2. The Vietnam War 1954 - 1975

3. Background to the War zFrance controlled “Indochina” since the late 19 th century zJapan took control during World War II zWith U.S. aid, France attempted re-colonization in the postwar period

4. What cultural/economic Differences existed b/w N&S?

5. Background to the War zThe French lost control to Ho Chi Minh’s Viet Minh forces in 1954 at Dien Bien Phu zPresident Eisenhower declined to intervene on behalf of France.

6. Background to the War zInternational Conference at Geneva P Vietnam was divided at 17 th parallel O Ho Chi Minh’s nationalist forces controlled the North O Ngo Dinh Diem, a French- educated, Roman Catholic claimed control of the South

7. Background to the War zA date was set for democratic elections to reunify Vietnam zDiem backed out of the elections, leading to military conflict between North and South

8. U.S. Military Involvement Begins zRepressive zRepressive dictatorial rule by Diem P Diem’s P Diem’s family holds all power P Wealth P Wealth is hoarded by the elite P Buddhist P Buddhist majority persecuted P Torture, P Torture, lack of political freedom prevail zThe zThe U.S. aided Diem’s government P Pres. P Pres. Eisenhower sent financial and military aid P 675 P 675 U.S. Army advisors sent by 1960.

9. “ He was sitting in the center of a column of flames How could this have led to increased American involvement in the Vietnam Conflict ?

10. U.S. Military Involvement Begins zKennedy elected 1960 zIncreases military “advisors” to 16,000 z1963: JFK supports a Vietnamese military coup d’etat – Diem and his brother are murdered (Nov. 2) zKennedy was assassinated just weeks later (Nov. 22)

11. Johnson Sends Ground Forces  Remembers Truman’s “loss” of China  Domino Theory revived  Remembers Truman’s “loss” of China  Domino Theory revived (If one country fell to communism the surrounding countries would also fall.) I’m not g gg going to be the president who saw Southeast Asia go the way China went.

12. Johnson Sends Ground Forces zAdvised to rout the communists by Secretary of State, Robert S. McNamara zTonkin Gulf Incident  Aug 2., 1964 (acc. to Johnson, the attacks were unprovoked) – conflicting evidence zTonkin Gulf Resolution – war powers to Pres P “The Blank Check” * - Johnson could send as many forces as he wanted to Vietnam to combat communism

13. U.S. Troop Deployments in Vietnam

14. The Ground War 1965-1968 zNo territorial goals zBody counts on TV every night (first “living room” war) zViet Cong (S. Vietnamese Communists) supplies over the Ho Chi Minh Trail

15. The Air War 1965-1968 z1965: Sustained bombing of North Vietnam zOperation Rolling Thunder (March 2, 1965) z1966-68: Ongoing bombing of Hanoi nonstop for 3 years! Esp. targets the Ho Chi Minh Trail. zDowned Pilots: P.O.W.s zCarpet Bombing – napalm

16. Who Is the Enemy? zVietcong zVietcong: P Farmers by day; guerillas at night. P Very patient people willing to accept many casualties. P The US grossly underestimated their resolve and their resourcefulness.

17. Who Is the Enemy? The guerilla wins if he does not lose, the conventional army loses if it does not win. -- M MM Mao Zedong

18. The Tet Offensive, January 1968 zN. Vietnamese Army + Viet Cong attack areas in the South simultaneously (67,000 attack 100 cities, bases, and the US embassy in Saigon) zTake every major southern city zU.S. + ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam – South Vietnam) beat back the offensive zViet Cong destroyed zN. Vietnamese army debilitated zBUT…it’s seen as an American defeat by the media

19. The Tet Offensive, January 1968

20. 1968 Tet Offensive photo of South Vietnam officer Shooting a Vietcong soldier in the head (who had just Murdered a South Vietnamese soldier and his family) Revealed the brutality of the struggle in Vietnam, undermined support for the war in the US

