French Rule in Vietnam › Late 1800’s-WWII, French ruled most of Indochina › French used rice...
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Transcript of French Rule in Vietnam › Late 1800’s-WWII, French ruled most of Indochina › French used rice...
War in Vietnam
Background of Vietnam
French Rule in Vietnam› Late 1800’s-WWII, French ruled most of Indochina› French used rice and rubber for their own needs› Peasants started to up rise, French jailed many
and forbid freedom of speech and assembly Japan
› Occupied French Indochina. When US, sent supplies to leader Ho Chi Minh and backed him
› Fought a guerilla war with his communist Viet Minh› Japan left Indochina after WWII. Minh declared free
country
Background of Vietnam
France› Refused to give up Indochina › Sent French Foreign Legion to fight the
battles US
› Backed France’s effort to take Indochina› Domino Theory (Country would fall under
communism like dominos)
France› Couldn’t retake Vietnam. Surrendered May
1954› Backed France by giving money, weapons
and supplies.› Domino Theory: linked the countries on the
brink of communism to a row of dominos; waiting to fall one after the other
Geneva Accords
Temporarily divided Vietnam along the 17th parallel
Ho Chi Minh’s communist people control N Vietnam. Capital is Hanoi
Ngo Dinh Diem’s Nationalists controlled S Vietnam. Capital is Saigon
A country wide election was to take place in 1956
Vietnam as a whole
Ho Chi Minh gained popularity in the north by breaking up large estates and dividing it between the peasants
Ike supported Diem and promised military aid and training to fight off the N Vietnam in return for a stable government in the south
Corrupt government took over in the south
Vietcong in Vietnam
A communist group in the south called the Vietcong attacked Diem’s government, later called the National Liberation Front (NLF)› Assassinated thousands of government
officials › Ho Chi Minh supported the Vietcong in
1959 and supplied them through the Ho Chi Minh Trail
Kennedy and Vietnam
“Swim” in Diem and increased aid to support
Sent thousands of military advisers to train S Vietnamese troops
1963, 16k US military was in S Vietnam
Diem
Popularity dropped due to corruption and lack of land reform for the south
Hamlet program› Move villagers to protected areas
Diem, a Catholic, attacked Buddhism› Murdered and imprisoned many Buddhist clerics and
destroyed their temples› Monks and nuns publicly burned themselves to death
in the street to protest Nov 1, 1963 US supported military coup took
Diem out of control and against Kennedy’s approval, assassinated him
Gulf of Tonkin
Aug 2, 1964, a N Vietnamese patrol boat fired a torpedo at American destroyer USS Maddox. Returned fire and damaged patrol boat
Aug 4, 1964, Maddox’s crew spotted enemy torpedoes and began firing. There was bad weather and visibility was bad. Later stated they didn’t see or hire hostile gunfire
Boat attacks prompted LBJ to ask Congress for powers to take “all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the US and to prevent further aggression”
Congress adopted Tonkin Gulf Resolution on Aug 7, 64
Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)
Led by Tom Hayden and Al Haber Radical group formed on many major
colleges to protest Vietnam War Corporations and large government
institutions had taken over America Restoration of participatory democracy
and individual freedom
Free Speech Movement
University California at Berkeley Grew out of a clash between students
and administrators over free speech on campus
Criticized the America for being faceless and powerful business and government institutions
New Left
Move away from the 1930’s “LEFT” of socialism.
