Vietnam History of nationalism Colonized by French in 1800’s – French Indochina Viet Minh led by Ho Chi Minh fought Japanese occupation – helped by US Declared independence at end of WWII France reclaimed / occupied colony Viet Minh responded w/guerrilla war

French asked help from US US financed/equipped French (Truman Doctrine) Eisenhower continued US support US belief in Domino Theory French wearied by guerrilla war – gambled on big battle in the open French defeated at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu

French give up Indochina – hand off to UN Communist North Vietnam Capital – Hanoi Military Forces – North Vietnamese Army (NVA) South Vietnam Capital – Saigon Military Forces – Army of Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) Communists in South create guerrilla army – Viet Cong French give up Indochina – hand off to UN UN Geneva Accords divides Vietnam at 17th parallel Elections to be held in North and South No elections held – North becomes Communist state and South becomes non-Communist

President of South Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem Catholic Mandate of Heaven Anti-Communist Creates Strategic Hamlet Program to concentrate and fortify villages Disliked by US due to autocratic style

Kennedy increases US troops in Vietnam to ~15,000 Buddhist faction protests – claim discrimination 1963 - Some South Vietnamese generals and CIA overthrow Diem – Diem assassinated South Vietnam falls into political chaos US increases presence in Vietnam

1964 Gulf of Tonkin Resolution – gave Johnson authority to significantly increase US troop levels Operation Rolling Thunder – US bombed North Vietnam in response to attacks by NVA and Viet Cong US soldiers took on more of the fighting

In a guerrilla war, how do you know if you’re winning? Body counts Search and Destroy missions Battles w/ Viet Cong and NVA Use of Napalm

Agent Orange – defoliant used by US to deny use of foliage to the enemy

Agent Orange - Today

Viet Cong suffering losses – supplied by North Vietnam using Ho Chi Minh Trail Trail bypassed much of Vietnam by going through Laos & Cambodia North Vietnam supplied by China & USSR Johnson refused to allow US to use full power / widen war

By late 1960’s, many in US against the war – protests increasing What was majority opinion? General Westmoreland assured the public the US was winning Daily news broadcasts caused many to doubt the government – Credibility Gap

Teach-In – teachers and students leave classes to protest Hawks / Doves The Draft – deferments, resistance, evaders 26th Amendment Unfair to poor? MLK against war

All major cities attacked by NVA and Viet Cong The 1968 Tet Offensive All major cities attacked by NVA and Viet Cong Mass executions of civilians by Communists Hard battles won by US and ARVN troops Military victory – Viet Cong effectively destroyed Major propaganda victory for Communists – mainstream US media turns against war Lessons Learned – Tet Offensive

Nixon wins Election of 1968 – promises to end war “honorably” Linkage - Nixon tried to improve relations with USSR and China to get support to end war Vietnamization – Nixon policy of arming South Vietnam so they could fight the war and US could withdraw troops Nixon increased bombing of North Vietnam and Cambodia – trying to get the Communists to the peace table

My Lai Massacre – massacre of Vietnamese villagers by US troops US invades Cambodia to interdict the Ho Chi Minh Trail News of invasion sparks new wave of college protests Kent State – 4 students killed by National Guard troops at protest

The Pentagon Papers Government papers leaked to the press by DOD worker, Daniel Ellsberg Papers showed that government had lied to the public about the war’s progress The War Continues US continues withdrawing US troops 1972 invasion of South by Communist North turned back by ARVN

The Peace Treaty US to withdraw all combat troops All POWs to be returned Communist forces to leave the South South Vietnam refused to sign – Communist troops still in South 1973 - South signs after Nixon promises continued US support and bombings in case of renewed conflict

Communists resume invasion of South in 1974 Aftermath of War War cost 58,193 US lives, ~185,000 South Vietnamese dead, and over one million Communist dead Communists resume invasion of South in 1974 Nixon powerless due to Watergate scandal and Democratic Congress refuses to honor US side of bargain – will not supply the South Communists conquer South Vietnam in April 1975 Fall of Saigon Music Video

Congress passed War Powers Act to limit presidential power in entering armed conflicts Communists kill ~250,000 South Vietnamese in executions, torture, and in “rehabilitation camps” About 2 million South Vietnamese flee (the boat people) – thousands more die Domino Theory? Laos and Cambodia fall to Communists – Cambodia begins genocide Aftermath of Vietnam War – Prager University