The Vietnam War

Mr. Grimaldi

U.S. History

“Vietnam”

- What comes to mind?

Quick background on Vietnam: Constant War

-2000 years of resistance to outsiders

-China

-Mid 1800’s French Colonialism in Indochina

-WWII Japan

-1941 Birth of the Viet Minh

-WWII ends, Ho Chi Minh tries to declare independence (modeled after U.S. Dec. of Ind.)

-France goes to war to make Viet. their colony again

-U.S. gives France $2.6 billion = contain communism

Q: Look closely at H. C. M. Why was he considered a people’s leader?

- 9 years of war against France

- 1954 French are defeated

Geneva Accords – July 1954-Independence for Indochina

-Agreement that Vietnam divided at 17th parallel

-North = Communists

-South = Democracy

1956 – there would be an election to unify Vietnam

The United States Enters the War:

- U.S. does not sign the treaty for election to unify because:

-Domino Theory: if South Vietnam falls to Comm. = all of Southeast Asia follows

Unpopular Actions:

-Imprisoned those who opposed him

-Corruption, rigged elections, and nepotism

-Catholic in a Buddhist country

Diem Regime:

Q: How is Diem’s appearance different to Ho Chi Minh’s?

Puppet Regime?

Warning: next slide is graphic

How would an American of the time interpret this image?

Do you know of any instances of protest in recent times that mirror this event?

Q:

Kennedy Years:

1. Strengthen S. Vietnam Army with aid and training

2. Pressure Diem’s decisions

- South Vietnam Army failed = money given to officials

The Overthrow of Diem:

May 1963 = Buddhist start to protest

June 1963 = Monk sets fire to himself

Nov. 1963 = Diem is killed in a coup

-Shortly after Diem’s assassination, tragedy strikes in the U.S. …

Lyndon Johnson 1963 - becomes president

Johnson’s War:

- He kept Kennedy’s foreign policy team (“flexible response” strategy)

- Needed strong anti-communism stance to win re-election

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDTBnsqxZ3k&feature=related

Johnson calls Goldwater an extremist / nuclear war

1964 Presidential Campaign:

A. Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

-North Viet. torpedo boats attack U.S. destroyers at Gulf of Tonkin

- Aug. 1964: Gulf of Tonkin Resolution Congress gives Johnson authority to “take all necessary measures…”

B. Operation Rolling Thunder

- Feb. 1965 = Vietcong attack U.S. military base (8 U.S. killed)

- U.S. bombed N. Vietnam (Nonstop for the next 3 years)

D. Fighting the War

U.S. plan = break V.C. will to fight

Success = not by land, but body count

( read Ho quote pg. 773)

1. The Air War

• U.S. = intense bombing raids

• Vietcong’s defense = 30K miles of tunnels

“Tunnel Rats”

2. The Ground War

• U.S. = Search + Destroy Missions

• Suffocating envir. = swamps, heat, thick jungle, traps (B.B.)

•Who’s who? – Vietcong or S. Viet. farmer?

3. Guerilla Tactics of Vietcong

• small bands of fighters use: - ambush / hit + run

• 2 Advantages - knew the terrain - support from the peasants (food + shelter)

By 1967 = 14,000 US killed

Aver. Age = 19 yrs old

Private First Class Phillip Wilson – Killed in action 12 days later.

First-aid center, where wounded Marines were treated before being helped to air-evacuation points. (Life)

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