Vietnam and its Opponents I. US Involvement A. Colonialism B. The Problem with Communism C. Commitments D. Escalation II. The War A. Combat B. Management III. The Opposition A. Problems of 1968 B. Student Movements C. African-Americans D. Celebrity IV. Withdrawal A. Shifting Politics B. “Vietnamization” C. Retreat D. Impact

Colonialism 1945: –Nationalists declare independence 1954 –French defeated at Dien Bien Phu –Geneva Accords establish 17th parallel

North and South Ngo Dinh DiemHo Chi Minh

Commitments 1960: 675 military advisors in VN 1961: 3,205 men in VN 1962: 9,000 men, 420 aircraft 1963: 16,700 men; 100 dead

Escalation 8/7/1964: –Gulf of Tonkin Resolution 1965: –180,000 troops 1967: –500,000 troops –15,000 dead –$15B per year

Combat Guerilla Warfare Bombing “Search and Destroy”

Measuring Victory Body Counts Blurred lines Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara

The Peace Movement

Tet Offensive, 1968 CBS anchor Walter Cronkite

My Lai Massacre 300 civilians killed Lt. William Calley

Student Protest SNCC Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) Free Speech Movement –800 arrested

Draft Resistance Student deferments “Hardship” deferments Physical Deferments Tricks Conscientious Objectors Flee to Canada 20K men indicted

African Americans Black athletes gather to support Muhammad Ali’s draft resistance, 1967.

Culture Bob Dylan Joan Baez Jane Fonda

Democratic Convention of 1968 Sen. Eugene McCarthy Sen. Hubert Humphrey Mayor Richard Daley

Election of 1968

Nixon “Vietnamization” 1969: 25K men leave 1971: only 160K remain Paris Peace Treaty (1/27/1973)

Withdrawal Death Toll US: 58,000 SVN: 200,000 NVN: 900,000 Civilians: 1M