President Years Cold War Policy Decisions in Vietnam and events

Truman

Eisenhower

JFK

LBJ

Nixon

Ford

1945-1952

1953-1960

1961-1963

1963-1969

1969-1974

1974-1975

Containment

Diplomacy, Brinksmanship, Covert operations

Flexible Response

Escalation

Vietnamization, Detente

Detente

Money and Support to the French, 100% of French War Effort

1954 Geneva Accords, !956 Canceled Election, Military Advisors, Support for

Diem

Sent 16,000 special forces, supported coup against Diem

Gulf on Tonkin Resolution, Escalation, Search and Destroy- war of attrition,

battle for hearts and minds Operation Rolling Thunder, Tet offensive

Peace with honor, My Lai Massacre, Invasion of Cambodia, Kent State,

Pentagon Papers, Christmas bombings, 1973 cease fire agreement

Fall of Saigon

Next Lessons learned/causes

French controlled – Indochina 1945-1954

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(SEPTEMBER 2, 1945) "All men are created equal. They are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness"

This immortal statement was made in the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America m 1776. In a broader sense, this means: All the peoples on the earth are equal from birth, all the peoples have a right to live, to be happy and free. The Declaration of the French Revolution made in 1791 on the Rights of Man and the Citizen also states: "All men are born free and with equal rights, and must always remain free and have equal rights." Those are undeniable truths.

Nevertheless, for more than eighty years, the French imperialists, abusing the standard of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity, have violated our Fatherland and oppressed our fellow-citizens. They have acted contrary to the ideals of humanity and justice. In the field of politics, they have deprived our people of every democratic liberty.

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Ho Chi MinhLeader of the Vietminh

Revolutionary who believed in the American Ideals of life, liberty, and property

Name means enlightened one.

Leader of Communist party in Vietnam.

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You will kill 10 of our men, and we will kill 1 of yours, and in the end it will be you who tire of it.

- Ho Chi Minh to the French and later to the United States.

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Should the United States support the French?Yes NO

Long time friend

Non- communistNeeded French support for Marshall PlanWanted to give the French a “possibility of success”Feared direct Chinese intervention

Domino Theory

Compromised American Anti-Colonial position

Hopeless situation

Ho Chi Minh hated the Chinese more than the French

Similar situation to Yugoslavia.

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Truman supported the French

Advocates of this decision claimed that supporting the French fell under the Truman Doctrine.

Truman feared looking weak against the communistWe only sent money partly because we were fighting in Korea at the time.

By the time Eisenhower was elected President the United States was financing 100 % of the French war effort.

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The French surrendered to the Vietminh in May of 1954, at Dien Bien Phu.

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The 1954 Geneva AccordsThe agreement was between Cambodia, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, France, Laos, the People's Republic of China, the State of Vietnam, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom

The United States never signed the Accords but they did acknowledge its existence. The U.S. was never legally bound.French Removed from IndochinaIndochina was divided into 4 nations- Laos, Cambodia, North and South VietnamNorth and South Vietnam were divided at the 17th parallel.

There would be free elections held throughout Vietnam in 1956. This could result in the unification of both Vietnams under one government.The United States supported Ngo Dinh Diem- South Vietnam’s President.

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1954 Geneva Accords- divided French Indochina into 4 nations.

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Hanoi

Saigon

17th

North Vietnam

South Vietnam Chart

Hanoi

Saigon

17th

North Vietnam

South Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh

Ngo Dinh Diem

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Ngo Dinh Diem

Leader of South Vietnam

Anti-Communist

Wealthy, Catholic, and corrupt

Supported by IKE

Hated by many Vietnamese

Did not agree to Geneva Accords

Felt that free elections were impossible in the North

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The 1956 Election in Vietnam

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Diem feared that the popular Ho Chi Minh would win the 1956 elections.

Diem questioned how free elections could occur in North Vietnam.

In 1955, Diem cancelled the upcoming election.

Eisenhower and the United States supported his decision.

Furthermore Diem stated that South Vietnam never agreed to the Geneva Acords.

