Chapter19: The Vietnam War

19.1: Going to War in Vietnam

The United States tries to control the spread of communism in Vietnam

A. American Involvement in Vietnam

1. Rulers of Vietnam

a. before WWII?

France

b. during WWII?

Japan

c. after WWII?

i. Ho Chi Minh/North

ii. Ngo Dinh Diem/South

2. In w/Ho Chi Minh

a. communist leader of Northern Vietnam

b. What did he want?Independence for Vietnam

c. Who were the Vietminh?Northern Communist Vietnamese who wanted independence

d. How does he relate to containment?He was supported by SU and China

3. France vs. Vietminh

a. France reclaims Vietnam after WWII (1946)

b. Why should the U.S. help?i. fighting against communism

ii. Fall of China’s & Korea

iii. Truman decides to aid France

c. 1950-1954: U.S. spends $2.6 billion supporting France = domino theory…

VS.

d. Domino Theory (Pres. Eisenhower’s)

If Vietnam fell to communism others would follow, so the U.S. must help.

4. Defeat at Dien Bien Phu

a. Vietminh defeat French at Dien Bien Phu post (1954) -guerilla tactics used

b. July 1954:Geneva Accords (peace agreement) = temporary divide at 17th parallel

c. Diem, southern leader, agreed to countrywide elections for 1956 – never happens

5. French out = U.S. Stepping In

1. elections cancelled

2. Ho Chi Minh supported by the people

3. Diem corrupt & suppressed opposition

4. Repressed Buddhist practices; he’s Catholic

Ngo Dinh Diem (South V.)

Nationalist

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B. America Becomes Involved in Vietnam

1. Vietcong:• South Vietnamese

communists organize after cancelled elections

• begin to kill SV gov’t officials

• Eisenhower sends in military advisers to train SV army

2. Kennedy and Vietnam

a. 1960: supports Diem

b. Diem continues with corruption

c. Nationalist Vietnamese executes Diem/JFK assassinated (’63)

d. LBJ now president and does not want to appear “soft” on communism

e. Strategic Hamlets

i. plan to protect SV from communist by relocating them

ii. Made things worse for Diem

3. Pres. Johnson expands the conflict

a. Gulf Tonkin Incident

i. US naval ships fired upon

ii. Second attack unclear if it happened

iii. US spying on NV

3. Pres. Johnson expands the conflict

b. Tonkin Gulf Resolution (1964): Granted Johnson military powers in Vietnam without officially declaring war

c. Operation Rolling Thunder (’65)

i. First prolonged bombing of North Vietnam

ii. Attempt to avoid sending in troops

d. First combat troops sent in

C. A Bloody Stalemate1. Tricks of the Vietcong

a. Guerilla tactics: irregular warfare such as hit and run and ambush tactics

b. Hiding within civilian population

c. Booby traps/land mines

d. Terrain and tunnels

Vietcong Tunnels

2. “Search and Destroy”US Strategies

a. War of Attrition: wearing down the enemy by continuous harassment; progress measured by the # dead

b. Body count

c. Napalm/agent orange

d. Search and destroy missions

Agent Orange

Napalm(gasoline-base bomb) attack

                                               

http://www.digitaljournalist.org/issue0008/main_pages/images/NG33a.jpg

                                             

                      

3. Ho Chi Minh Traila. SU and China

supplied N. Vietnam

b. No full-scale invasion of NV; US concerned China will enter war