1. Vietnam

2. Vietnam Through 1945 Had been colonized by the French in late 1800s
Seized by Japan at onset of WWII
After Japan surrendered in 1945, French attempted to resume control, but met stiff resistance from the Vietnamese

3. Ho Chi Minh 1890 – 1969 Real name = Nguyen Tat Thanh
Ho Chi Minh means “Bringer of Light”
Former teacher who became leader of Vietnam’s Communist Party
During the Japanese occupation, organized a nationalist resistance group known as the Vietminh

4. US Support
During WWII, the US sent military aid to the Vietminh, but once the war was over, the US supported the French efforts to reclaim Vietnam
US did not support colonialism, but feared communism more – picked what it considered to be the lesser of two evils
US policy was reinforced after China and North Korea both became communist states

5. The French Withdraw
Despite extensive US support, the French were defeated by the Vietminh, who waged a campaign of guerrilla warfare
In May of 1954, the French lost the battle of Dien Bien Phu and decided to withdraw from Vietnam

6. The Geneva Accords The French agreed to leave Vietnam
Vietnam was divided at the 17th parallel into a communist North Vietnam, led by Ho Chi Minh, and a pro-western South Vietnam, led by Ngo Dinh Diem

7. Ngo Dinh Diem
Refused to consider allowing elections to reunite Vietnam into a single state out of fears that such elections would not be conducted legitimately in the communist North

8. The Vietcong
As tensions rose between North and South, Ho Chi Minh organized a new guerrilla army to conduct raids against the South
The US responded by sending military advisors to train the South’s military

9. Kennedy Increases US Aid
After taking office in 1961, John Kennedy made the protection of South Vietnam a top US priority
During his presidency, the number of American military personnel in Vietnam jumped from 2000 to 15,000
Kennedy also pressured Diem to create a more democratic government in the South

10. Diem’s Popularity Fades
Diem did little to improve to help the mostly peasant population of the South and his popularity quickly faded
Diem, who was Catholic, also tried to suppress Buddhism, which was the dominant religion of the Vietnamese

12. Diem’s Downfall
In Nov. 1963, the US decided to support a coup led by Diem’s generals against him, believing that Diem’s regime was no longer viable
The overthrow led to a weakening of the South’s government, forcing the US to assume more responsibility for maintaining the South’s independence

13. The Gulf of Tonkin
In August 1964, US warships off the Vietnamese coast were attacked by North Vietnamese torpedo boats
The US ships had been assisting the South in espionage against the North, but were attacked without direct provocation
Aug. 7, 1964: Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, authorizing President Johnson to take “all necessary measures” to repel any threat to US forces in the region

14. Operation Rolling Thunder
Johnson decided to respond to attacks on US forces with a sustained bombing campaign against the North, beginning in March 1965
The same month, Johnson ordered US combat troops into Vietnam

15. Vietcong Tactics Hit-and-run Guerrilla warfare
Booby traps, land mines, and suicide bombings
Often wore no military uniforms so that they could blend in with the local population

16. The Ho Chi Minh Trail
Network of jungle paths which allowed for arms, supplies, and soldiers to move south out of North Vietnam, often through the neighboring nations of Laos or Cambodia
US could not strike at the these supply lines because they passed through countries not involved in the war

17. US Tactics in Response
Napalm: jellied gasoline which explodes on contact, coating everything it contacts with a burning gel
Agent Orange: chemical defoliant which stripped leaves from trees, destroying the Vietcong’s cover

19. Underestimating the Enemy
North had a willingness to accept huge numbers of casualties
North received extensive military support from both the Chinese and the Soviets

20. US Policy Makes the War Unwinnable
President Johnson was unwilling to order a full-scale invasion of North Vietnam due to fears that it would provoke China into entering the war directly
Johnson’s refusal to act to cut off the Ho Chi Minh Trail meant that supplies would continue to flow uninterrupted

21. The “Television War”
Public support for the war had been high in the mid-60s, but as the reality of the war was displayed nightly on television news programs, American’s enthusiasm quickly eroded
Viewers had to decide whether to believe the government’s claims that we were winning, or trust what they saw on TV – they chose television

22. “Hawks” vs. “Doves”
Hawks supported escalating the war as a noble fight against communism, buying into the “domino theory” that if Vietnam fell, so would all of Southeast Asia
Doves opposed the war and called on the government to pull out of Vietnam completely

24. Teach-Ins
Beginning with the University of Michigan and spreading to hundreds of college campuses nationwide, professors and students joined together in abandoning their courses in favor of holding serious debates over whether or not the war in Vietnam was ethical

25. The Draft
College students (who tended to be from white, middle or upper-class families) could win draft deferments, while those who could not afford college (many from poor minorities) found themselves more at risk of being drafted and deployed to Vietnam
African Americans made up about 10% of the US population, but accounted for 20% of US casualties during the war

