VIETNAM WAR

A Overview Consequence of

Containment Policy A quagmire Objective Problems the U.S.

was faced with Ho Chi Minh

– Goal of the Vietminh

Vietnam Map

Timeline: 1945-1963 1945: France takes control of Vietnam 1946: French arrive to fight off

Vietminh revolt 1954: Dienbienphu – Vietminh defeat

the French

Timeline: 1945-1963 Cont.What to do with Vietnam?

Geneva Accords– 17th Parallel– Fear of the Domino Effect

Ngo Dinh Diem put in charge of South Vietnam

1957: Vietcong/NLF established

Timeline 1945-1963 Cont.Kennedy’s Administration

1961: Promised free election in Vietnam but U.S. denies

U.S. sends in more advisors and the Green Berets to train S.V. army

Spring 1963: Buddhist protest against Diem Oct. 26, 1963: Lodge gives signal for a coup over

Diem Nov. 1, 1963: Coup successfully kills Diem Kennedy announces a plan to withdraw from

Vietnam– He is assassinated

Timeline 1964-1968

Johnson’s WarOverall expansion of U.S. involvement in

Vietnam

Gulf of Tonkin Incident Feb. 1964: Operation

Plan 34 Alta (Oplan 34-A) – commando raids in North Vietnam– Desoto Patrols – naval

surveillance of N.V. June 1964: U.S. sends

out peace feelers – only peace if U.S. gets out of Vietnam– Westmoreland named

General

Gulf of Tonkin Incident Cont. Aug 2, 1964: 3 N.V. ships attack USS

Maddox – captain wants to leave area but ordered to stay

Aug 4, 1964: radar goes off and the Maddox fires back – think they are being attacked

Aug 5, 1964: Gulf of Tonkin Resolution– Blank Check– Undeclared Declaration of War

Nov-Dec 1964: Johnson wins re-election

Goals of 1965 1) Stabilize government of S. Vietnam 2) Get rid of guerillas in S. Vietnam 3) Escalation of ground troops 4) Cut off supply routes

– Ho Chi Minh Trail

1965: Operation Rolling Thunder

U.S. land 3,500 marines into N. Vietnam along with constant bombing of the North in one of the largest attacks– Bomb industry, roads, bridges– Restricted on what can bomb

Negotiations: Johnson wants Minh to reject goal of all control of Vietnam, however Minh refuses

U.S. Choices at this time 1) Cut loses and get out 2) Give into Minh and leave 3) Take middle road – attrition

Introduce Search and Destroy Missions

Overall Escalation1961-1968

1961: 400 advisors 1963: 16,500 men 1965: 161,000 men 1966: 400,000 men 1967: 475,000 men 1968: 500,000+ men

U.S. Anti-War Movement

America Speaks Out

Govt. loosing support (why) 1) LBJ promised quick and decisive war, but

war kept dragging on 2) Number of U.S. troops in Vietnam

massively increasing along with casualties 3) First TV war, showed the US was at a

stalemate with no end in site 4) Gen. Westmoreland’s claim that US was

winning looked like a lie

The New Left

Growing youth movement in the ’60s that called for a change in American society, basing it more on equality

Students for a Democratic Society

Tom Hayden & Al Haber University of Michigan Port Huron Statement

Free Speech Movement

Cal Berkley Focused on the American Machine

America’s Two Camps

Doves vs. Hawks The Silent Majority

Woodstock

1968

The Tumultuous Year

Tet Offensive Phase One

– Draw troops out of cities

– Bring them into the country side

– Ex: Kha Sahn

Phase Two– 84,000 VC & NVA

attack cities of S.V.– U.S. Embassy in

Saigon– Hue

Outcome of Tet Technically a failure for N.V. Psychologically a victory for the N.V. Media plays a role at home Westmoreland wants more men –

believes N.V. are crippled– VC lost 70% of fighting force

Election of 1968

M archP rim ary E lec tion s

N ovem b erP op u la r V o te

D ecem b erE lec to ra l C o lleg e

Jan u aryIn au g u ra tion

E lec tion T im e lin e

Events of the Election of 1968

Primaries– Johnson loosing, announces will not seek

parties nomination– Bobby Kennedy assassinated

Democratic National Convention– Riot breaks out – shows how the war has

reached home

Outcome of the Election of 1968

Democrat: Humphrey Republican: Nixon Radical: Wallace

Nixon wins with 56% of the electoral vote

Journal Activity Examine how the year of 1968 is

considered a turbulent year that forever changed the US, removing any sense of innocence. Completely explain your response.

Overall Effect of 1968 Created widespread distrust and

contempt for the US govt. Shamed the US govt. and military Massive questioning of the US as a

world superpower Changed US policy towards foreign

policy and intervention

Nixon on Vietnam

1969 - 1973

Vietnamization (March ’69)

Calls for the withdraw of 540,000 troops in Vietnam over a period of time

SV with US money and weapons will take over the fight

To implement US must get rid of supply routes– Calls for increase in bombing - Cambodia

My Lai MassacreMarch 16, 1969

Presumed all villagers were VC or helping

Soldiers opened fire on villagers killing around 500 people

Lasted 2 hours Led by Officer Calley

Actions Under Vietnamization

June 8, 1969: Nixon Doctrine April 30, 1970: Announce invasion of

Cambodia– Kent State Massacre

June 29, 1970: Gives SV 8 months to build military and prepare to take over

1972: Easter Offensive – an attack by NV on SV

Actions Under Vietnamization Cont.

Jan. 1973: Paris Peace Agreement – a cease fire

Nov. 1973: War Powers Act Fall 74-75: NV resumes attack on SV

– US doesn’t help– US helicopter people out of embassy in

Saigon

US Embassy Evacuation