The Vietnam War Chapter 33

Vietnam and the French French Colonialism Roads, railroads, and port facilities Small farms gone and large plantations installed Vietnamese were shipped to France during WWI to build trenches French was the 2nd official language Schools were closed 80% were illiterate after 100 years of French rule Censored press, restricted freedom of speech and assembly

Revolution Ho Chi Minh organized the Indochina Communist party Other nationalists joined Ho and formed the Vietminh After the Japanese were defeated, the Vietminh established the Democratic Republic of Vietnam French forces fought to keep Vietnam a colony of France Ho asked for support from Truman, he was ignored Truman believed that communists everywhere were just pawns of Moscow Ho Chi Minh

Vietminh Fight Guerrilla warfare Bao Dai and the French puppet government Truman sent Dai 1 Billion in aid Ike believed in the domino theory 1954 US is paying for 80% of Frances military expenses French lose Dien Bien Phu Bao Dai Domino Theory

Geneva Accord Vietnam was divided at the 17th parallel N. Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) – Ho Chi Minh S. Vietnam (The State of Vietnam) – Bao Dai 900,000 people move south 80,000 people move north

17th Parallel division line Pink = North Vietnam Communist Leader = Ho Chi Minh Capital = Hanoi 17th Parallel division line Green = South Vietnam French controlled Leader = Bao Dai (puppet) Capital =Saigon

Civil Unrest In S. Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem overthrows Bao Dai’s government Diem claimed that the Geneva Accords don’t apply Diem was a Catholic tyrant Minh was worse US organizes Southeast Asian Treaty Organization (SEATO) Ngo Dinh Diem

More Problems Diem refuses country wide elections Vietcong fight a guerilla campaign The leaders were Communist Ike Sent Diem aid to prevent a Communist takeover Vietcong were successful at taking over the countryside Kennedy sends military supplies to Diem and authorizes American pilots to fly combat missions Diem treated Buddhists poorly Vietcong influence spreads

When South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem refused to talk with the Buddhists, a Buddhist monk set himself on fire in a busy Saigon intersection before a crowd of shocked onlookers.

Tonkin Gulf Resolution Tonkin Gulf Resolution – Gave the President the power to “take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against armed forces of the US and to prevent further aggression.” It gave President Johnson a blank check to keep Communism out of S. Vietnam U.S.S. Maddox

Americans Enter the War S. Vietnam used the Ho Chi Minh Trail to move supplies and troops Operation Rolling Thunder 1968 – 538,000 American troops were serving in Vietnam Search and Destroy Missions Defoliants used in the Jungle side effects

Anti-war Movement “Make love not war” 10,000 move north Doves US should not be involved in another country’s civil war $25 Billion a year Hawks Fighting the N. Vietnamese was really protecting the US in the long run

Tet Offensive Tet Holiday Funerals and fireworks Large attack against bases and cities William Westmorland Tet Offensive was a huge failure for the Vietcong Johnson’s advisors told him to get out

The US Withdraws Nixon wins the election of 1968 Vietnamization It did not work US continues to bomb Cambodia and Laos Students Strike Kent University 4 dead and 9 wounded Nixon didn’t understand the kids Kent State University anti-war protest

It Ends The Senate repeals the Tonkin Gulf Resolutions Troops were withdrawn from Cambodia in 1970 US soldier moral plummet Drugs, age, training 1972 election, Nixon agrees to pull out troops, but will send aid to S. Vietnam January 27, 1973 – US troops leave SV

It Ends SV still received billions from the US March 1975, NV takes the capital of Saigon as Americans flee the embassy Saigon would be renamed Ho Chi Minh City