VIETNAMVIETNAM   Effects on American SocietyEffects on American Society

Getting it all wrong …Getting it all wrong …

- defending the wrong people- defending the wrong people

- using the wrong tactics- using the wrong tactics

- using the wrong weapons- using the wrong weapons

1. Defending the wrong people ...

Diem, first president of South Vietnam

Mme Nhu, first lady of South Vietnam

Self-immolation of Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc on 11th June 1963 in Saigon in protest to the ill-treatment of South Vietnam's buddhists

Following the Geneva Peace Accords of 1954, South Vietnam was ruled by Diem, a member of an old dynastic family, his sister-in-law became First Lady. They were part of a catholic minortity (5%) in a predominantly Buddhist country (95%). They ill-treated the Buddhists who were defended by the great majority of the population and their lack of tact and outright racism led them to be seen as a problem for US support in South Vietnam. Diem and his brother were both assasinated in Novemebr 1963 with the tacit help of the USA and Mme Nhu fled to Rome and France. She died in 2011.

U.S. President John F. Kennedy said that "no news picture in history has generated so much emotion around the world as that one."

Using the wrong tactics ...

JFK's Strategic Hamlet policy was a complete failure. It further increased the influence of the Vietcong.There were more than 8,5 million people in 7203 hamlets in 1963. The programme was officially ended in 1964 with only 20% of the hamlets meeting US standards. The programme was ruined also by corruption.

LBJ's decision to bomb North Vietnam was based on a lie – the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. Despite massive escalation and bombing of North Vietnam, US general Westmoreland complained of «target saturation». The US was still not in a position to win the war.

Nixon promised an end to the war. Although he did bring home the US marines, he also escalated the conflict by massive bombing of Laos and Cambodia causing hundreds of thousands of deaths and massive anti-war demonstrations in the USA.

Using the wrong weapons ...

Agent Orange, an extremely toxic herbicide, was used to destroy the foliage in Vietnam and make the enemy visible. However, it also killed all plant and animal life and entered the water system, poisoning the population and paradoxically the US soldiers on the ground. It was the US war veterans who revealed the scandal when they came back from the war. Levels in Vietnam are still 300 times higher than the safety limit and It continues to cause horrendous birth defects three generations later.

Napalm was a petroleum jelly which was highly inflammable. It was used widely to destroy foliage and farms but also burned innocent women and children, the most infamous case being that of Kim Phuc in an accidental raid on her village (she is still alive today, lives in Canada and is an ambassador for UNESCO.

Using the wrong weapons … The My Lai Massacre

The My Lai massacre took place on 16th March 1968. It was carried out by «Charlie Company» in a search and destroy mission. They killed between 347 to 504 unarmed civilians, the majority old people, women and children. Many of the women were raped before being murdered. There were other horrendous acts committed such as scalping.

Truth about the massacre did not emerge until 1969 and the official report did not come out until 1970.

Platoon leader William Calley was the only person charged and received a court-martial. He was sentenced to life imprisonment but served only three and a half yers under house arrest.

Anti-War Demonstrations : America divided and the power of TV

The 1960s was a violent decade despite the Peace and Love generation. America was torn apart by racail violence and race riots, by anti-war demonstrations and clashes with both the police and the National Guard. It was also a time of great wariness of politicians ending with the resignation of Richard Nixon in 1973 over the Watergate scandal. The iamges of America at war in Vietnam and at war with itself at home were constantly shown on American TV. The power of images was to be decisive in changing American opinions about the relevance of the war in Vietnam.

Race riots in Detroit, 1967

Anti Vietnam demonstration Washington DC 1969

Woodstock, 1969

Anti-War Demonstrations : America divided and the power of TV

The 1960s was a violent decade despite the Peace and Love generation. America was torn apart by racail violence and race riots, by anti-war demonstrations and clashes with both the police and the National Guard. It was also a time of great wariness of politicians ending with the resignation of Richard Nixon in 1973 over the Watergate scandal. The iamges of America at war in Vietnam and at war with itself at home were constantly shown on American TV. The power of images was to be decisive in changing American opinions about the relevance of the war in Vietnam.

Race riots in Detroit, 1967

Anti Vietnam demonstration Washington DC 1969

Woodstock, 1969