Students will be able to explain the origins of American involvement in Southeast Asia especially Vietnam Students will be able to trace the growing US participation in the Vietnam War Students will be able to explain the rise of the US anti-war movement and its impact on American society Students will be able to explain how the US exited the war and the impact the war had on US foreign and domestic policies

Vietnamese Nationalism  Vietnam under control / influence of China  Came under control of France in 1800s as part of French Indochina  Ho Chi Minh founded Vietnamese Communist Party – led resistance movement, Vietminh, against Japanese  Received US support  After WWII he declared Vietnam independent Ho Chi Minh

After WWII (1946) French troops returned to Indochina 1949 French drove out Vietminh and set up new colonial government Vietminh began guerrilla war against French – French appealed to US for help US opposed colonialism but did not want Vietnam to become Communist Vietminh prisoners

Two events caused President Truman to support French- the fall of China to the Communists and the Korean war US believed USSR was trying to expand Communism in Asia President Eisenhower also supported France – eventually US paying ¾ of French war costs Domino Theory – belief that if one country fell to Communism then it would cause others to fall as well

France frustrated by Vietminh guerrilla war Wanted to draw Vietminh out into open battle Battle of Dien Bien Phu French defeat caused withdrawal from Indochina Geneva Accords  UN divided Vietnam at 17 th parallel  Elections to be held to unite Vietnam into single country French troops at Dien Bien Phu

 No elections held – North became Communist state under Ho Chi Minh / South led by Ngo Dinh Diem  Diem pro-West, anti-Communist, Catholic  South Vietnam supported by US  War began between South Vietnam and Communists Ngo Dinh Diem

Communists formed guerrilla army in the south called Viet Cong Growing power of Viet Cong caused US to increase support for South Vietnam President Kennedy increased US troop strength in Vietnam to ~15,000 Diem began Strategic Hamlet program – fortified villages Program unpopular with peasants Viet Cong in training

Diem unpopular due to persecution of Buddhists Buddhists protested South Vietnamese generals with CIA overthrew Diem – Diem assassinated Coup made situation worse Buddhist monk burns himself to death protesting Diem’s policies

1964 Gulf of Tonkin Resolution – authorized President Johnson to expand US military presence in Vietnam Attacks by Viet Cong on US forces resulted in the bombing of North Vietnam Operation Rolling Thunder – extensive bombing campaign against North Vietnam Johnson sent US combat troops to fight alongside South Vietnamese units

Over 200,000 US troops in Vietnam by 1966 US frustrated by guerrilla tactics and dense jungle terrain/foliage Guerrillas blended in with civilian population Body counts Search and Destroy missions Use of Napalm and Agent Orange (defoliant) Burned children flee accidental napalm strike by South Vietnamese Air Force

Viet Cong suffered heavy losses but continued war against US and South Vietnam Viet Cong supplied by North Vietnam through network of jungle trails called Ho Chi Minh Trail Trail bypassed much of South Vietnam through Laos and Cambodia North Vietnam supplied by USSR and Communist China Johnson refused to expand war and allow US to use full power Ho Chi Minh Trail

By late 1960s many in US turned against the Vietnam War General Westmoreland, commander of US forces in Vietnam, assured the American public that US was winning Daily images of war on TV news caused credibility gap – doubt that US government was telling truth

Protests increased as casualties mounted Teach-In – teachers and students abandoned classes and protested war Exemptions to the draft seen as impacting the poor and minorities unfairly Black casualties protested by MLK Many young men resisted the draft or fled to Canada or Sweden Hawks: pro-war / Doves: anti-war

1968 – The Turning Point Tet Offensive  Massive surprise attack on South Vietnam by Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army units  All major cities attacked  Communists executed thousands of South Vietnamese leaders, teachers, and foreigners  Tet was military defeat for Communists but huge propaganda victory  Mainstream media in US turned against the war  President Johnson’s popularity plummeted

Election of 1968  Senator Eugene McCarthy entered Democratic primary – “peace” candidate  Robert Kennedy also entered race  Johnson declined to run for another term  Robert Kennedy and MLK assassinated  Violent protests staged at the Democratic Primary in Chicago  Hubert Humphrey (VP) won nomination

 Richard Nixon won Republican nomination  Third Party nominee George Wallace (Segregationist)  Nixon pledged to restore law and order and end Vietnam War  Nixon won election Richard Nixon George Wallace

President Nixon appointed Henry Kissinger as his special assistant Linkage - Kissinger 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 President Nixon and Henry Kissinger

My Lai Massacre – US troops massacred ~200 South Vietnamese villagers US invaded Cambodia to destroy Communist Ho Chi Minh Trail Many saw invasion as widening of war – protests at Kent State University resulted in death of 4 students Bodies of villagers at My Lai killed by US troops

The Pentagon Papers  Government documents leaked by DOD worker Daniel Ellsberg  Documents showed many in Johnson administration questioned US involvement in Vietnam while publicly supporting it  Also showed government officials lied to the press and public

Election of 1972 – Nixon won second term Peace talks between US and North and South Vietnam Communists broke off talks – Nixon conducted massive bombing of North Vietnam – Communists resumed talks US pulled combat troops out of Vietnam and promised continued military supply to South Vietnam North Vietnam invaded the South – US Congress refused to supply South Vietnam South Vietnam fell to Communists in April 1975 US helicopters evacuate US and select South Vietnamese personnel from Saigon as the city falls to the North Vietnamese Army

Aftermath  Vietnam War cost billions of dollars  ~58,000 US deaths  About one million Vietnamese deaths (South and North) not including civilians  Changed way US looked at war  Congress passed War Powers Act – President must inform Congress of troop commitment w/in 48 hours and withdraw troops w/in days  US citizens more cynical about government  ~250,000 South Vietnamese killed by Communists after war  About two million Vietnamese “boat people” fled Vietnam