Vietnam Chapter 20 & 22 review

Issues to Think About Should people who believe the war is wrong be forced to fight? Should people with special skills be exempt? How could a draft be made fair?

Background on Vietnam 1930- Ho Chi Minh creates the Indochinese Communists Party 1940- Ho Chi Minh returns to Vietnam with a goal to gain the countries independence

“If ever the tiger (Vietnam) pauses… the elephant (France) will impale him on his mighty tusks. But the tiger will not pause, and the elephant will die of exhaustion and loss of blood” Ho Chi Mihn; 1945

Domino Theory Once one country falls to communism in an area others will follow

Geneva Accord July 1954- meeting between France, Great Britain, Soviet Union, China and Laos and Cambodia Made a peace treaty which divided Vietnam at the 17th parallel Communist – Ho Chi Mihn controlled the North Anti-communist- Diem controlled the South

Vietnam 1954

Eisenhower & Kennedy Sent more aid to South Vietnam as France pulled out

President Diem Catholic President in a Buddhist majority country Corrupt administration imprisoned & killed Buddhists

Protesting Against Diem

Diem’s Assassination After Diems death South is closer to falling to the northern red commies

A Cold War Heats Up Gulf of Tonkin Incident: USS Maddox 2 American destroyers were “Fired” upon by the North. Gulf of Tonkin Resolutions (August 1964): Congress gave LBJ their support in sending American personnel and materiel NOT DECLARATION OF WAR

Vietcong guerrilla forces in S. Vietnam (the Vietcong) The US was never successful in shutting down the Ho Chi Minh Trail, a supply line that ran between North and South Vietnam

Turning Point Operation Rolling Thunder- 1965 1968 Tet Offensive- surprise attack by Vietcong Vietcong lost 30,000 lives U.S. 3,000

A T.V. War Kim Phuc

Credibility Gap Americans began to believe that LBJ wasn’t telling them the truth about the war in 1968, LBJ chose not to run for president, and Republican Richard M. Nixon was elected on a platform of “Peace with Honor”

Pentagon Papers-1970 the United States wants to show its credibility Stated the U.S. would fight in order to preserve freedom all over the globe. showed that if a nation crossed the United States, it was crazy enough to destroy that nation.

Nixon Ends Vietnam Policy of Vietnamization w/o support of Congress Nixon orders a secret invasion of Cambodia Henry Kissinger- “Peace is at hand” October 1972 March 29, 1973 the last combat troops leave Vietnam

Fall of Saigon After U.S. backed out cease fire agreement collapses March 1975- North launches a full scale attack in the South U.S. sends economic help but no troops April 30th North Vietnamese reach Saigon

America After Vietnam Abolishment of draft War Powers Act- * President must inform Congress within 48 hrs of sending troops into a hostile area w/o declaration of war. * War must be declared in 90 days if troops remain there. American’s will have a distrust of the gov. from this point on. 25th Amendment- Presidential Succession 26Th Amendment- lowered voting age to 18