BELLWORK 4/13 1.In one paragraph, summarize US involvement in
Vietnam throughout the presidencies of Eisenhower, Kennedy,
Johnson, and Nixon. (Include their main view/policy) 2.Describe
Operation Rolling Thunder. 3.What was the purpose of using chemical
weapons like Agent Orange and Napalm?
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President Johnson and General Westmoreland believed the only
way to combat guerilla warfare was through the use of heavy
artillery
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Operation Rolling Thunder Goals: 1.Increase morale in South
Vietnam 2.Stop NV from aiding Viet Cong 3.Destroy NV transport,
industry, air 4.Increase flow of supplies into SV
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Agent Orange Extremely toxic herbicide Purpose was to defoliate
dense forest and rural areas that protected the Viet Cong Cause
peasants to flee into urban areas (controlled by US)
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Vietnamese called them children of the dust U.S. Department of
Defense statement (1970): "The care and welfare of these
unfortunate children has never been, and is not now, considered an
area of government responsibility
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Napalm Thickening or gelling agent mixed with gasoline
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Tet Offensive On January 30, 1968, Communist forces launched a
major surprise attack on civilian & military targets in South
Vietnam. The first day of the Vietnamese New Year, or Tet. Within
24 hours, 84,000 Communist soldiers had stormed more than 100 South
Vietnamese cities and towns, 12 U.S. military bases, and the U.S.
Embassy in Saigon. U.S. and South Vietnamese forces eventually
retook most of the targets, but it destroyed the cities and
landscape of South Vietnam.
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Tet Offensive Aftermath U.S. killed 33,000 VietCong 1,100 U.S.
troops killed 2,300 South Vietnamese troops killed 12,500
Vietnamese citizens killed More than 1 million Vietnamese became
refugees. Dozens of South Vietnamese towns and villages lay in
ruins. One army officer said: We had to destroy the town to save
it. Considered the turning point of the Vietnam War because it
showed that no place in South Vietnam not even the U.S. Embassy,
was safe from attack. It shattered American confidence and raised
doubts about Johnsons policies in Vietnam.
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My Lai Massacre March 16, 1968 US troops kill around 500
unarmed civilians including men, women, children, infants 26 US
soldiers were charged with crimes but only one was found guilty
(served 3 years house arrest)
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Vietnam Protest Slogans Hey, Hey LBJ, how many kids will you
kill today? One, two theyll kill you; three, four stop the war;
five, six piss on Nix Make love, not war I dont give a damn for
Uncle Sam, I aint going to Vietnam Eighteen today, dead tomorrow,
dont make us live this constant sorrow Stop the war, feed the poor
Give peace a chance!
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20 th Century Battlefields: Vietnam
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BELLWORK 4/16 1.Why did President Nixon expand the Vietnam War
into Cambodia? 2.Why did it take so long to establish a peace
negotiation in Vietnam? 3.What were the terms of the Paris Peace
Treaty? 4.THINKER: To what extent was containment successful in
Vietnam?
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Vietcong Underground Tunnels
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War spreads to Cambodia In 1970, Nixon authorized the invasion
of Cambodia in order to clear out Communist camps.
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Paris Peace Treaty Evident that neither side would back down
Peace with honor! In January 1973, the U.S, South Vietnam, North
Vietnam and the Viet Cong signed a peace agreement in Paris. The
provisions of the agreement were: 1.The U.S. would withdraw from
Vietnam within 60 days. 2.All prisoners of war would be released.
3.All parties would end military activities in Laos and Cambodia.
4.The 17 th parallel would continue to divide North and South
Vietnam.
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End of Vietnam War After the U.S. left Vietnam in 1973, the
south and north continued to fight for two more years. The Vietnam
War officially ended in 1975 when the whole country of Vietnam fell
to communism. Cambodia and Laos also fell to communism in
1975..why? To what extent was containment successful in
Vietnam?
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Containment in Asia Communism spreads to Cambodia
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What happened to Cambodia? Khmer Rouge: Communist party of
Cambodia Formed in 1968 as a faction of the Peoples Army of North
Vietnam Ruled from 1975-1978 Led by Pol Pot
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Rule of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge Attempts at agricultural
reform led to widespread famine Forced evacuation of urban
populations (New People) in an attempt to create agricultural
communism (Old People) Insisted on absolute self-sufficiency =
complete isolation Severe restrictions on individual rights
(religion, privacy, communication, etc.) Mass executions of
dissenters, intellectuals, foreigners or New People led to the
Cambodian Genocide. Maintained support through social
engineering
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Crimes Against Humanity The Khmer Rouge arrested, tortured, and
executed anyone suspected of belonging to several categories of
supposed "enemies: Connections to former or foreign governments
Professionals & Intellectuals (In practice, this included
everyone with an education) Artists, musicians, writers Catholics,
Muslims, Buddhists Ethnic Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai populations
Economic Saboteurs: former urban populations Death toll is
estimated between 1.4M-3.2M
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Fall of Khmer Rouge By December 1978, due to several years of
border conflict and the flood of refugees, relations between
Cambodia and Vietnam collapsed Vietnamese forces invaded and
captured the capital, Phnom Phen, in January 1979 (left) During
period of Sino-Soviet tensions: USSR supported Vietnam & China
supported Cambodia Occupation and fighting continued until a
provisional government was established in 1996 Pol Pot died in
1998