21. Impact of the Tet Offensive zDomestic U.S. Reaction: Disbelief, Anger, Distrust of Johnson Administration, zHzHzHzHey, Hey LBJ! How many kids did you kill today? zJzJzJzJohnson admin. Resisted expanding conflict too far but also couldn’t withdraw

22. Impact of the Vietnam War …I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your President. Johnson announces (March, 1968):

23. American Morale Begins to Dip zAnger over use of Draft---- Disproportionate representation of poor people and minorities zSevere racial problems zMajor drug problems zOfficers in combat 6 mo/in rear 6 mo zMy Lai Massacre

24. Democratic Convention in Chicago, 1968 Student Protestors at Univ. of CA in Berkeley, 1968 Anti-War Demonstrations

25. Nixon on Vietnam zNixon’s 1968 Campaign promised an end to the war: Peace with Honor----- very vague P Appealed to the great “Silent Majority” (Gallup Poll: 70% supported his policy) zVietnamization – encourage the SV to take more responsibility for fighting the war zExpansion of the conflict  The “Secret War” – different opinions about the government structure Vietnam should have P Cambodia] destroy bases here where we felt NV were Laos launching their attacks Laos launching their attacks zAgent Orange – chemicals sprayed on trees and plants that provided cover for enemy forces – many veterans had health issues after exposure (cancer) zPentagon Paper – revealed gov’t had mislead Congress and the American people about its intentions in Vietnam zWar Powers Act – repeals Gulf of Tonkin Res., limits a Presidents ability to wage war w/o consent of Congress

26. Anti-War Protest  Kent State Massacre, May 4, 1970  Protesting the Invasion of Cambodia after Nixon promised end to war  Protesting draft lottery  Nation-wide campus strikes as a result (only one in history)

27. The Ceasefire, 1973 zConditions: 1. U.S. to remove all troops. Get POWS 2. North Vietnam could leave troops already in S.V. 3. North Vietnam would resume war 4. No provision for POWs or MIAs zLast American troops left South Vietnam on March 29, 1973 z1975: North Vietnam defeats South Vietnam zSaigon renamed Ho Chi Minh City

28. The Fall of Saigon South Vietnamese Attempt to Flee the Country

29. The Fall of Saigon America Abandons Its Embassy April 30, 1975

30. The Fall of Saigon North Vietnamese at the Presidential Palace

31. Formerly Saigon A United Vietnam

32. OOf the 2.7 million Americans that served in the Vietnam war… 3300,000 were wounded in action 775,000 were disabled OOf the casualties listed on The Wall, approximately 1,300 remain missing in action 558,129 were killed TThe average age was 19

33. OOn the Vietnamese side it is estimated… 11.1 million North Vietnamese and Viet Cong (Southern resistance soldiers) were killed OOver 2 million North and South Vietnamese citizens were killed

34. 2,583 American POWs / MIAs still unaccounted for today.

35. I f we have to fight, we will fight. You will kill ten of our men and we will kill one of yours, and in the end it will be you who tires of it. And in the End…. Ho Chi Minh:

36. Memorial to US Servicemen in Vietnam

37. Memorial to US Nurses in Vietnam

38. 58,00058,000

39. Nixon on other Foreign Issue  Henry Kissinger – Special Assistant for National Security Affairs – more powerful than Sec of State/Defense  Détente with China and Soviet Union –Officially recognized China (UN) –Visited both China and Soviet Union  SALT I – signed May 1972: limits on nuclear weapons  Nixon Doctrine – helps 3 rd world countries but leave “basic responsibility to them”  Yom Kippur War (Oct 1973) – (Israel v. Egypt/Syria) --- US aided Israel and war ended quickly –Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries -– Arab Oil Embargo  Energy Crisis, supply of gas plummets, long lines at pump, US falls into deep recession as companies decrease investments, lay of workers, etc  Inflation is growing at same time as high unemployment = stagflation

