The Vietnam War 1954 - 1975

The Anti-War MovementFall of SaigonVietnam today

French intervention1954 Geneva AccordsUS interventionJohnsons excalationTet OffensiveNixons Christmas bombing

Background to the WarFrance controlled Indochina since the late 19th century Japan took control during World War II With U.S. aid, France attempted re-colonization in the postwar period

French Rule Over VietnamSince the 1800s, most of Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, was a colony of France.Using French laws, Vietnam was ruled with an iron fist. France imposed high taxes and took control of the countries resource industries.

Dien Bien PhuBattle March May 1954 54 daysGeneral Giap vs General Navarre7,000 French soldiers lost livesDRV *(democratic republic of Vietnam

Vietminh 50,000 troopsFrench 13,000 troopsTrenchesBrought in 200 pieces of artillary through what becomes Ho chi minh trail

The Rise of Ho Chi MinhDuring WWII, Japan took over Vietnam, but France re-established power after Allied victory.A communist leader, Ho Chi Minh, rallied the communists in Vietnam to rebel and drive the French out.To ensure Frances help against the Soviets in the Cold War, Truman and Eisenhower both helped the French maintain control of Vietnam by financially supporting the French war effort.

The French Lose VietnamTruman and Eisenhower both believed in the Domino Theory, which held the belief that if Vietnam fell, all of the other countries around would also fall to communism including Japan and Australia.In 1954, the French army was caught in Dien Bien Phu. They were laid siege to for 55 days and they ultimately surrendered.The communists under Minh took control of Northern Vietnam, while the anti-communists with the help of the U.S. took control in the South. Vietnam would be divided at the 17th parallel.

Background to the WarInternational Conference at GenevaVietnam was divided at 17th parallelHo Chi Minhs nationalist forces controlled the NorthNgo Dinh Diem, a French-educated, Roman Catholic claimed control of the South

Background to the WarCountry was to be reunited in two years with an election in 1956

U.S. Supports Southern VietnamDespite the French being removed, the U.S. continued to support the anti-communists in S. Vietnam.The U.S. continued to give economic and military aid to S. Vietnam led by Ngo Dinh Diem.Diem was a nationalist and anti-communist, but was not very charismatic like Minh.In the 1956 elections to unify Vietnam, Diem refused to participate feeling that he would lose to the more popular Minh.Vietnam would remain divided.

Communist Sentiment Grows in the SouthBy 1957, Communist rebels in the South known as the Vietcong, began undermining Diem in hopes of uniting Vietnam.Supplied by the N. Vietnamese, the Vietcong destroyed infrastructure and assassinated political officials.Diems popularity was waning from both the communists and other social groups, including Buddhists, a large religion in S. Vietnam.Diems only real ally was the U.S.

Ho Chi Minh Trail

U.S. Military Involvement BeginsRepressive dictatorial rule by DiemDiems family holds all powerWealth is hoarded by the elite

Buddhist majority persecutedTorture, lack of political freedom prevail

The U.S. aided Diems governmentIke sent financial and military aid675 U.S. Army advisors sent by 1960.

Early Protests of Diems GovernmentSelf-Emolation by a Buddhist Monk

U.S. Military Involvement BeginsKennedy elected 1960Increases military advisors to 16,000

Kennedy Sends In TroopsIn 1961, knowing that S. Vietnam was in trouble, Kennedy sent special forces advisors into Vietnam to train the Vietnamese Army.Despite some success, Diem continued to alienate his citizens (especially Buddhists) and his regime was in shambles.Realizing that Diem could no longer lead S. Vietnam, the U.S. helped the Vietnamese Army to overthrow Diem, which happened in 1963.

1963: JFK supports a Vietnamese military coup detat Diem and his brother are murdered (Nov. 2)Kennedy was assassinated just weeks later (Nov. 22)

Johnson Sends Ground ForcesRemembers Trumans loss of China Domino Theory revivedIm not going to be the president who saw Southeast Asia go the way China went.

Johnson Sends Ground ForcesAdvised to rout the communists by Secretary of State, Robert S. McNamaraTonkin Gulf Incident 1964 (acc. to Johnson, the attacks were unprovoked)Tonkin Gulf ResolutionThe Blank Check *

Resolution:Use of all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the US and to prevent further aggression.

Johnson Increases the War EffortJohnson, not known for his foreign policy skills, wanted victory in Vietnam.After an aggressive act against a U.S. boat by the N. Vietnamese, Johnson ordered an airstrike against N. Vietnam.Congress quickly approved the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which stated that Johnson had the power to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the U.S. and to prevent further aggression.Furthermore, Johnson would not have to have Congresss approval to declare war.

