The Vietnam War Chapter 16

Lecture Focus Question #1: What were the causes and effects of America’s growing involvement in Vietnam?

Background Ho Chi Minh: pro-communism Dien Bien Phu: battle during which the Vietnamese kick out the French

Now What? Geneva Accords 1954 North South Leader: Ho Chi Minh Communist Capital: Hanoi South Leader: Ngo Dinh Diem Pro-American Capital: Saigon

Communist Advances Viet Cong (VC): communist guerrilla fighters in the south Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: gave president (LBJ) authority to escalate U.S. involvement in Vietnam Domino Theory: if one Asian country fell to communism all of them would fall

New Breed of Enemy Formal North Vietnam army (NVA) + new type of enemy → guerrilla fighter Viet Cong (VC): “Charlie” (farmer by day, guerrilla fighter by night) Land mines Booby traps Snipers VC tunnel system Tropical diseases Jungle landscape

U.S. Air War Saturation bombing: dropping of bombs on a concentrated area Destroyed roads and heavy bridges Ho Chi Minh Trail Agent Orange: herbicide used to kill dense jungle landscape Napalm: jellylike substance that burned uncontrollably

Turning Point Tet Offensive: major offensive launched by North Vietnamese on Tet holiday U.S. caught off guard U.S. thought it was about to win war! Psychological victory for North Vietnam “The guerilla wins if he does not lose, the conventional army loses if it does not win.” -- Mao Zedong TV brought brutality of the war home Young men resisted the draft Fled to Canada Burned draft cards in protest

Mai Lai Massacre Reports that 250 VC were hiding in village of Mai Lai U.S. soldiers sent to clear them out Found women, children, and elderly people, but no VC U.S. soldiers brutally killed 400 villagers

Nixon and Kent State 1968: Nixon elected Extended war into Cambodia Vietnam War was primary focus of protest movements in 60s National Guard and Kent State incident

Healing 1973: U.S. troops begin pulling out 1975: S. Vietnam falls to communism 1979: Vietnam Memorial built and began the healing process

Lecture Focus Question #1: What were the causes and effects of America’s growing involvement in Vietnam?