A Struggle for Power

Vietnam’s conquerors Vietnam always struggled for control with China 939 A.D.- Vietnam won limited independence 1400s- China tried to take Vietnam over again Vietnam won complete independence from China (led by Le Loi)

Vietnam’s conquerors (cont) Vietnam was taken over by French colonizers by 1883 France combined Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos to create French Indochina 1940 (during WWII)  Japan occupied all of Indochina (took from French) France gained it back after WWII

Vietnamese Independence Vietnamese leader in 1940= Ho Chi Minh (big believer in Communism) Minh formed League for Independence for Vietnam, called the Vietminh Vietnam declared independence from France after WWII Vietnam and French at war, lasted 10 years The U.S. supports French cause, not Vietnamese

Vietnamese Independence (cont) Domino Theory= U.S. feared the domino effect, fearing the quick spread of communism from one nation to the next U.S. paid for most of French war effort Vietminh were impossible to beat by just French alone May 7, French surrender to Vietminh

The Geneva Conference May 8, 1954 U.S., Britain, France, Cambodia, Laos China, USSR, and Vietnam leaders met to decide on future of French Indochina Agreements: 1) Cease-fire 2) Vietnam temporarily divided at 17 th parallel; creates North Vietnam and South Vietnam

U.S. gets involved U.S. puts Ngo Dinh Diem into power in South Vietnam in a fixed election Diem was a harsh, anti-communist ruler to South Vietnamese Armed revolution began in 1960 in the South led by newly formed Vietcong

Ngo Dinh Diem

The U.S. and Vietnam

America gets involved Many South Vietnamese joined the Vietcong in protest of Diem’s gov’t President Kennedy authorizes U.S. troops to fend off Vietcong attacks in 1961 After Kennedy is assassinated, Lyndon B. Johnson becomes president in 1963 (bad for U.S. involvement in Vietnam War)

The Tet Offensive Jan Vietcong offensive on U.S. in South Vietnam Failure, U.S. resisted; 40,000 communist Vietcong died Scared American troops; now, nowhere in Vietnam is safe!

Nixon ends the war Richard Nixon elected in 1968 Vietnamization- Nixon’s plan to slowly pull out U.S. troops and turn all fighting over to South Vietnam Process was VERY SLOW! U.S. pulled out in 1973 South Vietnam collapsed in 1975 to North Vietnam U.S. goal to prevent a communist held Vietnam failed

Effects of Vietnam War S. Vietnamese= 685,000 dead N. Vietnamese and Vietcong= around 1 million dead Chemicals sprayed caused cancer for all exposed (Vietnamese and U.S.) Many refugees from SE Asia Veterans did not get a good welcome home –Some vets turned to drugs, became homeless –Disabled, hard to find jobs, depression Big debt from the war (around $150 billion)

Napalm Attacks

Agent Orange Effects