Do Now

What is the other name for the Vietcong? Where were the Vietcong located? What did the Vietcong fight for?

– What was their ultimate goal?

Homework: Vietnam Quiz Thursday Sections 1 & 2. (map included)

Vietcong

Chapter 22 Section 2

GENERAL WILLIAM WESTMORELAND

• Troop involvement: – 1965=180,000

– 1967= 500,000

• American commanders in S.V.

• What sort of environment were American troops fighting in?

• What clear advantages did the Vietcong have over American forces when fighting in Vietnam?

JUNGLE TERRAIN/GUERILLA WARFARE

HIT AND RUN AMBUSH TACTICS

Hit & Run Ambush Tactics

• Moving secretly around enemy.

• Attacked in both cities & countryside.

• Throw a lot of force at enemy & quickly retreat.

ENEMY LIVED AMONG CIVILIANS, MAKING IT HARD TO

DETECT WHO WAS DANGEROUS.

VIETCONG SET UP TRAPS & LAND MINES AROUND THE

COUNTRY.

EXPLAIN THE LONG-TERM CONDEQUENCES OF THE USE

OF LAND MINES.

THE ENEMY HAD DEVISED A SERIES OF UNDERGROUND

TUNNELS AND BUNKERS.

• THE ENEMY COULD LAUNCH SURPRISE ATTACKS ON AMERICAN FORCES.

• THE TUNNELS CONNECTED DIFFERENT VILLAGES.

• TUNNEL CONSTRUCTION STARTED DURING THE FIRST INDOCHINA WAR.

AMERICA THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD WIN THE WAR BASED

ON A WAR OF ATTRITION.

• TO SLOWLY WEAR DOWN THE ENEMY.• VIETCONG STAYED AS POWERFUL AS

EVER, WHO WAS GOING TO SUPPORT THE VIETCONG?

• VIETCONG WAS READY TO PAY ANY PRICE TO WIN THIS WAR; THIS WAS A WAR FOR THEIR EXISTENCE.

IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR THE VIETCONG TO NOT GAIN

SUPPORT FROM PEASANTS IN SOUTH VIETNAM.

THE U.S. WANTED TO WIN THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF SOUTH

VIETNAM.

If the U.S. was to win the hearts and minds of citizens in South

Vietnam what advantage would that give American forces?

New Technology

• U.S. PLANES DROPPED NAPALM= GASOLINE BASED BOMBS THAT SET FIRE TO THE JUNGLE.

• AMERICAN PLANES SPRAYED AGENT ORANGE– LEAF KILLING TOXIC CHEMICAL

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.withfriendship.com/user/images/79/agent-orange-vietnam.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.withfriendship.com/user/tuyen/agent-orange.php&h=400&w=600&sz=23&hl=en&start=2&tbnid=FsJ6xUbNzQjmwM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dagent%2Borange%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

SEARCH AND DESTROY MISSIONS

• SEARCH AND DESTROY MISSIONS= DESTROYING VILLAGES, MOVING THE PEOPLE, CAUSING CHAOS.

• Uprooting anyone thought to have connections to the Vietcong

Do Now:

• What is another name for the draft?

• What was one of the most common ways for men to get out of being drafted? What type of men were able to dodge the draft?

• Homework: Vietnam Quiz Tomorrow (sections 1 & 2) map included.

AMERICAN SOLDIERS WERE CONSTANTLY FIGHTING A

CORRUPT GOVERNMENT IN SOUTH VIETNAM.

MORALE GOES DOWN.

• SOLDIERS TURNED TO ALCOHOL AND DRUGS.

• SOLDIERS MURDERED OFFICERS OF A HIGHER RANK.

EXPLAIN THIS QUOTE:

• “WE HAD TO DESTROY THE TOWN IN ORDER TO SAVE IT”– U.S. MAJOR 1968

Video Questions:

• How does this video depict the men fighting in Vietnam?

• How does this depiction differ from what we have discussed before?

• Why wouldn’t this video show all negative aspects of fighting in the Vietnam War?

FREE-WRITE

• What factors lead to American troop morale to sink to it’s lowest point?

• What do you think would have to happen for American troop morale to increase or go back up?