I) The “War” in Vietnam

A) A Divided Country

A) A Divided Country

• 1. The Vietnamese were trying to free themselves

A) A Divided Country

• 1. The Vietnamese were trying to free themselves– a. From French Colonial Rule (WWI)

A) A Divided Country

• 1. The Vietnamese were trying to free themselves– a. From French Colonial Rule (WWI)

• 2. Ho Chi Minh asked the U.S. for help

A) A Divided Country

• 1. The Vietnamese were trying to free themselves– a. From French Colonial Rule (WWI)

• 2. Ho Chi Minh asked the U.S. for help– a. problem: US and France are allies

A) A Divided Country

• 1. The Vietnamese were trying to free themselves– a. From French Colonial Rule (WWI)

• 2. Ho Chi Minh asked the U.S. for help– a. problem: US and France are allies– b. Minh had communist allies

A) A Divided Country

• 3. US aided France, but France gave up in 1954

A) A Divided Country

• 3. US aided France, but they gave up in 1954– a. Vietnam was divided in half

A) A Divided Country

• 3. US aided France, but they gave up in 1954– a. Vietnam was divided in half– b. b. Communist to North, pro-

Western gov’t to South

A) A Divided Country

• 4. Minh wanted to take over the South and sent the Viet Cong to collapse the Southern gov’t

B) Domino Theory

• 1. President Eisenhower compared Viet Nam to dominos

B) Domino Theory

• 1. President Eisenhower compared Viet Nam to dominos– a. if Viet Nam fell to communism,

then other countries would follow

B) Domino Theory

• 1. President Eisenhower compared Viet Nam to dominos– a. if Viet Nam fell to communism,

then other countries would follow

• 2. This led to a US interest in helping South Viet Nam

B) Domino Theory

• 1. President Eisenhower compared Viet Nam to dominos– a. if Viet Nam fell to communism,

then other countries would follow• 2. This led to a US interest in

helping South Viet Nam– a. By the end of 1962, Pres. Kennedy

had committed 12,000 troops to help as “advisors”

C) “War”

• 1. On 8/2/1964, a US naval ship was fired upon in the Gulf of Tonkin (conspiracy)

C) “War”

• 1. On 8/2/1964, a US naval ship was fired upon in the Gulf of Tonkin (conspiracy)– a. Pres LBJ asked for and received a

resolution that allowed him to enlarge the American role

C) “War”

• 1. On 8/2/1964, a US naval ship was fired upon in the Gulf of Tonkin (conspiracy)– a. Pres LBJ asked for and received a

resolution that allowed him to enlarge the American role

– b. by 1965, over 500,000 troops were in Vietnam

D) Different kind of War

• 1. Couldn’t identify the enemy (no uniforms)

D) Different kind of War

• 1. Couldn’t identify the enemy (no uniforms)– a. Fighting defensive war, we were

not expanding into the North

D) Different kind of War

• 1. Couldn’t identify the enemy (no uniforms)– a. Fighting defensive war, we were

not expanding into the North

• 2. TV coverage brought the reality of war to the American people

D) Different kind of War

• 1. Couldn’t identify the enemy (no uniforms)– a. Fighting defensive war, we were

not expanding into the North

• 2. TV coverage brought the reality of war to the American people– a. this led to massive protests to end

the war “doves”

D) Different kind of War

• 2. TV coverage brought the reality of war to the American people– a. this led to massive protests to end

the war “doves”– b. “hawks” called for war to protect

democracy, and were confident of victory

E) The Tet Offensive

• 1. On 1/30/1968 (Tet, Vietnamese New Year) 84,000 Viet Cong and NVA attacked South Vietnam

E) The Tet Offensive

• 1. On 1/30/1968 (Tet, Vietnamese New Year) 84,000 Viet Cong and NVA attacked South Vietnam– a. this came as a complete surprise

(usually had cease fire on this day)

E) The Tet Offensive

• 1. On 1/30/1968 (Tet, Vietnamese New Year) 84,000 Viet Cong and NVA attacked South Vietnam– a. this came as a complete surprise

(usually had cease fire on this day)– b. soured American opinion of victory

E) The Tet Offensive

• 1. On 1/30/1968 (Tet, Vietnamese New Year) 84,000 Viet Cong and NVA attacked South Vietnam– a. this came as a complete surprise

(usually had cease fire on this day)– b. soured American opinion of victory– c. dropped LBJ’s approval rating so low,

he chose not run for president again

D) Nixon

• 1. Richard Nixon wins the 1968 pres election

D) Nixon

• 1. Richard Nixon wins the 1968 pres election– a. promises “peace with honor”

D) Nixon

• 1. Richard Nixon wins the 1968 pres election– a. promises “peace with honor”– b. Vietnamization- build up and

equip South Vietnam to carry on the struggle alone

D) Nixon

• 1. Richard Nixon wins the 1968 pres election– a. promises “peace with honor”– b. Vietnamization- build up and

equip South Vietnam to carry on the struggle alone

– c. as troop #’s decreased, Nixon increased bombings

D) Nixon

• 1. Richard Nixon wins the 1968 pres election– a. promises “peace with honor”– b. Vietnamization- build up and equip

South Vietnam to carry on the struggle alone

– c. as troop #’s decreased, Nixon increased bombings

– d. nothing weakened the will of the communists

E) End of the war

• 1. At the end of 1972, the US halted air attacks

E) End of the war

• 1. At the end of 1972, the US halted air attacks– a. declared that progress had been

made in peace talks and the US began removal

E) End of the war

• 1. At the end of 1972, the US halted air attacks– a. declared that progress had been

made in peace talks and the US began removal

– b. by the end of March of 1973, the US left Vietnam

E) End of the war

• 1. At the end of 1972, the US halted air attacks– a. declared that progress had been

made in peace talks and the US began removal

– b. by the end of March of 1973, the US left Vietnam

– c. In April of 1975, South Vietnam was overtaken by the communists

F) Costs of War

• 1. 58,000 American Lives, 2 million Vietnamese lives

F) Costs of War

• 1. 58,000 American Lives, 2 million Vietnamese lives– a. many Americans now had a strong

distrust of their government

                                                                                                    

F) Costs of War

• 1. 58,000 American Lives, 2 million Vietnamese lives– a. many Americans now had a strong

distrust of their government– b. our perception of invincibility was

gone, and it looked like a victory for communism