Module 16: The Vietnam War 1959 - 1976 Lesson 1: Moving Toward Conflict Lesson 2: U.S. Involvement and Escalation Lesson 3: A Nation Divided Lesson 4: 1968: A Tumultuous Year Lesson 5: The End of the War and Its Legacy
Vietnam: Background to the Conflict Vietnam was always ruled by someone else French take over Indochina in 1800s Vietnamese resistance to French Ho Chi Minh led guerilla forces Vietminh organized in 1941 Declared independence after WWII 1945 French move back to control Indochina 1946
Moving Toward Conflict: US Involvement US Supports French: Needs French cooperation in Cold War Fearful of Ho Chi Minh (communist) 1949 China falls to communism 1950 fight communists in Korea Could Vietnam be the next “domino?”
US Slowly Gets Involved Vietminh continues war against French Guerrilla tactics French lost big battle at Dien Bien Phu 1954 France leaves Vietnam Geneva Conference 1954 Divides Vietnam along 17th Parallel Plans for elections to unite Vietnam 1956 US refuses to support the agreement: instead, US… Supports South Vietnamese government Give aid to Ng Dinh Diem
Rebellion in South Vietnam Late 1950s to the early 1960s National Liberation Front: Vietcong (Viet Minh) Communist North Vietnam aids rebellion through Ho Chi Minh Trail US involvement deepens Pres. Kennedy sends advisors backing the corrupt regime of Ngo Dinh Diem
The War Escalates Role of President Kennedy Dilemma Try to contain communism BUT Do not get US caught in major war US “advisors” from 900 to 16,000 in 1960 Problem: Advisors get shot at, they shoot Rebellion in South Vietnam gets worse THUS McNamara advises more troops
President Johnson Same dilemma as Kennedy Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964)=President can send as many troops to Vietnam as he wants WITHOUT a declaration of war Draft 1965=More than 2 million serve Rolling Thunder=Air attacks 1965 Massive “search and destroy” missions Guerilla conflict intensifies
US Involvement and Escalation Pres. Johnson increases US involvement: CONTAINMENT POLICY Roles of Robert McNamara, Dean Rusk, Gen. William Westmoreland Nature of guerrilla warfare Jungle fighting and an elusive enemy Guerrilla tactics: hit and run, sabotage, ambushes, can’t tell who enemy is War of attrition Psychological nature of war for “hearts and minds” US tactics NOT appropriate for guerrilla warfare
US Escalation (by the numbers) March 1965: 27,000 US military personnel April, 1965: 50,000 July, 1965: additional 100,000 troops sent to Vietnam December, 1965: total of 443,000 US personnel requested January, 1966: total requested raised to 459,000 August, 1966: total requested raised to 542,000 By 1967, over 600,000 US troops in Vietnam But it is OK, “we are winning!”
Major Problems at Home By 1967, 16,000 American dead Role of television in the press “Hawks” v. “Doves” Credibility gap=Truth v. What we were told Anti-War movement/tied to civil rights Critics in Congress=Fulbright Hearings 1966 Morale Drops-US soldiers/civilians Johnson’s domestic programs (The Great Society) suffer
A Nation Divided Many young men resist the draft Extreme burden on African-American soldiers Growth of political opposition to the war The New Left: tied to the youth rebellion of the 1960s Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) The Free Speech Movement at Berkeley Growth of the anti-war protest movement Even turmoil in Johnson’s administration Hawks v. Doves
1968: A Tumultuous Year: A Turning Point Tet Offensive (January 1968)—major communist offensive hope to bring down South Vietnamese government General William Westmoreland said offensive was a major defeat for the communists HOWEVERA major political defeat for US US confidence shaken No part of S.V. safe Criticism of war intensifies LBJ denies request for more troops
Election of 1968 LBJ shocks nation—won’t run! Democratic Candidates were anti-war R. Kennedy, E. McCarthy, H. Humphrey Nation was in a “mess” Kennedy assassinated Dem. Convention in Chicago—riots Re-emergence of Richard Nixon (Rep)
The End of the War and Its Legacy: Nixon Wins Claims he had a plan for Vietnam Role of Henry Kissinger-”Vietnamization” Turn war over to S. Vietnam Gradual US withdrawal (Peace with Honor) US troops withdrawals tied to negotiations Secretly expand war to Cambodia Increases bombing of North Vietnam Major protests in US Kent State 1970
Trouble Continues at Home Americans split on war: protestors v. “silent majority” My Lai Massacre Invasion of Cambodia and Laos Kent State, May 4, 1970 The Pentagon Papers: Daniel Ellsberg
The War Ends Nixon re-elected 1972 Cease-Fire: October 1972: Kissinger Law and order candidate Still working on plan to get US out of Vietnam 26th Amendment: Voting age from 21 to 18 Cease-Fire: October 1972: Kissinger Cease fire Foreign troops out of Vietnam End of US military aid New government in S. Vietnam with current president and Viet Cong US rejects agreement/North Vietnam protests
So… Nixon ordered continuous bombing of Vietnam (40,000 tons in 2 weeks) Did not shake North Vietnam Bombing ended and US resumed talks New cease fire: January 1973same basic issues as before but now with a POW exchange BUT-no word on future of South Vietnam US begins withdrawal 1973 South Vietnamese government collapses in 1975
Major Effects of War 185,000 S. Vietnamese soldiers/500,000 civilians 1 million VC and NVA 1 million orphans and disabled Countless refugees 58,000 US dead/over 300,000 wounded, POW MIA
Major Effects of the War, cont’d… Major impact on/reaction by America against war Blame soldiers and veterans Hard time for soldiers: Jobs, morale, drug abuse, guilt Severe health issues: Agent Orange, PTSD War Powers Act by Congress 1973 $150 billion in US tax dollars: Debt, inflation Yet, eventually the Vietnam Veterans Memorial designed by Maya Ying Lin—dedicated 1982
Video Links Black Sabbath: War Pigs HD War Footage Battle for Hue https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTzT9mIf1Tc&t=137s HD War Footage https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyfxHmg7b1s Battle for Hue https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ia_3oeUE84k Anti War Protests https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVNUlOUlMeo 1968 Democratic Convention: Chicago https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUKzSsVmnpY