2. The Vietnam War 1954 - 1975

3. 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.

4. Background to the War zInternational Conference at Geneva P Vietnam was divided at 17 th parallel O Ho Chi Minh: leader of nationalist forces controlled the North O Ngo Dinh Diem: French-educated, Catholic. Claimed control of the South

5. U.S. Military Involvement Begins zKennedy elected 1960 zIncreases military “advisors” to 16,000 z1963: zJFK supports military coup d’etat zCoup by the AVRN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam) generals. zUS said it would not interfere zAVRN overthrew the government on November 1, 1963. z Diem and his brother are murdered (Nov. 2) zKennedy was assassinated 20 days later (Nov. 22)

6. Johnson Sends Ground Forces zAdvised to rout the communists by Secretary of Defense, Robert S. McNamara zTonkin Gulf Incident  1964 (acc. to Johnson, the attacks were unprovoked) zTonkin Gulf Resolution P “The Blank Check” * P A joint resolution of Congress that gave Johnson authorization - without a formal declaration of war -for the use of military force in Southeast Asia.

7. The Ground War 1965-1968 zNo clear territorial goals for the US. zBody counts on TV every night (first “living room” war) zViet Cong supplies over the Ho Chi Minh Trail a path that ran from North Vietnam to South Vietnam through of Laos & Cambodia. It provided support (manpower and weapons, etc) to the Vietcong/National Liberation Front/North Vietnamese Army (NVA)

8. 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

9. The Ground War 1965-1968 zGeneral Westmoreland zGeneral Westmoreland, late 1967: We can see the “light at the end of the tunnel.”

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

11. Impact of the Tet Offensive zDomestic U.S. Reaction: Disbelief, Anger, Distrust of Johnson Administration z‘z‘z‘z‘Hey, Hey LBJ! How many kids did you kill today?’

12. Johnson’s popularity dropped in 1968 from 48% to 36%.

13. 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):

14. Nixon on Vietnam zNixon’s 1968 Campaign promised an end to the war: Peace with Honor P Appealed to the great “Silent Majority” zVietnamization : Encouraged the South Vietnamese to take more responsibility for fighting the war. zHoped to enable the United States to withdraw (gradually) all their soldiers from Vietnam. zExpansion of the conflict  The “Secret War” P Cambodia – US forces famously invade & bomb. Destabilize the nation. P Laos

15. “Pentagon Papers,” 1971 zFormer defense analyst Daniel Ellsberg leaked govt. docs. regarding war efforts during Johnson’s administration to the New York Times. zDocs.  Govt. misled Congress & Amer. People regarding its intentions in Vietnam during mid-1960s. P Primary reason for fighting not to eliminate communism, but to avoid humiliating defeat. P New York Times v. United States (1971) *

16. The Ceasefire, 1973 zPeace is at hand  Kissinger, 1972 P North Vietnam attacks South P Most Massive U.S. bombing commences z1973: Ceasefire signed between P U.S., South Vietnam, & North Vietnam zPeace with honor (President Nixon)

17. Peace Negotiations zUS & Vietnamese argue for 5 months over the size of the conference table! Dr. Henry KissingerLe Duc Tho Dr. Henry Kissinger & Le Duc Tho

18. The Ceasefire, 1973 zConditions: 1. U.S. to remove all troops 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

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

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

21. zMay 4, 1970 z4 students shot dead. z11 students wounded Kent State University zJackson State University zMay 10, 1970 z2 dead; 12 wounded