1. Origins of the Vietnam War & 1968: Coming Apart At Home

2. Fall of Indochina French tried to recolonize Indochina after WWII
Cambodians and Vietnamese wanted their independence
Natives looked toward Communist leader Ho Chi Minh for help against the French
This anticolonial war became part of the Cold War rivalry
U.S. government gave aid to the French while the Chinese and Soviets helped support the Viet Minh guerillas led by Ho Chi Minh

3. Division of Vietnam
1954: a large French army was defeated by Ho Chi Minh’s forces
Geneva Conference of 1954: French agreed to give up Indochina
Divided into the independent nations of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam
As a part of the conference, Vietnam was temporarily divided at the 17th parallel until general elections could be held
Ho Chi Minh established a Communist dictatorship in the North
Ngo Ding Diem led the anti-Communist South

4. The Domino Theory General elections to unite Vietnam were never held
South Vietnam’s government feared the Communists would win
: U.S. gave $1 billion in economic and military aid to South Vietnam
Eisenhower justified this using the “domino theory”
If South Vietnam fell to Communism, one nation after another in Southeast Asia would fall, and so on and so forth
Like a row of dominoes

5. Early Stages Kennedy adopted Eisenhower’s Domino Theory
Continued to give military aid to South Vietnam, increased the number of military “advisers”
1963: more than 16,000 U.S. troops in South Vietnam
Support roles, not combat roles
Provided training and supplies for South Vietnam’s forces

6. Early Stages Ngo Dinh Diem was not a popular leader
Buddhist monks set themselves on fire in protest of Diem’s policies
Kennedy questioned whether the South Vietnamese could win under Diem’s leadership
Diem was overthrown and killed by South Vietnamese generals
Kennedy had knowledge of this

7. Tonkin Gulf Resolution
LBJ came into office just as things were falling apart in South Vietnam
Seven different governments in 1964 alone
A naval incident in the Gulf of Tonkin off Vietnam’s coast persuaded Johnson and Congress to authorize U.S. forces to go into combat
Allegedly, North Vietnamese gunboats had fired on U.S. warships
Johnson persuaded Congress this was sufficient enough to go to war

8. Tonkin Gulf Resolution
Congress voted approval of the Tonkin Gulf Resolution
Allowed the president to take “all necessary measures” to protect U.S. interests in Vietnam
Critics charged U.S. forces in Vietnam was an illegal war
War was never officially declared by Congress
Johnson was caught in a political dilemma: how would he stop the defeat of a weak, unpopular government without making it into an American war, which would doom his Great Society programs?
If he pulled out, he would be seen as weak and lose public support

9. Escalating the War
1965: military and foreign policy advisers recommended Johnson expand operations in Vietnam
After an attack on a U.S. base, Johnson authorized Operation Rolling Thunder
Massive, prolonged bombing raids against North Vietnamese targets
April 1965: U.S. combat troops were used for the first time
By the end of 1965, 184,000 U.S. troops were engaged in combat roles in Vietnam

10. Escalating the War
Johnson continuously stepped-up American involvement in Vietnam
Search-and-destroy tactics only further alienated peasants
End of 1967: 485,000 troops were in Vietnam and 16,000 had already died
Gen. William Westmoreland assured the American public he could see “light at the end of the tunnel”

11. Controversy Over the War
Misinformation combined with Johnson’s reluctance to speak openly about the war created a credibility gap
Years later, top government officials concluded they failed to understand their enemy and the nature of the war
Johnson insisted on increasing military pressure on the North regardless

12. Hawks vs. Doves
“Hawks” believed the war represented Soviet-backed Communist aggression against the South Vietnamese, part of a master plan to conquer all of Southeast Asia
“Doves” viewed the conflict as a civil war fought between Nationalists and Communists in an attempt to unite their country
Many Americans opposed the war because of the cost in lives and money
The greatest opposition came from college campuses

13. The Tet Offensive
Traditionally, fighting would cease for the Lunar New Year (Tet) in January
The Vietcong launched a surprise attack in almost every capitol and American base in South Vietnam
The U.S. military was able to counterattack, inflict heavy casualties, and reclaim lost territories
The Tet Offensive was a huge moral and political victory for the Vietcong and North Vietnamese
Ended any misconceptions that this war would be over anytime soon
Made Americans realize the strength and persistence of the North Vietnamese

14. LBJ Ends Escalation
After the Tet Offensive, most advisers were against further escalation
March 31, 1968: Johnson goes on air to tell Americans he would limit bombing and try to negotiate a peace
Also announce he would not run for a second term
Peace talks began in May 1968 but were almost immediately shut down
Escalation had only stopped temporarily

15. 1968: Coming Apart at Home
Few years in U.S. history were as violent and troubled as 1968
Tet Offensive, LBJ’s withdrawal from the presidential race, Dr. King’s assassination and ensuing race riots
Americans wondered if the nation was being torn apart over the war, race issues, and the generation gap between the baby boomers and their parents

16. Another Kennedy Assassination
JFK’s younger brother, Robert Kennedy, decided to enter the 1968 presidential race
Appealed to the traditional Democratic blue- collar and minority vote
Immediately after a huge primary win and giving a victory speech in California, Kennedy was shot and killed by a young Arab nationalist who opposed his support for Israel

17. The 1968 Democratic National Convention
After Kennedy’s assassination, the election became a three-way race between George Wallace, Richard Nixon, and V.P. Hubert Humphrey
At the Democratic National Convention, it was clear Humphrey had enough votes to earn the nomination
Had loyally stood behind Johnson on the Vietnam war
Antiwar demonstrators outside the arena were getting increasingly restless/violent

18. The 1968 Democratic National Convention
Chicago’s mayor dispatched the police to deal with the antiwar demonstrators
The violence that ensued was broadcasted on national television as a “police riot”
Humphrey earned the nomination of a badly dived Democratic party

19. The Return of Richard Nixon
Many thought Nixon’s political career was over in 1962 when he unsuccessfully ran for governor of California
By 1968, Nixon was more confident and less negative as a politician
Became the front-runner in the Republican primaries and had little trouble securing the nomination
Nixon was a “hawk,” ran on the slogans of “peace with honor” and “law and order”

20. Results of the 1968 Election
Nixon defeated Humphrey by a very close popular vote but won a substantial majority of the electoral vote
Nixon’s and Wallace’s combined popular vote only totaled about 57%
Revealed Americans were tired of the social, political, and cultural upheavals of the 1960s
Voters were tired of protests, violence, the counterculture, federal intervention in social institutions, etc.
The tide was turning against New Deal liberalism in favor of conservatism