Vietnam AP US History Mrs. Marshall

Vietnam is located on the continent of Southeast Asia.

From late 1800’s until WWII it was ruled by France.

Vietnamese often rebelled. Many of the rebellions were led by Ho Chi Minh of the Communist Party.

1941- Japan conquered Vietnam 1941- Vietnamese Communist joined with other groups to form an organization called the Vietminh whose goal was to achieve independence for Vietnam.

1945- Japan defeated in WWII. Japan left Vietnam. The Vietminh claimed independence for Vietnam.

1946- French troops moved back into the country. They conquered southern half of Vietnam. The Vietminh took control of the north. For the next 8 years the two sides fought for control of the entire country

U.S. supported France-considered the Vietminh to be communists

President Eisenhower’s domino theory. Compared many of the world’s smaller nations to dominos-if one nation fell, the rest would also fall.

1954- Vietminh defeated the French. Vietminh conquered large French outpost at Dienbienphu

Peace agreement was called the Geneva Accords. It temporarily split Vietnam in half. The Vietminh controlled North Vietnam and the anti-communist nationalists controlled South Vietnam.

Geneva Accords called for election in 1956 to unify the country

North Vietnam was ruled by Ho Chi Minh South Vietnam was ruled by Ngo Dinh Diem 1956 election: Diem refused to take part because he feared Ho Chi Minh would win and the whole nation would become communists.

U.S. supported Diem’s decision and provided aid.

1957- a rebel group formed in the south. The Vietcong fought Diem’s rule. Ho Chi Minh supported the Vietcong

Ho Chi Minh Trail

a network of paths that ran between North and South Vietnam. Was used to move weapons/supplies

U.S. continued to support South Vietnam. Diem’s government grew more unstable. Vietcong rebels were gaining greater support from peasants.

Kennedy’s administration decided Diem should step down.

1963- military leaders overthrew Diem. They executed him

LBJ takes over- he continued to support South Vietnam-determined not to lose it to communism

Gulf of Tonkin

August 1964 off coast of North Vietnam A North Vietnamese patrol boat had allegedly fired torpedoes at a US destroyer.

U.S. responded by bombing North Vietnam.

LBJ asked Congress for special military powers to stop any future North Vietnamese attacks on U.S. forces.

Congress passed the Tonkin Gulf Resolution which gave the president broad military powers in Vietnam

LBJ used the power in February 1965 when he launched a major bombing attack on North Vietnam’s cities.

1965 the U.S. began sending troops to Vietnam to fight the Vietcong

Robert McNamara Defense LBJ’s Secretary of Dean Rusk LBJ’s Secretary of State They backed LBJ-said U.S. must help defeat communism.

General William Westmoreland American commander in South Vietnam

Factors which turned the war into a bloody stalemate

The Vietcong’s fighting style The Vietcong’s refusal to surrender American troops’ inability to win support of Vietnamese peasants

How U.S. troops hurt the peasants:

US planes dropped napalm a gasoline based bomb that set fire to the jungle US sprayed Agent Orange which was a leaf-killing chemical that destroyed the landscape Both of these wounded villagers and ruined their villages.

U.S. soldiers destroyed villages they believed supported the Vietcong.

By 1967 U.S. was divided into two groups:

Hawks- Americans who supported the war Doves-Americans who wanted the U.S. to withdraw from the war

January 30- the Vietnamese equivalent of our New Years Beginning of festivities known as Tet.

During the Tet holiday in 1968 a week long truce was called.

Peasants crowded into South Vietnam’s cities to celebrate. Many peasants turned out to be Vietcong rebels, launching massive attacks. They attacked U.S. air bases.

Attacks were known as the Tet Offensive. It lasted for about a month before U.S. and South Vietnamese forces gained control of the cities.

Tet Offensive hurt LBJ’s popularity. Many Americans thought we could not win the war.

LBJ announces he will not seek reelection in 1968.

Richard Nixon is elected in 1968.

Election 0f 1968

Republican- Richard M. Nixon- 301 electoral votes Democrats- Hubert H. Humphrey-191 electoral votes American Independent Party- George Wallace- 46 electoral votes

Vietnamization Nixon’s plan to end America’s involvement in Vietnam. Plan called for gradual withdrawal of U.S. troops. Also called for South Vietnamese to do more of the fighting.

As Nixon pulled troops out, he ordered a massive bombing attack against North Vietnam. He also ordered bombs to be dropped on the neighboring countries of Laos and Cambodia which had a number of Vietcong bases.

November 1969- My Lai U.S. troops had massacred more than 100 unarmed Vietnamese

April 1970- Nixon announced that U.S.

troops had invaded Cambodia Nixon’s invasion of Cambodia cost him public and political support. Congress, angry over the invasion, repealed the Tonkin Gulf Resolution.

June 1971- Pentagon Papers Documents which showed that plans had never been drawn up to withdraw from Vietnam.

Henry Kissinger Nixon’s advisor for national security affairs- negotiated a peace settlement with the North Vietnamese.

October 1972 -Kissinger announced peace was close at hand.

Election of 1972

Republican Party- Richard Nixon Democrats- George S. McGovern Nixon received 520 electoral votes to McGovern’s 17

Promise of peace in Vietnam did not come.

South Vietnam objected to the proposed peace settlement.

Peace talks broke down. Nixon responded by ordering more bombings against North Vietnam.

Peace talks eventually resumed.

January 1973 a peace agreement was signed and the Vietnam War was over.

Shortly after the U.S. pulled out the peace agreement collapsed and North and South Vietnam resumed fighting.

April 1975 North Vietnamese troops captured south’s capital of Saigon. Soon afterwards, South Vietnam surrendered to North Vietnam,

War Powers Act- passed by Congress in November 1973. Prevented the president from committing troops in a foreign conflict without the approval of Congress.

The war made Americans less willing to become involved in foreign wars. The war also left many Americans with a feeling of mistrust toward their government.