40. Nixon at home Foreign  Vietnamization & Peace with Honor  Escalation of Vietnam War (Cambodia/Laos)  Pentagon Papers released despite Nixon attempt to block  As US soldiers pull out, realize SV can’t do it on own  Détente w/ Mao and Brezhnev  Nixon Doctrine  Energy Crisis & Middle East  Arab Oil Embargo (OPEC) Domestic  Silent Majority – conservative middle class  Tried to dismantle many of Great Society/New Frontier programs  Against forced busing to achieve school desegregation  Recession of 1970s  Inflation soared – deficit spending in 1960s w/o raising taxes, increased cost of energy, reliance on OPEC  Stagflation occurred –Nixon tried to reduce spending, raise taxes, raise interest rates to counter this  1971 tried Wage and Price freezing, but recession continued  1971 dropped interest rates, spending increased, helping recession  Watergate Scandal

41. Nixon’s Domestic Challenges  Silent Majority – conservative middle class  Tried to dismantle many of Great Society/New Frontier programs  Against forced busing to achieve school desegregation –Swann v. Charlotte Mecklenberg Bd of Ed (busing is one option to end segregation) –Nixon tried to prevent busing order of Congress –Nixon named Burger to Supreme Court Justice  Recession of 1970s –Inflation had doubled (up to 11%, unemployment up to 6%) –Gov’t spending exceeding revenues –Home building slowed, steel, automobile, etc industry slowed --- faced major competition from abroad –Investment in stocks slowed  Inflation soared – deficit spending (gov’t problems) and consumer demand increased 1960s w/o raising taxes, increased cost of energy, reliance on OPEC  Stagflation occurred –Nixon tried to reduce spending, raise taxes, raise interest rates to counter this –1971 tried Wage and Price freezing, but recession continued –1971 dropped interest rates, spending increased, helping recession -- -He realized deficit spending was here to stay “I am now a keynesian in economics)  Watergate Scandal

42. Watergate  June 17, 1972 – break in  CREEP and “plumbers”  June 23, 1972 – Nixon blocked FBI investigation  Woodward and Bernstein “deep throat” – Mike Felt  Early 1973 – John Dean tells Senate Watergate Committee president involved  July 16, 1973 --- bombshell dropped “Nixon had recorded all Oval Office conversations”  Oct. 20, 1973 - Saturday Nigbt Massacre – fires special prosecutor Archibold Cox persisting in demanding the tapes  Vice President Scandal  July 24, 1974 – House Judiciary Committee recommended Impeachment  Aug 5, 1974 – Nixon obeys USSC demand for tapes  August 9, 1974 – Nixon resigned

43. Gerald Ford  “Our long nightmare is over”  Never won a VP nomination or presidential election  1974 pardon of Nixon  WHIP inflation NOW – Win campaign encouraged people to be more disciplined with their money, –WIN buttons, public thought response was inadequate and out of touch with reality  Stagflation continued – high unemployment and inflation  Barely won the Republican nomination in 1976 against Ronald Reagan  Loses to Jimmy Carter  Rise of Sunbelt: southwest developing area  Did not like government regulations  Wants deregulation – cutting taxes to stimulate supply industry

44. Jimmy Carter  Malaise Speech --  Camp David Peace Accords – Peace treaty w/ Egypt and Israel  Panama Canal Zone Treaty – Treaty to turn canal over to Panama in 1999  Carter passed embargo on grain sales to USSR after they invaded Afghanistan  Boycott of Moscow Olympics  Iran Hostage Crisis –Carter blamed for not securing quick return of hostages held in Tehran by Iranian militants

45. Carter Cont.  Return of New Right – decline in public’s confidence in gov’t and rapid growth of Christian Fundamentalists (against the excesses of the counterculture of the 60s  Stagflation continues  Stage is set for transfer of political power to Republicans and Ronald Reagan’s “Reaganomics”