U.S. Enters the War1965 Pres. Johnson promised an economic package if the communists would end their assaultPres. Johnson increased troops in Vietnam from 23,000 to 184,000 in 1965

The DraftA total of 1,857,304 men were drafted between August 1964 and February 1973

December 1, 1969 marked the date of the first draft lottery held since 1942. This drawing determined the order of induction for men born between January 1, 1944 and December 31, 1950. A large glass container held 366 blue plastic balls containing every possible birth date and affecting men between 18 and 26 years old.

Some common Selective Service classifications: 1-A Ready for immediate induction. (no deferment) 1-Y Qualified for military service only in time of national emergency (classification eliminated 10-Dec-1971) 2-S Student deferment (temporary delay) 3-A Extreme hardship to dependents 4-F Unqualified for military service (exemption

U.S. Troop Deployments in Vietnam

The Ground War 1965-1968No territorial goalsBody counts on TV every night (first living room war) Viet Cong supplies over the Ho Chi Minh Trail

The Air War1965-19681965: Sustained bombing of North VietnamOperation Rolling Thunder (March 2, 1965) 1966-68: Ongoing bombing of Hanoi nonstop for 3 years! Esp. targets the Ho Chi Minh Trail.Downed Pilots: P.O.W.sCarpet Bombing napalm

Johnson Responds to AggressionWith the U.S. military at his disposal, Johnson responds to a Vietcong attack in Pleiku by ordering Operation Rolling Thunder.The U.S. began bombing N. Vietnam, but communist forces continued to fight and supply the Vietcong.Johnson responded by committing more ground troops and assuming greater military responsibilities in the war effort. Troops increased from 20,000 to 180,000.

The Ground War1965-1968General Westmoreland, late 1967:

We can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Airstrikes ContinuedBeing advised by Sec. of Def. Robert McNamara and Gen. William Westmoreland, Johnson ordered continued bombing of N. Vietnam and Vietcong locations.Various types of bombs were used for differing reasons.Conventional bombs.Napalm a jellied gasoline that exploded on impact causing flames that stuck to everything and was difficult to extinguish.Agent Orange an herbicide meant to kill plant life which harmed many American soldiers as well as killed the environment.

The Air War: A Napalm Attack

The War Drags OnFrom 1965 to 68, American presence in Vietnam increased from 180,000 to 500,00. The number of casualties rose from 636 in 65 to 30,000 in 68.

Americas mission became to win the hearts and minds of the Vietnamese people.The difficult part was the corruption of the S. Vietnam government and outside of the major cities, support for the war effort was minimal.

Despite winning many major battles, the N. Vietnamese and Vietcong held firm. They would not surrender, which meant that there was no end in sight.The U.S. would not invade N. Vietnam or attempt to remove the communist regime in fear of China or the Soviets entering the conflict.

War Is Difficult on U.S. SoldiersEarly in the war, soldiers volunteered to go to war to prevent the spread of communism.As the war dragged on, soldiers were drafted into the war effort and many of them had conflicting feelings about fighting.

Despite superior firepower, the Vietcong continued to use guerilla tactics to attack.Further complicating the situation, would hide themselves in civilian groups to make recognition more difficult.

Many U.S. soldiers became paranoid and continuously on guard because they never knew where the enemy would attack from.Finally, soldiers questioned U.S. involvement because many S. Vietnamese were either indifferent to them or openly hostile.

LEADERs of South VietnamNguyn Khnh (1963-1964)

Nguyn Vn Thiu (1965-1975)

Who Is the Enemy?Vietcong:Farmers by day; guerillas at night.Very patient people willing to accept many casualties.The US grossly underestimated their resolve and their resourcefulness.The guerilla wins if he does not lose, the conventional army loses if it does not win. -- Mao Zedong

Are We Becoming the Enemy?Lt. William Calley, Platoon LeaderMylai Massacre, 1968200-500 unarmed villagersCharlie Company, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry

The Minh DoctrineRealizing that they could not stand toe-to-toe with the American army, Minh taught his troops only to fight in battles they could win.Using guerrilla tactics, Vietcong fighters would dig tunnels in the daytime and come out to fight at night. They would ambush U.S. patrols, create booby traps, and set off explosives in American camps.N. Vietnam and Vietcong leaders believed that if they could wear down the enemy, the Americans would eventually give up.

Prison Camps1964-1973 Vietnamese captured mostly pilots and crewMost Famous: Hanoi Hilton

PRISON CAMPS

PRISON CAMPSAlcatraz: Tiny cells sunk underground pencil sized holes above each doorZoo: All windows in cells bricked upDirty Bird: near Power PlantPlantation: Showcase for delegates

Prison CampsHanoi Hilton:The Worst: Most brutal tortures

TORTURE METHODS

Who Is the Enemy?

