Into the Jungle America’s War in Vietnam Movies: Good Morning, Vietnam Forest Gump Apocalypse Now The Post

War Breaks Out in Vietnam (1955-1975) The Road to War Ho Chi Minh—Vietnamese nationalist, later Communist leader The Fighting Begins In 1954, French surrender to Vietnamese after major defeat

Domino Theory Fear that if one country in Southeast Asia fell to autocracy and communism, they would all fall like dominoes.

War Breaks Out in Vietnam Vietnam—A Divided Country International peace conference at Geneva agrees on a divided Vietnam Vietnam divided at the 17th parallel North Vietnam under communist Ho Chi Minh Ngo Dinh Diem—leads anti-Communist government in South Vietnam (set up by the U.S. & France) Vietcong—South Vietnamese Communist guerillas fighting against Diem

Ho Chi Minh Leader of Communist North Vietnam’s: North Vietnamese Army (NVA) Viet Minh (VM) Viet Cong (VC)

Viet Minh Ho Chi Minh’s communist political party.

Viet Cong Communist guerilla warrior group led by Ho Chi Minh.

Lyndon B. Johnson US president who escalated America’s involvement in Vietnam’s civil war.

The United States Gets Involved U.S. Troops Enter the Fight In 1964, U.S. sends troops to fight Viet Cong, North Vietnamese U.S. fights guerilla war defending increasingly unpopular government Vietcong gains support from Ho Chi Minh, China, Soviet Union U.S turns to bombing forest and farms to destroy enemies U.S. loses peasant support

Rolling Thunder Nickname for the “strategic bombing” of North Vietnam. The US dropped more bombs on Vietnam than Germany in WWII

Ho Chi Minh Trail Path through Laos and Cambodia to smuggle supplies from Russia and China to Viet Cong in South Vietnam. Bombed and attacked by US forces to no avail.

Search & Destroy American strategy of finding and killing NVA, VM and VC.

Agent Orange Toxic defoliant (poison) America sprayed on Vietnamese jungles. Causes cancer, diabetes and birth defects.

Napalm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8678478.stm http://www.kimfoundation.com/modules/contentpage/index.php?file=foundation.htm&ma=30&subid=301 Jellied gasoline used in firebombs America dropped on Vietnamese villages.

Tet Offensive Massive attack by NVA, VM and VC forces on the Vietnamese New Year in 1968. Showed that America was not and could not win the war.

Vietnam After the War Saigon renamed Ho Chi Minh City; Vietnam united as Communist nation About 1.5 million people flee Vietnam, some settling in U.S., Canada In 1995, United States normalizes relations with Vietnam

The United States Withdraws War grows unpopular in U.S.; in 1969, Nixon starts withdrawing troops Vietnamization—Nixon’s plan to withdraw U.S. from war gradually Last U.S. troops leave in 1973; South Vietnam overrun in 1975 Vietnam is still a Communist nation but are looking for other countries to invest in their country (like China)

Postwar Southeast Asia Cambodia in Turmoil Khmer Rouge—Communist rebels who take control of Cambodia in 1975 (Led by Pol Pot) They slaughter 2 million people; overthrown by Vietnamese invaders in 1978 Vietnamese leave in 1989 In 1993, Cambodia adopts democracy, holds elections with UN help

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uThTt-ZJjw