CHAPTER 22The Vietnam War

THE VIETNAM WAR

20 years Five presidents 164 billion dollars 58,132 Americans died/2million Vietnamese 150,000 Americans wounded 21,000 permanently disabled 3 million Americans served (avg. age 19) 100,000 fled U.S. to avoid conflict 830,000 PTSD reports

VIETNAM WAR

U.S. had the latest military technology Could not defeat a poorly equipped

peasant army Why not?? Vietnamese fighting for their

independence Very difficult conditions to fight under

(enemy, weather, terrain, etc)

CAUSES OF VIETNAM WAR

Depends on who you ask……………. Americans—

Cold War Stop spread of communism Domino Theory Political reasons

CAUSES OF VIETNAM WAR

Vietnamese— Imperialism Western greed Resources Desire for independence/self rule Internal Civil War

HISTORY OF VIETNAM

Nearly 2000 years old Imperialized for nearly all its existence China controlled Vietnam for 1,000 years Referred to the area as Indo China

(Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia) 1858 Vietnam occupied by France 1940 Vietnam occupied by Japan 1945 Vietnam reoccupied by France

INDOCHINA

INDOCHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY

Formed in 1930 Leader: Ho Chi Minh

(he who enlightens) Planned for Vietnam’s

independence movement

Group combined with other nationalist groups and became the Vietminh

VIETMINH

Vietnamese Nationalists Determined to gain

independence France had no intention

of giving up its rule Pres. Truman sent 15

million in aid to France Eventually paid for most

of France’s war (2.6 billion) to defeat Vietminh

FRANCE DEFEATED

Dien Bien Phu falls to Vietminh

May, 1954 France surrenders and pulls out of Vietnam

Despite massive U.S. aid

GENEVA ACCORDS

May-July 1954 Meeting in Geneva,

Switzerland France, G.B., S.U.,

U.S., China, Laos, Cambodia, Vietminh, S.V. anti-communists

Agree to temporarily divide Vietnam at 17th parallel until elections held in 1956

DIVISION OF VIETNAM

Communist North Vietnam under Ho Chi Minh (Hanoi Capital)

Anti-Communist South Vietnam under Ngo Dinh Diem (Saigon capital)

Elections to be held in 1956: let the people decide who they want to lead Vietnam

TIME FOR ELECTION

Ho very popular (land reforms)

Diem hated by many (anti-Buddhist)

Very corrupt, oppressive gov’t.

Diem cancels elections in 1956

GUERILLA WARFARE

Vietcong (Communist group formed in South Vietnam)

Teamed up with Vietminh in North Vietnam to fight against Diem’s Army

U.S. assisting Diem (military advisors, financial aid, etc.)

1963: A VERY BAD YEAR

Diem’s army near defeat to communists

Nov. 1, 1963: Diem assassinated (military coup)

Nov. 22, 1963: Kennedy assassinated

JFK said “in the final analysis, it’s their war”

LYNDON JOHNSON’S VIETNAM

Communists close to uniting Vietnam under one rule

LBJ does not want to be perceived as “soft on communism”

Election of 1964 approaching in U.S.

Appoints Gen. William Westmoreland as commander of U.S. forces in S.V.

AM. SOLDIERS COMMITTED TO COMBAT

Gulf of Tonkin Incident

Aug. 2, 1964 LBJ accuses N.V. of

an unprovoked attack on USS Maddock patrolling off coast of Vietnam

“alleged” attacks prompted Johnson to strike back

GULF OF TONKIN RESOLUTION

Aug. 7, 1964: Congress adopts this resolution (close to a declaration of war)

Gave Johnson the power to take “all necessary measures to repeal any armed attack against U.S. forces”

OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER

Feb. 1965: first sustained bombing of N.V.

U.S. air force conducted avg. of 5,500 bombing missions per month

Goal: break N.V. will to fight and force a surrender

THE WAR ESCALATES

June 1965: 50,000 U.S. soldiers in S.V.

Gen. Westmoreland asks for more soldiers to assist S.V. (ARVN)

1965: 61% Ams. Support the war/24% oppose it

Johnson told we could win the war in 2 yrs. Max.

WAR ESCALATES

1967: 500,000 U.S. troops in Vietnam

Death toll at 9,000 Ams.

