1. The Vietnam War: Origins and US Involvement
FOCUS QUESTION: Why did the US become involved in Vietnam?

2. Recap Which countries are COMMUNIST by the year 1960?
Who becomes President after JFK is assassinated in 1963?
What was the name of LBJ’s domestic policy?
How did most of the American public view LBJ ?

3. Origins of the War French Occupation (1877-1940)
Japanese Occupation ( )
Late 1945 – France sent troops back to Vietnam to take back the country
France is resisted by a COMMUNIST Vietnamese man:
Ho Chi Minh

4. Why does the U.S. help France try to regain Vietnam?
The Domino Theory! (idea that if Vietnam fell to communism, its neighbors would follow)
Keep Communism CONTAINED!

5. Geneva Accords: Vietnam Divided at 17th Parallel
North Vietnam
Government: Communist
Leader: Ho Chi Minh
Army: Vietminh

6. Geneva Accords: Vietnam Divided at 17th Parallel Government: Democracy
South Vietnam
Government: Democracy
Leader: Ngo Dinh Diem
Army: Vietcong

7. Who do you think the U.S. will support? WHY?
Ngo Dinh Diem
Ho Chi Minh

8. Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (Aug. 1964)
US ships fired on in the Tonkin Gulf
LBJ gets permission from Congress to send troops to Vietnam
Gives LBJ huge war powers!
“Aggression by terror against peaceful villages of Southern Vietnam has now been joined by open aggression on the high seas against the United States of America” - LBJ

9. Military Strategies Lead to a Stalemate
Vietcong US
Know terrain well, able to blend in with citizens
Will pay any price for victory
Better weapons
Guerilla warfare; ambushes, booby traps, land mines
Bombing, search and destroy, Agent Orange
Advantages
Military Strategies

10. Effects of Agent Orange aka Napalm

11. Operation Rolling Thunder
U.S. dropped bombs continuously on North Vietnam

12. The Tet Offensive
Surprise attack by North Vietnam on over 100 towns and Saigon (capital of South Vietnam)
The US looked really bad for not being prepared!!
Turning point of US
public opinion –
they start to think the
war is a bad idea

13. My Lai Massacre
US troops attacked this village and killed 200 women and children
Makes the US public angry at the war & the soldiers

14. Picture published all over the world. How does the U.S. look now?
My Lai Massacre
Picture published all over the world. How does the U.S. look now?

15. Effects of the Vietnam War
58,000 US and 2 Million Vietnamese die
Vietnam is unified under Communism
US troops return home to mixed public reaction
Americans don’t trust in their leaders
War Powers Act requires a president to get approval from Congress to keep troops somewhere more than 90 days

16. Ticket Out
Why did the U.S. Get involved in Vietnam?
Could the Vietnam War have been avoided? If so, how? If not, why not?