Goal 11Part 6

Vietnam and American Involvement

1965-1973 (75)

Ho Chi Minh and Vietnam

-COMMUNIST / Revolutionary leader of VietnamDuring WWII – Ho Chi Minh revolutionizes Vietnam

and formed the VIETMINH = Main Goal – Win independence from foreign rule!Success – Japan lost in WWII – Vietnam is FREE (Ho Chi Minh takes over)

Vietnam

U.S. Involvementin Vietnam Vietnam foreign Policy / Cold War

CONTAINMENT (Control Communism)

Eisenhower (1952 -1960)issued his idea of the DOMINO THEORY (1953) – countries on the brink of communism were like a row of dominos waiting to fall!

Geneva Accords

1954 – Allies meet in Geneva, Switzerland to come Up with peace agreementGeneva Accords – a temporary division of Vietnam on the 17th parallel (containment)North – Ho Chi Minh (Com)South – Ngo Dinh Diem (Dem)

*Elections were supposed to be held in 1954*Diem called them off – he knew he would lose to the

communist

Vietcong

1957, a Communist group in South VietnamHo Chi Minh LOVES this!!!!

- Ho Chi Minh TrailHo Chi Minh starts to send resources to the Vietcong along pathways via Laos & Cambodia (neighboring countries)

Purpose: help spread Communism

Problems with Diem(South Vietnam Leader)

Persecuted Buddhist *(attack on Religion is Democracy) Repressive Tactics with his people 1961 – American Coup assassinated Diem(Purpose: creates stability for South Vietnam)Coup D’etat: a sudden overthrow of a government in order

to replace it

Lyndon B. Johnson Takes Over ****Tonkin Gulf Resolution**

1964 – Pres. Lyndon B. JohnsonStory: North Vietnamese boat torpedoes

American destroyer, U.S.S. Maddox(patrolling the Gulf of Tonkin in North Vietnam) –

Torpedo missed and America FIRES BACK causing a lot of damage

Days later, a “supposed” attack from North Vietnam on the Maddox again!

* President LBJ was prompted to launch an attack on North Vietnam / LBJ asked Congress and its on!

Tonkin Gulf Resolution

YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS!!!!!!!!!Congress agrees to support Johnson and the Vietnam WarA declaration of war on North Vietnam /

*Gave LBJ “broad” military powers in Vietnam*(these are limited powers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

***********Operation Rolling Thunder******************

VERY FIRST operation “attack” on North VietnamAfter Tonkin Gulf Resolution

Fighting in the Jungle

2 New “CHEMICAL” weapons used in Vietnam / Search and Destroy MissionsNapalm – a gasoline-based bomb

(set fire to jungle)

Agent Orange – leaf-killing toxic chemical

(3rd generation children – still affected today)

*Search-And-Destroy Missions*

Uprooting civilians suspected with ties

to Vietcong

“destroying the town, to save it”

Most Famous: My Lai Massacre

Great Society Suffers

$ from programs were used to pay for Vietnam / high taxes / high inflation

Living Room War – nickname for Vietnam*******Credibility Gap – growing between LBJ

and American people(LBJ would say one thing, and the American

people would see another)

A Divided Nation

New Left - growing “YOUTH” movement in the 1960s that demanded “sweeping” changes in America (LIBERAL)

Students for a Democratic Society – most famous New Left organization / focused on “proper” democracy in America and greater individual freedom!

(1) HAWKS (predator / anger) – support War in Vietnam(2) DOVES (prey / peace) – supports “Withdrawal” from

VietnamVIETNAM CAUSED MORE “STUDENT PROTESTS” THAN ANY OTHER WAR IN U.S. HISTORY

Tet Offensive (Turning Point in Vietnam)***Tet Offensive - surprise attacks on American Embassy in S. Vietnam (right when we though it was over)Tet Offensive = changed American “public”

opinion more than anything else in the Vietnam War*****

American people are fed up with Lyndon B. Johnson

1968 Presidential Election and America Lyndon B. Johnson DOES NOT run (PRESSURE) Popularity plummeted “Vietnam killed the lady I really loved….the Great

Society”- LBJ

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated by James Earl Ray

Robert KennedyBrother of John F. KennedyA Senator from New YorkStrong hopeful candidate for the PresidencyAssassinated by a Jordanian Immigrant (Sirhan Sirhan)

1968 Assassinations

1968 Presidential Election

Richard M. Nixon (Rep.) WINS Remember: LBJ decides NOT to run!!!!!

Nixon and “VIETNAMIZATION” 1969 – Nixon announced “Vietnamization” – the

“gradual” withdrawal of American troops from Vietnam

WHY? In order to allow South Vietnamese to take amore active role in the war (rebuild their own country)

“Peace with Honor”- Nixon and Henry Kissinger (National Security Advisor)- So…just like any politician…he lied!

Silent Majority

American people who DO NOT

express their opinions publicly

America during Vietnam War– 3 Sections

(1) Hawks

(2) Doves

(3) Silent Majority

My Lai Massacre

– American troops massacred innocent/ UNARMED civilians in the village of My Lai

“Kill anything that breathed”

Victims: 504 deaths

MOST FAMOUS

*Search & Destroy

Mission

Invasion of Cambodia

Nixon announced another invasion Why Cambodia? (Supplied Vietcong) Invasion of CambodiaFirst bombing – Nixon DID NOT tell Congress

Major Domestic reaction:LARGEST STUDENT PROTEST IN AMERICAN HISTORY

- 1,200 closed universities

Violence at Kent State(Caused by the invasion of Cambodia) Kent State

Massive Student Protest /

burnt down the ROTC building National Guard step in National Guard fire live

ammunition into the student

protesters Killed 4, injured 9

Violence at Kent State

26th Amendment

“Voting age is 18” – lowered from 21 to 18 - passed in response to student activism against the Vietnam War

(dividing the country)

Pentagon Papers

Pentagon Papers =

7,000 page document,

By Robert McNamara,

revealed that the American

government NEVER

intended to withdraw troops from

Vietnam!

American Reaction: ANGER toward government (Credibility gap widened)

1972 Presidential Election

Nixon is REELECTED!!!!! March 29, 1973 *The Vietnam War is OVER (U.S. involvement)

Result: North Vietnamese troops STAYED in South Vietnam

North Vietnam was still fighting South Vietnam without American help!

The Fall of Saigon / end of Vietnam War (1975) North Vietnam attacks South Vietnam and S.

Vietnam begs America to send troops (we don’t) but we do send resources!

New President , Gerald Ford, (Took over after Nixon’s Watergate Scandal)

North Vietnamese tanks took Saigon (S. Vietnam) – South Surrenders…Vietnam War in

over Containment didn’t work!

Legacy of Vietnam War

War Powers Act (1973)

- made the president inform Congress within 48 hours of sending forces into hostile areas

****LIMITED “PRESIDENTIAL” POWERS

(Caused by the first bombings of Cambodia)

Vietnam Poster

Create a poster that visually communicates a theme or time period of the Vietnam War

Purpose: To better understand a particular aspect of the war on its impact