The Vietnam War Divides America & Devastates Vietnam

I. Before Americans Arrive (1954) French and Japanese Imperialism in Vietnam (Late 1800s  1945)

Where is Vietnam?

Ho Chi Minh

Ho Chi Minh (1945): “All men are created equal Ho Chi Minh (1945): “All men are created equal. They are endowed by their Creator with unalienable Rights; among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness…We are convinced that the Allies cannot fail to recognize the right of the Vietnamese people to independence.

B. Vietnamese Independence? Victory Over France at Dien Bien Phu (1954)

The Geneva Peace Accords The Geneva Peace Accords, signed by France and Vietnam in the summer of 1954, provided for the temporary partition of Vietnam at the 17th parallel, with national elections in 1956 to reunify the country. In the North, a communist regime, supported by the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China, set up its headquarters in Hanoi under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh.

II. Early American Interventions (1954-1964) Rationale: Contain Communism

II. Early American Interventions (1954-1964) Action: Puppet Government: Ngo Dinh Diem Postponed Elections

Ngo Dinh Diem

C. Vietnamese Resist American Imperialism

III. The Escalation of War and Protest (1965-1968)

A. The Escalation of War: The Gulf of Tonkin Incident and American Troops (1965)

The U.S.S. Maddox

B. The Escalation of Protest

Dishonest Political Leaders: The Tet Offensive

Treatment of Vietnamese: Napalm & the My Lai Massacre

American Casualties: Students, African-Americans, and the Draft

Ali stated: "War is against the teachings of the Holy Qur'an Ali stated: "War is against the teachings of the Holy Qur'an. I'm not trying to dodge the draft. We are not supposed to take part in no wars unless declared by Allah or The Messenger. We don't take part in Christian wars or wars of any unbelievers." More succinctly and famously he said, "I ain't got no quarrel with them Viet Cong - no Viet Cong ever called me Nigger.

IV. De-Escalation & the Legacy of the Vietnam War

Vietnamization Nixon's secret plan involved a process called “Vietnamization.” This strategy brought American troops home while increasing the air war over North Vietnam and relying more on the South Vietnamese army for ground attacks.

A. The De-Escalation of War: Vietnamization, Troop Reductions, and the End of the Vietnam War (1969-1973)

B. The Legacy 1. Vietnam: Casualties, Communism & Terror (1975-1986), Then Capitalism

Kissinger: "You should also tell the Cambodians that we will be friends with them. They are murderous thugs, but we won't let that stand in our way. We are prepared to improve relations with them."

Longest and Most Unpopular War The Vietnam War was the longest and most unpopular war in American history. During the war: 58,000 Americans lost their lives. The oldest man killed was 62 years old; the youngest, 16. 61% of the men killed were 21 or younger. 304,000 were wounded. 75,000 were severely disabled. The United States spent over $200 billion dollars on the war.

Anti-War Movement

The New Left Radical political movement of the 1960’s and 70’s Mostly comprised of college students Social activists Beliefs Anti- Draft Pro- Civil Rights Anti- Traditional values (family, complacency) Rebelled with sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll Opposed authority (Anti- Establishment) The New Left was the group that would eventually challenge the government about its actions in Vietnam through protests

Anti-War Slogans Common slogans and chants "Hey, hey LBJ, how many kids have you killed today?" The chant "One, two, three, four! We don't want your fucking war!" was chanted repeatedly at demonstrations throughout the U.S. in the late 1960s and early 1970s. "Draft Beer, not boys", "Hell no, we won't go", "Make love, not war", "Eighteen today, dead tomorrow",

and "LBJ – pull out like your old man should have and "LBJ – pull out like your old man should have!" were a few of the anti-war slogans. "Fight the VD, Not the VC!" displayed sentiments to concentrate more on the familiar problem of venereal diseases than the foreign group, the Vietcong. "Love our country", "America, love it or leave it" and "No glory like old glory" are examples of pro-war slogans.

Kent State The National Guard was sent in to maintain order on Kent State’s campus

The National Guard was chased up a hill by angry students Kent State (cont.) The National Guard was chased up a hill by angry students A shocked student grieves over a dead body, shot down by the National Guard