1. Vietnam War
Chronological Review

2. Timeline and 4 Stages: 1946 The first Vietnam War begins
France attempts to reassert its imperial control over Vietnam
Vietnamese nationalists led by Ho Chi Minh
STAGE 1
US begins advisory role in Vietnam
Thousands of US military advisors sent to train South Vietnamese army
Vietcong Guerilla attacks begin in south
STAGE 3
US begins combat role in Vietnam
First official combat troops arrive leading to dramatic escalation of the war
January 30, 1968 “Tet Offensive”
March 16, 1968 “My Lai Massacre”
Geneva Conference
Ends first Vietnam war and “temporarily” divides the country at the 17th parallel
North Vietnam controlled by Ho Chi Minh and communist supporters
South Vietnam controlled by Ngo Kinh Diem and democratic supporters (US)
STAGE 2
US begins counterinsurgency role in Vietnam
Green Berets sent in and secrete military operations begin
November 1, 1963 Diem assassinated in US supported military coup
November 22, 1963 JFK assassinated
August, Gulf of Tonkin
STAGE 4
Vietnamization
US troop strength decreases slowly
Bombing raids stepped up secretely (cambodia % Laos)
Anti war protests increase
Woodstock
Kent State

3. Stage One: Advisory Role (1955-1960)
IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS:
Ho seen by US as an international leader of communism(Soviet ally)
1956: Free elections denied by Diem (decision supported by US)
: The first Vietcong(VC) guerrilla attacks begin in South Vietnam
About 2,000 so called “military advisors” are sent to Vietnam (although “officially” only 675)
1960: US drops first bombs of war on VC strongholds in South
GOALS:
Make the ARVN (South Vietnamese Army) a model of our military
Stabilize the Diem government and gain support in south
Combat increasing guerrilla attacks against Diem and his supporters

4. Stage One: Advisory Role (1955-1960)
1. President Eisenhower increases aid and military advisors to French Indochina with defense of domino theory.

5. 2. The French withdraw and Geneva Accords divide Vietnam in 1954. U. S
2. The French withdraw and Geneva Accords divide Vietnam in U.S. installs Ngo Dinh Diem.

6. 3. Ho Chi Minh (Nguyen Sinh Cung) or “He who enlightens” leads the communist government of North Vietnam.

7. 4. Ngo Dinh Diem refuses to hold nationwide unification elections in 1956 (as called for by Geneva Accords). Vietcong insurgency begins.

8. Stage Two: Counterinsurgency (1961-1964)
IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS:
VC widen their attacks against ARVN soldiers and raid villages sympathetic to Diem and the US
GUERRILLA TACTICS:
The # of “military advisors” (now including Green Beret’s) increases dramatically to over 16,000. Although there officially to advise and train the ARVN, many participate in combat missions with the ARVN.
Military aid increases, including American-piloted armed helicopters, to combat VC attacks
GOALS:
JFK takes office and vows to continue Eisenhower’s Vietnam policies
Fix the Diem “problem” as his autocratic rule leads to increased demonstrations and opposition in the South
Use covert operations in North Vietnam to engage in sabotage and light harassment of NVA

9. Stage Two: Counterinsurgency (1961-1964)
5. Ho Chi Minh forms Vietcong and pushes for unification using guerrilla warfare in South.

10. Guerilla Tactics

11. Guerilla Tactics

12. Stage Two: Counterinsurgency (1961-1964)
6. President Kennedy increases aid and military advisors (from 900 to 16,000 by 1963).

13. Stage Two: Counterinsurgency (1961-1964)
7. Kennedy sends in the Green Berets to conduct counterinsurgency missions

14. Stage Two: Counterinsurgency (1961-1964)
8. Kennedy and Diem institute strategic hamlet program to separate villagers from VC.

15. Stage Two: Counterinsurgency (1961-1964)
8. Strategic hamlet allows Diem to consolidate power and alienates rural villagers.

16. Stage Two: Counterinsurgency (1961-1964)
9. Ngo Dinh Diem widely unpopular and Buddhist monks protest in summer 1963.

17. Stage Two: Counterinsurgency (1961-1964)
10. Kennedy allows for assassination of Diem- leading to widespread instability and coups.

18. Stage Three: Combat (1965-1968)
GOALS:
Continually bomb North Vietnam to pressure VC to stop attacks
N.Vietnam (Ho) adopts new “protracted war strategy” intended to bog down and frustrate US military, intended to force a negotiated peace
IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS:
August, 1965: After the VC attacked two US naval ships LBJ orders the start of Operation Rolling Thunder (lasts 3 yrs.)
March 8, 1965: The first official US combat troops arrive-
As a result, VC target American civilian and military personnel
March-April: The first NVA combat troops arrive in the south & play limited role helping VC

19. Stage Three: Combat (1965-1968)
11. President Johnson claims U.S. ships attacked in Gulf of Tonkin in summer of 1964.

