The Vietnam

War, 1950-1975

Read pages 906-909 on the Vietnam War (Conflict).

Read the information under the main RED headings, including information under the BLUE headings.

Take notes on people, dates, places and events of the Vietnam Conflict. Make sure they are accurate!

You DO NOT need to write any vocabulary terms – I have a list I will give you later this week.

Answer all checkpoint questions. On page 909, answer questions 1 and 2 under “Check Your Progress” – we will discuss as a class.

Please keep what you do with your notes, as well will be looking at the information again as necessary.

Book Work (YAY!)

Viet Cong CountercultureAmbush NapalmARVN DMZProtest GuerillaEscalate Tet OffensiveGulf of Tonkin (incident) 26th AmendmentDRV

• Find the definitions of the below Vietnam War terms. You may use the textbook, the internet or a dictionary. You may NOT use a friend.• Second, summarize the definition in your own words. Tell me what you think it means and why.

Find the definitions to the terms below. This is an extra credit vocabulary exercise, with the terms worth 1 point each. Good Luck!

Charlie Hooch Draft Dodger Grunt Friendly Fire Click PTSD Bouncing Betty Tour of Duty Point Man

Vietnam War Military-Related terms

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fd8wKKfN7sM

Domino Theory: Still wanting to contain Communism and stop it from spreading into any other part of Asia.

Why Did We Get Involved?

French Indochina War

France ruled Indochina from the 1880’s to 1945.

From 1946 to 1954, the Viet Minh (vee-yet meen), the Vietnamese guerilla fighters, fought France for independence

French Indochina War

French Indochina

VietnamLaos (LOWS)

Cambodia

The leader of the Viet Minh was Ho Chi Minh (“He who Enlightens”), a Communist.

The US began helping France financially in 1950. The reason the US entered was to stop the spread of Communism (Domino Theory).

French Indochina War

By 1954, France was unable to continue the fight, so agreed to an accord that:

Divided Vietnam at the 17th parallelTemporarily split the country into North and South

Allowed for democratic elections to be held

The only electi0ns held were in the south. The elected government was corrupt.

French Indochina War

. 1949 to 1978: There was trust and support as China helped Vietnam against the French, the United States and South Vietnam.

Vietnam invaded Cambodia in 1978, which caused a period of distrust until 1990.

History of China and Vietnam

Diplomatic relations were restored in 1991, and there was peace until 2007.

Since 2008, Vietnam has tried to preserve its sovereignty and territorial integrity against China.

History of China and Vietnam

Gulf of Tonkin Incident

August 2,1964: The US Navy believed two missiles (torpedoes) were fired by the North Vietnamese at the USS Maddox cruising the Gulf of Tonkin.

Two days later (August , 1964), sailors believed more torpedoes had been fired at their battleship.

Gulf of Tonkin Incident

Files recently made public by the US government indicate that the second attack probably did not occur.

While it is believed the first attack did happen, the second “attack” was probably due to jumpy sonar men and waves.

Gulf of Tonkin Incident

August 7, 1964: Resolution signed by Pres Johnson and approved by Congress that ALLOWED THE PRESIDENT TO DECLARE WAR WITHOUT CONGRESS’S APPROVAL.

Remember: Who can declare war? The Congress or the President?

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fd8wKKfN7sMN. Vietnamese Army + Viet Cong attack

South (67,000 attack 100 cities, bases, and the US embassy in Saigon)

Take every major southern city

U.S. + ARVN beat back the offensive

Viet Cong destroyed

N. Vietnamese army debilitated

Tet Offensive, 1968Tet_Offensive.asf

BUT…it’s seen as an American defeat by the media

Domestic U.S. Reaction: Disbelief, Anger, Distrust of Johnson Administration

Hey, Hey LBJ! How many kids did you

kill today?

Because of this “defeat”, LBJ chose to work for a peace with Vietnam.He eventually decided not to runfor President again.

Tet Offensive

The US tried to counter this by using Agent Orange to burn the forest and building air bases near the Trail, but most were unsuccessful.

Ho Chi Minh Trail

Almost 1,000 kilometers of roads, trails, and waterways which created a "system" of routes leading into the RVN (Republic of South Vietnam).

The trail was hidden by natural vegetation and maintained by 40,000 Vietnamese people.

Ho Chi Minh Trail

Vietnam was America’s first media war

From 1968-1975, media had unlimited access to military personnel and targets.

The media covered the protests and riots more than the military troops, in harms way.

The Living Room War

Due to the amount of video sent back to the US, Americans got photos of the carnage and consequences.

This led to a decline in American morale and support of the war.

The Living Room War

Conditions of cease fire:U.S. to remove all troopsNorth Vietnam could leave troops already in S.V.

North Vietnam would resume warNo provision for POWs or MIAs

Last American troops left South Vietnam on March 29, 1973

1975: North Vietnam defeats South VietnamSaigon renamed Ho Chi Minh City

Paris Peace Accord, 1973End of the Vietnam War

Average age of American soldier: 19

Total time length of US involvement: 25 years

Number dead: 58,000

Number wounded: 300,000

Number either Prisoner of War (POW) or Missing in Action (MIA): 1900+

Dollars US spent on the war: $150,000,000,000

Vietnam by the numbers

Wars must be of short duration.Wars must yield few American

casualties.Restrict media access to battlefields.Develop and maintain Congressional

and public support.Set clear, winnable goals.Set deadline for troop withdrawals.

Lessons Learned in Vietnam

Was the whole excursion into Vietnam worth the time, material and lives?

What could/should have been done differently?

Why was the draft necessary for this war? Should it be necessary for any war?

Did the counterculture environment help the war effort or hurt it? How? Were the artists right to take a stand through music or art as they did? How would you have handled being part of the counterculture?

What do you think?