Vietnam War

1
Vietnam War

• 1957 - 1975

2
Timeline

• 1883 - France takes control of Vietnam, divided
  into 3 parts
• WWII - Japan controlled all of Vietnam
• Ho Chi Minh returns to Vietnam from China to
  fight Japan for Vietnam
• Aug. 1945 - Japan is defeated in WWII
• Domino Effect - the U.S. worried if Vietnam fell
  to communism the surrounding countries would fall

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Timeline continued

• Vietminh - revolutionaries fighting for freedom,
  started by Ho Chi Minh
• U.S. supported Minh when they were fighting
  against Japan
• Sep. 1945 - after WWII France moves into Vietnam
  to regain control of Vietnam
• U.S. begins to support France against Ho Chi Minh
• 1954 - Vietminh defeat France at Dien Bien Phu

4
Geneva conference

• Decisions made at Geneva (1954)
• 1. Vietnam would be divided in 1/2 at the 17th
  parallel
• North Vietnam - communist under Ho Chi Minh -
  supported by China and USSR
• South Vietnam - Republic of Vietnam under Ngo
  Dinh Diem - supported by the U.S.
• 2. Set up national elections to be held in 1956,
  but they never happened because they knew Ho Chi
  Minh would win

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More on timeline

• 1957 - many South Vietnamese civilians revolt
  against Diem
• Vietcong - (National Liberation Front) -
  civilians living in the south that supported the
  Vietminh, didnt like Diem
• They lived a seemingly normal life but would
  fight against the South and the U.S. whenever
  they could, even though they lived in the South

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Last of Timeline

• 1963 - Southern Generals take over S. Vietnam,
  Diem is murdered, no leadership in the South
  emerges
• 1967 - Nguyen Van Thieu - elected President of
  the south until 1975
• 1975 - Saigon falls to communists

7
Presidential involvement in Vietnam

• Harry Truman - (1945 - 1953) - supported Minh to
  fight the Japanese, began to support the French
  after WWII
• Dwight Eisenhower - (1953-1961) - Geneva Accord,
  sent aid and supplies to support the South (Diem)
• John Kennedy - (1961 - 1963) - sent advisors,
  some military support

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More on Presidents

• LBJ - (1963 - 1969) - ground forces arrive,
  acknowledge involvement publicly, U.S. begins
  bombing strikes on the North
• He wanted to control communism - containment
• Richard Nixon - (1969 - 1974) - bombing
  continues, peace talks begin
• Gerald Ford - (1974 - 1977) - Saigon falls and
  the U.S. leaves , North and South Vietnam reunify

9
Vietnam War

• Ho Chi Minh trail - trail through Laos and
  Cambodia that troops in North Vietnam would use
  to infiltrate the South
• Gulf of Tonkin incident - Aug. 2, 1964
• - U.S. destroyer the Maddox was attacked by North
  Vietnam torpedo boats
• - U.S. fires back and calls in the C. Turner Joy
  for reinforcement
• - LBJ orders air strikes against the NVA
• (Vietminh)

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More on Vietnam

• Gulf of Tonkin resolution - after the incident in
  the Gulf the Senate passed this resolution
  allowing the President to take any means
  necessary to prevent further aggression.
• Some say the Gulf attacks never happened
• 1964 election - LBJ v. Barry Goldwater
• Goldwater wanted more action
• in Vietnam
• LBJ wins the election

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Action in Vietnam

• Operation Rolling Thunder - 1965 - 68 -- bombing
  raids on North Vietnam and the Ho Chi Minh trail
• Largest operation of the war
• Approx. - 92,000 Vietnamese killed during this
  campaign and 850 Americans
• Started after the NVA attacked a U.S. base in the
  South
• Start of U.S. troops in full combat against the
  NVA

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More action in Nam

• William Westmoreland - Supreme commander of U.S.
  troops in Vietnam
• Time - Man of the Year
• Khe Sahn - U.S. marine base held under siege by
  the NVA for 77 days
• Operation Niagara - bombing raids outside of Khe
  Sahn to protect the base

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U.S. advantages and Disadvantages in the War

• Advantages - Better weapons, technology
• Disadvantages - they knew the land better, ambush
  tactics, more people and all they knew was war

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Fighting techniques

• U.S. and Southern troops (pro - American)
• 1 Air raids - peppering the area
• 2 Napalm - fire bombs
• 3 Search and Destroy
• 4 Agent Orange - defoilant that killed
  vegetation so they could see the enemy

15
Taking a hill/ communication network in Vietnam

• Walk until fired upon
• Pull back and call in air support
• Pepper the area
• Napalm
• On the move again
• repeat

16
NVA and Vietcong techniques

• Ambush
• Boobie traps - trip wires, pits, dynamite
• Attack and release - hit and hide in tunnels
• Terrorizing civilians in the South

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Terms

• Charlie / Chuck - VietCong
• Purple Heart - wounded
• Silver Star - bravery
• Bronze Star - heavy battle
• Hawk - supporter of the war
• Dove - those who were opposed
• Bob Dylan - singer (opposed the war, supported
  rights of African - Americans)
• Counter culture - hippies, doves

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My Lai

• Village in South Vietnam attacked by American
  soldiers
• 200 women and children killed

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End of the War

• Richard Nixon- Eisenhowers VP
• Elected President in 1968
• Henry Kissinger - Nixons foreign policy advisor
  for the War
• Nixon Doctrine - Nixons policy, looked to reduce
  American obligations in the war
• Mao ZeDung - Chinas communist leader

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U.S. foreign relations

• Détente - relaxation of tension between the 2
  super powers (U.S. and U.S.S.R.)
• SALT - strategic arms limitation treaty
  restricted the types and numbers of nuclear
  warheads and missiles each country could produce
• Vietnamization - 1969 training the S. V. to take
  more responsibility for fighting the war
• April 1970 - Nixon announces the U.S. would
  attack Laos and Cambodia (Ho Chi Minh trail)

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End of occupation

• January 1973 - cease fire signed
• March 1973 - troops leave
• Troop occupation (1965 - 1973)
• 58,000 - Americans dead
• 300,000 - wounded
• Millions of Vietnamize killed
• Nov. 1973 War Powers Act passed - President
  couldnt send troops into a war situation more
  than 60 days without approval

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View of resisters

• Reasons people gave for not agreeing with the
  war
• 1. Morally wrong
• 2. U.S. imperialism - idea that we control
  others
• 3. Violent extension of U.S. domination in the
  world
• 4. Waste of men, money and energy
• 5. Violates the rights of Vietnamese
• 6. Capitalistic war - people looking to make
  money
• 7. Economic explotation