Vietnamese War of Independence Vietnam War: 1945-75 Vietnamese War of Independence

Vietnam War: 1945-75 Longest war of the 20th century Indochina (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos) a French colony until 1954 Supplied raw materials for French industry Introduced Catholicism to region Various opposition movements existed to French rule Viet Minh were most successful

Ho Chi Minh 1890-1969 Lived in US, France, England, and Vietnam Educated in France Became a communist in France Tried to get freedom for Vietnam at the Versailles Conference in 1919 Returned to Vietnam in 1941

Opposition to Japanese Japanese invaded French Indochina in 1941 Ho Chi Minh led a guerilla war against the Japanese Aided/armed by the US 1945 Japan defeated Declared an independent Vietnam in Sept. 1945 British briefly moved into area French tried to re-colonize the country in March 1946

First Indochina War: 1946-54 Viet Minh now fought against French French controlled cities, Viet Minh controlled the countryside French armed by US, Viet Minh by USSR and China War spread to Laos and Cambodia Pathet Lao and Khmer Serai (Later Khmer Rouge)

Dien Bien Phu French create a base in the forest – away from supply lines Surrounded by the Viet Minh and defeated Vo Nguyen Giap Led to the end of French involvement in Vietnam

Geneva Accords Vietnam separated at the 17th parallel Region was to have 2 temporary states and later to have elections North run by Ho Chi Minh Established a socialist state South (US) blocked the elections Afraid of a communist victory Established a non-communist state under Emperor Bao Dai

· North Vietnam, led by Ho Chi Minh, was communist and backed by the Soviet Union. · South Vietnam, led by Ngo Dinh Diem, was democratic and backed by the U.S.

Ngo Dinh Diem People fled from the north to the south Ngo Dinh Diem Most were Catholics Evacuated by the US Navy 1 million? Ngo Dinh Diem Military dictator in south Later launched a harsh religious persecution Arrested political opponents People began to see him as part of the old elite who helped the French rule North began to create an insurgency in the south as a result US began to arm the south and send “advisers” by 1957

Growing American Involvement · The U.S. believed that if South Vietnam fell to the communists, the rest of the nations in Southeast Asia would as well in a theory called the domino theory.

US Involvement US began to send advisers to help against the Viet Cong (Vietnamese Communists) in 1957 VC began to attack government held villages and assassinate leaders VC sought to destroy the rural villages in order to bring down the government US backed Diem because they had no other choice Diem began the “Strategic Hamlets” campaign Goal was to resettle the population into fortified camps and isolate the Viet Cong Peasants resented the program

US Involvement South began to protest Diem and discontent grew Diem was assassinated in 1963 by his generals Was not approved by the US

Instability 1963-65 Government instability Could not keep power for long 1965 Nguyen Cao Ky and Nguyen Van Thieu took power in a coup Air Force officers Thieu later elected as President of S. Vietnam 1967-75 Last president

South Vietnamese paratroopers jump from U. S South Vietnamese paratroopers jump from U.S. Air Force transports in an air assault against the Viet Cong, March 1963

War Expands By 1964 US had “advisers” at every level of the south’s army Gulf of Tonkin Incident Incident staged by US to send in regular troops Claimed the north attacked 2 US destroyers Led to air strikes against the north US Marines landed in 1964 DaNang Major US base

In August 1964, U.S. military officials believed that the North Vietnamese had torpedoed an American ship in the Gulf of Tonkin. In response, the U.S. passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which allowed the U.S. to begin bombing enemy targets within North and South Vietnam.

US Involvement:1964-1968 US launched bombing raids on the north Failed US created bases around the country and tried to kill as many Viet Cong as possible Led to increasing protests against the war in the US

US Involvement: 1968-72 Tet Offensive Launched by north in January 1968 Military failure but a political victory for the north Goal was to spark a national uprising Showed the increasing lack of credibility of the US leadership Had said the communists were “defeated” By end of 1968, US had 500,000 soldiers in Vietnam Most had been drafted US begins increasing the air attacks on the north and targets in the south

The Tet Offensive: A Turning Point · In January of 1968, the Vietcong launched surprise attacks on cities throughout South Vietnam. · The American embassy was attacked as well in the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon.

The Tet Offensive: A Turning Point

· The attacks were known as the Tet Offensive because they occurred during Tet, the Vietnamese News Year’s holiday. · The Tet Offensive proved to the world that no part of South Vietnam was safe, even with the presence of half a million American troops.

· Many South Vietnamese distrusted the government and joined the Vietcong, a communist guerilla group supported by North Vietnam. An execution of a Vietcong prisoner Feb. 1, 1968

A Viet Cong base camp burns as Pfc. Raymond Rumpa of St A Viet Cong base camp burns as Pfc. Raymond Rumpa of St. Paul, Minnesota, walks away with his 45-pound 90mm rifle in My Tho, Vietnam, April 1968

· By 1968, over half a million Americans were fighting in the Vietnam War. · As the fighting escalated, the U.S. relied on the draft for raising troops.

This Pulitzer Prize winning photograph is of Kim Phuc Phan Thi, center, running down a road near after a napalm bomb was dropped on her village by a plane of the Vietnam Air Force. The village was suspected by US Army forces of being a Viet Cong stronghold. Kim Phuc survived by tearing off her burning clothes.

Agent Orange was the nickname given to a herbicide and defoliant used by the U.S. military in its Herbicidal Warfare program during the Vietnam War. Cropdusting in Vietnam during Operation Ranch Hand lasted from 1962 to 1971.

A guerrilla in the Mekong Delta paddles through a mangrove forest defoliated by Agent Orange (1970).

Effects of Agent Orange Images taken from Agent Orange: "Collateral Damage" in Vietnam by Philip Jones Griffiths

Protests at Home · Thousands of Americans protested against the war, especially on college campuses. Anti-Vietnam War protests, Ohio State University

Protests at Home: Woodstock

· On May 4, 1970, the Ohio National Guard killed 4 anti-war protesters at Kent State University. This Pulitzer Prize winning photo shows Mary Ann Vecchio screaming as she kneels over the body of student Jeffrey Miller at Kent State University. National Guardsmen had fired into a crowd of demonstrators, killing four and wounding nine.

Peace Without Victory · In January 1973, the U.S. reached a cease-fire agreement with North Vietnam and brought their troops home. · However, the U.S. continued to send billions of dollars in support of the South Vietnamese.

· In April of 1975, the communists captured the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon, renamed it Ho Chi Minh City, and reunited Vietnam under one communist flag.

Civil War in Cambodia · The U.S. and South Vietnamese began to secretly bomb communist bases in Cambodia used by the North Vietnamese.

· Cambodia soon fought a civil war, which was won by the communist Khmer Rouge in 1975, whereupon they changed the name of the country to Kampuchea. · The Khmer Rouge were brutal leaders, killing approximately two million people in just a few short years.

Vietnam War Memorial, Washington, D.C. Vietnam Balance Sheet · Between 1961 and 1973 over 58,000 Americans died in the Vietnam War. · During the same time period, over 1,500,000 Vietnamese died as well. Vietnam War Memorial, Washington, D.C.