1. Vietnam War Overview

2. Infer & Predict: What kind of war would make a soldier feel this way?
What country do you think this soldier was from?
What do you think he was fighting for?
Dear Mom and Dad,
Today we went on a mission, and I am not very proud of myself, my friends, or my country.

3. Vietnam Basics Location: Population Resources
In Southeast Asia, near Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and parts of China
Population
83 Million People
Mostly Buddhist
Strong minority of Catholics
Resources
Very fertile, hot and wet climate, many resources

4. Vietnam History (Key Points)
Before WWII, France controlled Vietnam

5. WWII & Vietnam
At the beginning of the War, French still control Vietnam. Vietnamese resistance grows.
Ho Chi Minh
Leader of the Viet Minh
Wants an independent Vietnam
Opposes French, Japanese, and AMERICAN
Millions rejoice that their country is free of foreign control at last!

6. Declaring Independence
WW2 Ends and September 2, 1945, Ho Chi Minh declares Vietnam independent !!
Ho Chi Minh reads from US Declaration of Independence
Some see Ho Chi Minh’s Declaration of Independence as evidence of being a nationalist rather than being a communist. They refer to this example has him expressing his interest in having a relationship with the United States.
BUT, the French want Indochina back, and they do not recognize Vietnamese independence. Reclaim colony.
What should the US do? Support Vietnamese or help France regain its colonial empire?

7. Other interests / benefits for the US…??
A secret US govt. memo from 1952 talked about SE Asia’s valuable resources:
Rubber
Tin
Oil
were important to the US … if the Vietnam govt. won against France and took over they might be hostile towards the US and not trade with us (Oh NO!)

8. First Indo-China War 1945-1954 France vs. Viet Minh
French try to keep Vietnam, Viet Minh fight for Independence
70% of French costs are paid by US
Dien Bien Phu
1954
Final defeat of French by Vietnamese, French Surrender
1954 Geneva Conference
End Hostilities between French and Vietnamese
Temporarily divide Vietnam at 17th parallel until French leave.
Elections in 1956

9. South Vietnam
Instead of supporting Geneva Agreement and allowing unification elections and a Communist victory, US supports creation of a non-Communist, South Vietnam.
American war in Vietnam is fought to keep South Vietnam Non-Communist!

10. JFK & Vietnam
Views Vietnam as important to Cold War like Truman and Eisenhower
Begins Escalation of Troops
Overall picture unsure due to assassination
JFK believed the best way to stop communists in Vietnam was to build South Vietnam into a nation.

11. Ngo Dinh Diem First leader of South Vietnam
Nationalist but strongly anti-Communist
Catholic
Receives strong support from Eisenhower & Kennedy
Massive military and financial aid from US
Brutal to communists
Upsets Buddhist Majority
Administration is very corrupt

12. Assassination of Diem November 2, 1963
Kennedy either knew of the plot and ignored it or supported it.
American Ambassador promised no American intervention to stop the plot.
South Vietnamese Generals seize power and arrest Diem.
Assassinated following morning in back of an armored vehicle.
South Vietnamese government would never be stable.
Increased American involvement in South Vietnam’s Internal Affairs.

13. Troop Escalation
When Eisenhower left office, less than 1,000 US soldiers were in Vietnam
At the time of Kennedy’s assassination (1963), over 16,000 solders were in Vietnam.
By 1969, Vietnam had 543,000 US soliders
Many of the solders under JFK were Special Forces and under Johnson, regular ground troops were introduced.

14. Who did America Fight in Vietnam?
Viet Cong
North Vietnamese Army
Both groups were heavily supplied from USSR via China

15. Johnson & Limited War
Johnson was afraid of conflict spreading to involve USSR & China.
Strict rules of engagement – limited targets for US Troops and Air Strikes
Areas of North Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos
North Vietnamese Communists can attack, move supplies from and retreat
AMERICAN TROOPS CANNOT GO
North Vietnam
Wants a unified, Communist Vietnam
Wants Americans Out
Wants One Vietnam

16. Early American Support for War in Vietnam
Americans initially supported the war
Hit Song “The Green Berets”
Public is told troops will be home soon, and the war is almost over.
Vietnam is the first war that is heavily covered by television networks.
American public sees daily images of casualties
Public begins to turn against the war.

17. Escalation
Johnson attempts to limit the war while at the same time constantly increasing the number of soldiers in Vietnam
Over 500,000 soldiers by 1969
LBJ would attempt negotiations at the same time he would scale back offensive operations in Vietnam
North Vietnamese take advantage of this.

18. Tet Offensive
Tet – most important holiday in Vietnam, Vietnamese New Year. It is the most popular festival in Vietnam.
1968
Viet Cong attack every major US base in South Vietnam
North Vietnamese Army takes city of Hue and kills many inhabitants.
US Embassy in Saigon is attacked.

19. Effects of Tet Major Military victory for the US
Viet Cong is devastated
American media turns against the war.
American public turns against the war.
Political and psychological victory for North Vietnam.
American Anti-War Movement
Strong anti-war movement in US
War divides American population

21. Cambodia
Neutral
Viet Cong & North Vietnamese use Cambodia as a sanctuary
US troops cannot enter
Cambodian government is powerless from preventing Communists from entering
Bad history between Vietnam & Cambodia

22. Nixon & Cambodia Nixon:
Supports coup that puts strong anti-Communist government in charge
Expands conflict
Secretly bombs and invades Cambodia
Bombing & Invasion fails to make any significance in war
Cambodian communists go deeper into Cambodia
Vietnamese were using Cambodia to attack Americans
Public Opinion:
War is illegal
Public is outraged at expansion of the conflict
Massive protests

23. Nixon & Ending Vietnam War
Uses combination of increased bombing of North Vietnam and Secret Negotations
Diplomacy with China and USSR
Vietnamization – Nixon’s Plan
Turn the war over to the South Vietnamese
Train & equip South Vietnamese to fight the North
US Troops withdraw
Last US troops leave by 1973
South Vietnam Betrayed?
South Vietnam is promised that the US would send troops, money, and supplies if North Vietnamese launched a massive attack.
Nixon resigns due to Watergate
Congress and American people do not support further involvement

24. 1975 & Results of War North Vietnam takes over South Vietnam
US doesn’t prevent the take over.
Vietnam is unified under one communist state
Results:
Just under 60,000 Americans killed
US reluctant to use military power
American public is divided
Americans don’t trust government
Vietnam is Communist
Cambodia falls to Communists
Khmer Rouge/Cambodian Communist take power
Pol Pot is leader
Killing Fields – Genocide of 1/3 of the Cambodian population
Vietnam invades and occupies Cambodia to defeat Khmer Rouge