Johnson pledged that victory is near

Westmoreland’s strategy for defeating Vietcong: destroy their morale. Introduced “body count”

A DIFFICULT WAR TO FIGHT

Guerilla warfare (no front lines) Jungle terrain Landmines, booby traps, underground

tunnels, heat, rain, leeches, secret supply routes

Hit-n-run tactics Difficult to identify the enemy Underestimated the enemy’s resolve to

fight

DIFFICULT CONDITIONS

Vietcong aided by China and Soviet Union

Televised war (little censorship)

High drug use and addiction

Racism among troops

Heavy use of chemicals (agent orange, napalm)

AMERICAN SUPPORT DECLINES

1967: morale low among soldiers

Public support waivers

Credibility gap growing

Active protests on college campuses

Thousands searching for ways to avoid the draft (ages 18-26)

ANTI-WAR PROTESTS

College campus demonstrations increasing

Musicians singing anti-war songs

Burning draft cards Conscientious

Objectors (opposed war on moral or religious grounds)

1968: A TUMULTUOUS YEAR!

Jan. 30, 1968: Tet, the Vietnamese New Year was traditionally celebrated by a cease-fire.

Instead 80,000 NVA + Vietcong launched an attack on key cities in S.V., 12 Am. Bases, & U.S. Embassy.

RESULTS OF TET OFFENSIVE

Four weeks of fighting to regain control of areas in S.V.

Vietcong deaths:32,000

U.S. & ARVN deaths: 3,000

Military victory Psychological defeat

EFFECTS OF TET OFFENSIVE

CREDIBILITY GAP GROWS WALTER CRONKITE

Polls showed a majority of Ams. No longer supported Johnson’s policies in Vietnam

Johnson had 60% disapproval rating

Sect. State McNamara resigned

Media openly criticizing the war now

PRESIDENT JOHNSON’S ANNOUNCEMENT Mar. 31, 1968: “I

shall not seek and I will not accept the nomination of my party for another term of President”

V.P. Hubert Humphrey announces his candidacy for Demo. Party

1968: A VERY BAD YEAR

2 MAJOR ASSASSINATIONS:DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION

April 4: Martin Luther King assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee

June 4: Robert Kennedy, top contender for Presidency in 1968, assassinated in Los Angeles Hotel

DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION 1968

Held in Chicago (Aug) Several democratic

candidates seeking the nomination

10,000 protestors showed up. Wanted democrats to adopt anti-war platform

Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)

Yippies (Youth International Party)

RESULTS OF CHICAGO RIOTS

Riots broke out in Chicago

Mayor of Chicago ordered 12,000 police officers and 5,000 national guardsmen

Images captured made Democrats look bad.

Nixon (Rep.) triumphs from this

ELECTION OF 1968

Hubert Humphrey: Demo. Candidate (V.P. under Johnson)

Richard Nixon: Republican Candidate (V.P. under Eisenhower)

George Wallace: Am. Independent Party (Gov. Alabama) Ran on platform of school segregation and state’s rights

ELECTION OF 1968

ELECTION OF 1968

ELECTION OF 1968

HUBERT HUMPHREY GEORGE WALLACE

ELECTION OF 1968

NIXON’S WAR

Nixon won by 800,000 more votes Promised “an honorable end to the

war” “Peace with Honor” Announces his “Vietnamization Plan”:

gradual withdraw of U.S. troops in order for S.V. army to take control of war

Goal was to maintain dignity in face of withdraw from war

PROTESTS CONTINUE

College campuses continue to protest the war

Nixon hates these protests (hippies)

Appeals to “the silent majority”: moderate, mainstream Americans who quietly supported the president’s strategies.

MY LAI MASSACRE

Nov. 1969 New York Times reported on incident that occurred in March, 1968

Charlie Company (120 men) under Lt. William Calley, Jr. entered small village in northern S.V.

Orders to kill everyone in village (Vietcong rebels)

MY LAI MASSACRE

No signs of Vietcong in village

Carried out the orders and proceeded to kill over 500 villagers (old men, women, children)

Lt. Calley charged and convicted of war crimes (Nixon reduced sentence to 3 yrs. House arrest)