Focus Question
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Transcript of Focus Question
Focus Question
What do you know about the Vietnam War?
Vietnam and Moving Toward Conflict
In 1965, America’s fight against communism has spread to Southeast Asia, where the U.S. is becoming increasingly involved in another country’s civil war. Unable to claim victory, U.S. generals
call for an increase in the number of combat troops. Facing a shortage of volunteers, the president implements a draft.
Are you smarter than a 5th grader?
• What is the fastest bird on foot?– Ostrich
• What planet is closest to the sun?– Mercury
• What is the largest South American country by area?– Brazil
• What animal classification is a turtle?– Reptile
Truman• France re-established itself as
colonial power over Vietnam after WWII
• Truman pumps nearly $1 Billion into France’s effort to defeat the Vietminh and Ho Chi Minh (Communist sympathizers)
• French lose!• Geneva Conference (1954)-
divides country (17th parallel) into North and South with hopes of having a unified election in 1956
Eisenhower
• Continued supplying aid to the French
• Supplied Ngo Dinh Diem who refused to hold a national election in 1956
• Diem’s regime was brutal and corrupt
• U.S. supplied training and military aid to his government
Kennedy • In order to look like
Democrats were tough on communism, JFK decides to stick with Diem
• Increased aid to Diem’s regime and sent thousands of military advisers (16,000 U.S. troops) to help train South Vietnamese troops
• JFK begins to think about U.S. involvement in Vietnam
• 1963, Diem is assassinated
Johnson
• Convinced Congress to pass the Tonkin Gulf Resolution giving the president broad military powers in Vietnam
• Unleashed bombing campaign
• 1965 50,000 U.S. combat troops are sent to battle the Vietcong and NVA
U.S. Involvement and Escalation
Ch 30 Sec 2
Focus Question
What does it mean to have “home field advantage” in sports?
Major Players in Vietnam Conflict• Lyndon B. Johnson-Made decision to
escalate war after re-election • Robert McNamara-Advised Johnson
on escalation (Sec of Defense)• Dean Rusk-Advised Johnson on
escalation (Sec of State)• William Westmoreland-General in
charge of Vietnam that asked for more soldiers
• U.S. Congress-Approved Johnson’s policy (Tonkin Gulf Resolution) allowing him to escalate war
• American public opinion-Approved of Johnson’s policy in the beginning
U.S. military strategies result in bloody stalemate
Military advantages Americans had over
Vietcong? • Superior weaponry
Military advantages Vietcong had over
Americans?• Knowledge of terrain • Ability to blend in with
civilians • Willingness to pay any
price for victory (fighting for existence)
U.S. military strategies result in bloody stalemate
Military strategies Americans used against Vietcong?
• Bombings• War of attrition • Preventing Vietcong
support by South Vietnam’s rural population
• Use of Napalm/Agent Orange
• Search and Destroy mission
Military strategies Vietcong used against
Americans?• Hit and run ambushes • Booby traps and land
mines• Surprise attacks• Guerrilla warfare
Public support for the war begins to waiver as a “credibility gap” grows
• U.S. Economy-Cost of war led to an increase in inflation and taxes as well as a reduction in funding “Great Society” programs
• T.V.-Brought the war into U.S. living rooms and contradicting the Johnson administration optimism
• Fulbright Hearings-Senator who questioned Johnson’s war. This contributed to the average American’s growing ambivalence about the war
1968-A Tumultuous Year
Ch 30 Sec 3-4
Focus Question
How would you feel if student privileges at BGHS (best classes, schedules, parking) were
awarded according to wealth or prominence of the student’s family
Avoiding the War
• Doctors gave medical deferment
• Looked for Lenient draft boards
• Joined the National Guard
• Enrolled in College (only wealthy could afford)
• 80% of U.S. soldiers came from low economic status
Opposing War• Known as Doves or people who
thought the war was immoral • New “Left” Organizations
– Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)
– Free Speech Movement (FSM)• Mostly young college students
(Johnson revoked college deferments for those not in good academic standard)
• Held antiwar demonstrations, burned draft cards, and fled to Canada
Defending War
• Known as Hawks or people who supported U.S. involvement
• Felt that Johnson should escalate the war
Tet Offensive
Causes• The Vietnam War • Vietcong’s push to capture
cities in the South of Vietnam
Effects• A military defeat for the
Vietcong BUT a moral victory for North Vietnam
• A dramatic fall in the popularity of the war
Johnson’s poor showing in the N.H. primary
Causes• Tet Offensive and unpopular
Vietnam policy• Growing movement of
antiwar message across the country
Effects• Robert Kennedy’s decision
to run for president• Johnson decides not to run
for reelection
Assassination of MLK and Robert Kennedy
Causes• Atmosphere of violence
that was growing in the U.S. • Racism toward MLK
Effects• Feelings of anger, despair
and hopelessness • Violent riots in 100 cities
because of MLK assassination
Disorder of the Democratic Convention in Chicago
Causes • Disagreements among
democrats over Vietnam• 10,000 antiwar protestors in
the city of Chicago• Mayor Daley’s handling of
the situation by using violence to put down protestors
Effects• Negative image of
democratic party• Republican victory (Nixon)
Richard Nixon election
Causes• Negative image of
democrats• The publics desire for peace
and law and order that Nixon promised
• Promise to end Vietnam War
• Entry of Wallace (Dem) into race
Effects• Eventually decrease U.S.
troop levels in Vietnam• Continue to bomb North
Vietnam• Have controversial
presidency which will lead to scandal and his resignation
The End of the War and Its Legacy
Ch 30 Sec 5
Focus Question
Why are political leaders unable to keep promises they make?
Do we as a public hold political leaders responsible for what they promise?
Legacy
Nixon adopts a policy of Vietnamization
• To replace U.S. troops with South Vietnamese troops (Vietnamization)
• Establish peace with honor
My Lai massacre shocks nation
• 200 innocent Vietnamese murdered by U.S. soldiers
• Went public and shocked U.S.
Legacy
Nixon orders invasion of Cambodia
• To remove Vietnamese and Vietcong supply centers from Cambodia
Kent State incident • Student protests reignited
in the United States in protest of the invasion into Cambodia
• National Guard fire upon student protestors (killing 4)
Legacy Congress repeals the Tonkin Gulf
Resolution
• To protest Nixon’s bombings and invasion of Cambodia without notifying Congress
• To gain greater Congressional control over U.S. policy in Vietnam
The “Christmas Bombings” start
• To force a negotiated peace settlement
Legacy South Vietnam surrenders to North
Vietnam
• North Vietnam full scale invasion of South Vietnam and the capture of Saigon
• No U.S. troops there to prevent the North’s victory
• U.S. starts a more realistic approach to dealing with the spread of communism
Vietnam Veterans receive a cold homecoming
• Americans very torn and bitter about the war
Legacy
Cambodia erupts in civil war • The U.S. invasion of
Cambodia lead to a brutal communist regime under Pol Pot
• Over 1 million Cambodians will be executed
Congress passes the War Powers Act
• To curb the president’s war-making powers
• If the President of the United States sends troops into a foreign country he/she has 48 hours to tell Congress
Legacy
The draft is abolished • The extremely unpopular
draft is ended in 1973
Americans loose faith in their government
• The Pentagon Papers, which revealed that the Johnson administration was lying, about the war
• The people respond by protesting
• Watergate scandal