BELLWORK 4/11 Describe how foreign occupation (Japan/France) increased Vietnamese nationalism. List three decisions made in the Geneva Accords. Summarize US involvement in Vietnam throughout the presidencies of Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon. (Include their main view/policy) Who was Diem? How did civilians view him? Who were the Viet Cong? Why were they successful?

HOA Stuff You will all go to TOK 6th period on Wednesday and HOA 7th period on Thursday. German exchange student presentation at 2:30 on Thursday – come with questions! Unit 7 term cards – due 5/4 (this is your final exam!) HOA EA’s are early this year, so stay on top of all readings/assignments I am planning a Saturday review session May 7th from 10-noon.

Background Cause 1: Japanese Occupation Indochina (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos) was a French colony occupied by the Japanese during WWII Occupation created a rise in nationalism and extreme anti-Japanese sentiment. Ho Chi Minh: communist who led a nationalist movement (Vietminh) to end foreign occupation After WWII, Ho declared the independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam…..French say non  fighting breaks out!

Background Cause 2: Domino Theory FDR encouraged France to give up Indochina Due to the developing Cold War in Asia, Truman wanted communism contained. In 1954, President Eisenhower described American involvement and its relation to dominoes: “You have a row of dominoes set up, you knock over the first one, and what will happen to the last one is the certainty that it will go over very quickly.” Fear that if one Southeastern Asian nation fell to communism, the rest would follow.

Background Cause 3: Geneva Accords By 1954, the US funded 80% of the war French were defeated at the battle of Dien Bien Phu The Geneva Accords: 1954 peace settlement that divided Vietnam into two separate nations along the 17th parallel Ended French occupation (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia recognized as independent) Ho Chi Minh became president of the new Communist North Vietnam. Ngo Dinh Diem became president of the anti-Communist South Vietnam. Elections were supposed to be held in 1956 to unify Vietnam, but South Vietnam refused and it remained divided. US did not sign Geneva Accords, and in response, strengthened the South through guaranteed protection by SEATO

U.S. Involvement: Eisenhower & Kennedy In 1960, Eisenhower pledged support to Diem and sent 675 U.S. advisors When Kennedy took office in 1961 he was even more determined to prevent the spread of communism. Kennedy increased the number of military advisors to Vietnam. (By 1963 = 16,000)

How did civilians in South Vietnam view Diem? Why?

Assassination of Diem: November 1963

US Involvement: Johnson LBJ inherited a very different situation than JFK: No longer a stable gov. Increase communist support/strength in South When Johnson became President he declared “I am not going to lose Vietnam.” What was the “credibility gap?”

U.S. Troops in Vietnam

Soviet Involvement Signed Geneva Accords – wanted influence over North After the US gets involved, the USSR begins sending military aide = $1.2 billion They also trained members of the military Economic aide/trading = $5.4 billion By the 1980’s, the Soviets supplied 90% of Vietnam's oil, iron, steel, and cotton imports

Review: The Two Sides Why didn’t they unite/hold elections? North Vietnam South Vietnam

Vietnam War Poster Project To review the key events of the Vietnam War, you are going to create a poster. This in-class project is worth 30 points so make it good! You will present these on Thursday and it will be used to teach the class. Most of this will be in-class. Since access to the library is restricted, you may print pictures, graphs, maps, etc at home tonight to include on your poster. You may also use your phones for extra research. Time on Thursday will be limited. Finish it in the morning, if needed!

Poster Topics Gulf of Tonkin attack & Resolution Bryn, Julie, Ana, Mackenzie Operation Rolling Thunder Cheyenne, Cole, Marco, Tanner Use of Agent Orange and Napalm Cassie, Sarita, Matt, Naomi Viet Cong and guerrilla tactics Danny (x2), Jade Vietnam War on the Homefront (protests/culture) Meaghan, Kaci, Robbie, Nate Nixon’s policies (‘peace with honor,’ Vietnamization, Nixon Doctrine) Lily, Keana, Sara Paris Peace Talks/Treaty Tevin, Giancarlo, Max

No bellwork today! Spend the first five minutes organizing your poster/presentation. We will start shortly!

Start of Conflict In August 1964, North Vietnamese torpedo boats attacked U.S. destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin. Due to the attack, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution which authorized Johnson to take military action in Vietnam.

President Johnson and General Westmoreland believed the only way to combat guerilla warfare was through the use of heavy artillery

Operation Rolling Thunder Goals: Increase morale in South Vietnam Stop NV from aiding Viet Cong Destroy NV transport, industry, air Increase flow of supplies into SV

Agent Orange Extremely toxic herbicide Purpose was to defoliate dense forest and rural areas that protected the Viet Cong Cause peasants to flee into urban areas (controlled by US)

Vietnamese called them “children of the dust” U.S. Department of Defense statement (1970): "The care and welfare of these unfortunate children has never been, and is not now, considered an area of government responsibility”

Napalm Thickening or gelling agent mixed with gasoline

Tet Offensive On January 30, 1968, Communist forces launched a major surprise attack on civilian & military targets in South Vietnam. The first day of the Vietnamese New Year, or Tet. Within 24 hours, 84,000 Communist soldiers had stormed more than 100 South Vietnamese cities and towns, 12 U.S. military bases, and the U.S. Embassy in Saigon. U.S. and South Vietnamese forces eventually retook most of the targets, but it destroyed the cities and landscape of South Vietnam.

Tet Offensive Aftermath U.S. killed 33,000 VietCong 1,100 U.S. troops killed 2,300 South Vietnamese troops killed 12,500 Vietnamese citizens killed More than 1 million Vietnamese became refugees. Dozens of South Vietnamese towns and villages lay in ruins. One army officer said: “We had to destroy the town to save it.” Considered the turning point of the Vietnam War because it showed that no place in South Vietnam – not even the U.S. Embassy, was safe from attack. It shattered American confidence and raised doubts about Johnson’s policies in Vietnam.

My Lai Massacre March 16, 1968 US troops kill around 500 unarmed civilians including men, women, children, infants 26 US soldiers were charged with crimes but only one was found guilty (served 3 years house arrest)

Vietnam Protest Slogans Hey, Hey LBJ, how many kids will you kill today? One, two they’ll kill you; three, four stop the war; five, six piss on Nix Make love, not war I don’t give a damn for Uncle Sam, I ain’t going to Vietnam Eighteen today, dead tomorrow, don’t make us live this constant sorrow Stop the war, feed the poor Give peace a chance!

Vietcong Underground Tunnels

War spreads to Cambodia In 1970, Nixon authorized the invasion of Cambodia in order to clear out Communist camps.

Paris Peace Treaty Evident that neither side would back down…… “Peace with honor!” In January 1973, the U.S, South Vietnam, North Vietnam and the Viet Cong signed a peace agreement in Paris. The provisions of the agreement were: The U.S. would withdraw from Vietnam within 60 days. All prisoners of war would be released. All parties would end military activities in Laos and Cambodia. The 17th parallel would continue to divide North and South Vietnam.

End of Vietnam War After the U.S. left Vietnam in 1973, the south and north continued to fight for two more years. The Vietnam War officially ended in 1975 when the whole country of Vietnam fell to communism. Cambodia and Laos also fell to communism in 1975……………..why? To what extent was containment successful in Vietnam?