The Cold The Cold War and War and VietnamVietnam

VIETNAM AND FRANCEVIETNAM AND FRANCE

• French colony • Fight Japanese in

WWII• Returned to the

France – Geneva

Convention of 1954: North and South

Ngo Dinh DiemNgo Dinh Diem

VIETNAMVIETNAM• Communist North

supplied weapons by China and Soviet Union

• 1957 North starts insurgency into South

• U.S. helps to train South Vietnamese forces

Vietnam and Southeast Vietnam and Southeast Asia Asia (1954–1975)(1954–1975)

NGO DINH DIEMNGO DINH DIEM

“All these soldiers I never asked to come here. Lezly

plahn will slay you all, They don’t even have

passports.”

• Diem problems; Buddhist protests

• Weakness and corruption of S. Vietnamese gov’ts

• Assassinated in 1963 with tacit U.S. approval

NGO DINH DIEM NGO DINH DIEM ASSASINATEDASSASINATED

PROTESTS IN S. VIETNAMPROTESTS IN S. VIETNAM

Buddhist monks set themselves on fire in protest

JFK to LBJJFK to LBJWAR ESCALATESWAR ESCALATES

HO CHI MINHHO CHI MINH

“You can kill ten of my men for every one I kill of yours, but even then, you will

lose and I will win.” -- Ho Chi Minh

(President of N. Vietnam 1954-1969)

THE END OF THE END OF VIETNAM WARVIETNAM WAR

Cambodia and LaosCambodia and Laos

• Nixon’s Secret bombings

• Napalm and Carpet Bombing of the “Ho Chi Minh” trail

• Military & political repercussions

THE “END OF THE THE “END OF THE TUNNEL”TUNNEL”

• Communist S. Vietnamese offensive

• Cambodia falls to communist “Khmer Rouge”

• Saigon falls to communist forces

• American humiliation

VIETNAM VIETNAM MEMORIALMEMORIAL

VIETNAM VIETNAM MEMORIALMEMORIAL