Transcript 17.4 HW will be collected on review day (Thursday) Bell

Chapter 21; Section 1
Deepening American Involvement
The Vietnam War and
American Society
1960 - 1975
…Intro Video…
The Vietnam War was one
of the most tragic events
of the cold war.
Hundreds of thousands of
soldiers served in
Vietnam and billions of
dollars were spent on the
war effort.
Over time, many Americans
questioned the extend of
U.S. involvement in this
faraway conflict.
As we continue in this
chapter, think about the
war and other issues that
caused deep divisions within
American society.
Geneva Conference
An international
conference in 1954 in
which Vietnam was
divided into two nations.
Viet Cong
A force of Communist
guerrillas in South
Vietnam who, with North
Vietnamese support,
fought against the South
Vietnamese government
in the Vietnam War
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
1964 Congressional
resolution authorizing
President Johnson to take
military action in Vietnam
August 2, 1964:
the U.S.S. Maddox was attacked by
torpedo boats in the Gulf of Tonkin
A second attack was reported two days
later on the U.S.S. Turner Joy and
U.S.S Maddox in the same area.
The next day, Congress approved the
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.
The resolution gave the President
the power to “take all necessary
measures to repel any armed attack
against the forces of the U.S. and
prevent further aggression.”
U.S.S. Maddox
President Johnson
Gulf of Tonkin
3:49 minutes
escalation
Expansion by stages, as
from a limited or local
conflict into a general,
especially nuclear, war
Ho Chi Minh Trail
Supply route that carried
troops and supplies from
North Vietnam to South
Vietnam
Tet Offensive
1968 attack by Viet Cong
and North Vietnamese
forces throughout South
Vietnam
Tet Offensive
4:00 minutes
Q: Explain the Tet Offensive.
Example:
A series of North Vietnamese
surprise attacks on major
cities and American military
bases in South Vietnam
launched on Vietnamese
New Year.
Q: Look at the map on p. 620. How
might the Ho Chi Minh Trail have
contributed to the Tet Offensive?
It allowed the North
Vietnamese government
to provide the Viet Cong
with ammunition and
other supplies for the Tet
Offensive.
Main Idea
The United States entered
the Vietnam War to
defeat Communist forces
threatening South
Vietnam.
Q: Why were American soldiers
sent to fight in Vietnam?
American leaders felt that
if Vietnam fell to the
Communists, there could
be a Communist takeover
of the rest of the world.
Q: What specific events led to
an increase in American
involvement in Vietnam in 1964?
Gulf of Tonkin Incident
and
Johnson’s Reelection
Q: Look at the picture on p. 619 of Buddhist
monks protesting Ngo Dinh Diem’s government
by burning themselves to death on the streets of
Saigon. How does this symbolize the difficult
problems Johnson inherited in Vietnam?
It shows the unpopularity
of the United Statesbacked Diem among its
own people
Q: Why did the U.S. get more and
more involved in the conflict in
Vietnam?
Fears of communism
spreading throughout the
region. Presidents also used
real and alleged incidents
(events) to step up American
involvement.
Q:
Review the timeline on p. 617. Which event
do you think affected Kennedy’s viewpoint on
Vietnam the most? Explain.
Possible Answer:
1963—military coup
(overthrow) of Diem, because
Kennedy realized the struggle
could not be won under
Diem’s rule
Q:
What do you think Johnson hoped to gain by
authorizing the bombing of targets in North
Vietnam in 1965?
Possible Answer:
The escalation of war and
increased American
involvement