Vietnam War Chapter 22 Section 1

Beginning French Indochina War 1950 France = trying to gain control back in Vietnam after WWII America Supports France Massive economic aide France ruled Vietnam Laos Cambodia Restricted freedom of speech = jailed nationalists Beginning

Vietnam Ho Chi Minh Vietminh Revolutionaries fled to China Created the Indochinese Communist Party Returned home to fight Japanese during WWII Vietminh Organization who wanted independence Vietnam

France Battle Vietminh France not giving up Ho Chi Minh fights from the North Truman send $15 million to France Next 4 years U.S. pays for much of the war = $1 Billion France Battle Vietminh

Drive out the French 17th parallel Battle of Dien Vien Phu French forced to surrender - May 1954 Countries meet to decide the fate of Vietnam Peace agreement Geneva Accords Temporarily divide Vietnam 17th parallel Ho Chi Minh controlled the north = Capital Hanoi Ngo Dinh Diem controlled the south = Capital Saigon Elections to be held 1956 to reunite the country Drive out the French

U.S. Steps In Ho Chi Minh winning support from the North US aides South Vietnam Ho Chi Minh winning support from the North Land redistributing to Peasants National Hero Diem refused to take part in 1956 elections that would unite country Not holding up his part of bargain Corrupt government Suppressed opposition Angered Buddhists = restricted practices U.S. Steps In

Cont. 1957 Vietcong Communist opposition group in the South Attack Diem’s government Assassinating thousands Supported by Ho Chi Minh Supplying arms Ho Chi Minh Trail Cont.

Kennedy Kennedy increases aide Diem’s popularity plummets Troops sent to train the South 1963 = 16,000 Diem’s popularity plummets Corruption Moved villagers Attacks intensified on Buddhism Killed 100+ Destroyed temples Monks burn themselves in protest November 1, 1963 U.S. supported military coup Diem assassinated Kennedy

Johnson Kennedy was going to withdraw Johnson escalates U.S. role in the war Diem’s death brings more chaos Unstable Vietcong’s influence grows in the South Johnson

Tonkin Gulf Resolution August 2, 1964 American destroyer fired upon by North Vietnamese USS Maddox Returned fire 2 days later reported more enemy torpedoes U.S. destroyers began firing Johnson retaliates Launching bombing strikes on North Vietnam Tonkin Gulf Resolution Gave Johnson broad military powers in Vietnam Blank Check Operation Rolling Thunder 1965 = 50,000 Tonkin Gulf Resolution Johnson doesn’t tell Congress or American people the U.S. doing secret raids against North Vietnamese

U.S. Escalation March 1965 – Johnson sent American ground troops 1965 – 180,000 troops in Vietnam General William Westmoreland – American Commander Army of the Republic of Vietnam Poorly trained Requested more soldiers 1967 – 500,000 troops U.S. Escalation

Vietcong IN AMERICA Fit in with general population U.S. drops napalm Extensive tunnel network Booby traps mines U.S. drops napalm Gasoline based bomb Agent Orange Leaf killing toxic chemical es Vietcong

Early War at Home Loss of soldier morale South Vietnam government corrupt War costly Johnson’s “Great Society” suffers Inflation ris Credibility Gap The difference between what was really happening and what Johnson reported Early War at Home

A Nation Divided Draft Manipulated Medical exemptions College deferment Join National Guard or Coast Guard 80% of soldiers from lower income levels http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-p5X1FjyD_g A Nation Divided

Minorities in Vietnam African-Americans Women 20% of deaths 10% of population Racial tensions amongst troops Defense Department institutes draft lottery system Women 10,000 serving Mostly nurses 1,000’s more volunteer Red Cross United Services Organization (USO) Minorities in Vietnam

New LEFT 1960 – Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) Founded by Tom Hayden and Al Haber 1964 – Free Speech Movement University of California, Berkley 1. Groups said corporations and large government institutions had taken over America 2. America had become a ‘machine’ of nation’s faceless powerful business and government institutions Growing youth movement demanding change in… *participatory democracy *greater individual freedom New LEFT

Protest Movement Emerges College Campuses Marches on Washington Thought Vietnam a Civil War Small percentage of veterans protest Doves –strongly opposed the war Hawks – supported war w/massive military strength December 1967 – 70% of Americans believed war protests were “acts of disloyalty” Protest Movement Emerges http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntLsElbW9Xo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5WJJVSE_BE