Who Is the Enemy?Vietcong:Farmers by day; guerillas at night.Very patient people willing to accept many casualties.The US grossly underestimated their resolve and their resourcefulness.The guerilla wins if he does not lose, the conventional army loses if it does not win. -- Mao Zedong

Are We Becoming the Enemy?Lt. William Calley, Platoon LeaderMylai Massacre, 1968200-500 unarmed villagersCharlie Company, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry

The Tet Offensive, January 1968

The Tet Offensive, January 1968N. Vietnamese Army + Viet Cong attack South simultaneously (67,000 attack 100 cities, bases, and the US embassy in Saigon)

Take every major southern cityU.S. beat back the offensiveViet Cong destroyedN. Vietnamese army debilitatedBUTits seen as an American defeat by the media

Tet OffensiveBy the end of the city battles 37,000 Vietcong troops have been killed. million civilian refugees2,500 American casualties

Impact of the Tet OffensiveDomestic U.S. Reaction: Disbelief, Anger, Distrust of Johnson AdministrationHey, Hey LBJ! How many kids did you kill today?

1968After 3 years Operation Rolling Thunder comes to an endCost: 900 American aircraft818 pilots dead or missing182,000 North Vietnamese civilians killed

Johnsons popularity dropped in 1968 from 48% to 36%.

Impact of the Vietnam War I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your President.Johnson announces (March, 1968):

American Morale Begins to DipDisproportionate representation of poor people and minorities.Severe racial problems.Major drug problems.

Anti-WarDemonstrationsColumbia University 1967

Hell no, we wont go!

Democratic Convention in Chicago, 1968Student Protestors at Univ. of CA in Berkeley, 1968Anti-War Demonstrations

Anti-War DemonstrationsMay 4, 19704 students shot dead.11 students woundedKent State UniversityJackson State UniversityMay 10, 19702 dead; 12 wounded

Hanoi JaneJane Fonda: Traitor?

The Vietnam Veterans Against the War Organization received major financial support from Jane Fonda. I, a socialist, think that we should strive toward a socialist society, all the way to communism. "

Nixon on VietnamNixons 1968 Campaign promised an end to the war: Peace with HonorAppealed to the great Silent Majority Those that supported the war

VIETNAMIZATIONGradually withdraw the more than 500,000 American soldiers from Vietnam and return control of the war to the South Vietnamese.

NIXON DOCTRINE The United States would honor its current defense commitments it would not commit troops anywhere else. (Revoked Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson policy of fighting Communism)

Expansion of the conflict The Secret WarCambodiaLaosNixon sent troops and bombing raid without consent of Congress

By 1967 Vietnam War was costing the country $70 million a day.

Pentagon Papers, 1971Govt. docs. regarding war efforts during Johnsons administration to the New York Times.

Pentagon Papers, 1971Docs. Govt. misled Congress & Amer. People regarding its intentions in Vietnam since the mid-1940s.Primary reason for fighting not to eliminate communism, but to avoid humiliating defeat. New York Times v. United States (1971) *

Easter OffensiveMarch 1972: North Vietnam launched a full scale attack on South VietnamEventually unsuccessful forcing negotiations

Peace AgreementHenry Kissinger: National Security advisor1972 Works on secret peace agreement with N. Vietnams Le Duc ThoPresident Thieu (S. Vietnam) demanded changes

CeasefireSouth Vietnam did not agree North Vietnam then left the negotiations Led to the CHRISTMAS BOMBINGS by the United States for 11 days to force parties back to the table

The Ceasefire, 1973Peace is at hand Kissinger, 1972North Vietnam attacks SouthMost Massive U.S. bombing commences 1973: Ceasefire signed between U.S., South Vietnam, & North Vietnam Peace with honor (President Nixon)

Peace NegotiationsUS & Vietnamese argue for 5 months over the size of the conference table!Dr. Henry Kissinger & Le Duc Tho

Paris AccordsThe bombings brought all parties back to the tableAll agreed to terms/POW began to be returned immediately

The Ceasefire, 1973Conditions:U.S. to remove all troopsNorth Vietnam could leave troops already in S.V.3. American prisoners would be released upon withdrawal of troops4. A Council would be formed to determine fate of South Vietnam

Last American troops left South Vietnam on March 29, 19731975: North Vietnam defeats South VietnamSaigon renamed Ho Chi Minh City

The Fall of SaigonSouth Vietnamese Attempt to Flee the Country

The Fall of SaigonAmerica Abandons Its EmbassyApril 30, 1975

The Fall of SaigonNorth Vietnamese at the Presidential Palace

Formerly SaigonA United Vietnam

The Costs3,000,000 Vietnamese killed58,000 Americans killed; 300,000 woundedUnder-funding of Great Society programs$150,000,000,000 in U.S. spendingU.S. morale, self-confidence, trust of government, decimated

The Impact26th Amendment: 18-year-olds voteNixon abolished the draft all-volunteer armyWar Powers Act, 1973 President must notify Congress within 48 hours of deploying military forcePresident must withdraw forces unless he gains Congressional approval within 90 daysDisregard for Veterans seen as baby killersPOW/MIA issue lingered

Some American POWs Returned from the Hanoi HiltonSenator John McCain (R-AZ)

2,583 American POWs / MIAs still unaccounted for today.

