Post on 11-Jan-2016
Overview
Background Presidents and
Vietnam Gulf of Tokin
Resolution 1964 Operation Rolling
Thunder War for the US Tet Offensive Critics of US Policy Election of 1968 Ending the War Vietnam’s Legacy
Background…
A. First Indochina war… Vietnam and the French
B. in 1954 the Geneva convention divided Vietnam at the 17th Parallel Eisenhower refused
to sign the Geneva Agreement
C. The war spread across 5 presidents 1. Truman 2. Eisenhower 3. Kennedy 4. LBJ 5. Nixon
Background…
The US direct involvement was from 1964-1973
The leader of the Communist North Vietnam was Ho Chi Minh
The leader in South Vietnam that the US supported was Ngo Dinh Diem
Domino Theory Determined
Eisenhower's policies in Southeast Asia in the 1950’s and continued into the 1960’s
Civil War in Vietnam
South Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem was
backed by the US ▪ He was a Catholic
Autocrat that ruled over Buddhist peasants
In 1955 Ngo cancels Vietnam elections causing serious division in the country
Eisenhower promised economic and military aid to Ngo’s regime in return for social reform
Civil War in Vietnam
North Vietnam Viet Cong were
communist insurgents in the south supported by Ho Chi Minh and the NLF military
Officially call the NLF National Liberation Front
The NLF”s main goal was… ▪ Take out pro-American
government leaders ▪ This group would
eventually assassinate 2000+ government officials during the 60’s
The US Presidents and Vietnam
Kennedy ( JFK) JFK increase the US
Military “advisors” from 652 to 16,000▪ These men were
suppose to train Southern Vietnamese soldiers to strengthen the army
The fall of NGO ▪ Nov. 1963 South
Vietnamese generals overthrew Ngo (he was killed)
▪ JFK is assassinated three weeks later
Johnson (LBJ) LBJ keeps most of
Kennedy’s cabinet including ▪ Dean Rucks Sec. of
State ▪ Robert McNamara- Sec.
of Defense LBJ won’t accept
anything but non-communist government in Vietnam
Golf Of Tonkin Resolution 1964 Triggers the Start
of the Vietnam War LBJ says that North
Vietnamese ships attacked U.S. destroyers LBJ claimed that attacks were “unprovoked”
The resolution Gives LBJ more
authority to increase war effort without waiting for Congress to declare war
LBJ gave orders for limited retaliation
Escalation!
South Vietnam is unable to stabilize itself. Vietnam becomes a “quagmire”
In Feb. 1965 the US base of Pleiku was attacked LBJ responded on
March 2, 1965 He decides to
escalate the war..
Operation Rolling Thunder Bombing is
ordered by LBJ and won’t stop for 3 years Bombs target
bases, roads, railways and the “Ho Chi Mihn” Trail
Increase of US Troop 1965- 184,000 1966-385,000 1967-485,000 1968-538,000 1969-543,000
These numbers are matched by the Viet Cong and aid for North Vietnam comes from the USSR and China
War for the US
US Troops are led by Gen. William C. Westmoreland
Air War- Air Strikes were
preferred because it saves lives
By 1967 US had dropped more bombs on ‘Nam than in WWII
Napalm was used to burn out the heavy Jungle Areas
Ground War Search and Destroy Missions Enemy is “Charlie” Westmoreland was always
needing and asking for more troops
Vietcong knew more about the land and had better peasant support
Agent Orange- Chemical that kills vegetation
Average age of solder was 19 during WWII is was 26
Due to the horrific atmosphere most soldiers developed what will later be known as PTSD
Tet Offensive
1968 was the beginning of the end for US troops
Viet Cong– Tet New Year Jan 31, 1968 80,000 Vietcong attack
100 cities, bases and embassy
It’s not militarily successful but psychologically destroyed America’s hope of winning
Critics of US Policy
Antiwar movement Started in 1965 Massive student
protests began focusing on the Vietnam War
Anti- war groups included religious, anti-nuke, women and civil rights
The draft is one of the leading causes of the anti-war effort
