Chapter 22 The Vietnam War years State Standards 11.9.3, 11.9.4

Moving Toward Conflict From late 1800s until WWII, France ruled most of Indochina (Vietnam, Laos, & Cambodia) Many revolutionaries fled to China 1940 WWII Japanese take control of Vietnam 1941, Vietminh created by Ho Chi Minh Organization whose goal was to win independence from foreign rule 1945, French regain southern half

America supports French in French Indochina War (1950) Provided French with economic & military support ($15 million) Vietnamese peasants protest harsh treatment by French President Eisenhower continued supplying French aid (nearly $1 billion)

LBJ’s Domino Theory – idea that if a nation falls under communist control, nearby nations will also fall 1954, French forced to surrender at Dien Bien Phu France, Great Britain, Soviet Union, U.S., China, Laos and Cambobia met in Geneva, Switzerland Geneva Accords – peace agreement that temporary divided Vietnam along the 17th parallel.

Election to unite Vietnam Postponed by Ngo Dinh Diem with support from U.S. North Vietnam (Communist) Ho Chi Minh South Vietnam (Anti-Communist) Ngo Dinh Diem Supported by Eisenhower’s administration However, was corrupt and did not redistribute land to peasants, and prohibited Buddhism

Supported by Ho Chi Minh 1957 Vietcong (National Liberation Front) communist opposition group in South began attacks on Diem Gov. Supported by Ho Chi Minh Supplied troops and arms along a network of paths called the Ho Chi Minh trail Outside the borders of Vietnam

Diem attacked Buddhist killing hundreds U.S. urges Diem to stop! November 1, 1963 U.S. supported coup topples Diem’s regimes Diem assassinated against Kennedy’s will South Vietnam brought under more chaos as a string of military leaders attempt to lead the country More unstable than previous goverment. (Kennedy dies few weeks later…)

August 2, 1964 – North Vietnamese patrol boat fires torpedo at two American destroyers LBJ escalates conflict Asked Congress for powers to take “all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the U.S. and to prevent further aggression”

Tonkin Gulf Resolution Granted Johnson broad military powers Johnson send additional soldiers to Vietnam NOT a declaration of war! LBJ uses his new powers on February 1965, Operation Rolling Thunder First sustained bombing of North Vietnam June, 50,000+ U.S. troops in Vietnam End of 1965, 180,000 Americans in Vietnam 1967 - 500,000 Americans in Vietnam

General William Westmoreland Commander of U.S. forces in South Vietnam Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) – South Vietnamese Army Plan – destroy their morale through war of attrition – gradual wearing down of the enemy by continuous harassment. Track body count of Vietcong

elusive enemy with surprise attacks U.S. underestimated Vietcong Believed war was military struggle Vietcong believed war was a battle for their existence Vietcong used Guerrilla warfare elusive enemy with surprise attacks Tunnels in jungle Civilians in village Booby traps and mines U.S, tried to expose Vietcong tunnels

Military Strategies Napalm – gasoline-based bomb set fire to jungles Agent Orange – leaf-killing toxic chemical Search and Destroy missions – uprooting civilians with suspected ties to Vietcong Killed their livestock, & burned villages War of attrition – gradual wearing down of the enemy by continuous harassment “Communist guerillas hide among the people, if you win the people over to your side, the communist have no place to hide” U.S. most advanced weaponry

LBJ’s Great Society suffers $6 billion reduction in funding to support the war Economy begins to suffer Inflation rate tripled by 1969 Becomes living-room war 1967, Americans split over support LBJ’s administration started to quote “body counts” Hoped to persuade Americans that Vietcong were going to surrender. Critics concerned with “credibility gap”

Chapter 22 The Vietnam War years State Standards 11.9.3, 11.9.4

Fulbright Hearings (1966-1971) – U.S. Senate hearings on Vietnam "The war is not going well. The situation is worse than reported in the press and worse, I believe, than indicated in intelligence reports." "If there is a God, and he is very kind to us, and given a million men, and five years, and a miracle in making the South Vietnamese people like us, we stand an outside chance of a stalemate." Added to Americans dislike of the Vietnam War

Draft 18 to 26 called up to military service Exemption Medical reasons College deferment Draft lottery system (1969) Women in Vietnam 10,000 women served (mostly as nurse) Others volunteered for Red Cross or USO

African Americans in Vietnam 20% of combat deaths (only 10% of troops) MLK called war “cruel irony, black Americans dying for a country that still treated them as second-class citizens” Racial tensions in platoons led to low troop morale

Opposition to war New Left – youth movement, demanded changes Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) – called for restoration of “participatory democracy” & greater individual freedom Free Speech Movement (FSM) – focused criticism on “American Machine” the faceless & powerful business and government institutions. Led to campus Activism

Teach-ins 1965, March on Washington by 20,000 protestors LBJ changes student deferment Required to be in good academic standing Led to protest Youth oppose war because War was a Vietnamese civil war South Vietnamese government no better than Communist Can’t police world – war draining U.S. War unjust

Draft resistance 200,000 accused of draft offenses 4,000 imprisoned 10,000 Americans fled country (Canada) Doves – strongly opposed to war Hawks – strongly supported war 1967, Robert McNamara resigns as Defense Secretary

2 assassinations (JFK & MLK), urban riots, campus protests A Tumultuous Year 2 assassinations (JFK & MLK), urban riots, campus protests 1968- Numerous Vietcong and North Vietnamese Army attacks Stunned Americans-led them to turn against the war Tet Offensive January 30 –week long truce (Vietnamese equivalent of New Year’s Eve) Beginning of the lunar new year festivities known as Tet Celebrations and funerals held (firecrackers, flutes, coffins) Vietcong sneak weapons in coffins and launch attack on South cities and American airbases (100+ towns) Month of fighting before U.S. and South regained control Vietcong lost 32,000 Americans and ARVN lost 3,000 Americans shaken – enemy close to defeat?

Tet changes public opinion Poll prior to Tet 28% of Americans called themselves doves 56% of Americans called themselves hawks Media reports were skeptical but balanced Poll after Tet 40% of Americans both doves and hawks Media Reports openly criticized the war Clark Clifford – new defense secretary Declared war unwinnable

LBJ’s popularity plummeted February 1968 – 60% disapproved of his handling of the war Eugene McCarthy and Robert Kennedy run against Johnson (Democratic Party split) March 31, 1968- Johnson withdraws U.S. would seek negotiations to end war “Accordingly, I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your president….“That… war, killed the lady I really loved – the Great Society”

Race for President Robert Kennedy Democratic National Convention Strong candidate in Democratic primary assassinated Democratic National Convention Eugene McCarthy v. Hubert Humphrey (LBJ’s VP) Democrats met at convention to choose candidate Humphrey already chosen before convention Upset many antiwar activists

Arrival in Chicago for the Convention 10,000 protestors arrive Pressure Democrats to take an antiwar platform Voice displeasure with Humphrey’s nomination Provoke violence (Yippies) Mayor ordered 12,000 police & 5,000 National Guard “The world is watching” Democrats- inside and outside the convention hall- became a party of disorder

Republican candidate – Richard Nixon Promised to restore law & order and end Vietnam War George Wallace – Governor of Alabama, third party candidate American Independent candidate –Southern states “white backlash”- disgusted with inner city riots and antiwar protests Nixon wins election… Greatest political comeback in American Politics (1960- loss to Kennedy for presidency) (1962- loss for gvnr. CA)