1. The Vietnam War

2. Geography < California South of China, East of Laos, and Cambodia Hanoi (N) Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) (S) Hills and dense forests

3. Foreign Occupation China; 200 BC – 939 AD; Agriculture abundance FR –1883 – 1941 Fr. Indochina Japan occupied during WWII Ho Chi Minh led movement for freedom He created League for the Independence of Vietnam or Vietminh Granted w/ Japanese surrender in 1945; US supported –1946 – 1954 French and Vietnamese at War US supported France – Eisenhower $2 billion –Allie, domino theory May 7, 1954 FR surrendered @ Diem Biem Phu

4. Ho Chi Minh

5. Geneva Conference Spring 1954 Terms –Cease-fire –Temporarily divided at 17 th parallel –FR would w/draw S of –July 1956 general elections to reunify the country US refused to endorse http://z.about.com/d/asianhistory/1/0/Z/0/-/-/NgoDinhDiemDOD.gif

6. South Vietnam Republic of Vietnam Anti-communist Ngo Dinh Diem = president Refused July 1956 n’tl elections Unpopular (3 reasons…) National Liberation Front (NLF) was created in 1960 to overthrow Diem –Southern Vietminh w/ northern support –Vietcong = NLF’s communist rebel forces

7. American Involvement 1955 – 1961; Eisenhower –$200 bil/yr –675 advisors 1961 – JFK president –16,000 “advisors” –Diem’s overthrow Persecuted Buddhists who’s public protest drew attention, brought demand for reforms US supported an overthrow; he was murdered –< month later Kennedy was assassinated

8. http://www.worldsfamousphotos.com/wp- content/uploads/2007/04/budist_monk_on_fire.jpg

9. The War Escalates

10. Disorder followed Diem’s overthrow NV increased aid to VC in south –War materials –Army units Were gaining ground on the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN)

11. Tonkin Gulf Resolution 1.Nov 22 1963 Kennedy assassinated; Lyndon B Johnson (LBJ) 2.Dec 1963 Sec of Def Robert McNamara recommends ground troops – need Congressional approval 3.Aug 1964 LBJ claimed 2 US ships were attacked, “unprovoked” in the Tonkin G. A.USS Maddoxx – spying B.2 nd never happened C.Ploy to get congressional support 4.Resolution A.> presidential authority; “All necessary measures…” B.Broad

12. Operations Rolling Thunder (1 st Phase of escalation) 1.March 2, 1965 - 1968 2.Bombing raids against NV in order to: A.Weaken NV’s will to fight B.Assure SV of US commitment C.Destroy Ho Chi Minh Trail 3.Over 100 American fighter-bombers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Rolling_Thunder

13. 4.Results: A.A million tons of bombs dropped on NV B.Created POWs C.Did NOTHING to NV’s morale 5.When it failed, LBJ expanded air attacks on Laos and SV. A.Napalm http://www.vietnamwar.com/ phanthikimphuc.htm http://www.vietnamwar.com/ phanthikimphuc.htm B.Cluster bombs C.Defoliants (Agent Orange) http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2007/09/03/AO_070 903095230512_wideweb__300x371,1.jpg

14. Ground War (A week after Operation Rolling Thunder) 1.March 1965 – 1967 ground troops grew from 3500 to 536,000 2.Search and destroy missions 3.Pacification – moved residents to refugees camps and burned the villages A.Denied NV territorial gains B.Body count measured success 4.Results: A.Destroyed resources B.Am $ ruined enconomy (corruption, prostitution, black market, inflation)

15. Why No Change? Limited commitment? –No all-out invasion b/c fear of nuclear war –Disengagement was politically unacceptable

16. American Forces In Vietnam 1.April 1965 Selective Service began a draft 2.The soldiers A.@ 1 st professionals B.Af Ams served in high numbers C.@ height, most were drafted: 19, poor, < educated D.Deferments / Exemptions E.10,000 service women were nursed

17. Morale Ebbs 1.Could not make territorial progress 2.Vietcong had strong will to fight

18. AMERICANS DIVIDED By the late 1960s public opinion began to turn against the war.

19. The Media and the War 1.TV camera crews, war correspondents, and photographers went w/ soldiers into combat. 2.Americans saw images that contradicted the government’s optimist report

20. The Antiwar Movement Americans began to ask: Is Vietnam the US’s responsibility? Is it worth it? 1.Hawks and Doves A.Hawks = supported the war’s goals, but said needed MORE B.Doves = opposed the war

21. 2.Students for a Democratic Society A.Against: University doing military research Draft Presence of the ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corp) Recruitment efforts B.Organized debates, rallies, demonstrations C.1 st demonstrations in Washington D.C., April 17, 1965

22. 4.Civil Rights Activists argued many points A.War was taking $ from poverty programs B.Fighting for Democracy in Vietnam, but still fighting racism at home 5. Opposition to the anti-war movement A.Patriotic duty B.Rejected antiwar tactics = protests, rallies, violence, negative media attention

23. Government in Conflict 1.Supporters: supporting an ally, if didn’t who would ever trust the US again? 2.Criticism from within the g’vt A.Senator J. William Fulbright = Dove; the war was too extreme B.Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara = “Continuation…would be dangerous, costly in lives, and unsatisfactory to the American people.”

