1. Vietnam War
Chapter 22: Sections 2 and 3

2. Advantages in War American Advantages: Better Weaponry
Vietcong Advantages:
“Home Field Advantage”
Blending-In
Willing to Die

3. Weapons and Tactics American Weapons and Tactics Bombings
War of Attrition
Napalm
Agent Orange
Search and Destroy Missions

4. Weapons and Tactics Vietcong Weapons and Tactics Hit and Run Missions
Land Mines
Booby Traps
Guerilla Warfare

5. The Credibility Gap
Credibility Gap forms between the Government and American Public
The Government was remaining optimistic about the Vietnam War, while the media (TV) was portraying the war as a lost cause
The American people began to question the government and look toward the mass media for the truth

6. The Credibility Gap The U.S. Economy Television The Fulbright Hearings
The war caused inflation and taxes increases
Television
Brought the war “home”
Contradicted Johnson’s Optimism
The Fulbright Hearings
Contributed to American’s uncertainty in the war

7. Dodging the Draft Doctors gave bogus medical deferments
Men looked for lenient draft boards
Enrolled in college
Joined the Coast Guard or the National Guard

8. Vietnam: The Working Class War
Nearly 80% of the troops in Vietnam were “working class”
Enrolling in college = $
Men who could not afford college were typically drafted into the army

9. Opposing the War College Students and young people generally opposed
The New Left - Growing youth movement in the 1960’s. Demanded sweeping changes be made in the US
Students for a Democratic Society(SDS) - claimed corporations had taken over America, and called for “participatory democracy” more individual rights and freedoms.
Free Speech Movement(FSM) - opposed the “machine”

10. Opposing the War
March on Washington - because college deferment changed
Tearing up draft cards
Fleeing to Canada
Demonstrations
Speeches

11. The Nation Divides Doves Opposed the war
Thought the US should withdraw
Hawks
Supported the war
Thought the US should use more military force

12. Tet Offensive Beginning of the new year known as Tet
Villagers celebrated the festivities by mourning the dead
Vietcong announced a week-long truce for the new year
During the week, many funerals took place for war victims
The Vietcong had secretly infiltrated cities all across South Vietnam and hid guns inside coffins to launch a secret attack
The Vietcong attacked over 100 cities, 12 US air bases, and the US embassy in Saigon killing 5 Americans

13. Tet Changes Public Opinion in the US
The Vietcong was defeated militarily
Vietcong lost about 32,000 men
US lost a little over 3,000 men
The Johnson Administration claimed the Vietcong were nearly defeated
Tet Offensive - Made people feel lied to
Public opinion changed, Johnson would never recover support

14. Political Changes 1968 - Johnson decided not to run for reelection
The Democrats were splitting apart over the topic of Vietnam.
Eugene McCarthy = End War
Robert Kennedy = Support American poor/minorities
Kennedy was assassinated
McCarthy ran against Hubert Humphrey

15. 1968 Election Republican = Richard Nixon Democrat = Hubert Humphrey
Independent = George Wallace
Nixon won!

16. Nixon Begins to Withdraw Troops
Vietnamization - name of the process used to withdraw troops from Vietnam
Plan developed by Nixon and Henry Kissinger
Wanted to remove US troops and have the South Vietnamese troops take over more of the combat
“Peace With Honor”

17. “Peace With Honor” Troops began to return home
Nixon wanted to Nationalist Government in South Vietnam to remain intact
Ordered massive bombings on North Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos
He wanted the Vietcong to believe he was capable of anything, and did not want to show weakness

18. The My Lai Massacre
March 16, a US platoon moved into the village of My Lai
Lt. William Calley Jr. gave orders to “kill anything that breathed”
Over 200 villagers, mostly women and children were rounded up and huddled together
The troops opened fire on the innocent civilians

19. Invasion of Cambodia April 30, 1970 - US invaded Cambodia
Nixon stated this had to be done to cut Vietcong supply lines
College students began to strike - First in history
Around 1,200 campuses closed around the United States
Kent State University - Ohio

20. The Pentagon Papers
Nixon was abusing the Tonkin Gulf Resolution by ordering increased bombing on North Vietnam and invading Cambodia
Congress repealed the resolution
Public support fell apart when the Pentagon Papers leaked to the public
Revealed that Johnson planned to send troops to Vietnam when he was promising peace and did not intend to end the war

21. End of the War Heavy bombings continued in North Vietnam
“Christmas Bombings” - 100,000 bombs over 11 days
January 27, Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam
March 29, The last of the troops left for home
Within months of the US departure, the North launched a full scale invasion of South Vietnam

22. The Fall of Saigon
The South Vietnamese government appealed to the US for help
America provided economic aid, but refused to send troops
April 30, North Vietnamese tanks rolled into South Vietnam and they were forced to surrender

23. The War’s Legacy 58,000 Americans died, 303,000 were wounded
Vietnamese deaths topped 2 million
The US was divided between “hawks” and “doves”
All of America was left feeling uneasy about foreign affairs and untrusting of their government
Most people in the US were protesting returning veterans

24. War’s Affect on Soldiers
Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome
Suicide
Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Severe Headaches
Memory Lapses

25. Results... Vietnam fell to Communism
Over 400,000 South Vietnamese were imprisoned
Nearly 1.5 million fled Vietnam for other areas
Cambodia was taken by a Communist group (Khmer Rouge)

26. Results... US ended the Draft
Took action to monitor President’s war-making powers
War Powers Act - Presidents must notify Congress within 48 hours of sending troops into a hostile area without a declaration of war. Cannot remain there more than 90 days without Congressional approval
“Vietnam Syndrome” - US weighs out possibilities on foreign policy before acting on them
The US citizens became cynical about the Government