tactic What was it?

Impact?

Operation Rolling Thunder

Search and Destroy

Agent Orange

Napalm

American tactics

Complete the chart given to you. Your

textbook does not give detail about the impact of the tactics so write

what you think would be the consequences of using such tactics.

OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER

The Americans attempted to force the

Vietnamese to surrender through Operation Rolling

Thunder. These were bombing raids on

Vietnamese towns, intended to destroy

morale.

SEARCH & DESTROY

In the attempt to find the Viet Cong fighters, the US launched an operation called Search and Destroy : they searched Vietnamese villages for Viet Cong fighters and, if they suspected there were any there, destroyed the village.

SEARCH & DESTROY

This often led to deaths of innocent civilians including women and children. The missions made ordinary people hate the Americans: as one marine said of a search and destroy mission – “If they weren’t Viet Cong before we got there, they sure as hell were by the time we left”. The Viet Cong often helped the villager’s re-build their homes and bury their dead.

AGENT ORANGE

The thick forest was a real problem for the Americans, because this was how the Viet Cong hid. Determined to find the Viet Cong bases and supply routes, the Americans sprayed a chemical called Agent Orange onto the forests from aeroplanes. It killed the trees, so that the Americans could find their enemy.

AGENT ORANGE

But the chemical caused much more harm than this. It

killed crops, causing people to go hungry. It also

caused birth defects in children born to people who

were exposed to the chemical.

NAPALM

When the Americans suspected that they had found a Viet Cong base, they would drop Napalm on the site. Napalm was a

very flammable fluid, that would burn through almost anything.

NAPALM

It often hit civilians.

Viet Cong tactics

Tactic What was it?

Impact?

Booby Traps

Tunnel System

Ho Chi Minh Trail

Giap

Giap developed a strategy for

defeating superior opponents.

This was not to simply outmanoeuvre them in

the field but to undermine their resolve by inflicting

demoralizing political defeats through bold and

unexpected tactics.

He was always prepared to take a gamble,

irrespective of the cost in lives.

BOOBY TRAPS

Booby traps are an example of a Viet Cong tactic. For example, the Viet Cong would place trip wires or dig holes filled with spikes, sometimes coated in human excrement, and then would cover the hole with leaves to deceive the enemy. Markers like broken sticks would be left on the path to warn fellow Viet Cong about the locations.

TUNNELS

Tunnels were used by Viet Cong guerrillas as hiding spots during combat, as well as serving as communication and supply routes, hospitals, food and weapon caches and living quarters for numerous guerrilla fighters. This frustrated Americans who could not locate the tunnels.

THE HO CHI MINH TRAILThe Ho Chi Minh Trail was a network of paths that served as hidden route through the jungle for Viet Cong soldiers and Vietnamese Civilians. The Viet Cong used it to move troops, weapons and other supplies into and around the country without being detected by the Americans. The Americans constantly tried to find the trail, but it was too well hidden and frequently changed. It was essential in allowing the north Vietnamese to beat the Americans.

Other problems...

The main form of transportation for the Vietcong was either by foot or by bicycle. This made it impossible for the Americans to cut off supplies from Russia and China as the Vietcong could always find a way through regardless of how much the Ho Chi Minh trail was bombed.

Other problems...

Helmet: very hot

Uniform: rots in heat

Backpack: 90lbs/41kg

Rifle: jams as soon as it contacts water

Other problems...

“The Americans had created a vast military base from end to end of the country, with its own barbed-wire-encrusted towns and villages....wholly divorced from those of the Vietnamese people outside the perimeters.”

Max Hastings, British Journalist

Other problems...

The average age of soldiers was 19. Many had been forced to join the war (or face a five-year prison sentence). Most did not understand why they were fighting the war and had no real desire to fight the Vietcong.

Other problems...

Some soldiers even blew up their own officers when out on patrol. They would say that the officer had stepped on a booby trap. This was an excuse so they could return to base without having to fight.

Other problems...

VIETCONG OR FARMER OR BOTH???

Why did the Vietnam War become increasingly unpopular?

War in your living room

War in your living room

Vietnam was the first televised war. It was televised by TV

networks who were allowed to film what they wished.

War in your living room

Vietnam was the first televised war. It was televised by TV

networks who were allowed to film what they wished. For the American

viewers, what they saw did not always

match up to what their government told

them.

War in your living room

Vietnam was the first televised war. It was televised by TV

networks who were allowed to film what they wished. For the American

viewers, what they saw did not always

match up to what their government told

them.They started to question whether they really were “the good guys”.

What the people saw..

5 August 1965

A GI sets fire to a peasant's home while the villagers stood by and begged for mercy.

What the people saw...

What people saw...

What people were told...

At the beginning of 1968, the American people were told that the Viet Cong had been badly damaged by the aerial bombing and that they were on the brink of collapse…

What people were told...

At the beginning of 1968, the American people were told that the Viet Cong had been badly damaged by the aerial bombing and that they were on the brink of collapse…

…then

TET OFFENSIVE

September 1967: the end is near!

Sep 1967: NLF launched attacks on American garrisons.

By the end of 1967, the NLF had lost 90,000 men.

Westmoreland told President Johnson that the end of the war was near: there would be no way that the Viet Cong could replace such numbers.

September 1967: the end is near!