Operation Homecoming1973 Feb April591 American POWs came homeStill discrepancies on how many are left if any.

Currently, 1,699 Americans are "unaccounted for" in Southeast Asia: Vietnam: 1,301 North Vietnam : 477 South Vietnam : 824 Laos : 332 Cambodia : 59 China (territorial waters) : 7

78,000 are missing from World War II and over 8,000 are missing from the Korean War

If we have to fight, we will fight. You will kill ten of our men and we will kill one of yours, and in the end it will be you who tires of it. And in the End.Ho Chi Minh:

Vietnam15 milllion became refugees25 million acres of forest destroyed11.2 million gallons of Agent Orange400,000 tons of NapalmUnexploded bombs

Lessons for FutureAmerican PresidentsWars must be of short duration.Wars must yield few American casualties.Restrict media access to battlefields.

LESSONSSet clear, winnable goals.Set deadline for troop withdrawals

The Vietnam Memorial, Washington, D.C.

Memorial to US Servicemen in Vietnam

Memorial to US Nurses in Vietnam

58,000

President Clinton formally recognized Vietnam on July 11, 1995Opened trade with Vietnam

Where Were Youin the War, Daddy?This war haunts us still!

AND TODAY..The Light at the End of This Tunnel?2003 to ?: Operation Iraqi Freedom 2400+ American dead and counting?

Another Vietnam?ORA transformation of the Middle East?Only time & history can tell!

*Ho Chi Minh had been fighting for Vietnamese independence since World War I.

The U.S. gave France aid to win its support in American anticommunist efforts in Western Europe.*Realizing he would Diem backs out of elections.*Realizing he would lose, Diem backed out of elections.*Realizing he would Diem backs out of elections.*Kennedys advisors were clearly fighting a covert war by 1963.

MacNamara has suggested that he believes Kennedy would have pulled the U.S. out, but evidence in inconclusive.

JFK realizes Diem is a liability; offers quiet support to a Vietnamese military coup detat.

The coup results in the brutal murders of Diem and his brother

The Vietnamese generals overthrow one another. A relatively stable, but tyrannical government emerges. It is little better than Diems.

*What Johnson told CongressWhat he didnt tell Congress:He had already written the resolution before the incident.The U.S. naval vessels were aiding ARVN in commando raids in North Vietnam at the time. He learned that the attack probably hadnt occurred.The U.S. navy was not on the high seas but in N. Vietnams 12 mile territorial limit.

*What Johnson told CongressWhat he didnt tell Congress:He had already written the resolution before the incident.The U.S. naval vessels were aiding ARVN in commando raids in North Vietnam at the time. He learned that the attack probably hadnt occurred.The U.S. navy was not on the high seas but in N. Vietnams 12 mile territorial limit.

*Kennedys advisors were clearly fighting a covert war by 1963.

MacNamara has suggested that he believes Kennedy would have pulled the U.S. out, but evidence in inconclusive.

JFK realizes Diem is a liability; offers quiet support to a Vietnamese military coup detat.

The coup results in the brutal murders of Diem and his brother

The Vietnamese generals overthrow one another. A relatively stable, but tyrannical government emerges. It is little better than Diems.

*Nixons secret plan never materializes.He involved us more.Peace with Honor Well win befoe we withdraw.Expansion:Cambodia invaded in 1970: Ho Chi Minh Trail Laos invaded in 1971: Ho Chi Minh Trail

*Nixon resigns over the Watergate Scandal in 1974.

Ford takes the helm.

*Nixon resigns over the Watergate Scandal in 1974.

Ford takes the helm.

*Many U.S.-loyal South Vietnamese attempt to flee for fear of execution by the North.*Diversion of capital to the war indirectly caused economic recession: 11% inflation and 12% unemployment!

*War Powers Act., 1973, passed over Nixon's veto, requires the President tonotify Congress within 48 hours of his use of military force in a foreign country or enlarging an ongoing conflict. The President must secure Congressional approval if he intends to keep these troops overseas for more than 60 days. If he doesn't, he must withdraw the forces.Congress can pass a joint resolution to withdraw the troops before the 60 day deadline. (Each President since has denied its validity, though the issue has never been tested.)

No welcome home (shamed and ashamed), high unemployment, alcohol & drug abuse; poor care of disabled vets: underfunded vets hospitals, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; Agent Orange health problems, birth defects in vets children.

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