1. THE VIETNAM WAR

2. The War for Colonial Independence
Vietnam had been a French colony under the name of French Indochina (along with Cambodia and Laos)
Vietnam began to fight for its independence from France during WW II ( when France was preoccupied with European conflict)
Revolutionary leader - Ho Chi Minh, a Communist, leads war effort
Receives support from USSR/China

3. End of Colonial War France realizes impossibility of war and pulls out
Peace conference held in Geneva, Switzerland (attended by France, Vietnam, the US, and the USSR)
Vietnam would be divided into a communist North led by Ho and a “democratic” South Vietnam led by Ngo Dinh Diem
South Vietnam was a “domino” for the United States that the nation was willing to fight to protect

4. Escalation of American Involvement
War originates under President Eisenhower – continuing into JFK and LBJ’s presidencies.
No formal declaration of war.
Gulf of Tonkin Incident (1964), similar to the USS Maine in the Spanish American War was used as justification for a war effort.
Gulf of Tonkin Resolutions (August 1964)
Congress authorizes military support for war escalation.

5. Early Struggles for U.S.
Increased escalation during 1960s – with minimal successes for US forces.
Guerrilla tactics worked very well against an unprepared US military
The US was also never entirely
successful in shutting down the Ho Chi Minh Trail, a supply line that ran between North and South Vietnam via difficult jungle terrain

6. VietCong vs. North Vietnamese Army (NVA)
While there was some overlap between these two groups, there were distinctions.
NVA – Communist soldiers from North Vietnam, fighting for Ho Chi Minh and the full takeover of Vietnam
Vietcong – Communist soldiers from South Vietnam (some of whom were NVAs)

7. Bad to Worse
Tet Offensive (1968), a surprise offensive on a major Vietnamese holiday that saw attacks all over the country, including in Saigon itself
Ongoing US casualties and losses saw an increase in antiwar sentiment at home
Vietnam was first TV War where American audiences saw the brutality of war firsthand

8. Hey, Hey, LBJ – How many kids did you kill today?
My Lai (Lieutenant Calley)
American TV audiences also witnessed the usage of weapons like napalm and Agent Orange, which devastated the environment
Hey, Hey, LBJ – How many kids did you kill today?

9. Domestic effects of the war
Counterculture gathered momentum (Hippies, Flower Children, etc.), protests became widespread and began to polarize the nation
Kent State Massacre (1970) intensifies anti-war movement
National Guards opened fire on student protestors in Ohio, killing four

10. Loss of Trust in Government
“Credibility Gap” emerges
Less belief in what government says
1968, LBJ chose not to run for president, and Republican Richard M. Nixon was elected on a platform of “Peace with Honor”

11. Late Stages of US Involvement in War
Nixon wanted the South Vietnamese to play a greater role in the war, a policy he labeled Vietnamization
Carpet bombing of Hanoi continues in spite of this
Henry Kissinger – Sec. of State – works to secure US withdrawal
US withdraws officially in Jan

12. Vietnam Civil War (1973 – 1975)
the NVA easily defeated the South by 1975; the South had appealed to Nixon for aid, which had been promised, but by 1975 Nixon was embroiled in the domestic Watergate Crisis, and he was in essence a “lame duck”
1975 – the US abandoned its embassy in Saigon, which was renamed
Ho Chi Minh City in the newly unified and communist Vietnam