1. The Vietnam War

2. Ho Chi Minh Leader of the Viet Minh (Communist Revolutionaries)
Formed to combat the French occupation
Seized Power after the Japanese were defeated in World War II
Leader of the Communist State of North Vietnam

3. “…if the Americans want to make war for twenty years then we shall make war for twenty years. If they want to make peace, we shall make peace and invite them to afternoon tea."
- Ho Chi Minh

4. Johnson becomes President
Initially Johnson has no plans to escalate the United States involvement in Vietnam
He is unaware of the level of current U.S. involvement
He is unaware of the weakness of the South Vietnamese military
In fact, Vietnam garnered very little discussion in the early days of Johnson’s Presidency

5. Gulf of Tonkin Incident
U.S.S. Maddox was in international waters off the coast of North Vietnam gathering intelligence
Fired upon by three North Vietnamese torpedo boats, receiving very minor damage
Maddox engaged the boats to defend itself, damaging at least one of them
Claims of a second attack by the North Vietnamese on the U.S.S Turner Joy were later unable to be confirmed
Gulf of Tonkin is the first major military action between North Vietnamese and United States militaries

6. United States Destroyer
The U.S.S Turner Joy
United States Destroyer
The U.S.S Maddox
United States Destroyer

7. Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
Only formal Congressional approval for American military intervention in Vietnam
Passed in the House of Representatives
Passed 58-2 in the Senate
This allowed the United States to “go to war” without declaring war.

8. The United States in Vietnam
U.S. Military involvement initially focused on air strikes
Strategic bombings
Elimination of command and control
Destruction of infrastructure
Elimination of airbases and military outposts
Ho Chi Minh Trail
Ground forces were inserted when it was determined that the South Vietnamese could not protect US airbases from North Vietnamese attacks

9. The Ho Chi Minh Trail
Series of trails from North Vietnam to South Vietnam
Allowed aid (Weapons, food, medicines, etc.) to be passed from Communists in the North to the Viet Cong in the South
Major undermining of pro-democracy progress in the south
One of the greatest achievement of military engineering in the 20th century – U.S. national Security Agency

10. Advantages World opinion Resources
Most of the world was anti-communist
Much concern about communist aggression
Resources
Superior equipment
Superior general training
Better command and control

11. Problems U.S. forces were not well trained for a war of this nature
Jungle was unfamiliar terrain
Agent orange –defoliant designed destroy jungles, eliminating most of the enemy cover
White phosphorus
Trained to fight offensive wars, not defensive ones
This lead to more offensive campaigns later in the war
Supported by military commanders
Waning support at home
Television coverage turns sentiment against the war
More protests
Political unrest

12. Problems Short tours No secure areas Logistics Inconsistent leadership
Hasty training
No secure areas
No place to rest and regroup
No place to train and plan
Logistics
Distance from home
Fighting on foreign soil
Enemy blends in with the civilian population

13. Tet Offensive
Major offensive launched by the communist forces in January of 1968
Coordinated attack that saw 800,000 communist troops attack over 100 towns and villages in South Vietnam

14. Tet Offensive Battle of Hue Massacre
One of the longest and bloodiest battle of the Vietnam War
North Vietnamese attack on the fortress city of Hue
Massacre
Communists murdered opponents after the North captured the city

15. Tet Offensive Tactical defeat, moral victory for the communists
Majority of the offensive was pushed back
Heavy communist casualties
Little ground gained
Destroyed American morale and will to fight
American people were led to believe that the communists were in shambles
Intensified anti-war sentiment in the U.S.

16. Vietnamization Nixon policy Secret War
Heavy Communist losses during the Tet Offensive allowed Nixon to withdraw American troops
Called for the Arming and training of South Vietnamese so they could fight on their own
Secret War
Bombing of Laos and Cambodia
Destruction of the Ho Chi Minh Trail and communist outposts

17. Victims of the My Lai Massacre
Mass murder of South Vietnamese citizens by American forces
Mostly elderly people, women, and children
Mostly innocent
The village was though to be harboring Tet Offensive attackers
The Americas were ordered to destroy the attackers and those who harbored them
Represented the lowest point for America in their involvement in Vietnam
Victims of the My Lai Massacre

18. The Paris Peace Accords
Ended American Involvement in Vietnam
Called for a cease-fire between North and South Vietnam
All American forces were removed
South Vietnam was unprotected from the Communist north
The north started its attacks again, this time without any fear of reprisals by the United States

19. The South Falls
The disorganized South Vietnamese Army is unable to defend itself against the invading Communists
The Communists capture Saigon
The North Vietnamese were ultimately successful in the capture of the southern capital of Saigon, which they would rename Ho Chi Minh City
The former Saigon remains Ho Chi Minh City today
Vietnam is finally united under the government of the Communist North, and remains so today

20. Independence Palace, renamed Reunification Palace after the fall of Saigon. Below is a North Vietnamese tank crashing through the gates during the fall of Saigon.
Vietnamese currency, featuring Ho Chi Minh