The Vietnam War
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Transcript of The Vietnam War
The Vietnam War
Learning Targets• Explain how the U.S. got involved in the
Vietnam War.• Compare and contrast the U.S. and
NVA/Vietcong strategies.• Predict the effectiveness of each plan.
A Soldier’s Experience
A Soldier’sExperience
1954: Geneva Accords--1954
Ho Chi MinhNgo Dinh DiemDivided at 17th parallel
Vietnam divided when French left North Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh & communist South Vietnam - Ngo Dinh Diem & anti-
communist
Growing Problems
1. Diem’s leadership Refused electionPersecuted Buddhists Overthrown and followed by unstable gov’ts
Growing Problems
•80% of countryside supportedVietcong
2. Growth of the Vietcong (VC)communist guerillas in S.Vietnam strategic hamlet plan (move villagers) failed
Whiteboard Moment!
• If you lived in South Vietnam, would you have joined the Vietcong? Why or why not?
U.S. Aids South
By 1963, 16,000 American troops are training in SouthVietnam
Eisenhower sent aid b/c of domino theory 1961: JFK follows with “military advisors”
Tonkin Gulf Resolution
August 2, 1964:
U.S. destroyer
Maddox “attacked”
in Gulf of Tonkin
Tonkin Gulf Resolution
Senate Vote: 88 to 2
“to take all necessarysteps, including the useof armed force…”
Congress gave Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) war powers
Whiteboard Moment• In your opinion, should the U.S. have
involved themselves in the conflict? Explain.
NVA/Viet Cong Tactics•Guerilla warfare (booby traps, tunnel
system)
•Ho Chi Minh Trail (transport supplies)
American EscalationGeneral William Westmoreland, U.S.
Commander1968: 538, 000 U.S. troops
Operation Rolling Thunder
643,000 tons of bombs
5 times Hiroshima
3 years
Air Force Chief of StaffLemey about bombingthem “back to the stoneAge.”
Bombing raids of North Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh Trail
Ground WarSearch and Destroy Missions: seek VC and
destroyed villagesJungle warfare, so defoliants used (Agent
Orange/Napalm)
Whiteboard Time !!
• Describe the U.S. fighting tactics in one word. Defend your choice.
Khe Sanh•Wanted info on Ho Chi Minh Trail
• 40,000 NVA vs. 5,600 U.S. for over 2 mths.
•U.S. win,
shows NVA
resolve
Tet Offensive
100 towns and citiesAttacked; 12 air bases attacked
42,000Vietcong casualties
Massive attack by North on Vietnamese New YearMilitary victory for South/U.S.Morale victory for North
Final Reflection
• Read “Vietnam War.”• Using information from your reading and
notes, write as much as you can remember abut the Vietnam War. • DO NOT look at your notes or the
reading.