The Vietnam War

Learning Targets• Explain how the U.S. got involved in the

Vietnam War.• Compare and contrast the U.S. and

NVA/Vietcong strategies.• Predict the effectiveness of each plan.

A Soldier’s Experience

A Soldier’sExperience

1954: Geneva Accords--1954

Ho Chi MinhNgo Dinh DiemDivided at 17th parallel

Vietnam divided when French left North Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh & communist South Vietnam - Ngo Dinh Diem & anti-

communist

Growing Problems

1. Diem’s leadership Refused electionPersecuted Buddhists Overthrown and followed by unstable gov’ts

Growing Problems

•80% of countryside supportedVietcong

2. Growth of the Vietcong (VC)communist guerillas in S.Vietnam strategic hamlet plan (move villagers) failed

Whiteboard Moment!

• If you lived in South Vietnam, would you have joined the Vietcong? Why or why not?

U.S. Aids South

By 1963, 16,000 American troops are training in SouthVietnam

Eisenhower sent aid b/c of domino theory 1961: JFK follows with “military advisors”

Tonkin Gulf Resolution

August 2, 1964:

U.S. destroyer

Maddox “attacked”

in Gulf of Tonkin

Tonkin Gulf Resolution

Senate Vote: 88 to 2

“to take all necessarysteps, including the useof armed force…”

Congress gave Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) war powers

Whiteboard Moment• In your opinion, should the U.S. have

involved themselves in the conflict? Explain.

NVA/Viet Cong Tactics•Guerilla warfare (booby traps, tunnel

system)

•Ho Chi Minh Trail (transport supplies)

American EscalationGeneral William Westmoreland, U.S.

Commander1968: 538, 000 U.S. troops

Operation Rolling Thunder

643,000 tons of bombs

5 times Hiroshima

3 years

Air Force Chief of StaffLemey about bombingthem “back to the stoneAge.”

Bombing raids of North Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh Trail

Ground WarSearch and Destroy Missions: seek VC and

destroyed villagesJungle warfare, so defoliants used (Agent

Orange/Napalm)

Whiteboard Time !!

• Describe the U.S. fighting tactics in one word. Defend your choice.

Khe Sanh•Wanted info on Ho Chi Minh Trail

• 40,000 NVA vs. 5,600 U.S. for over 2 mths.

•U.S. win,

shows NVA

resolve

Tet Offensive

100 towns and citiesAttacked; 12 air bases attacked

42,000Vietcong casualties

Massive attack by North on Vietnamese New YearMilitary victory for South/U.S.Morale victory for North

Final Reflection

• Read “Vietnam War.”• Using information from your reading and

notes, write as much as you can remember abut the Vietnam War. • DO NOT look at your notes or the

reading.