Vietnam War Subtitle

Why did the United States become involved in Vietnam? Essential Question

Indochina

French Indochina ▪ Interest in Rubber Plantations ▪ Converted minority to Catholic faith: gave them positions of privilege ▪ Forced labor system for peasants ▪ Export rice crop in times of starvation ▪ 1930’s rebellion against French

Japanese Occupation of Indochina ▪ After fall of France in June 1940, Japan invaded Indochina ▪ French Colonial Gov’t Cooperated with Japanese (Vichy France) ▪ Ho Chi Minh led Nationalist forces against Japanese ▪ U.S. provided him with aid ▪ At end of War, France took back Indochina ▪ Vietnamese resistance to French rule

French Defeated in Indochina Dien Bien Phu 1954

Geneva Conference, 1954 ▪ Vietnam divided along 17 th parallel, pending nationwide elections in ‘55

U.S. Involvement Began ▪ Ngo Dinh Diem, South Vietnam, rejected nationwide elections ▪ Eisenhower provided military aid to Diem ▪ Ho Chi Minh accepted Soviet aid

Viet Cong ▪ National Liberation Front ▪ South Vietnamese Communist rebels ▪ Fought in armed forces and guerrilla groups

Buddhist Revolt, 1961 ▪ Diem repression of Buddhism ▪ Buddhist anti-government demonstrations JFK sent military advisors to Vietnam

Assassination of Diem, 1963 ▪ JFK approved S.V. generals plan to stage coup ▪ Generals Assassinate Diem & his brother Nhu

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution USS Maddox fired on by North Vietnamese in Gulf of Tonkin Congress authorized use of American troops in Vietnam

Our Troops: the Infantry ▪ 53% blue collar families ▪ Median Age 19 ▪ By 1968 ▪ 54% drafted ▪ 58% of dead drafted

Controversies of the Vietnam War

Why were we going to war in Vietnam? ▪ Our Government: Containment of Communism ▪ Vietnamese People: Why did we want their country?

The Draft ▪ Old enough to die, but not to vote. ▪ Deferments for marriage & college. ▪ Fortunate Sons serve in the Reserve>Don’t go to the War

What would Kennedy have done?

Search & Destroy ▪ How do you find and defeat the enemy?

Who is the enemy?

Agent Orange & Napalm

Operation Rolling Thunder ▪ 7 million tons of bombs dropped on Indochina ▪ 24.6 tons per square mile ▪ 8.8 tons of bombs per person

Tet Offensive, 1968 ▪ Turning Point In Vietnam War ▪ Surprise attack on Vietnamese New Year on 41 S. V. cities ▪ Proved war far from over ▪ Johnson Decided not to run for re-election

Nixon bombed CambodiaNixon bombed Cambodia Student Protests IncreaseStudent Protests Increase

Government Secrets & Lies ▪ Special Forces sent in 1958 ▪ Bombing of Laos from ▪ Lies about Gulf of Tonkin ▪ The Spin on the War ▪ Pentagon Papers

U.S. Negotiations with North Vietnam, ▪ Henry Kissinger began secret talks with Vietnam ▪ Nixon bombed Hanoi & Haiphong ▪ My Lai Massacre

End of Vietnam War ▪ 73 - U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam 75 – End of Vietnam War75 – End of Vietnam War

What lessons can we learn from Vietnam?