Sep 1967: NLF launched attacks on American garrisons.

By the end of 1967, the NLF had lost 90,000 men.

Westmoreland told President Johnson that the end of the war was near.

Why would he be so

confident?

September 1967: the end is near!

Sep 1967: NLF launched attacks on American garrisons.

By the end of 1967, the NLF had lost 90,000 men.

Westmoreland told President Johnson that the end of the war was near.

There would be no way that the Viet Cong

could replace such numbers.

31st January 1968

Unknown to the Americans, the NLF celebrated the TET New Year festival two days early.

31st Jan 1968: 70,000 members of the NLF launched a surprise attack on over 100 cities and towns.

It was now clear the previous attack on American garrisons was to draw out troops from the cities.

31st January 1968

Unknown to the Americans, the NLF celebrated the TET New Year festival two days early.

31st Jan 1968: 70,000 members of the NLF launched a surprise attack on over 100 cities and towns.

It was now clear the previous attack on American garrisons was to draw out troops from the cities.

Why would this be such a shock to

the American forces?

What an embarrassment!

Success??

In military terms, the Tet Offensive was a success for the Americans:

Killed:

37,000 Viet Cong

2,500 American

HOWEVER....

Success??

In military terms, the Tet Offensive was a success for the Americans:

Killed:

37,000 Viet Cong

2,500 American

HOWEVER....How could it be argued that it

was not a success for the Americans?

Success??

The Tet showed:

The Viet Cong had a huge supply of men and women.

They were more willing to sacrifice themselves for their cause than the American soldiers.

“We can't win”

March, 1968:

The Secretary of Defence tells President Johnson that America can't win the war and he should start thinking about an exit strategy.

My Lai

In 1969, it became known that US troops had massacred 109 civilians. The victims were not of military age so it could not be justified as a “mistake”.

CONTROVERSY

CONSCRIPTION

Excluded students to keep the middle and upper classes happy.

Muhammad Ali refused to join the war and was sentenced 5 years in prison and fined 10,000 dollars.

CONTROVERSY

RISING COSTS

In 1968, the war was costing 66 million dollars a day.

Johnson raised income taxes and cut back on his program to tackle poverty.

CIVIL RIGHTS

In many southern states black people were denied the right to vote yet they were expected to risk their lives in the Vietnam War!

In essence, they were expected to help the Vietnamese gain the democratic rights that they themselves did not have.

CONTROVERSYLOSS OF LIVES

Over 50,000 American soldiers were to lose their lives.

By 1968, 300 were killed each week.

Most people knew someone in the war.

“Vietnam? Where?”

Many people hadn't even heard of Vietnam before the war. It seemed so far away and not worth losing so many lives over.

Anti-war demonstrations

The first march to Washington against the war took place in December, 1964. Only 25,000 people took part but it was still the largest anti-war demonstration in American history.

Numbers

‘Casualties were high. Over 50,000 troops

were to lose their lives. By 1968, 300 were

dying each week. Most Americans knew a

relative or friend who had died.’

‘By 1968 the war was costing $30,000

million each year. This

meant cutbacks at

home on spending on

social reform.’

Bowing out

Johnson admitted he had failed in Vietnam.

He declared he won't be seeking re-election.

He reduced the number of bombing in the North.

North Vietnam agreed to negotiate and peace talks began in Paris 1968.

The talks were not successful.

NIXON

VIETNAMISATION

June 1969: Nixon announces the gradual withdrawal of troops and the passing of responsibility to the government of South Vietnam.

It was feared that the Vietnam War would be lost because the South Vietnamese army would not be strong enough.

It's decided they must reach a peace agreement with North Vietnam to achieve “peace with honour”.

PARIS PEACE TALKS: MADMAN THEORY

Vietnamese were trained by the CIA to infiltrate peasant communities and discover the names of NLF sympathisers. Death Squads were sent in to execute them.

1968 – 1971: an estimated 40,974 members of of the NLF were killed in this way.

PHOENIX PROGRAM

The NLF was able to replace its losses by recruiting from the local population and by arranging for volunteers to be sent from North Vietnam.

"Why are so many soldiers entering our village?"

"Perhaps they are conducting a military operation against the Communists in hiding."

This is part of a comic book prepared and disseminated by U.S. forces in South Vietnam as part of the Phoenix Program.

"Phoenix was a totally illegal program that violated the rules of war.   It cost millions of dollars.  

According to the CIA, 25,000 people were assassinated.   The

Vietnamese say 40,000 were killed.   My sources say the death toll was

close to 250,000."

DID VIETNAMISATION WORK?

South Vietnam were defeated by the Communists.

Communists won control of Cambodia in 1975.

Communists won control in Laos in 1975.

Were the outcomes of the Vietnam war positive or negative?

POSITIVE NEGATIVE

Using the information in your textbook to complete

the chart.

POSITIVE NEGATIVEA cease-fire agreement was signed in 1973 enabling US troops to withdraw.

Encouraged a period of detente.

Improved American relations with the USSR and China.

Arms control negotations: SALT 1

Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles: 1972

Improved trade relations between the superpowers.

Improved relations between the two German states.

South Vietnam lost the war.

Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia became communist.

55,000 American soldiers died.

Billions of dollars spent.

Americans lost their confidence as the leading nation.