The Vietnam War: An Introduction

Mr. Ornstein

Willow Canyon High School

IB: History of the Americas

What Do I Know About Vietnam and the American War in Vietnam???

Write 10 Things You Know About Vietnam and the Vietnam War:

Where is Vietnam???

Southeast Asia

Vietnam is in Southeast Asia

Near Laos, Cambodia. Thailand, and parts of China

Vietnam Facts

83 Million PeopleVery FertileMany ResourcesHot and Wet

Climate

Religion in Vietnam

Most People are Buddhist

Strong Minority of Catholics

Early History of Vietnam

One of Few Asian Countries to Defeat the Mongols at the Time of Kublai and Genghis Khan.

Victim of Chinese ColonialismVietnam and China have not

had a good relationship.

Vietnam and Resistance to Foreign Control

Vietnamese Resistance to the Chinese and Mongols is Typical to the History of Vietnam

Indochina and French Colonialism

Ultimately Vietnam Gained Independence from China

Vietnam's independence ended in the mid-19th century, when the country was colonized by the French Empire.

Vietnam was part of the French Colonial Empire in Southeast Asia/Indochina

France and Vietnam

Exploited Vietnam’s Resources and People

Introduced CatholicismWestern EducationFrench Language and Customs

Vietnam and Imperialism

Vietnamese will Strongly Resist Imperialism from:

China Mongols French Japanese Many American Military and Political Leaders

were Ignorant of this.

WW1/14 Points and Vietnam

At the End of WW1 American President Woodrow Wilson Promised to end Colonialism

A Young Ho Chi Minh Showed Up at Versailles Conference Hoping to Get Vietnamese Independence from France

Nationalism

Pride in your country.Desire for an independent

homeland for your people.

Viet Minh

Founded by Ho Chi Minh

Communist/Nationalist Group that Opposed the French and later Japanese

WWII

At the Start of WW2, Vietnam and Much of Southeast Asia was still controlled by France.

Vietnamese Resistance to France had started to grow.

Ho Chi Minh

Leader of the Viet Minh Wants Independent

Vietnam Opposes French,

Japanese, and Americans

Trains in China and USSR

Helps Rescue Americans during WW2

Communist or Nationalist

Answer:

Who was Ho Chi Minh?What was the Vietnam?What European Country Colonized

Vietnam?Who invaded Vietnam during

WW2?

Vietnam During WW2

Invaded By JapanOSS/CIA Helps Train Viet Minh to

Fight the JapaneseOSS Officials were strong

supporters of Viet Minh and Vietnamese Independence

Declaring Independence: Ho Chi Minh

WW2 Ends and September 2, 1945 Ho Chi Minh Declares Vietnamese Independence

Reads from US Declaration of Independence

Ho Chi Minh: Nationalist???

Some See Ho Chi Minh’s Declaration of Independence as Evidence of Being a Nationalist over Being a Communist and Wanting to Have Relationship with the US

France Wants Indochina Back

France Does Not Recognize Vietnamese Independence

France Reclaims its Colony

What Should the US Do???

Should the United States Support Vietnamese Independence or Help France Regain its Colonial Empire?

Divided American State Department

European Experts in American Government Support Backing France

Asia Experts in American Government Support Backing Ho Chi Minh

Feel he is Nationalist or “Asian Tito”

US Backs France

Truman Administration, Followed by Eisenhower Back the French

Korean War Loss of China Idea of Monolithic

Communism

Cold War Strong France Helps

Stop Communism in Western Europe

Containment Ho Chi Minh and Viet

Minh were more Communist than Nationalist

First Indo-China War

1945-1954 France vs. Viet Minh French try to keep

Vietnam, Viet Minh Fight For Independence

70% of French Costs are Paid by US

Dien Bien Phu

1954Final Defeat of

the French by the Vietnamese

French Surrender and Lose Indochina

1954 Geneva Conference

End Hostilities Between French and Vietnamese

Temporarily Divided Vietnam at 17th Parallel until French Leave.

Elections in 1956

Realities of Geneva Conference

Dominated By Soviets and Chinese America Does not Directly Participate or

Recognize Results. US won’t Negotiate with Communist China.

Americans Know Ho Chi Minh and Communists Will Easily Win Unification Election

If Vietnam Goes Communist…

Failure of ContainmentDomino TheoryFear of Monolithic Communist Alliance

of China, Vietnam, and USSR

South Vietnam

Instead of Support Geneva Agreement and Allowing Unification Elections and Communist Victory the United States Supports the Creation of Non-Communist South Vietnam

American War in Vietnam is fought to keep South Vietnam Non-Communist

John F. Kennedy and Vietnam

Views Vietnam as Important to Cold War like Truman and IKE

Begins Escalation of Troops

Overall Picture unsure due to assassination

South Vietnam

JFK Believed the Best Way to Stop Communists in Vietnam was to Build South Vietnam into a Nation

Ngo Dinh Diem

First Leader of South Vietnam

Nationalist but strongly anti-Communist

Catholic

Ngo Dinh Diem

Strong Support from Eisenhower and Kennedy

Massive Military and Financial Aid from US Brutal to Communists Upsets Buddhist Majority Brother and Sister in Law are unpopular Administration is very corrupt

Assassination of Diem

Assassinated in November 1963 Kennedy either knew of plot and ignored it or

supported it. South Vietnamese Government Would Never

Be Stable Increased American Involvement in South

Vietnam’s Internal Affairs

Some Stats

When IKE Left Office Less than 1,000 US Soldiers in Vietnam.

