VIETNAMThe Neverending War

POST WWII VIETNAM Ho Chi Minh

Fought against Japanese forces

Support by US Hopes for independence

from Post-War French rule End of War

Ho leads rebellion against French

Dienm Bien Phu French routed Vietnam divided in 2 until

elections in 1956 Ho controls north Diem controls south

DOMINO THEORY Ho has communist ties

Though really just seeking independence

Domino Theory If Vietnam falls to

communism so will the rest of South East Asia

Eisenhower Ok block of 1956

elections by Diem Funnels money to prop

Diem gov’t 90% villagers

Hate Diem

KENNEDY AND COUP 1963

Diem becomes a liability

Corrupt Lost faith of South Needs to go

US supports a Coup Diem goes into hiding

and is arrested While transported he

is killed

GULF OF TONKIN Aug. 2, 1963

USS Maddox is attacked by 3 N. Vietmanese small boats

A second incident is reported but questions remain

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution Congress gives LBJ

authorization to engage N. Vietnam

WAR BEGINS Feb. 1965

Gen. Westmoreland sent to see situation in South

Requested Marines to protect air bases in Da Nang

LBJ approves 150,000 Marines

land in Vietnam Start of War

THE ENEMY NVA

North Vietmanese Army

Actually troops Vietcong

Revolutionary army used in South

Tactics Use of jungle Tunnels Booby Traps

Kill and mame

TACTICS OF WESTMORELAND Search and Destroy

Essentially use US forces as bait

Pull enemy out of hiding

Destroy them “Free-Fire” Zones

Designated areas of South free for US soldiers to essentially kill everything in sight

Civilians forced out

STRATEGIC BOMBING Idea to disrupt enemy

No ports bombed Russian and China ships

in port Hanoi bombing

Only made enemy more determined

Ho Chi MinhTrail Swept through Laos and

Cambodia Large amounts of bombs

dropped Failed to disrupt flow

EARLY SUPPORT Many Americans

supported the war Red Scare The people fighting

Middle/poor class American Pride

Younger Generation Resentment growing

Centered around draft Protests begin in

1966

DRASTIC CHANGES IN SUPPORT By 1967-68 Growing

protest against war Boys are dying Stalemate Lies

Told that America us winning but gains don’t show it

Television First televised war

Reporters show battles and American dead

Distaste for long drawn out conflict

1968 THE “WAR IS LOST” Jan. 1, 1968

Cease-fire to celebrate New Year

North surprise attack Make gains but utterly

destroyed Propaganda Success

Americans told that the back is being broken

Now see North soldiers taking US embassy

Walter Cronkite Most loved reporter Tells America war is lost

1968 A BAD YEAR LBJ

Vietnam breaks him Announces he will not run for re-

election Mach 16, 1968

My Lai Incident April 2, 1968

Columbia University Students take over buildings Police remove them with brutal tactics

April 4, 1968 Martin Luther King Jr Assassinated

June 5, 1968 Robert Kennedy Assassinated

Aug. 6-8, 1968 Democratic National Convention

Police and anti-war protestors battle on the streets as the Dem’s select their candidate

THE COUNTER CULTURE Began with the

1950’s Beatnik Leftist/liberal More in the art and

literature scene Rebelled against

conformity Centers

San Francisco Greennich Village, NY

Died out as the 1960’s approached

THE NEW COUNTER CULTURE Election of Kennedy

Democrats control all levels of Gov’t

Focus on Civil Rights African Americans Women Hispanics Native-Americans

AFRICAN-AMERICANS Early

Passive/non-violent resistance

SNCC Later

Break with MLK style Malcolm X Black Power

Stokely Carmichal Riots

WOMEN NOW: National

Organization of Women Focus on fair

treatment and equal pay

Empowerment of women in society

Especially work place Envil

First pill birth control Seen a step in the

liberation movement

HISPANICS Cesar Chavez

Led farm workers Unionized them Boycotts

Gained better pay and treatment

Chicano Movement Break with Spanish and

embrace of Native heritage

Chicana Movement Better treatment Not accepted into NOW

NATIVE AMERICANS AIM: American

Indian Movement Sought to break the

assimilation Sought to end

discrimination Sought to address

the neglect and mistreatment on Reservations

YOUTH Age of Aquarius

Change Sexual Revolution Drugs

Marijuana Timothy Leary

LSD Heroin

Rock and Roll Break with parents

music Acid Rock

Dress Mini skirts and jeans

EPITOME OF THE MOVEMENT Woodstock Music

and Arts Festival Aug. 15-18, 1969

Biggest bands of the times performed Except The Doors

Almost the last hurrah of the Peace and Love Movement Becomes darker

after this

ANTI-WAR Post 1968

Growing protest against war

SDS: Students for a Democratic Society

Focused mainly on college campuses

Opposition to Draft Opposition to

American tactics Opposition to College

research

ACHIEVEMENT Some change did

occur Civil rights changes

Attention on Society Environment Education Poor

Every lasting changes Music: Rock Media: Sex and

Violence Empowerment of the

people

“THE SILENT MAJORITY” Majority of Americans not involved

Status quo Saw anti-war protest differently

College, middle class kids who weren’t actually fighting the war

Every candidate running in 1968 was committed to remaining in Vietnam

Republicanism Nixon wins in 1968 Dominate Presidency since

THE LASTING EFFECTS 1960’s seen

through the prism of Counter Culture Thanks largely to

television and media Reality is that the

movements were relatively small Great change did

come, but not everything was acheived

A NEW ERA HAS BEGUN

NIXON AND VIETNAM Nixon wins 1968

election with “Peace with Honor” platform

War: Anti war movement

stronger Pentagon Papers

released Exposes faults of

America’s war Nixon starts new

phase of the war

ESCALATION Ends restricted

bombing Hits harbors and

civilian centers in Hanoi

Ho Chi Minh Trail Nixon begins

bombing in Cambodia and Laos

CIA now operating within both nations

ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT DURING NIXON Kent State: May.

1970 National Guard fires

on protestors throwing rocks

4 students are killed Nixon ends the draft

in 1972 Hopes to quiet anti-

war movement

DE-ESCALATION Nixon begins

Program of Vietmanization South will take over

combat operations Begins withdrawing

troops By 1973 150,000 in

Vietnam down from the 1968 high of 500,000

PEACE WITH HONOR Peace-talks begin in

Paris Hanoi pounded into

submission Agree that elections

will be held US will continue to

support S. Vietnam N. Vietnam agrees to

withdraw to borders

FALL OF SAIGON 1975

N. Vietnam invades S. Vietnam again

US does not engage Instead all US

personel are withdrawn from Vietnam

South falls in June 1975

Vietnam now a communist/nationalist nation under the capital of Hanoi

EFFECTS Cambodia

Nationalist Khmer Rouge rise against gov’t

Take over nation Begin re-education

and extermination campaign

Estimates place totaled killed between 2.2-3.4 million killed

US does nothing Same occurs in Laos

and Vietnam

NIXON During 1972 Dem.

Convention men caught breaking into headquarters at Watergate hotel

Nixon denies any involvement

Post reporters Woodward and Bernstien learn of tapes from “Deep Throat”

Expose story Request for tapes

Nixon claims executive priveledge

Court overrules him Nixon resigns the

presidency before impeachment begins

MEMORY OF THE WAR America hopes to

forget the dark past of Vietnam Lack of veteran

support 1982 the Vietnam

Memorial Wall is dedicated Designed by Mya Lin 58,000 names

etched in black marble