The Vietnam War

Ho Chi Minh Leader of the Viet Minh (Communist Revolutionaries) Formed to combat the French occupation Seized Power after the Japanese were defeated in World War II Leader of the Communist State of North Vietnam

“…if the Americans want to make war for twenty years then we shall make war for twenty years. If they want to make peace, we shall make peace and invite them to afternoon tea." - Ho Chi Minh

Johnson becomes President Initially Johnson has no plans to escalate the United States involvement in Vietnam He is unaware of the level of current U.S. involvement He is unaware of the weakness of the South Vietnamese military In fact, Vietnam garnered very little discussion in the early days of Johnson’s Presidency

Gulf of Tonkin Incident U.S.S. Maddox was in international waters off the coast of North Vietnam gathering intelligence Fired upon by three North Vietnamese torpedo boats, receiving very minor damage Maddox engaged the boats to defend itself, damaging at least one of them Claims of a second attack by the North Vietnamese on the U.S.S Turner Joy were later unable to be confirmed Gulf of Tonkin is the first major military action between North Vietnamese and United States militaries

United States Destroyer The U.S.S Turner Joy United States Destroyer The U.S.S Maddox United States Destroyer

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution Only formal Congressional approval for American military intervention in Vietnam Passed 416-0 in the House of Representatives Passed 58-2 in the Senate This allowed the United States to “go to war” without declaring war.

The United States in Vietnam U.S. Military involvement initially focused on air strikes Strategic bombings Elimination of command and control Destruction of infrastructure Elimination of airbases and military outposts Ho Chi Minh Trail Ground forces were inserted when it was determined that the South Vietnamese could not protect US airbases from North Vietnamese attacks

The Ho Chi Minh Trail Series of trails from North Vietnam to South Vietnam Allowed aid (Weapons, food, medicines, etc.) to be passed from Communists in the North to the Viet Cong in the South Major undermining of pro-democracy progress in the south One of the greatest achievement of military engineering in the 20th century – U.S. national Security Agency

Advantages World opinion Resources Most of the world was anti-communist Much concern about communist aggression Resources Superior equipment Superior general training Better command and control

Problems U.S. forces were not well trained for a war of this nature Jungle was unfamiliar terrain Agent orange –defoliant designed destroy jungles, eliminating most of the enemy cover White phosphorus Trained to fight offensive wars, not defensive ones This lead to more offensive campaigns later in the war Supported by military commanders Waning support at home Television coverage turns sentiment against the war More protests Political unrest

Problems Short tours No secure areas Logistics Inconsistent leadership Hasty training No secure areas No place to rest and regroup No place to train and plan Logistics Distance from home Fighting on foreign soil Enemy blends in with the civilian population

Tet Offensive Major offensive launched by the communist forces in January of 1968 Coordinated attack that saw 800,000 communist troops attack over 100 towns and villages in South Vietnam

Tet Offensive Battle of Hue Massacre One of the longest and bloodiest battle of the Vietnam War North Vietnamese attack on the fortress city of Hue Massacre Communists murdered opponents after the North captured the city

Tet Offensive Tactical defeat, moral victory for the communists Majority of the offensive was pushed back Heavy communist casualties Little ground gained Destroyed American morale and will to fight American people were led to believe that the communists were in shambles Intensified anti-war sentiment in the U.S.

Vietnamization Nixon policy Secret War Heavy Communist losses during the Tet Offensive allowed Nixon to withdraw American troops Called for the Arming and training of South Vietnamese so they could fight on their own Secret War Bombing of Laos and Cambodia Destruction of the Ho Chi Minh Trail and communist outposts

Victims of the My Lai Massacre Mass murder of South Vietnamese citizens by American forces Mostly elderly people, women, and children Mostly innocent The village was though to be harboring Tet Offensive attackers The Americas were ordered to destroy the attackers and those who harbored them Represented the lowest point for America in their involvement in Vietnam Victims of the My Lai Massacre

The Paris Peace Accords Ended American Involvement in Vietnam Called for a cease-fire between North and South Vietnam All American forces were removed South Vietnam was unprotected from the Communist north The north started its attacks again, this time without any fear of reprisals by the United States

The South Falls The disorganized South Vietnamese Army is unable to defend itself against the invading Communists The Communists capture Saigon The North Vietnamese were ultimately successful in the capture of the southern capital of Saigon, which they would rename Ho Chi Minh City The former Saigon remains Ho Chi Minh City today Vietnam is finally united under the government of the Communist North, and remains so today

Independence Palace, renamed Reunification Palace after the fall of Saigon. Below is a North Vietnamese tank crashing through the gates during the fall of Saigon. Vietnamese currency, featuring Ho Chi Minh