Vietnam War

French Vietnam• Vietnam colonized by French in

1700’s…French Indochina• Imposed harsh taxes & limited political

freedoms– No taxation without representation!

• Wanted to fight for their independence from France

Ho Chi Minh• Vietnamese nationalist/patriot & leader• wanted a communist revolution to

combat French colonial imperialism• he organized the Vietminh – the League

for the Independence of Vietnam• during WWII, the Japanese fought the

French out of Indochina Japanese lose WWII Vietnam becomes independent in 1945 (but French insist its still theirs)

Causes of Vietnam War• fear of communism & the Cold War• domino theory

– if Vietnam fell to communism, who would be next

• containment– contain communism to this single country

• internationalism– communism would broaden to neighboring

countries because they share common cultures

Geneva Accords • Geneva Accords – agreement to temporarily

divide Vietnam in 2 parts (North & South)• North = communist; South = western culture

(but not democratic)• Does this work???• President Eisenhower supported S. Vietnam

(even though very unjust leader)

Vietcong

• communist guerilla forces • supported the National Liberation

Front in South Vietnam• NLF – organization dedicated to end S.

Vietnam’s leader (Diem) rule• Inevitably… CIVIL WAR!• President Kennedy sent more troops

over to Vietnam to fight communism & Vietcong

• Diem killed by military takeover S. Vietnam got worse

The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

• U.S. ships reported a torpedo attack from a N. Vietnam naval ship in the Gulf of Tonkin (on N. Vietnam coast)• President Johnson declared this attack an act of war & increased U.S. involvement in Vietnam• the resolution gave President Johnson the authority to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against U.S. forces

U.S. Military

• Operation Rolling Thunder –air strikes to destroy war industries in N. Vietnam– the Ho Chi Minh Trail (a network of paths that supplied

the Vietcong with weapons)– goal: crush N. Vietnam’s ability to supply Vietcong

war would end– dropped napalm & chemical poisons to burn the trail,

which went through the jungle forest

• tactic: More bombs, more napalm, more air raids• Search & Destroy Missions

– find enemy camps & demolish them

American War Effort• TV & media shaped public

opinion– saw images of the war &

casualties– changed people’s minds from

pro war to anti-war– Martin Luther King Jr. =

antiwar (focus on home problems)

• College kids voice their opinion & protest the draft

Tet Offensive• Tet – Vietnamese New Year; N. Vietnamese

& Vietcong attacked American forces• this surprise attack shocked Americans &

weakened public confidence in the government’s conduct of the war; however, more troops were sent

• … we were losing the war• this event resulted in the increase

of American opposition to the war

Vietnamization

• President Nixon’s plan to gradually turn over all of the fighting to the South Vietnamese Army & pull out

• U.S. would continue to provide supplies & training to S. Vietnam

• Nixon threatened nuclear war, but it did nothing

• N. Vietnamese determined to unite all of Vietnam

Consequences of War• 1 million N. Vietnamese soldiers dead• 185,000 S Vietnamese soldiers dead• 500,000 Vietnamese civilians dead• Laos & Cambodia became communist countries

(neighbors to Vietnam)• 60,000 American soldiers dead• Led to American’s eyes being opened to govt.

deception– War Powers Act

Legislation passed because of Vietnam

• 26th amendment• War Powers Act

of 1973

26th Amendment

• lowered the federal voting age from 21 to 18

• if you’re old enough to fight, you’re old enough to vote

War Powers Act of 1973

• required U.S. President to get congressional approval before committing U.S. troops to an armed struggle (i.e. Iraq); limits President’s power

• this gave Congress increased responsibility for setting U.S. war policy

SUMMARY

• QUIZ TIME• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgW0o-Ui94k

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R3fD-tl6xg

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2IcmLkuhG0

• 1. What nation took control of Vietnam in the 1700s and then again after WWII?

• 2. Name the leader of the Communist Revolution in Vietnam.

• 3. What was the U.S. foreign policy towards communism?

• 4. Name the guerilla group that rebelled against Diem’s regime.

• 5. Name the “surprise” attack that caused the U.S. to officially enter the Vietnam Conflict.

• 6. What tactic did the U.S. military use to find the enemy and win the war?

• 7. What was the losing day for the U.S. military in Vietnam that was broadcast all over the media?

• 8. What is the process of gradually leaving Vietnam called?

• 9. What law was passed that decreased the voting age to 18?

• 10. Name two presidents who reigned during the Vietnam War.