Vietnam

Inheriting a Conflict ( ) 1945 Ho Chi Minh leader of Vietnam declared Vietnam’s independence from French rule – Quoted from the American Declaration of Independence As Cold War increased US saw Ho Chi Minh more and more as a communist – Really more of a nationalist French appealed to US to for help to keep their profitable colony – Played upon communist fears China “falls” to communism Truman agrees to help

Ho Chi Minh and his forces defeated the French at Dien Bien Phu In the Geneva Accords Vietnam is 1.Divided in half at the 17 th parallel 2.Elections will be held in 1956 French leave Vietnam in US hands Eisenhower increased the number of advisers to South Vietnamese leader Ngo Dinh Diem Diem, realizing he will loss the elections so with US backing cancels them

Kennedy increases aid to Diem Sends in military “advisors” – Green Beret – By the time of his assassination the number was over 16,000 – Many were engaged in armed combat against the Communist Vietcong South Vietnamese peasants who supported Ho chi Minh

Lyndon B. Johnson tells American people that on August 4, 1964 the USS Maddox on a route patrol in the Gulf of Tokin was fired upon – Later it was learned that it was a provoked attack Emotions sweep the nation Congress passed the Gulf of Tokin Resolution – Gives the president “all necessary measures to repel any armed attack” The war is on!

Escalating Involvement “a war between an elephant and tiger. But the tiger will not stand still. He will leap upon the back of the elephant tearing huge chunks from his side and then he will leap back into the dark jungle. Slowly, the elephant will bleed to death.” – Ho Chi Minh

1965 the US forces begin to assemble it troops in Vietnam – Under the command of William Westmoreland At home LBJ steps up the draft – Move to Canada – Go to college – Join the national guard By the following year there are 500,000 troops in Vietnam

Operation Rolling Thunder – Curtis LeMay By using the latest technology, North Vietnam could be blasted “back into the stone age.” Carpet bombings took place on a regular basis Goal – Break the economy of the North – Force the North to stop the VC fighters in the South Bombing only hardened the North’s will to fight Operation was to only last for 8 months – lasted for the next three years

In South Vietnam the VC fight 1.A war of attrition – Not going to give up and go away – no place to go 2.Guerrilla warfare – Hit and run 3.Gain support of the peasants – Follow a strict code of behavior

Supported by the Ho Chi Minh Trail – Supply line running through Laos and Camobodia to supply the VC in the South

Live in underground tunnel network

US use “search and destroy” mission to find the VC – Fighting a hidden and illusive enemy – If they weren’t VC when we arrived they were VC when we left” Used Agent Orange and Napalm to expose VC hiding places

The Turning Tide (1968) Tet Offensives – Vietnamese Lunar New Year – Break the cease fire agreement – Rise up out of the jungle and took the cities Americans had been told we were winning the war How could they launch such a large offensive Turning pt of the war We cannot win

TV bring the honor of the war into the American living room Vietnam was called the “Living room war” Giving the “body count” and saying “surrender was imminent” contradicted what Americans were seeing on their TV There began a “credibility gap”

The War takes two casualties – 1. The Great Society – 2. LBJ presidency and his legacy

Nixon’s Vietnamization when he took office America was already losing the war He announced an “honorable” end 1969 began Vietnamization – Forcing South Vietnam troops to fight their own war At the same time started secret bombings against North Vietnam Army safe heaven in Cambodia

Protest movement begins to grow on campus across the nation – “teach ins” and “sit ins” to protest the war Rally in Washington DC takes place War divided the nation into “Hawks” and “Doves”

Upon hearing about the secret raids into Cambodia 100s of college campus across the nation exploded into riots At Kent State University in Ohio National Guardsmen fired upon protesting students, killing four

No More Will To Fight Soldier began to question and few wanted to fight and possibly die for a cause that seemed to have lost its meaning By the end of 1971 four times as many soldiers required treatment for drug abuse then for medical treatment Several incidents of “fragging” took place In Jan 1973 a peace agreement was signed US forces begin to withdraw in March Congress passes a bill blocking any further US military involvement in Vietnam

On April 30, 1975 the NVA enter Saigon, South Vietnam Vietnam is a united country free of foreigners War is Over

Aftermath First war America lost Some POWs return home some MIA American remains divided Distrust of American government Rethink policy of containment – Rest of Southeast doesn’t fall Wars Powers Act is passed The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is built