US History: Spiconardi Vietnam: Part I (1946-1968) US History: Spiconardi

How did we get involved? After WWII, the Truman administration rejected Vietnam’s independence in favor of French rule because… US wanted Frances support in Cold War Vietnam’s rice could feed the rebuilt Japan Largest producer of natural rubber Strategic location near Philippines & Japan Ho Chi Minh was a communist US believed he would aid Soviet expansion

Dienbienphu (1954) Despite American aid ($), Ho Chi Minh is able to defeat French and end their colonial rule

Geneva Accords The Path to War A conference in Geneva divides Vietnam into a communist north and non-communist south in 1954 at 17° Latitude North Ho Chi Minh governs the north US and French backed government in the south By 1956 elections were to be held in order to reunite Vietnam, but…

Backing the Diem Regime The US backed South Vietnamese government of Ngo Dinh Diem prevents elections from taking place US was fearful communists would win elections and communism would spread through out SE Asia Domino Theory

Backing the Diem Regime Rebels in South Vietnam called the Vietcong plan to overthrow the government of Diem

Kennedy’s Escalation Kennedy sent 16,000 advisors to help Diem government fight Vietcong To hinder Vietcong support, US rounds up peasants and puts them in barbed-wire compounds Anti-Diem sentiments increase Buddhist monks protest Diem regime by burning themselves alive

Johnson’s Escalation US plans a coup to assassinate Diem and replace the government New government was just as unpopular Vietcong and Ho Chi Minh become more popular in South Vietnam Reassessment of situation called for Diem and JFK’s assassinations Lyndon Johnson vowed to prevent a communist takeover of “this damn little pissant country.”

Johnson’s Escalation August 4, 1964: Johnson announces to US on television that the U.S.S. Maddox had been attacked unprovoked by North Vietnam The Truth: Two days earlier the Maddox was on an intelligence finding mission On the day of the Maddox & another destroyer move towards North Vietnamese waters Report of torpedo attacks and start firing back Later informed Washington that reports of torpedo attacks were incorrect

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964) Johnson asks Congress to pass a resolution that authorizes the president: “take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression.” US NEVER DECLARES WAR Gives president extraordinary powers as Commander-in-Chief

The Vietnam War Begins US starts bombing Vietnam and Laos Laos, which had many communist supporters, supplied Ho Chi Minh Vietcong controlled more than half of South Vietnam by 1965 US begins Operation Rolling Thunder Drops more bombs on Vietnam that American aircraft had dropped in World War II Bombing doesn’t work due to guerilla warfare

Guerilla Warfare Vietcong fight a guerilla war Hide in shelters underground No uniform Superior military technology of the United States is ineffective

Napalm & Assassination To combat guerilla warfare US uses napalm to destroy jungles and locate tunnels Phoenix Program CIA assassinates over 60,000 Vietcong leaders US strategies kill thousands of civilians

My Lai Massacre US army unit enters village of My Lai and for 4 hours rape, sodomized, & killed over 300 unarmed Vietnamese civilians Why? Soldiers trained to kill Anticommunism “I looked at communism as a southerner looks at a Negro…It’s evil.”

Tet Offensive During Tet, the Vietnamese lunar new year, Vietcong & North Vietnamese forces attack all across South Vietnam Even penetrate the American embassy in Saigon MAJOR TURNING POINT IN AMERICAN PUBLIC OPIONION ABOUT THE WAR

Tet Offensive Made the following apparent Vietcong and North Vietnamese could attack at will Vietcong had homefield advantage Vietcong & North Vietnamese will to fight harder than South Vietnamese If our tactic thus far haven’t worked, will anything? War probably could not be won

Tet Offensive (1968)

Exhausted & realizing it was a losing battle, Johnson drops out of 1968 presidential race and announces that US stopped the bombing of most of North Vietnam and would begin peace negotiations

To be continued…