1. Module 16: The Vietnam War 1959 - 1976
Lesson 1: Moving Toward Conflict
Lesson 2: U.S. Involvement and Escalation
Lesson 3: A Nation Divided
Lesson 4: 1968: A Tumultuous Year
Lesson 5: The End of the War and Its Legacy

3. Vietnam: Background to the Conflict
Vietnam was always ruled by someone else
French take over Indochina in 1800s
Vietnamese resistance to French
Ho Chi Minh led guerilla forces
Vietminh organized in 1941
Declared independence after WWII 1945
French move back to control Indochina 1946

4. Moving Toward Conflict: US Involvement
US Supports French:
Needs French cooperation in Cold War
Fearful of Ho Chi Minh (communist)
1949 China falls to communism
1950 fight communists in Korea
Could Vietnam be the next “domino?”

5. US Slowly Gets Involved
Vietminh continues war against French
Guerrilla tactics
French lost big battle at Dien Bien Phu 1954
France leaves Vietnam
Geneva Conference 1954
Divides Vietnam along 17th Parallel
Plans for elections to unite Vietnam 1956
US refuses to support the agreement: instead, US…
Supports South Vietnamese government
Give aid to Ng Dinh Diem

6. Rebellion in South Vietnam
Late 1950s to the early 1960s
National Liberation Front: Vietcong (Viet Minh)
Communist North Vietnam aids rebellion through Ho Chi Minh Trail
US involvement deepens Pres. Kennedy sends advisors  backing the corrupt regime of Ngo Dinh Diem

7. The War Escalates Role of President Kennedy  Dilemma
Try to contain communism BUT
Do not get US caught in major war
US “advisors” from 900 to 16,000 in 1960
Problem: Advisors get shot at, they shoot
Rebellion in South Vietnam gets worse
THUS McNamara advises more troops

8. President Johnson Same dilemma as Kennedy
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964)=President can send as many troops to Vietnam as he wants WITHOUT a declaration of war
Draft 1965=More than 2 million serve
Rolling Thunder=Air attacks 1965
Massive “search and destroy” missions
Guerilla conflict intensifies

10. US Involvement and Escalation
Pres. Johnson increases US involvement: CONTAINMENT POLICY
Roles of Robert McNamara, Dean Rusk, Gen. William Westmoreland
Nature of guerrilla warfare
Jungle fighting and an elusive enemy
Guerrilla tactics: hit and run, sabotage, ambushes, can’t tell who enemy is
War of attrition
Psychological nature of war for “hearts and minds”
US tactics NOT appropriate for guerrilla warfare

11. US Escalation (by the numbers)
March 1965: 27,000 US military personnel
April, 1965: 50,000
July, 1965: additional 100,000 troops sent to Vietnam
December, 1965: total of 443,000 US personnel requested
January, 1966: total requested raised to 459,000
August, 1966: total requested raised to 542,000
By 1967, over 600,000 US troops in Vietnam
But it is OK, “we are winning!”

12. Major Problems at Home By 1967, 16,000 American dead
Role of television in the press
“Hawks” v. “Doves”
Credibility gap=Truth v. What we were told
Anti-War movement/tied to civil rights
Critics in Congress=Fulbright Hearings 1966
Morale Drops-US soldiers/civilians
Johnson’s domestic programs (The Great Society) suffer

13. A Nation Divided Many young men resist the draft
Extreme burden on African-American soldiers
Growth of political opposition to the war
The New Left: tied to the youth rebellion of the 1960s
Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)
The Free Speech Movement at Berkeley
Growth of the anti-war protest movement
Even turmoil in Johnson’s administration
Hawks v. Doves

15. 1968: A Tumultuous Year: A Turning Point
Tet Offensive (January 1968)—major communist offensive hope to bring down South Vietnamese government
General William Westmoreland said offensive was a major defeat for the communists
HOWEVERA major political defeat for US
US confidence shaken
No part of S.V. safe
Criticism of war intensifies
LBJ denies request for more troops

16. Election of 1968 LBJ shocks nation—won’t run!
Democratic Candidates were anti-war
R. Kennedy, E. McCarthy, H. Humphrey
Nation was in a “mess”
Kennedy assassinated
Dem. Convention in Chicago—riots
Re-emergence of Richard Nixon (Rep)

18. The End of the War and Its Legacy: Nixon Wins
Claims he had a plan for Vietnam
Role of Henry Kissinger-”Vietnamization”
Turn war over to S. Vietnam
Gradual US withdrawal (Peace with Honor)
US troops withdrawals tied to negotiations
Secretly expand war to Cambodia
Increases bombing of North Vietnam
Major protests in US  Kent State 1970

19. Trouble Continues at Home
Americans split on war: protestors v. “silent majority”
My Lai Massacre
Invasion of Cambodia and Laos
Kent State, May 4, 1970
The Pentagon Papers: Daniel Ellsberg

21. The War Ends Nixon re-elected 1972 Cease-Fire: October 1972: Kissinger
Law and order candidate
Still working on plan to get US out of Vietnam
26th Amendment: Voting age from 21 to 18
Cease-Fire: October 1972: Kissinger
Cease fire
Foreign troops out of Vietnam
End of US military aid
New government in S. Vietnam with current president and Viet Cong
US rejects agreement/North Vietnam protests

22. So…
Nixon ordered continuous bombing of Vietnam (40,000 tons in 2 weeks)
Did not shake North Vietnam
Bombing ended and US resumed talks
New cease fire: January 1973same basic issues as before but now with a POW exchange
BUT-no word on future of South Vietnam
US begins withdrawal 1973
South Vietnamese government collapses in 1975

23. Major Effects of War 185,000 S. Vietnamese soldiers/500,000 civilians
1 million VC and NVA
1 million orphans and disabled
Countless refugees
58,000 US dead/over 300,000 wounded, POW MIA

24. Major Effects of the War, cont’d…
Major impact on/reaction by America against war
Blame soldiers and veterans
Hard time for soldiers: Jobs, morale, drug abuse, guilt
Severe health issues: Agent Orange, PTSD
War Powers Act by Congress 1973
$150 billion in US tax dollars: Debt, inflation
Yet, eventually the Vietnam Veterans Memorial designed by Maya Ying Lin—dedicated 1982

25. Video Links Black Sabbath: War Pigs HD War Footage Battle for Hue
HD War Footage
Battle for Hue
Anti War Protests
1968 Democratic Convention: Chicago