1. The Vietnam War

2. Since 1880, Vietnam had been a colony belonging to France. As nationalism grew, the Vietnamese desired for France to withdraw and for Vietnam to become independent. It becomes clear, however, that Communist leaders appear likely to take control once Vietnam becomes independent.

3. The Geneva Accords Pressured by foreign governments, Vietnam agrees to divide at the 17 th parallel : the Communists in the north and the French forces in the south 1954

4. Though the Vietnamese nationalists are trying to gain independence from a foreign power (France), they are led by Communist forces and the U.S. is more concerned with fighting communism than helping a nation free itself from foreign domination. Ho Chi Minh

5. Domino Theory The belief that if Vietnam fell to the Communists, the rest of Southeast Asia would fall like a “row of dominos”

6. As the French move out, the United States sends economic and military aid to South Vietnam to help them fight North Vietnam. President Kennedy wishes to help fight a Communist take-over of Vietnam with military advisors, but refuses to send in American troops.

7. The U.S. supported Ngo Dinh Diem as the leader of South Vietnam. He had strong Western ties, but his government was brutal to Buddhists and those who opposed him. Many Vietnamese turned their support to Communist leader Ho Chi Minh.

8. In response to Diem’s corruption and brutality, several Buddhist monks protested by burning themselves to death. Realizing that Diem has failed as a leader, the U.S. supports a coup, in which Diem is assassinated by his own generals.

9. November 22, 1963 President Kennedy is killed by an assassin’s rifle while riding in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas.

10. Ninety-nine minutes after President Kennedy is declared dead, Lyndon B. Johnson is sworn in aboard Air Force One as the 36 th President.

11. President Johnson has a different plan for the war in Vietnam. He has plans to escalate the fighting. But first he needs a reason…..

12. A false report of an attack in the Gulf of Tonkin gives LBJ his reason to escalate the war against the North Vietnamese.

13. Gulf of Tonkin Resolution Allows LBJ “to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression.” On March 8, 1965, the first American combat troops enter Vietnam.

14. Johnson “Americanizes” the War The war in Vietnam becomes no longer a war between North and South Vietnam, but instead, a war between Communist North Vietnam and the United States.

15. U.S. Troops Face Difficult Conditions The geography and climate of Vietnam, as well as, the topography of the land made fighting difficult for soldiers unfamiliar with the land.

16. Vietcong used a system of underground tunnels to surprise American troops and evade being detected

17. Limited War Proves Ineffective “You can kill ten of my men for every one of yours. At those odds, you will lose and I will win.” - Ho Chi Minh The U.S. employs a strategy of limited warfare, unwilling to completely mobilize all of the nation’s resources to achieve victory. They hope the enemy will give up, but they greatly underestimate their enemy’s resolve.

18. The War Divides the People of South Vietnam The people of South Vietnam suffer from North Vietnamese brutality and the war waging between the Viet Cong and American forces. They desire to be free of both.

19. U.S. troops lived in constant danger of hidden snipers, booby traps, and land mines. Though they fought bravely, great casualties cause some U.S. troops to question their purpose for being in the war.

20. America witnesses the war on television As the war drags on and more American troops perish, public support for the war diminishes at home.

22. Failure in Vietnam causes LBJ not to seek a second term as President. Johnson was deeply troubled by the heavy casualties sustained by American troops. “Hey hey, LBJ! How many kids did you kill today?” War Protestors

23. Richard Nixon wins election and promises to end war in Vietnam Nixon attempts to back the U.S. out of the war through the process of “Vietnamization” – the policy of having South Vietnam take over the fighting.

24. Anti-War Movement The Anti-war movement brought about a counter culture that distrusted their government, adopted a “freer” lifestyle, and experimented with mind altering drugs.

25. In 1973, North Vietnam, South Vietnam, and the United States reach an agreement for peace. Vietnam would remain divided. The U.S. would withdraw and North Vietnam promised not to invade South Vietnam. …but peace would not last.

26. North Vietnam invades the South South Vietnam looks to the U.S. for support, which Nixon had promised to give if the North tried another invasion. However, Nixon resigned the presidency, and new president, Gerald Ford, refused to involve the U.S. once again in Vietnam. The outcome was disastrous South Vietnam. Thousands died trying to escape. Thousands more were relocated to “reeducation camps.” Since 1975, more than a million South Vietnamese have fled the country.

27. Cambodia Even worse was the fate suffered by Cambodians at the hands of the Khmer Rouge, the Communist regime responsible for nearly 2 million deaths.

28. The war in Vietnam would have a great psychological effect on the United States, and cause it to question its ability to govern foreign policy through military force. The 1970s remained a difficult decade for America, especially financially.

29. The End