Vietnam

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• Vietnam

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• One of the longest and narrowest countries in the
  world
• Traditionally a fishing and agricultural economy
• Bordered by
• Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, South China
  Sea, Cambodia, Laos, and China

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Vietnam Today

• largest population in mainland SE Asia (80.8
  million people)
• 75 live in rural villages
• Most of the people
• Buddhist 9
• No Religion 80
• Speak Vietnamese

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• capital is Hanoi
• largest city is
• Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

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Vietnam Yesterday

• Late 1800s to 1954 ruled by France
• (called Indochina)
• What other countries have a similar history?
• In 1954 Vietnamese communist
• defeated the French in First
• Indochina War led by
• Ho Chi Minh

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Two governments established

• North is Communist and called
• Democratic Republic of Vietnam

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Two governments established

• South was American supported and
• called Republic of Vietnam
• sounding familiar?

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Vietnam War

• (known in Vietnam as the American War)
• -Began in 1960s with fighting between North and
  South Vietnam
• -1961 - Americans supply Military Advisors
  (700 to 800) to help the South
• -1963 Advisors increased
• to 16,300

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War without War

• 1964 - Gulf of Tonkin
• Resolution allows
• use of military force in
• SE Asia without declaring
• war

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US Marines

• -1965 first Marines land in Vietnam
• -March 3500 troops
• -December 200,000 troops
• -Average tour of duty was 1 year

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Peace Talks

• Official talks began in 1968 as protests against
  the war in America increased

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A Nation Torn

• -As war efforts failed, more and more Americans
  spoke out openly against involvement in Vietnam.
• -Pressure on President Nixon built to bring the
  troops home.

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1973 Americans leave

• -Saigon fell to the North Vietnamese
• -Thousands fled by air
• and water.
• -1975 entire country
• Communist.