Vietnam War until 1968

Vietnam• Controlled by France until

WW2

– Japan took it during WW2, opposed by the Viet Minh

Viet Minh• Vietnamese Communists who

fought for independence

• In WW2, supported by US & China against Japan

• Founded by Ho Chi Minh

Ho Chi Minh• Vietnamese

Communist Leader

• National hero for fighting for Vietnamese independence

French claims to Vietnam• After WW2, France tried to regain

control of Vietnam• Indochina War

–Viet Minh defeated French in northern city of Dien Bien Phu

Geneva Accords - 1954

• Treaty separated Vietnam into N&S–North – Communist–South – Nationalist

• National election to decide which system for unified Vietnam

Conflict inside Vietnam• SV pres Ngo Dinh Diem feared

communists would win the nationwide election

• Refused to allow the election• US supported him

Ngo regime

• Vietnam – majority Buddhist–Diem was Christian, had laws passed

that restricted Buddhism

Vietcong (VC)• Organization of Communists

living in South Vietnam–Worked to overthrow Diem–Assassinated SV officials

Vietcong (VC)• VC was located in SV

• Communist allies in NV helped• Supply line from N to S nicknamed

“Ho Chi Minh Trail”

JFK & Vietnam• At first, supported Diem’s rule

– Didn’t want to look “soft on communism” so supported strongest anticommunist

• Then, Diem’s oppression of the people got worse

Diem & Buddhism• Diem began imprisoning & killing

Buddhist monks

• Some protested by committing ritual suicide

JFK & Vietnam• US public horrified by repression of

Buddhists in SV

• JFK approved a US / SV coup to overthrow Diem –Diem was assassinated in the coup

Gulf of Tonkin• US Navy was on patrol in the Gulf

of Tonkin area

• NV shot torpedoes at USS Maddox

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

• Congress gave LBJ power to expand military presence in Vietnam

• US began bombing targets in north

• War escalated

US gets involved• Most in US supported involvement in

Vietnam at first–Containment doctrine–1965: 61%

• LBJ’s top advisors urged him to number of US troops

Troop buildup• Gen William Westmoreland wanted

more US troops– Said US troops would fight better than US-

trained S Vietnamese• Reported battlefield success to

convince them to add troops• Credibility Gap – public eventually

didn’t trust reports

Gen. William Westmoreland

Troop buildup• Number of US soldiers in Vietnam

–Mid-1964 16,000–End of 1965 180,000–1967 500,000

Fighting in the jungle• US had superior weapons, but

jungle was very tough to fight in–Provided cover for VC guerilla tactics–Elaborate tunnel systems allowed for

escape and/or resupply–VC could blend into villages

Fighting in the jungle• US had superior weapons, but

jungle was very tough to fight in–No front line of advance – attacks

were hit and run everywhere–Booby traps & land mines–Jungle weather–Ridiculous insects

War of attrition• Gradually wear your enemy down

& destroy morale until they quit–Gen Westmoreland’s main strategy

• Didn’t work at all – Vietcong were way too committed to their cause

War on rural Vietnamese• Had to keep S Vietnamese from

joining Vietcong cause

• Very difficult because US had to destroy the jungle to win–To fight out in the open–Angered the locals

Getting rid of jungle• US used Napalm and Agent Orange

to destroy the jungle

Napalm

Napalm

Agent Orange

Agent Orange

Morale of US soldiers• US military strategies caused morale

of troops to drop–No end in sight–Many became alcoholics & drug addicts–Draftees were drag on morale

War at home• Impact on LBJ’s Great Society

programs for the poor–High cost of war = massive debts–$ that would have gone to help poor

went to war–Gov had to raise taxes also

How the Draft always worked

• Since WWI:• All men register when they turn 18

• Anyone not excluded (usu medical reasons) between 18-26 serves

How Vietnam War Draft worked

• People got out of it:–Med exemptions (many were bogus)–National Guard–Coast Guard–College deferment

• Most people who avoided service were wealthy & white

African Americans & Vietnam

• 10% of total population of USA• 20% of Vietnam deaths

• MLK spoke about “cruel irony”–Fighting for others’ freedom & equality

when they didn’t have it themselves