1. The Roots of Vietnam Roots of conflict lay in Age of Colonization. The French colonized Indochina in the mid-1800s and controlled Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. The Vietnamese resisted. At the end of WWII, the Vietnamese led by Ho Chi Minh, a communist, wanted independence from France. Cold War Foreign Policy The US feared the spread of communism. Truman sent aid to the French who were fighting the communists. Eisenhower continues this support. North and South: A Civil War French were defeated in 1954. The North wanted a communist government and the South wanted a democratic government. A Civil War broke out. The South had two enemies: North Vietnamese soldiers and Viet Cong (citizens of the South who opposed their government and supported the communist leadership of Ho Chi Minh). Gulf of Tonkin Incident and Resolution There was a report that two US destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin were attacked. LBJ compared the attack to Pearl Harbor. Congress approved further use of US troops. United States Involvement Increases JFK sends “advisors” (12,000). After the assassination, LBJ vowed to continue JFK’s policies. Problem: The government of South Vietnam was corrupt and undemocratic. President Johnson wanted to send more troops, but Congress was not very supportive. Rolling Thunder US involvement grew rapidly and by 1968 we had 540,000 troops in Vietnam. We also had a massive aerial bombing effort. The US had become far more than just “advisors”. US Firepower “Superiority” & Hueys and Grunts & “In Country” We had advanced weapons, but the enemy had the ability to strike and disappear into the countryside. We used Napalm and Agent Orange and the war widened. Hueys (helicopters) and Grunts (Army foot soldiers) went on search and destroy missions. Troops spent 13 months in country and it was hard to determine who was the friend and who was the enemy Home Front Protests Money for social programs was diverted to the war. By 1967, the war seemed like a stalemate. Americans started to protest the war, much of which occurred on college campuses. Draft age men tried to avoid serving Many “dodged” the draft. Tet North Vietnamese and Viet Cong launched major offensive on the Vietnamese New Year in 1968. The US killed more of the enemy, but it showed the American people that the war was far from over. Antiwar protests became more frequent and intense. Domestic Politics: 1968 Robert Kennedy favored getting out of the war. LBJ decided not to run for a 2 nd term. People started talking about “peace with honor.” Vietnamization US would soon begin training and equipping South Vietnamese soldiers to fight their war. Cease Fire Series of on again, off again peace talks started. Nixon ordered extensive bombing of the North and the N. Vietnamese returned to the peace talks. Cease fire finally signed. Fall of Saigon US troops began to withdraw in 1973. Congress refused to authorize more aid to the South. The North marched into Saigon in 1975. The Costs of Vietnam 58,000 US men and women killed. Spent $150 billion on the war. Damaged ability of American people to trust government officials. Other world governments began to question the ability of the US military. The Vietnam War