Called the Hippie Movement in the US Mostly well off White college students
Protests Grow
1965, protests in DC grew to 30k to protest Vietnam involvement
Feb 1966, Johnson announced you must be “in good academic standing to get a deferment to the draft”
SDS called for civil disobedience at Selective Service Centers
Helped people flee to Canada and Sweden
Opposition to the War› This is a civil war› US can’t patrol the entire global› South Vietnam’s government is corrupt
and not worth defending Songs opposing the war
› “Ballad of the Green Beret,” “War,” “Who’ll Stop the Rain”
From Protest to Resistance Divided Nation
› Hawks Supporters of the war in Vietnam
› Doves Opposed the war in Vietnam
› Spring of 1967, 500k protesters met in NYC to burn draft cards “Burn draft cards, not people” and “Hell no
we won’t go!” were shouted
Escalation
March of 65, tens of thousands US troops were sent to Vietnam› Contradictory of his political stance?› 1965 poll showed 61% believed
containment was the right idea End of 65
› 180k troops in Vietnam under General William Westmoreland, who wanted more soldiers in Vietnam. By 67, 500k troops
Operation Rolling Thunder
March 1965-November 1968 bombings against the North Vietnam
4 objectives › To bolster the sagging morale of the
Saigon regime in the Republic of Vietnam› To persuade North Vietnam to cease its
support for the communist insurgency in South Vietnam without actually taking any ground forces into communist North Vietnam
› To destroy North Vietnam's transportation system, industrial base, and air defenses
› to halt the flow of men and material into South Vietnam
Fighting an Invisible Enemy
Different fighting than previous wars Jungle terrain and guerrilla tactics made it
difficult to fight Vietcong were living amongst the people
› Didn’t know where the enemy was Booby traps Tunnel Rats
› Punji Sticks: Sharp bamboo buried then covered› Bouncing Betty: Mine that’s propelled in the air and
exploded at groin or head area
A Battle for “Hearts and Minds”
Keep Vietcong from winning support of S Vietnam rural people
Napalm, a gas based bomb set fire to the jungle, was used to find the tunnels
Agent Orange, leaf-killing toxic chemical, was used to destroy the dense jungle
Search-and-destroy missions moved civilians with suspected ties, killed livestock, burned villages.
Sinking Morale› Guerrilla warfare crushed the morale› Troops turned to alcohol, marijuana,
heroine› Fragging Officers
Throwing a grenade into the tent of the soldiers commanding officer
War at Home
Living-Room War› First “living room” war where people can
see action on nightly news› News said large number of communist
were dying in war, Gen. Westmoreland said Vietcong surrender was imminent
› Def. Sec. Robert McNamara could “see the light at the end of the tunnel”
› Credibility gap was growing between what LBJ said and what was really happening
Johnson’s Administration
The stalemate in Vietnam was crumbling LBJ administration
Nov. 1967, Def. Sec. Robert McNamara resigned quietly to head of World Bank
The TET offensive turned the war in the United States
TET Offensive
January 30 was the Vietnamese equivalent of New Years Eve
There was a week long truce for TET Villagers had funerals, but coffins were
filled with guns and villagers were VC Jan 30, VC attacked over 100 cities and
12 air bases in S Vietnam for about a month
Gen. Westmoreland claimed victory for US (32k VC dead) (3k US and ARVN)
19 VC attacked the US Embassy in Saigon and killed 5 Americans
TV captured the events and changed minds of millions in the US
After TET, LBJ’s popularity dropped› Pre TET 60% approval on war› Post TET 60% disapproval on war
Election of 1968
Eugene McCarthy ran against LBJ on the platform to end the Vietnam war
Post TET, McCarty won 42% of the vote while LBJ won 48%. A defeat for LBJ
Robert Kennedy joined the race LBJ addressed the US on March 31, 1968
and said US escalation would end, bombing would cease and larger rolls for ARVN would step up› He also said he would not accept the
presidential nominee for a 2nd
Violence is Erupting
April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, TN.
June 5, 1968, Robert Kennedy was shot in LA by an Palestinian American.
1968 DNC was a bloody riot› 10k protesters led by SDS wanted an
antiwar platform› Chicago’s mayor Richard Daley mobilized
12k police and 5k National Guard
› August 28, 1968, protesters moved from the park to the convention, but were met by the riot police
› Police were seen using mace and sticks› Some protesters fled, some retaliated