Focus Question

What do you know about the Vietnam War?

Vietnam and Moving Toward Conflict

In 1965, America’s fight against communism has spread to Southeast Asia, where the U.S. is becoming increasingly involved in another country’s civil war. Unable to claim victory, U.S. generals

call for an increase in the number of combat troops. Facing a shortage of volunteers, the president implements a draft.

Are you smarter than a 5th grader?

• What is the fastest bird on foot?– Ostrich

• What planet is closest to the sun?– Mercury

• What is the largest South American country by area?– Brazil

• What animal classification is a turtle?– Reptile

Truman• France re-established itself as

colonial power over Vietnam after WWII

• Truman pumps nearly $1 Billion into France’s effort to defeat the Vietminh and Ho Chi Minh (Communist sympathizers)

• French lose!• Geneva Conference (1954)-

divides country (17th parallel) into North and South with hopes of having a unified election in 1956

Eisenhower

• Continued supplying aid to the French

• Supplied Ngo Dinh Diem who refused to hold a national election in 1956

• Diem’s regime was brutal and corrupt

• U.S. supplied training and military aid to his government

Kennedy • In order to look like

Democrats were tough on communism, JFK decides to stick with Diem

• Increased aid to Diem’s regime and sent thousands of military advisers (16,000 U.S. troops) to help train South Vietnamese troops

• JFK begins to think about U.S. involvement in Vietnam

• 1963, Diem is assassinated

Johnson

• Convinced Congress to pass the Tonkin Gulf Resolution giving the president broad military powers in Vietnam

• Unleashed bombing campaign

• 1965 50,000 U.S. combat troops are sent to battle the Vietcong and NVA

U.S. Involvement and Escalation

Ch 30 Sec 2

Focus Question

What does it mean to have “home field advantage” in sports?

Major Players in Vietnam Conflict• Lyndon B. Johnson-Made decision to

escalate war after re-election • Robert McNamara-Advised Johnson

on escalation (Sec of Defense)• Dean Rusk-Advised Johnson on

escalation (Sec of State)• William Westmoreland-General in

charge of Vietnam that asked for more soldiers

• U.S. Congress-Approved Johnson’s policy (Tonkin Gulf Resolution) allowing him to escalate war

• American public opinion-Approved of Johnson’s policy in the beginning

U.S. military strategies result in bloody stalemate

Military advantages Americans had over

Vietcong? • Superior weaponry

Military advantages Vietcong had over

Americans?• Knowledge of terrain • Ability to blend in with

civilians • Willingness to pay any

price for victory (fighting for existence)

U.S. military strategies result in bloody stalemate

Military strategies Americans used against Vietcong?

• Bombings• War of attrition • Preventing Vietcong

support by South Vietnam’s rural population

• Use of Napalm/Agent Orange

• Search and Destroy mission

Military strategies Vietcong used against

Americans?• Hit and run ambushes • Booby traps and land

mines• Surprise attacks• Guerrilla warfare

Public support for the war begins to waiver as a “credibility gap” grows

• U.S. Economy-Cost of war led to an increase in inflation and taxes as well as a reduction in funding “Great Society” programs

• T.V.-Brought the war into U.S. living rooms and contradicting the Johnson administration optimism

• Fulbright Hearings-Senator who questioned Johnson’s war. This contributed to the average American’s growing ambivalence about the war

1968-A Tumultuous Year

Ch 30 Sec 3-4

Focus Question

How would you feel if student privileges at BGHS (best classes, schedules, parking) were

awarded according to wealth or prominence of the student’s family

Avoiding the War

• Doctors gave medical deferment

• Looked for Lenient draft boards

• Joined the National Guard

• Enrolled in College (only wealthy could afford)

• 80% of U.S. soldiers came from low economic status

Opposing War• Known as Doves or people who

thought the war was immoral • New “Left” Organizations

– Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)

– Free Speech Movement (FSM)• Mostly young college students

(Johnson revoked college deferments for those not in good academic standard)

• Held antiwar demonstrations, burned draft cards, and fled to Canada

Defending War

• Known as Hawks or people who supported U.S. involvement

• Felt that Johnson should escalate the war

Tet Offensive

Causes• The Vietnam War • Vietcong’s push to capture

cities in the South of Vietnam

Effects• A military defeat for the

Vietcong BUT a moral victory for North Vietnam

• A dramatic fall in the popularity of the war

Johnson’s poor showing in the N.H. primary

Causes• Tet Offensive and unpopular

Vietnam policy• Growing movement of

antiwar message across the country

Effects• Robert Kennedy’s decision

to run for president• Johnson decides not to run

for reelection

Assassination of MLK and Robert Kennedy

Causes• Atmosphere of violence

that was growing in the U.S. • Racism toward MLK

Effects• Feelings of anger, despair

and hopelessness • Violent riots in 100 cities

because of MLK assassination

Disorder of the Democratic Convention in Chicago

Causes • Disagreements among

democrats over Vietnam• 10,000 antiwar protestors in

the city of Chicago• Mayor Daley’s handling of

the situation by using violence to put down protestors

Effects• Negative image of

democratic party• Republican victory (Nixon)

Richard Nixon election

Causes• Negative image of

democrats• The publics desire for peace

and law and order that Nixon promised

• Promise to end Vietnam War

• Entry of Wallace (Dem) into race

Effects• Eventually decrease U.S.

troop levels in Vietnam• Continue to bomb North

Vietnam• Have controversial

presidency which will lead to scandal and his resignation

The End of the War and Its Legacy

Ch 30 Sec 5

Focus Question

Why are political leaders unable to keep promises they make?

Do we as a public hold political leaders responsible for what they promise?

Legacy

Nixon adopts a policy of Vietnamization

• To replace U.S. troops with South Vietnamese troops (Vietnamization)

• Establish peace with honor

My Lai massacre shocks nation

• 200 innocent Vietnamese murdered by U.S. soldiers

• Went public and shocked U.S.

Legacy

Nixon orders invasion of Cambodia

• To remove Vietnamese and Vietcong supply centers from Cambodia

Kent State incident • Student protests reignited

in the United States in protest of the invasion into Cambodia

• National Guard fire upon student protestors (killing 4)

Legacy Congress repeals the Tonkin Gulf

Resolution

• To protest Nixon’s bombings and invasion of Cambodia without notifying Congress

• To gain greater Congressional control over U.S. policy in Vietnam

The “Christmas Bombings” start

• To force a negotiated peace settlement

Legacy South Vietnam surrenders to North

Vietnam

• North Vietnam full scale invasion of South Vietnam and the capture of Saigon

• No U.S. troops there to prevent the North’s victory

• U.S. starts a more realistic approach to dealing with the spread of communism

Vietnam Veterans receive a cold homecoming

• Americans very torn and bitter about the war

Legacy

Cambodia erupts in civil war • The U.S. invasion of

Cambodia lead to a brutal communist regime under Pol Pot

• Over 1 million Cambodians will be executed

Congress passes the War Powers Act

• To curb the president’s war-making powers

• If the President of the United States sends troops into a foreign country he/she has 48 hours to tell Congress

Legacy

The draft is abolished • The extremely unpopular

draft is ended in 1973

Americans loose faith in their government

• The Pentagon Papers, which revealed that the Johnson administration was lying, about the war

• The people respond by protesting

• Watergate scandal