VIETNAM CONFLICT AMERICAS LONGEST WAR Roots of War French Indochina created in the 19 th century out of the old kingdoms of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Japanese Occupation During WWII opposition to Japanese rule was led by the Viet Minh (Vietnamese League for Independence) -Nationalists led by Ho Chi Minh -the US secretly helped the Nationalists during the war Vietnamese Independence September 2, 1945 Ho Chi Minh declared a Democratic Republic of Vietnam Free State of Vietnam In 1946, the French government recognized Hos new government as a free state within the colonial union. When Ho opposed the French addition of other regimes in the South, war broke out between the French and the nationalists. American Support: A 1948 State Department report concluded The US had an immediate and vital interest in supporting the French government in order to further our aims in Europe, and that goal must take precedence over active steps looking toward the realization of our objectives in Indochina French Defeat The Viet Minh movement becomes dominated by Ho Chi Minh and his communist associates and dependent on China and the Soviet Union. After the conclusion of the Korean War, American aid increases significantly. In 1953, the US is funding 2/3s of the war effort. Dien Bein Phu The French requested American air strikes to relieve the pressure. When the British wouldnt sign on, Eisenhower withdraws his support: tragic error to go in alone as a partner of France Geneva Accords July 21, 1945 Representatives of France, Britain, China and the Viet Minh Final Declaration: *divide Vietnam along the 17 th parallel *Viet Minh would take power in the North *French would remain in the South until the 1956 elections *American and South Vietnamese representatives refused to join in the accords or sign the final declaration. The US responds to growing Communist concerns in Indochina by forming SEATO on September 8, 1954 Diem Takes Power in the South Ngo Dinh Diem, a catholic nationalist, who opposed by the Viet Minh and the French took control in the South. Eisenhower offered to assist Diem in creating a strong and viable state capable of resisting attempted subversion. In return, Diem agreed to make democratic changes. Instead of reforms, Diem: -permitted widespread corruption-allowed no land reform -refused to join in the elections The Vietcong form by 1957 to attack Diems regime and also, form the National Liberation Front; its own political arm KennedyKennedy and Vietnam Kennedy continued the pattern of escalation established by Truman Eisenhower. While refusing to send combat personnel, Kennedy increased the number of advisors, from 2,000 to more than 16,000 while in office. USs main role was to train and support the ARVN in the war against the Viet Cong and the NVA. Deepening Involvement Truman Eisenhower Kennedy Johnson $ $$ Advisors Special Forces Advisors Marines Combat Troops Tonkin Gulf Incident On August 2 and 4, 1964 North Vietnamese patrol boats attacked two destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin. Tonkin Gulf Resolution The resolution gave President Johnson great latitude to carry out the war in Vietnam as he saw fit. The Tonkin Gulf Resolution led to the American militarization of the conflict. Six months after, the US began Operation Rolling Thunder, a the sustained bombing of North Vietnam to stop the flow of men and materials into the South Resolution passed unanimously in the House and with only 2 dissenting votes in the Senate. Escalation Combat Strategy Free Fire Zones Search and Destroy Body Counts Bombing Napalm Agent Orange Operation Phoenix Strategic Hamlets Turning Point Tet Offensive A holiday truce had been reached with the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army. On January 31, 1968 the truce was broken. Military Defeat for the North Vietnamese If Ive lost Cronkite; Ive lost middle America -LBJCronkite Psychological defeat for the US Johnsons popularity dipped to 35% $322,000 per enemy killed Nixon and Vietnam Richard Nixon promised America a different course of action in Vietnam. Nixons special assistant on security affairs, Henry Kissinger, claimed to have a secret plan for peace with honor. Nixons Strategy: 1. continue with the Paris Peace talks 2. Vietnamization 3. secret expansion of the war 20,000 men would die after Nixon takes office. The Draft 1-A Ready for immediate induction. (no deferment) 1-Y Qualified for military service only in time of national emergency (classification eliminated 10-Dec-1971) 2-S Student deferment (temporary delay) 3-A Extreme hardship to dependents 4-F Unqualified for military service (exemption) Draft Classifications Draft had remained in effect since WWII. In 1969, in response to criticisms, the Selective Service Agency created a lottery system for the draft. Reinstitution of the lottery was a change from the "draft the oldest man first" method, which had been the determining method for deciding order of call. A total of 1,857,304 men were drafted between August 1964 and February 1973, drawing from the pool of men born on or before 1955. Lottery There were 366 blue plastic capsules containing birth dates placed in a large glass container and drawn by hand to assign order-of-call numbers to all men within the age range specified in Selective Service law.366 blue plastic capsules With radio, film and TV coverage, the capsules were drawn from the container, opened, and the dates inside posted in order. The first capsule - drawn by Congressman Alexander Pirnie (R-NY) of the House Armed Services Committee - contained the date September 14, so all men born on September 14 in any year between 1944 and 1950 were assigned lottery number 1. The drawing continued until all days of the year had been paired with sequence numbers. My Lai March 18, 1968 Members of Charlie Company enter the village of My Lai, under the command of William Calley, as part of a search and destroy mission. 300 women, children and elderly men are killed. The public learns of My Lai in late Lt. Calley is tried, sentenced to life in prison, but released in others were charged with complicity in the murder and coverup. Opposition to the War Grows Nixon dismisses the protests as a few outspoken radicals and claims that the silent majority of Americans support the war. Vietnam Veterans Against the War Winter Soldier Investigation 1971 Kent State May 4, 1970 Pentagon Papers Daniel Ellsberg worked for the State Dept., Marine, Pentagon, RAND Corp. Secretly copied a 7,000 page Department of Defense study history of the United States' political and military involvement in the Vietnam war from In early 1971, the papers are leaked to Neil Sheehan and the NYT. On June 29 th, the Pentagon Papers are entered in the Congressional Record by Mike Gravel of Alaska What did the Papers reveal? What impact did their publication have? Peace Talks The deteriorating ground war and social divisions at home caused the US to change its position during the Paris Peace Talks. A week before the 1972 election, Kissinger announced peace is at hand. However, Thieu objected to the cease fire and the N. Vietnamese called for Thieus removal, and peace talks broke off on December 16. December 18 Christmas Bombings on Hiaphong and Hanoi. Nixons jugular diplomacy forced the N. Vietnamese back to the table. March 29, 1973 the last combat troops leave Vietnam. Fall of Siagon April 30, 1975 North Vietnam launches a full scale attack on Saigon. We the fall of Saigon, Americas involvement in Vietnam ends. 20 years 58,000 dead $150 billion