NYC and San Francisco saw hundred if not thousands of marchers yelling
Draft number increased from 5,000500,000 (‘64-’67)
Critics of US Policy
The poor were 2x more likely to be drafted than the wealthy
Thousands of draft dodgers fled to Canada while others burned their draft card
Press Technology brought
Vietnam into people’s living rooms
Media grew increasingly critical of the war
Editorials in Newsweek, wall street and Times all called for a negotiated settlement
Public support of the war plunged from 40%26%
Hawks and Doves
Hawks defended the
president's policy and drew from Truman’s containment policy
Doves Said that the US
Should have never been involved ▪ Opposed bombings,
chemical weapons and killing civilians
Tet Offensive Changed public opinion Hawks drop from
62% to 22% Doves increase
from 22% to 42%
Election of 1968
LBJ says he will not run again … his presidency is stained by the war
Nominees Democrats.. Robert
Kennedy… assassinated and is replaced by Hubert Humphrey
Republicans… Richard Nixon
Independent… George Wallace
Results Nixon wins… owes the
victory to division caused by the war and protests against the unfair draft, crime and rioting
1968… Year of Shocksa. Tet offensive b. MLK assassinated c. Robert Kennedy
assassinated d. Nixon’s Victory e. Stoakely Carmichael
becomes leader of the Black panthers
Nixon and Vietnam
Nixon claimed to have plans to end the war… not true the war would last 4 more years
“Vietnamization” Nixon called for a gradual
withdrawal from Vietnam Reduces American troops
from 500,000 to 25,000 in 1973
Nixon Doctrine … Asia has to fight its own wars without the US ▪ People don’t want a slow
withdrawal they want immediate withdrawal
My Lai Massacre …
Public finds out in 1969
Lt. William Calley and his unit massacred 350 civilians in a small village Was charged with
murder and sentenced to life… claimed he was following orders and sentence was lowered to 10 years
Silent Majority Speech
November 3 Nixon’s speech on
TV was suppose to appeal to the great “silent majority” who presumable supported the war. Nixon verbally
attacked the protestors and media for not supporting the war
Cambodia
In April of 1970 Nixon sends troops into Cambodia to clear out communists who ignored Cambodian neutrality and disrupted the “ Ho Chi Minh” trail
Invasion lasted 60 days
Protests… Kent State ( May
3,1970 Ohio) Protestors burn the
ROTC building National Guard fires in
to crowd killing 4 people and injuring 11
Jackson State ( May 1970 all black school ) ▪ One week after Kent
State ▪ 2 killed 12 wounded
Pentagon Papers 1971
Classified papers are leaked to the Times Magazine/ newspaper Shows that the
government misled congress and the public regarding the intentions in Vietnam in the mid 1960’s
Ending the War
South Vietnam can’t beat communist forces
US withdrew from Cambodia in early ‘72
Spring of 1972 North Vietnam breaks through the DMZ
Nixon bombs north Vietnam
October 1972 Paris Peace Talks Nothing happens
Henry Kissinger continued to negotiate and finally in 1973 agreed to terms
Terms
Troops are pulled out of ‘Nam
North Vietnamese troops stay in S. Vietnam
South Vietnamese Government would stay until the next election
Vietcong would return all POWs and give full account of Americans that were MIA
Vietnam Legacy
58,000 dead American 300,000 wounded and 2,583 MIA
Derailed Johnson's “Great Society”
150 Billion spent on the War instead of Social Programs
Large percent of Americans stop trusting the government. Nixon abolished the draft and created volunteer army
Voting age dropped from 21 to 18 if they could die for their country they could vote
One of the most controversial wars in American History
Media Changed the war and the war effort
Vietnam Veterans have several medical issues an are seen not as heroes but as “baby killers”
First war that America “lost”
War Powers Act