Vietnam: U.S. Involvement & Escalation Chapter 22 - Section 2

Vietnam & The Cold War The Vietnam War can be viewed in part – as a battle within the Cold War. Remember that the U.S. foreign policy at the time was containment to prevent the spread of communism.

1964 Election – LBJ vs. Goldwater During the 1964 election, LBJ seemed very moderate compared to his opponent. LBJ spoke about containing communism, but also said he was “not about to send American boys 9 or 10,000 miles away from home to do what Asian boys ought to be doing for themselves. Barry Goldwater, the Republican nominee, was a tough anti-Communist. Goldwater used heated language to describe his views towards the Soviets. Goldwater also said the U.S. should use any resource at their disposal, including nuclear weapons, to prevent the spread of communism.

Johnson’s Advisors Robert McNamara Secretary of Defense Dean Rusk Secretary of State These were two of Johnson’s top advisors and they both strongly urged escalation of troops into Vietnam to deal with the communist threat.

1965 During 1965, LBJ ordered tens of thousands of U.S. troops to fight in Vietnam. By the end of 1965, the U.S. government had sent more than 180,000 Americans to Vietnam. General William Westmoreland, commander of U.S. troops in South Vietnam, would continue to request that more troops be sent.

A Different Kind of Enemy Fighting North Vietnam and the Vietcong proved to be difficult for several reasons: 1. Hit and run ambush tactics –The Vietcong appeared to be everyday South Vietnamese citizens – the same citizens we were supposed to protect. Their attacks came as a surprise to U.S. troops. 2. A knowledge of the jungle terrain –A network of elaborate tunnels that they could quickly access as needed. 3. Booby traps and land mines that were spread throughout the jungle. 4. Climate: “Sweltering heat” and other difficult weather conditions

The U.S. Strategy General Westmoreland’s strategy was to destroy the Vietcong’s morale through a war of attrition – gradually wearing down the enemy. The Vietcong had no intention of quitting however – and they received supplies from China and the Soviet Union.

“Winning Hearts and Minds” One priority for the U.S. was to keep the South Vietnamese citizens on their side. –This would fail for several reasons. –Let’s see why…

South Vietnamese citizens turn against the U.S. soldiers Why did our battle to keep the support of the South Vietnamese fail? 1. To expose tunnels and hideouts, the U.S. dropped napalm, a gasoline-based bomb, which set fire to the jungle. 2. The U.S. sprayed Agent Orange, a leaf-killing toxic chemical, to destroy jungle hideouts. 3. These two actions would impact civilians by destroying villages, leaving the countryside in ruins, and causing health problems for Vietnamese citizens and U.S. soldiers. –What did they call this? (next slide)

Search and Destroy The U.S. also conducted search and destroy missions, going into villages and capturing citizens with ties to the Vietcong while destroying their homes and livestock. This did not win over the hearts of the South Vietnamese people.

More Problems… The U.S. had to deal with declining morale among its troops as the war waged on for several years. Substance Abuse: –Many soldiers, who were drafted into the military, turned to alcohol, drugs, and in some cases suicide.

Proud Soldiers Most American soldiers were proud of what they were trying to accomplish – containing communism. They looked at their service as their sacrifice to our country, much like their fathers did during WWII. Many soldiers would deal with torture and confinement in North Vietnamese prison camps, like Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona.

More Problems… The U.S. also had to deal with the South Vietnamese government, which could not seem to remain stable. In 1966, Buddhist monks began burning themselves in the streets to protest the government, leaving many Americans to ask the question, “Why exactly are we over there?”

Vietnam’s effect on the home front LBJ thought they could win the war in Vietnam quickly – he was wrong. Support for his administration would begin to fall, and his domestic programs began to suffer.

The Great Society??? LBJ’s Great Society was never properly funded Wars cost money, and as Vietnam dragged on, the U.S. needed funds to pay for the war. Inflation went up by 3 percent. LBJ got Congress to approve a tax increase, but LBJ had to agree to a $6 billion reduction in funding for Great Society programs..

The Television War The Vietnam War was the first “televised” war that millions of Americans watched daily. As body bags of soldiers were shown on TV, and casualties rose, the images Americans saw on television impacted their support for the Vietnam War. War critics argued there was a credibility gap – a difference in what LBJ was saying compared to what was being reported by television networks. By 1967, Americans were evenly split in their support for the war.