Do Now Activity Pick one keyword and write what it is, in your own words: Madman Theory Red baiter Vietnamization ARVN Nixon Doctrine Pacification Psywar, WHAMO Silent majority Leopard spot

The Fall of Saigon America’s ‘Aloof’ Involvement in Vietnam US Congress passes the War Powers Act which now gives it control over President’s use of American troops abroad (Gulf of Tonkin Resolution now longer in force) new US President, Gerald Ford, unwilling to increase American involvement Congress stops aid to Indochina altogether in March 1975

ARVN vs NVA Despite the ceasefire in 1973, fighting didn’t stop One-million-strong ARVN still fighting NVA, which is moving further south and gaining territory Cities and provinces in SV fall to NVA rapidly from January to March 1975, closing in on Saigon A communist ‘liberation’ of Saigon becomes imminent

Saigon Falls to the Communists By mid-April, 60,000 ARVN troops defend Saigon against 140,000 NVA City in panic; President Thieu resigns on 21 April and American citizens evacuate On the final NVA assault on Saigon on 29 April, ARVN troops take off this uniforms and discard weapons, wearing only boxing shorts April: American helicopters evacuate any remaining Americans and 5595 South Vietnamese from the roof of the US Embassy NVA tanks smash the Presidential Palace gates, and plant the National Liberation Front flag on balcony (picture of US Embassy evacuation)

30 April, 1975 The Communists win and the Second Indochina War is over

Interpreting Sources Who is it? What is it? When is it? Why is it important? What can I learn from it?

The Last Domino Falls

Why did the Unites States, the greatest military power in the world, fail to prevent the fall of the dominoes? Why did the Communists win the war in Indochina? There was a lack of unity in the United States. There were strong anti-war elements in the American Congress. There was no declaration of a state of war between the United States and the Communists of Vietnam. This would have involved a commitment on behalf of the Congress and the American people. There would have been media censorship. Television’s presentation of the daily suffering in Vietnam eroded the American’s public support for the war and fuelled the protest movement. For Against

Debate 3 groups: Communists South Vietnamese Americans Debate the responsibility for the collapse of South Vietnam. Could America have done more to help South Vietnam between 1973 and 1975? Did the Communists deserve to succeed?

Conflict in Indochina Timeline

Propaganda Posters: DIY in action! Convert an idea into a visual: Viet Cong poster North Vietnamese Communist poster Diem poster Support the troops poster Anti-war Protest poster America helps South Vietnam fight poster

The Last Domino Falls Discussion point: Why did the Unites States, the greatest military power in the world, fail to prevent the fall of the dominoes? Why did the Communists win the war in Indochina?

Some widely accepted answers… a)Communists had superior strategy: revolutionary war. Objective: the independence and unification of Vietnam needed political control, mobilisation of all people, and total unity. b)Americans never understood revolutionary war (more than military force alone). Their destruction (Rolling Thunder instead of pacification) brought adverse political effects. Failed to block HCM trail. Continued…

Why did America Lose the War? c)American objective kept changing. Initially helping SV gov’t against VC, then in late 1960s, it was to support non-Communism gov’t in SV but that gov’t was weak and corrupt. Finally, Nixon’s objective was to withdraw from the war while preserving America’s intergrity. d) Communists fought total war, recruiting every human resource to the struggle. Americans tried to fight the war without demanding sacrifice from American people – the country was never on ‘war footing.’

e) Goals of Americans were different from Communists. They wanted immediate results and were not prepared to fight an endless war. Without signs of progress, American people were convinced the war was unwinnable. f)