24. WAR AT FULL TIDE

25. The Tet Offensive 1.January 30, 1968; the Vietnamese New Year 2.Over 70,000 VC guerillas and NV soldiers attacked over 100 cities and 12 US military bases in the South. 3.Lasted 1 month

26. 4.Results A.US General Westmoreland claimed victory A.2000 US dead B.4000 ARVN dead C.~40,000 communist dead B.Vietcong more determined than ever C.Revealed US leaders misled the public. D.Americans lost confidence in LBJ

28. Walter Cronkite reporting in 1968 on the Tet offensive in Vietnam. movies.nytimes.com/.../television/26watc.html

29. Accordingly, I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your President. But let men everywhere know, however, that a strong, a confident, and a vigilant America stands ready tonight to seek an honorable peace--and stands ready tonight to defend an honored cause— whatever the price, whatever the burden, whatever the sacrifice that duty may require. Thank you for listening. Good night and God bless all of you. President Lyndon B. Johnson - March 31, 1968

30. Nixon 1.LBJ didn’t run for reelection in 1968 2.Nixon wins Rep nomination w/ promise to end war. 3.End-of-the-war plan = Vietnamization A.Gradually turn over the fighting to the SVs. B.Improve relations w/ communist China and Soviet Union. 4.Early 1969 secretly spread the fighting to Cambodia. A.Destroy NV supply lines B.1970 sent 80,000 US and ARNV troops in

32. Increased Antiwar Sentiments 1.Kent State Massacre (May 4, 1970) A.Protesting students were fired upon by the National Guard B.4 killed 9 injured 2.Jackson State (May 14, 1970) – police fired at a dorm and killed 2, injured 4 3.Congress repealed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution in Dec. 1970 4.Pentagon papers published in the NY Times proved the government misled the people.

36. NIXON’S WAR CONTINUES

37. My Lai Massacre March 1968 Lt. William L Calley ordered his platoon to murder 350 villagers in retaliation Reporter Seymour Hersh of the New York Times broke the story in Nov 1969 6-soldier jury sentenced him to life in prison Nixon reduced; paroled in 1974

38. Decline of Anti-War Protest 1.Police harassment 2.FBI/CIA intervened and broke up 3.Use of terrorism lost support 4.Vietnamization –# of troops down –Ended draft –All-volunteer by 1973 5.Other causes: Feminism and environmentalism

39. Détente Goal: peaceful co-existence w/ USSR and CH would encourage them to stop sending aid to NV Good time – tension b/wn USSR and CH Feb 1972 = Nixon visited CH May 1972 = Nixon visited USSR –Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty = limited production and deployment of ICBMs

40. American W/drawal Increased combat activity and pressure from USSR and CH encouraged negotiations Oct 1972 Cease-fire agreement –Henry Kissinger (US) –Le Duc Tho (NV) –Terms W/drawal of Am troops Return of all Am POWs Continue presence of NV soldiers in SV US aid to NV for reconstruction Election of ’72 = Nixon wins b/c of SV rejects; NV refuses to compromise

41. Nixon Wins Reelection of ’72 Democratic nomination troubled again 26 th Amendment lowered voting age to 18 Sec. of Def. announced breakthrough in negotiations.

42. December Bombings US bombs civilian and military targets Dec 17-30, 1972 Most devastating bombings of the war

43. Paris Peace Accords Jan 27, 1973 Cease Fire signed Signed by NV, SV, US, VC US w/drawal for Am POWs US secretly pledge to help SV if NV attacked to get SV to agree DID NOT resolve the civil war!

44. Fall of Saigon W/o Am aid SV was weak –Communist were more disciplined –Unpopular March 1975 NV launched its final offensive US helicopters evacuated SV government officials and soldiers from US Embassy –Largest helicopter evac ever –TV –120,000 Vietnamese were evacuated April 29, 1975 Vietnam is united; –Communist –Saigon = Ho Chi Minh City

45. http://www.planetwaves.net/contents/images/saigon.jpg

46. VIETNAM’S LEGACY

47. American Veterans 2.6 million fought 58,000 dead 300,000 wounded 2300 MIA 600 POWs The Veterans: –250,000 – 350,000 homeless –Drug addictions –Traumatic –Jobless 1000s with disabilities Public’s rxt was negative

48. SE Asia/Vietnam After the War Dead: –1 million SV 185,000 ARVN ~500,000 SV civilians –~1,000,000 NV? 879,000 Vietnam orphans 181,000 disabled 10 million refugees –730,000 to America (mostly from Laos) –Ameraisians

49. American Foreign Policy Lost international credibility War Powers Act in 1973. –Report use of military w/in 48 hours –60 day limit Control of Media

50. American Economic and Social Effects $150 billion! – took 4 from domestic programs –Increased debt –Fueled inflation Deep distrust of Government – lies about success –Questioned Gulf of Tonkin incident –Secret war in Cambodia

51. Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

52. Vietnam Today Socialist Republic of Vietnam Communist Economy struggled after Soviet Union fell apart, but recovering today. –Modernized, export driven –US-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement in Dec 2001 –Vietnam's exports to the US increased 800% from 2001 to 2006. –Vietnam joined the WTO in January 2007