Transcript The Vietnam Era

War in Vietnam
Chapter 30
Origins of War
 Ho Chi Minh and Communist army win
independence from France
 Geneva Accords - Split
 North communist – South Free (United States)
 Ngo Dinh Diem took control of South in ’55
 Anti-Communist
 Anti-Buddhist – Pro-Catholic
Monks protesting the
harsh treatment of
Buddhists under Diem
Origins of War continued…
 Communists in the south organize and
form the Vietcong
 US had big fear of the Domino Theory –
one country falls many will follow
 Kennedy sends troops to help the south
 Nov. 1, 1963 the South Vietnamese army
staged a coup – overthrow the government
 Assassinated Diem
Conflict Continues
 President Lyndon B. Johnson takes over
after the death of JFK
 Sec. of Defense Robert McNamara
 “I don’t think it’s worth fighting for, but I don’t
think we can get out.”
 US ships attacked in the Gulf of Tonkin
 LBJ now has a good reason to fight
 US involvement begins to escalate –
gradually increase
 180,000 in ’65 to 500,000 in ‘67
Combat in Vietnam
 Guerilla Warfare – jungles, tunnels, trails
 Ho Chi Minh Trail – main supply route
 The US began search – and – destroy
missions – find the enemy and wipe them
out
 Backed by jets and helicopters
 Napalm – liquid fire
 Agent Orange – herbicide - chemical warfare
 North Vietnamese/Vietcong frustrated the
US by constantly out numbering them
 Pres. Johnson – “Can we win this war?”
Generation Gap
 A fight between young and old over the
Vietnam War
 Counterculture – a movement that
rejected traditional values
 Long hair, torn blue jeans, Rock N’ Roll
The Draft
 All men must register at 18 years old
 Some believed if you stop the draft you can
stop the war
 Protests of burning draft cards
 Congress made it illegal
 Draft Dodgers
 Question: Do you think the draft is a good
idea? What problems could come up with
soldiers who are drafted?
Doves vs. Hawks


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Doves – anti-war
Hawks – pro-war
“Is this war a mistake?”
Anti-War movement quickly grows
Attack on American Ships
 Jan. 23, 1968 USS Pueblo, a US spy
ship and its crew are captured
 This attack shocked America
 “A US boat had been defeated”
The Tet Offensive
 Jan 31, 1968 (Vietnamese New Year - Tet)
 North Vietnamese/Vietcong targeted southern
bases and major cities (Saigon)
 Vietcong drove deep into southern territory
 America launched a strong counter attack and
was able to push the Vietcong north
 Major turning point in the war
Response in America
 Americans began to lose faith
 The Gov’t developed a credibility gap –
fewer people trusted their statements
 Johnson ordered reevaluation of the war
 “new step towards peace,” Bombings stopped
Nixon’s New Plan


Nixon wins election of 1968
“Peace with Honor”
1. Draft Reform
2. Vietnamization – South Vietnamese army
would take over more of the fighting
3. More bombing in Cambodia and Laos


Kept a secret to the American People
Civil War
Protests
 Kent State
 Student burned down a military building
 17 students shot – 4 killed, “Reasons that are
unclear”
 Jackson state – police shot and killed 2
“Peace is at Hand”
 Removal of over 450,000 US troops
 1st peace talks failed
 South Vietnamese president did not want
Northern troops in his country
 Nixon reelected
 One final round of bombings
 Jan. 27, 1973 – Peace Treaty signed
North Vietnam Continues
 North Vietnamese army does not stop
 Saigon fell on April 20, 1975
 Communism takes over Vietnam
Legacy of the War
 1.4 million Vietnamese died
 58,000 Americans died – 300,000 wounded
 2.7 million served
 No hero’s welcome
 Many MIA’s (Missing in Action) – never found
 Vietnam War Memorial
Opinion
 Do you think that this war was worth
fighting? Why or Why Not?
 If you were president what would you
have done differently?
 In your opinion, what makes a war worth
fighting?