26. Draft-dodging
Many publicly burned their draft cards or refused to register
Some chose to leave the US, fleeing to Canada or Europe
Some refused to serve when drafted, choosing to do time in prison over fighting

27. High Profile Protests
April 1965: SDS organized a march on Washington of more than 20,000 protestors
April 1967: MLK spoke out in protest of the war, especially its high toll on poor minorities
Oct. 1967: A second protest in Washington drew thousands more than the one two years before

28. The 26th Amendment
1971
Public outcry erupted over drafting young men at age 18 when they could not vote until 21
Rather than raise the age for service, the voting age was lowered to 18

29. The Tet Offensive January 1968
During the holiday season of Tet (Vietnamese New Year) the Vietcong launched a surprise attack, hitting nearly every US base and major South Vietnamese city at the same time

30. Tet Attack on US Embassy
The Vietcong even attacked the US Embassy in the capital of Saigon
The Tet Offensive was a costly failure for the Vietcong, costing them huge casualties, but the American public was deeply shocked that such an attack could have occurred from an enemy the government claimed was nearly beaten

31. The Media Turns Against the War
The Wall Street Journal began to openly criticize the war as a failure
CBS Evening News anchorman Walter Cronkite declared “It is more certain than ever that the bloody experience in Vietnam is to end in a stalemate”
President Johnson’s approval rating plummeted to 26%

32. Nixon Tries to End the War
After Richard Nixon became president in 1969, he began gradually scaling back the number of US ground troops in Vietnam, turning the war over to US trained South Vietnamese troops in a process he termed “Vietnamization”

33. US Shifts Strategy
At the same time, Nixon stepped up US air strikes against the North and allowed the bombing of Vietcong sanctuaries and supply routes in Cambodia
Nixon wanted the US to be able to negotiate an end to the war with the North from a position of strength, so a complete US withdrawal wasn’t practical

34. Henry Kissinger
Appointed by Nixon to try a diplomatic approach to ending the war
Kissinger tried to improve US relations with China and the USSR in an effort to undermine their material support for the Vietcong
Also entered into secret cease-fire talks with North Vietnam, but these talks drug on for 4 years

35. My Lai Massacre
Spring 1968
American platoon massacred over 200 unarmed Vietnamese civilians, mostly children and the elderly, in the village of My Lai
When the story broke in Nov. 1969, Americans were horrified and many began to believe this one event was symptomatic that all US soldiers were becoming “baby killers”

36. US Invades Cambodia
In April 1970, Nixon announced that US troops had entered Cambodia to destroy Vietcong bases and supply lines
Many Americans saw this as a widening of the war and as a betrayal of Nixon’s promise to end it

37. Violence on Campus
May 4, 1970: Student protestors on the campus of Kent State University in Ohio were fired on by soldiers of the Ohio National Guard, killing 4 and wounding 9
10 days later, police killed 2 student protestors at Jackson State College in Mississippi

38. An Angry Congress
Nixon had not informed Congress of his authorization of the invasion of Cambodia
December 1970: Congress repealed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, removing the president’s authority to solely direct the war

39. The Pentagon Papers
1971: former Dept. of Defense employee Daniel Ellsberg leaked classified documents to the New York Times
These documents revealed that the White House and military had deliberately acted to deceive Congress, the media, and the public about how the war was progressing

40. The Christmas Bombings
After peace talks broke down in December 1972, Nixon ordered a relentless bombing campaign against the North
B-52 bombers hit targets in North Vietnam for 11 straight days
To stop the bombing, the North agreed to return to the bargaining table

41. The Paris Peace Accords
Signed Jan. 27, 1973
US promised to withdraw all troops
Both sides agreed to exchange prisoners
North Vietnamese troops were NOT required to withdraw from the South
No permanent peace was promised between North and South

43. The War Powers Act of 1973
Passed to place limits on the president’s power to engage the military in combat operations
Requires the president to inform Congress within 48 hours of committing US troops and to withdraw those troops with 60 to 90 days unless Congress approves their mission

44. The South Falls
March 1975
North launched a full-scale invasion of the South
Nixon had promised US aid if the North violated the treaty, but Nixon had been forced to resign due to the Watergate scandal and Congress refused to approve any new involvement in Vietnam
By April 30, the North had conquered the South

46. The Costs of Vietnam US spent $170 billion on the war
Over 58,000 American dead and over 300,000 wounded
Over 1700 Americans remain “Missing In Action” (MIA)
Over 1 million refugees from Southeast Asia emigrated to the US
Americans had lost faith in their government’s ability to be honest with them

47. Failing Our Veterans
Returning veterans were treated as pariahs rather than as heroes who had served their country
Many suffered from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from the psychological stresses of fighting an enemy who was willing to sacrifice human life on a scale foreign to American sensibilities

49. The Wall Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Dedicated in 1982
Inscribed with the names of all US military personnel killed or missing in action during the Vietnam War