Gulf of Tonkin: Did the attacks really happen? Finish the documents Complete your final answer, using quotes from the docs

Tactics of the Vietnam War

America Exerts its Strength Operation Rolling Thunder (Feb. 1965) Massive bombing campaign of North Vietnam Goals: Boost morale of South Get North to stop sending arms to Vietcong

Attempts & Failures 1965 – CIA’s Operation Phoenix: Interrogating, torturing & killing suspected Vietcong Later – Congressional hearings into the “state- sponsored murder program”

America’s High-Tech War B52 bombers Artillery Helicopters

Agent Orange Defoliant: To remove unwanted foliage which provided cover for enemy 20 million gallons used in Vietnam Exposure causes harm– both Vietnamese & U.S. vets Risk of cancer & genetic defects

Napalm “Jellied gasoline” - a flammable liquid A thickener; when mixed with gasoline, makes a sticky incendiary gel Used to clear helicopter landing zones “Anti-personnel" weapon: sticks & burns skin

Kim Phuc: "Napalm is the most terrible pain you can imagine Kim Phuc: "Napalm is the most terrible pain you can imagine. Water boils at 100˚ C. Napalm generates temperatures of 800˚ to 1,200˚ C."

Patrols American troops were sent on patrols, then supported by air and artillery when attacked. This demoralised the soldiers, who realised they were being used just as bait.

Search & Destroy Missions Conquer villages to weed out Viet Cong & support network Led to violence

Why Search & Destroy Failed Killed many innocent civilians Forced the peasants to leave Vietcong-controlled areas This created immense opposition, and allowed Vietcong infiltrators into loyal areas. Broader Tactical failure NVN willing to endure many losses Viet Cong not easily identified Easy to ambush

Vietcong Tactics They fought a guerrilla war Ambushing US patrols Setting booby traps and landmines Planting bombs in towns Mingled in with the peasants Supplied with rockets/weapons by China and Russia They used the Ho Chi Minh Trail - through Laos and Cambodia

Land Mines and Booby Traps Cheap and Effective

Tunnels

Tet Offensive Jan 30 - Jun 8, 1968 Series of Viet Cong & NVN offensives

1968 – A Defining Year Almost 525,000 U.S. troops in Vietnam Tet Offensive (Jan) My Lai Massacre (Mar 16) President Johnson orders halt to U.S. bombing of NVN (Oct 31) SVN and Viet Cong join U.S. and NVN in Paris peace talks