1. The War In Vietnam

2. DURING WWII, COMMUNIST LEADER HO CHI MINH LEADS VIETNAMESE AGAINST JAPANESE INVADERS.  AFTER THE WAR, VIETNAM DECLARES INDEPENDENCE FROM FRANCE. FRENCH SAY NO!!!   HO CHI MINH LEADS FORCES AGAINST FRENCH. A LONG STRUGGLE OCCURS.  VIETNAM IS DIVIDED. NORTH AND SOUTH (JUST LIKE KOREA) THE COMMUNIST LED BY HO CHI MINH ARE IN THE NORTH  ELECTIONS ARE SUPPOSED TO OCCUR. NEVER DO. COUNTRY REMAINS DIVIDED.  VIETCONG: (LIBERATION FRONT) BEGIN ATTACKS ON NORTH ON THE ORDERS OF HO CHI MINH. How did it start?

3. The American Role Remember the “Domino Theory”? U.S. policy under Eisenhower and Kennedy was if the Communists were allowed to take one country, all would fall like dominos. So, Kennedy sends “advisors” and some “special forces” LBJ continues this policy. * U.S. began to find it difficult to work with a corrupt President (Diem) of S. Vietnam. He is assassinated by his troops. JFK supports this.

4.  JFK IS ASSASSINATED. LBJ BECOMES PRESIDENT  THERE ARE 16,000 TROOPS IN VIETNAM AS ADVISORS.  PRESIDENT JOHNSON SENDS HIS SECRETARY OF STATE (ROBERT MCNAMARA) TO “FACT FIND” RESULT: U.S. ESCALATES INVOLVEMENT. BEGINS LARGE TROOP BUILDUP.  BY THE END OF LBJ’S TERM(1968), THE U.S. HAD 500,000 TROOPS STATIONED IN VIETNAM. Lyndon Johnson and Vietnam

5. Operation “Rolling Thunder” Intense bombing by Americans to break up the transportation and communication systems of the North Vietnamese. Lasts from 1965-68.

6.  GROUND FIGHTING IS DIFFICULT  JUNGLE, MUD, SWAMPS, RICE PADDIES SLOW TROOPS  VIETCONG CONSTANTLY HARASSES U.S. TROOPS WITH GUERILLA STYLE FIGHTING. AMERICANS BEGIN “SEARCH AND DESTROY” STRATEGY - GROUND TROOPS AND AIR COORDINATE WITH EACH OTHER. - USE NAPALM AND AGENT ORANGE TO CLEAR OUT JUNGLE GROWTH. Fighting the War http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC 4tpeN6pj4 http://vimeo.com/174932

7. Frustration!! “ The Americans thought that the more bombs they dropped, the quicker we would fall to our knees and surrender. But the bombs heightened, rather than dampen our spirit” - Vietcong leader Despite advances, the Americans could not overcome the Vietcong which kept replacing its soldiers.

8. AT FIRST LBJ THOUGHT THE WAR WOULD BE EASILY WON DUE TO THE HIGH CASUALTY RATE OF THE VIETCONG. BEGIN TO SEE THAT THE WAR WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT TO WIN. ANGER GROWS IN THE U.S. AT LBJ AND THE CONGRESS. Trouble in the White House