20. Stage Three: Combat (1965-1968)
“Take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression.”
12. Congress passes Gulf of Tonkin Resolution- handing president a “blank check” for war.

21. Stage Three: Combat (1965-1968)
13. LBJ wins 1964 election: calling for the Great Society and pledging no escalation in Vietnam.

22. 14. The U.S. resumes the military draft and increases troop levels to 500,000 by 1968.

23. Stage Three: Combat (1965-1968)

24. Stage Three: Combat (1965-1968)
15. Operation Rolling Thunder commences in dropping more bombs than all of WWII.

25. Stage Three: Combat (1965-1968)
16. U.S. also uses napalm and Agent Orange in attempt to eliminate VC strongholds in jungle.

26. Stage Three: Combat (1965-1968)
17. American tactics strengthen Vietcong resolve and frustrate South Vietnamese/American public.

27. Stage Three: Combat (1965-1968)
GOALS:
Dramatic escalation of war intended to combat increased VC/NVA attacks
Difficulty in determining who the enemy was led the US to begin several “pacification” tactics, including the use of “free-fire zones” and “search and destroy missions”
Bombing halted in north – not south (March 31, 1968) by LBJ in order to “seek peace” before the end of his term
1968: Peace talks begin in Hanoi
IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS:
US winning major battles but losing war (public being told the US winning the war- almost over)
Jan 30, 1968: NVA, with help from VC, launch surprise Tet Offensive. Together they attack every southern city at once, including the US Embassy in Saigon (capital of South Vietnam)
NVA/VC: Lost overall battle but won a psychological victory as TV coverage proves US not really winning the war (credibility gap created)
March, 1968: My Lai Massacre

28. Search and Destroy Missions

29. Stage Three: Combat (1965-1968)
18. Protests erupt at college campuses as students protest draft and bombing in Vietnam.

30. Stage Three: Combat (1965-1968)
19. Free Speech movement begins at University of California Berkley in 1964.

31. Stage Three: Combat (1965-1968)
20. Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) are most effective at organizing widespread antiwar protests across the nation.

34. Stage Three: Combat (1965-1968)
21. Nation is divided by Vietnam- Hawks support the war and Doves support an end to the war.

35. Stage Three: Combat (1965-1968)
22. Young Americans for Freedom is largest student political organization in country- supporting war and “God-given free will.”

36. Stage Three: Combat (1965-1968)
23. Support for war continues through 1968.

37. Stage Three: Combat (1965-1968)

38. Stage Three: Combat (1965-1968)
24. The Tet Offensive of 1968 shocks many Americans who wonder if war is winnable.

39. Stage Three: Combat (1965-1968)
Tet Offensive is a military victory for the United States- but a moral victory for the Vietcong and NVA.

40. Stage Three: Combat (1965-1968)

41. Stage Three: Combat (1965-1968)
25. Continuing TV coverage of Vietnam juxtaposed with rosy statements by the administration contribute to a credibility gap.

42. Stage Three: Combat (1965-1968)
26. Johnson does not run for reelection in 1968 as he’s challenged by antiwar candidates.

43. Stage Three: Combat (1965-1968)
27. On April 4, 1968 Martin Luther King, Jr is assassinated in Memphis, TN. Riots erupt across the country.

44. Stage Three: Combat (1965-1968)
28. On June 5, 1968 Robert F. Kennedy is assassinated (after securing lead for the Democratic nomination in California).

45. Stage Three: Combat (1965-1968)
29. Protestors and “Yippies” (Youth International Party) converge on Chicago for the Democratic National Convention in August 1968.

46. Stage Three: Combat (1965-1968)

47. Stage Three: Combat (1965-1968)

48. Stage Three: Combat (1965-1968)
A “police riot” breaks out on the evening of the nominations

49. Stage Three: Combat (1965-1968)
30. Democrats nominate VP Hubert Humphry as violent protests continue outside nominating convention

50. Nixon Wins 1968 Election
What contributed to his win?

51. Nixon Wins 1968 Election
Democrats were divided over Vietnam- their convention was marked by violent protest.
Independent George Wallace captures most of southern Democratic votes.
Nixon promised an end to the Vietnam War and to restore law and order.

52. Nixon Wins 1968 Election
After Eugene McCarthy and Robert Kennedy enter the race LBJ announces he won’t run on March 31, Robert Kennedy was shot by Sirhan Sirhan on June 5, George Wallace carries Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia in the 1968 election. The National Guard stands outside the International Amphitheatre in Chicago and the Chicago police battle protestors in Grant Park.
Nixon defeats Vice President Hubert Humphrey.

