Case Study

The Vietnam War

Historical Background

For 2000 years Vietnam struggled to defend their northern border from China

1843: French Intervention To protect French trading

1887: Permanent French occupation (French Indo-China) Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos (LABEL)

Ho Chi Minh

Random background (no notes needed) Returned to Vietnam in 1941 and

founded communist party End of WWII- began campaign to end

French occupation Fought via his guerilla group “Vietminh”

1950- Vietminh winning French went to US for aid US did not send troops, but did send $

By 1954- US financing 80% of French war French defeated in battle of Dien Bein

Phu (LABEL) Cease fire agreed

Ho Chi Minh & Vietminh withdrew to North Vietnam

Non-Vietminh withdrew to south below 17th Parallel (LABEL)

Goal: elections in 1956 for government to rule a newly unified Vietnam

Ngo Dinh Diem

1955: Ngo Dinh Diem (leader of South Vietnam) refused elections US agreed to send Diem aid

Diem did not have support of his people Those sympathetic to communist party

formed Viet Cong guerrilla group

1959- North began to send aid to south via Ho Chi Minh trail (LABEL)

Civil war in south intensified as Diem’s government revealed to be corrupt

1963- Diem ousted and assassinated At this time 40% South Vietnam

controlled by Viet Cong America had already committed to help

& used policy of containment to support action

Gulf of Tonkin

1964 LBJ USS Maddox & USS Turner Joy Gulf of Tonkin resolution

“gave the president power to conduct military operations in Southeast Asia without declaring war”

1965- American began sending troops to help support failing South Vietnam

1967- half a million American troops in South Vietnam

Estimated that US spent $120 billion on Vietnam AND lost 58 000 troops

1968- Tet Offensive (see next slide) 1969- Nixon began pulling troops,

continued to give aid 1973- last American troops came home 1975- North Vietnam captures Saigon,

and North and South Vietnam are reunified (city renamed Ho Chi Minh)

Why is Vietnam so controversial? Fighting in unknown country, fighting

unconventional opponents (guerrilla warfare)

American morale low when they weren’t winning & they were fighting for a corrupt regime

My Lai Massacre (1968) MEDIA- protesting Racist draft laws