1. THE VIETNAM WAR

2. Explain whether you think there are similarities between the Vietnam War and the wars the U.S. has been fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq since 9/11. DO NOW

4. BACKGROUND Since 1887, the Indochina peninsula was a French colony. Today it is formed by Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. 1940 – France was under Nazi dominance and allowed Japan to access North Vietnam, facilitating also China’s entry into that territory. End of WWII– France controlled again Indochina’s territory. The Viet Minh, a communist organization from North Vietnam fought independence of Vietnam under the the communist leader Ho Chi Minh. 1954 – France was defeated at Dien Bien Phu battle. Victory for Viet Minh.

5. DOMINO THEORY

6. The Geneva Peace Accords Temporary partition of Vietnam at the 17th parallel, with national elections in 1956 to reunify the country. In the North, a communist regime, supported by the USSR and China. In the South, Ngo Diem a non-communist was supported by the U.S.

7. Opposition to Geneva Accords The United States prevented the elections that were promised under the Geneva Accords. Secretary of State Dulles thought the Geneva Accords granted too much power to the Communist Party of Vietnam.

8. A New Nation in the South In 1955, with the help of massive amounts of American military, political, and economic aid, the government of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) was born. In 1956, Ngo Dinh Diem, a staunchly anti-Communist figure from the South, won a dubious election that made him president of South Vietnam

9. Desire of reunification from North Vietnam Refusal to the reunification from the South side. The Vietcong was the military arm of the National Liberation Front (NLF), created by the North Vietnamese communists to escalate the armed struggle in South Vietnam. War breakout 1956 Referendum for reunification was cancelled. CAUSE OF THE WAR

10. The USA’s purpose Stop the expansion of communism NATO Marshall Plan Truman Doctrine INTERVENTION OF THE USA The USA got involved in the war.

11. Vietcong  Guerilla army in S. Vietnam  Supplied by N. Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh Trail)Ho Chi Minh Trail  U.S. sends military advisors. Diem’s Government  Unpopular  corrupt INSURGENCY IN THE SOUTH

12. VIETCONG TUNNELS

13. VIET CONG TRAPS

14. Overthrow of Diem  Unpopular leader  Condoned by the U.S. Gulf of Tonkin Incident  Possible N. Vietnamese attackattack  Gulf of Tonkin Resolution War intensifies  Unconventional warfare  Causalities increase ESCALATION IN VIETNAM

15. A Viet Cong base camp burns

17. Anti-War movement emerges 1968: The Pivotal Year  Tet Offensive  Johnson leaves office  Violence at Democratic Convention  Nixon wins Presidency My Lai Massacre Invasion of Cambodia Pentagon Papers VIETNAM DIVIDES THE NATION

18. Vietnamization policy Peace Settlement (1973)  U.S. withdrawal of troops  Exchange of prisoners  Vietnam still divided North Vietnam invades the south (1975)  Impact of Watergate scandal  Congress refuses to aid S. Vietnam  Saigon falls (April 30,1975) Legacy of Vietnam? WAR COMES TO AN END

19. Political consequences. Country reunification by the communist regime. EFFECTS IN VIETNAM

20. Social, economical and environmental consequences. 70 % of the Infrastructure was shattered Forests were destroyed Deeply damaged crops Mass exodus to cities 830,000 dead 900,000 wounded EFFECTS IN VIETNAM

21. Consequences Damaged image of the USA Laos and Cambodia came under communist rule. EFFECTS IN THE WORLD

22. 1. Is A Vital U.S. Interest At Stake? Before the United States goes to war, there must a clear risk to national security 2. Will We Commit Sufficient Resources To Win? Force, when used, should be overwhelming and disproportionate to the force used by the enemy. 3. Are Our Objectives Clearly Defined? In addition, there must be a clear exit strategy from the conflict in which the military is engaged. 4. Will We Sustain the Commitment? Is the government prepared to sustain the effort if things go wrong. 5. Is There an Expectation that the Public and Congress Will Support the Operation? There must be strong support for the campaign by the general public. 6. Have we exhausted our other options? Military action should be used only as a last resort. LESSONS OF VIETNAM WAR

23. TIME LINE