At Time of Kennedy Assassination over 16,000 Soldiers in Vietnam

1969- 543,000 Many of the Soldiers under JFK were Special

Forces and under Johnson Regular Ground Troops will be introduced.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

North Vietnamese “Attack” on Two US Ships in the Gulf of Tonkin is Johnson’s Excused to Get Congressional Approval for Major Escalation in Vietnam.

Some Terms

Hanoi-Refers to North Vietnamese Government

NVA-North Vietnamese Army VC/Charlie-Viet Cong-Communist Rebels in

South Vietnam ARVN-South Vietnamese Army POW-Prisoner of War MIA-Missing in Action

Must Read

Fallen Angels-Walter Dean Meyers

Fields of Fire and Lost Soldiers by James Webb

Rumor of War-Phil Caputo

Faith of my Fathers-McCain

Who Did America Fight in Vietnam?

Viet CongNorth Vietnamese ArmyHeavily Supplied from USSR via

China

Johnson and Limited War

Johnson is Afraid of Conflict Spreading to involve USSR and China.

Strict Rules of Engagement Limited Targets for US Troops and Air

Strikes Areas of North Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos

North Vietnamese Communists Can Attack, Move Supplies From and Retreat and American Troops Can Not Go

North Vietnam

North Vietnam wants a unified and Communist Vietnam

Want Americans OutOne Vietnam

Early American Support for War in Vietnam

Americans Initially Supported War in Vietnam

Hit Song-”The Green Berets”Public is Told Troops will be home

soon and war is almost over

The Television War

Vietnam is First War Heavily Covered by TV News.

American Public See Daily Images of Casualties

Public Begins to Turn Against the War

Escalation

Johnson Attempts to Limit the War while at the Same Time Constantly Increasing the Number of Soldiers in Vietnam

Over 500,000 by 1969

Johnson and Negotiation

LBJ would attempt negotiation at the same time he would scale back offensive operations in Vietnam

North Vietnamese Take Advantage Of This

Tet

Tết, is the most important holiday in Vietnam. It is the Vietnamese New Year Tet is the most popular festival in Vietnam.

1968 Cease Fire

Tet Offensive

1968 Viet Cong Attack Every

Major US Base in South Vietnam

North Vietnamese Army Takes City of Hue and kills many inhabitants

US Embassy Compound in Saigon is attacked

Effects of Tet

Major Military Victory for the USViet Cong DevastatedAmerican Media Turns Against WarAmerican Public Turns Against WarPolitical and Psychological Victory for

North VietnamPresident Johnson Will Not Seek

Reelection

American Anti-War Movement

Strong Anti-War Movement in the United States

Becomes Stronger After 1968War Divides American

Population

Richard Nixon

Elected in 1968Claims to Have A Secret Plan to

End the Vietnam War

Cambodia

Was NeutralViet Cong and North Vietnamese

Would Use Cambodia as a SanctuaryUS Troops Could Not EnterCambodian Government is Powerless

to Prevent Communists From EnteringBad History between Vietnam and

Cambodia

Nixon and Cambodia

Supports Coup That Puts Strong Anti-Communist Government in Charge

Secret Bombing and Invasion of Cambodia

Expands Conflict

Public Opinion, Vietnam, and Cambodia

War is IllegalPublic is Outraged at

Expansion of ConflictMassive Protests

Cambodia

Bombing and Invasion Fails to Make Significant Difference in War

Cambodian Communists Go Deeper into Cambodia

Vietnamese Were Using Cambodia to attack to kill Americans

Nixon and Ending Vietnam War

Uses Combination of Increased Bombing of North Vietnam and Secret Negotiations

Diplomacy with China and USSR

Ending the War/Vietnamization

Vietnamization-Nixon’s PlanTurn the War over the war South

VietnameseTrain and Equip South Vietnamese

to Fight the NorthUS Troops WithdrawLast US Troops Leave by 1973

South Vietnam Betrayed???

South Vietnam is Promised that the US Would Send Troops, Money, and Supplies if North Vietnamese Launch Massive Attack

Nixon Resigns due to WatergateCongress and American People Do Not

Support the Idea of Further Involvement

1975

North Vietnam Takes Over South Vietnam

US Does not PreventVietnam is UnifiedVietnam is All Communist

Results of Vietnam War

60,000 Americans KilledUS reluctant to use military powerAmerican public is dividedAmericans don’t trust governmentVietnam is CommunistCambodia Falls to Communist

Results in Cambodia

Khmer Rouge/Cambodian Communist Take Power

Pol Pot is Leader Killing Fields-Genocide of 1/3 of Cambodian

Population by killed. Vietnam Invades and Occupies Cambodia to

defeat Khmer Rouge.

Ticket Out the Door

How was Tet a Turning Point in the Vietnam War?

How did TV affect people’s view of the Vietnam War?

What country did President Nixon Expand the Vietnam War Into?

Which US President is associated with escalating the number of US troops in Vietnam?

What year did the last US Troops leave Vietnam?

Vietnam and China

1979 War Between Vietnam and China China improved relations with US after Nixon’s Visit Vietnam Moved Closer to USSR China Supports Khmer Rouge and is upset that

Vietnam Defeats. China attempts to invade Vietnam to “teach lesson” Chinese leave after 1 month Vietnamese Put up much stronger fight than the

Chinese expected