53. Nixon’s Southern Strategy
Nixon gains Southern support by promising:
To appoint only conservatives to the courts.
To slow desegregation of the South

54. Nixon’s Southern Strategy
Nixon and the Republican Party seek to gain more votes in the South- and they do so by targeting disaffected Democratic voters. Many Southern Democrats are upset with Johnson’s pursuit of Civil Rights and the increase in federal power that went along with it. The South has long been a strong Democratic voting block but that begins to change with the Civil Rights movement and the new Southern Strategy.

55. Nixon’s Southern Strategy
Richard Nixon, George W. Romney (Governor of Michigan ), Robert Dole (Senator from Kansas , ran for president 96) and Strom Thurmond (48 yrs Senator from South Carolina).

56. Stage Four: Vietnamization (1968-1975)

57. Stage Four: Vietnamization (1968-1975)
Goals:
Nov 3, 1969: President Nixon adopts the “Vietnamization” program
intended to gradually transfer combat operations in Vietnam entirely to the South Vietnamese army
Intended to bring the fighting to an “honorable end”
IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS:
By 1970, peak American troop levels of 543,400 fell to 334,600
Military suffering morale problems, including increased drug abuse and racial tension
US expansion of war into Laos and Cambodia leads to increased violent demonstra-tions on college campuses (EX: Kent State)
Slowly (as a result of huge VC casualty rates) the bulk of the fighting in the south shifted from VC guerrilla units to well trained NVA troops between

58. President Nixon pursues Vietnamization- withdrawal of U. S
President Nixon pursues Vietnamization- withdrawal of U.S. troops (increased bombing).

63. Stage Four: Vietnamization (1968-1975)
IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS:
1973: Paris Peace Treaty ends war between North Vietnam and the US. The US agrees to pull the rest of its troops out of the south by end of 1973.
US tells the south it would continue to supply it with weapons to fight the north after its combat troops were gone – IT LIED!!
The treaty is practically the same as the one proposed by the north at the beginning of the talks in 1968 (US, in effect, capitulates)
1975: North Vietnam launches final offensive of war into the south, leading to the fall of Saigon and unification of Vietnam
The unification is dictated by force and entirely by the communist north

64. In 1973 a cease fire is signed and U. S. troops leave
In 1973 a cease fire is signed and U.S. troops leave. Saigon falls to North Vietnam in 1975.

67. The Rest of Nixon’s Foreign Policy

68. Normalization of Relations with China:
Nixon eats next to Premier Chou En-lai (left) at banquet given in his honor.

69. Normalization of Relations with China:
Nixon lifts trade and travel restrictions.
Removes U.S. fleet from defending Taiwan.
First president to visit China.
Hoped to encourage Soviet cooperation.
U.S. had not recognized China since formation of Communist nation in 1949 (Carter would officially recognize them in 1978). Kissinger meets secretly with Chinese officials- they announce visit in February 1972.

70. Normalization of Relations with China:
“Ping Pong Diplomacy”: in April 1971 China invited the American ping-pong team to compete in China. TIME called it “the ping heard round the war.” The players, coaches and spouses who arrived were first Americans to visit since Communist takeover.

71. Normalization of Relations with China:
Nixon and wife Pat tour Great Wall of China in February Nixon shakes Mao Zedong’s hand February 21, 1972.

72. Policy of Détente:
Nikita Krushev (58-64) and John F. Kennedy: Cuban Missile Crisis (Oct. 1962)

73. Policy of Détente:
Depiction of nuclear Armageddon from Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.

74. Policy of Détente:
“relaxation of tensions” between U.S. and its Communist rivals.
Contain Communism but avoid confrontations that could lead to war.
Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT I) signed in 1972 (nuclear weapons/trade)
Nixon: “We must understand that détente is not a love fest. It is an understanding between nations that have opposite purposes, but which share common interests, including the avoidance of a nuclear war.”

75. Policy of Détente:
Nixon chose Henry Kissinger as his national security advisor- even more influential than Secretary of State William Rogers. Kissinger and his Jewish family fled Nazi Germany in afterwards he became a professor at Harvard and foreign policy consultant for Kennedy and Johnson.

76. Policy of Détente:
Nixon met with Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev (succeeded Nikita Khrushchev) in Moscow on May 22, 1972 for a weeklong summit- first U.S. president to visit since WWII.

77. Policy of Détente:
When Nixon was elected the Soviet Union did not have high expectations- Nixon had a history of anticommunist statements. He helped lead the second red scare with McCarthy as a member of HUAC (bringing down Alger Hiss) and usher in Republican victories in 1950 (Nixon won Senate) and 1952 (Vice President).