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. Background to the War zPresident Truman sent military aid to French because zFall of China to Communism zKorean War started zThe French lost control to Ho Chi Minh’s Viet Minh forces in 1954 at Dien Bien Phu

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

6. Background to the War zA date was set for democratic elections to reunify Vietnam zDiem backed out of the election because he feared losing zLeads to military conflict between North and South

7. U.S. Military Involvement Begins zPresident zPresident Eisenhower P Sent P Sent financial financial and military military aid P 675 P 675 U.S. Army advisors sent by 1960.

8. 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)

9. Johnson Sends Ground Forces zRemembers Truman’s “loss” of China to Communism  Domino Theory revived I’m not going to be the president who saw Southeast Asia go the way China went.

10. Johnson Sends Ground Forces zTonkin Gulf Incident  1964 (acc. to Johnson, the attacks were unprovoked) zTonkin Gulf Resolution P “The Blank Check” P Congress hands war making powers over to President P Violates checks and balances in Constitution

11. U.S. Troop Deployments in Vietnam

12. Who Is the Enemy? zVietcong zVietcong:South Vietnamese who support North 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. The guerilla wins if he does not lose, the conventional army loses if it does not win. -- M MM Mao Zedong

13. Who Is the Enemy? zNorth Vietnam gains support from other communist countries like China and Soviet Union zThey use the Ho-Chi-Min trail through Laos & Cambodia to attack the South and to support the Vietcong

14. Who Is the Enemy?

15. Military Tactics  Search and Destroy –Locate enemy, force into open, attack  Napalm –Jellied gasoline – burns villages and jungle  Agent Orange –Chemical used to kill jungle cover  Avoid invading North Vietnam – because Pres. Johnson didn’t want China to become directly involved (like during Korean War)

16. 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: