1. Vietnam War 1963-1973

5. Brief History of Vietnam  1800s – France seized Vietnam and ruled it for nearly 100 years  Japan occupied Vietnam during WWII  After Japan’s surrender, communist Ho Chi Minh organized a revolt to end French rule (followers called Vietminh)  Ho occupied Hanoi in North Vietnam and proclaimed Vietnam independent  French refused to accept Vietnamese independence – two sides went to war

6. Brief History cont.  U.S. supported France and hoped to block spread of communism  Fighting between French and Vietminh lasted nearly 8 years  1954 – French surrendered and French control over Vietnam ended  Vietnam’s win sparked domino theory  Geneva conference – decided Vietnam would be split into North & South Vietnam  North Vietnam – Communist – ruled by Ho Chi Minh – capital in Hanoi  South Vietnam – governed by Ngo Dinh Diem – capital in Saigon – U.S. pledged support to South Vietnam

7. Guerrillas in South Vietnam  Diem govt. blocked elections to unify the country  A South Vietnamese movement was organized to oppose Diem  Guerrilla fighters waged a campaign of terror in South Vietnamese villages  North Vietnam supplied weapons to the guerrillas who became the Vietcong

8. U.S.’s Early Role  JFK sent more aid and military advisers  Diem angered many South Vietnamese by imprisoning people who criticized his policies  August 1963 – JFK withdrew military support  Nov. 1963 - South Vietnamese military seized control of the govt. and assassinated Diem  A few weeks later, JFK was assassinated and Lyndon B. Johnson became Pres.

9. Lyndon B. Johnson  President 1963-1969  Vowed to not lose Vietnam to communism  Increased aid and military advisers in South Vietnam  Authorized series of secret actions against N. Vietnam  Sent first troops to Vietnam

10. Gulf of Tonkin Incident  August 1964  Reports said N Vietnamese torpedo boats had attacked American destroyers in Gulf of Tonkin  Details were sketchy; the second attack reported may have never happened  Congress gave LBJ authority “to take all necessary measures” to stop any armed attack against the U.S.

11. Operation Rolling Thunder  Early 1965 – Vietcong attacked American base in S. Vietnam  Johnson responded with air strikes against N. Vietnam – U.S. bombing lasted for 3 yrs  Late 1965 – 50,000 American troops sent to Vietnam to fight the Vietcong  By 1968 – half a million troops were in Vietnam

12. Fighting a Jungle War  American soldiers had to cut paths through dense jungles and navigate through swamps  The Vietcong dug networks of tunnels to hide and plan attacks

13. New Weapons  Chemical Weapons  Napalm – jellylike substance that burst into flames, sticking to people’s bodies  Agent Orange – herbicide that destroyed crops and vegetation  Chinook helicopters  Deployed chemical weapons, troops, trucks, etc.

14. Tet Offensive  Jan. 31, 1968  Tet – Vietnamese New Year  Vietcong and N. Vietnamese launched attacks on every major city in S. Vietnam  Seized former home of emperors  Attacked presidential palace in Saigon and attacked American embassy  Americans responded quickly – siege over by Feb. 25 – Americans had stopped N. Vietnamese, but were shocked that the enemy was capable of such a strong attack  Tet offensive turning point; even though U.S. won, many Americans began to believe U.S. should get out of Vietnam b/c U.S. couldn’t win the war

15. Counterculture Movement  People began to wonder why America was fighting the war  Protesters argued draft procedures unfair  Many people protested – especially college students & young people – focus on peace and love, not war  College riots/protests  Kent State - College students riot - National guard troops called out to fire into protestors - 4 students killed  “Counterculture”  rock music, long hair, drug use, communal living, promiscuity

16. My Lai  March 1968  U.S. soldiers on mission to find members of Vietcong  Go to village of My Lai  End up killing 500 innocent S. Vietnamese in 3 hrs

17. Richard M. Nixon  President 1969- 1974  Begin withdrawing troops from Vietnam in 1969  Reelected in 1972  August 9, 1973, Nixon resigned from office before he was impeached for the Watergate Scandal

18. End of the War  Last combat troops pulled out of Vietnam by March 1973  April 1975, U.S. helped rescue 1,000 American workers and 5,500 S. Vietnam supporters in a helicopter evacuation of Saigon

19. Effect on the U.S.  58,000 Americans killed in combat  365,000 wounded  $200 billion spent  War undermined nation’s trust in govt. and leaders  26 th Amendment added – lowered the voting age to 18 – if 18 year olds were old enough to fight, they were old enough to vote