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Diem’s decision and Eisenhower’s support were very unpopular with many people living in South Vietnam who happen to support Ho Chi Minh.

Diem also made peasants unhappy because he took land promised to the peasants

Diem angered the Buddhist population by restricting their religion and even throwing some Buddhist leaders into jail.

Diem ushered in a corrupt government

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In 1957, a communist opposition group in the South known as the Vietcong began to attack Diem’s Government.

In 1959, Ho Chi Minh and the communist north began to supply the Vietcong by way of the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

Civil War broke out in 1958. The battles were fought mostly in the rural jungles and villages

The trail cut through Laos and Cambodia

Although they sent military advisors, the US did very little.

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John F. Kennedy and his administration came to power in 1961 and initially supported Diem.JFK sent aid and military advisors. By 1963, the were almost 16,000 U.S. special forces

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By 1963, Diem’s popularity plummeted. He stepped up his attacks on Buddhism.

Buddhist monks protest Diem. The US urged Diem to stop the attacks- he refused.

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JFK and his advisors now realized that their support for Diem was weakening their position in Vietnam.

They supported a military coup that replaced Diem.

The Kennedy administration felt that it was time for Diem to go.

JFK had his advisors contact the leaders of the coup to make sure that Diem was not hurt.

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They were too late. Ngo Dinh Diem and his brother were shot in the back of a van.

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Lyndon B. Johnson 1963-1968

Replaces JFK as President and as the top decision maker regarding Vietnam.

Within 5 years, the situation in Vietnam will be regarded as “Johnsons War”

LBJ will not be able to afford his Great Society programs.

According to some historians Johnson will go down as one of the worst presidents in history.

Feared looking soft vs communism

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Gulf of Tonkin Incident

Gulf of Tonkin

August 2nd and 4th 1964, the USS Maddox was fired upon by a NVA patrol boat in the Gulf of Tonkin

LBJ bombed the North and congress for “all powers necessary to repel any attack against US forces and to prevent further agression.”

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American Planes Hit North Vietnam After Second Attack on Our Destroyers; Move Taken to Halt New Aggression

The New York Times.New York, Friday August 7th, 1964

President Johnson request broad Military Powers

98 senators say yes, 2 senators say no, 435 reps vote yes.

Congress votes YES to Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.

Escalation and Rolling Thunder to follow.Can the enemy be worn down?

The Congress approves and supports the determination of the President, as Commander in Chief, to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression.”

Is he telling the whole story?According to Gulf of Tonkin Resolution:

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“I am not about to send American boys 9 or 10,000 miles away to do what Asian boys ought to be doing for themselves”-

Lyndon B. Johnson 1964Chart

19641963 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 19730

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U.S. Troops in Vietnam (by the 1000’s)536,000

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Vietcong Americans

NVA South VietnameseChart

Vietcong and NVA fighting techniquesVietcong- used guerilla tactics

Guerilla tactics- hit and run techniques, traps, tunnels, ambush, deception, cunning, fast

Intended to negate American numbers and technology

Rule #1 – only fight when you know you will win.

Rule #2- be able to hide immediately

Rule #3- prepare for a long struggle

NVA- used more conventional tactics.

Supplied Vietcong using Ho Chi Minh trail.

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American fighting techniques

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American fighting techniques

Americans used helicopters

Known as the Helicopter War

Helicopters were used to transport troops to and from the battle site, assault the enemy, reconnaissance, and to transport the wounded.

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American fighting techniques

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American fighting techniques

Search and DestroyAmericans went into the countryside to find Vietcong and kill them.

Victory was determined by the amount killed. The more we killed the bigger the victory.

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American fighting techniques

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American fighting techniques

Operation rolling thunder

Bomb North Vietnam into submission

We dropped more bombs on North Vietnam then we did during WWI, WWII, and Korea combined

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American fighting techniques

Overall strategy - WAR OF ATTRITION“The more we kill the less they will want to fight.”- Gen. Westmoreland

“We will wear down the enemy.”- Gen. Westmoreland“The enemy has meant their masters in the field.” - LBJ

THEY WERE WRONG!!

“If I knew that they could take this punishment and continue to fight this well, I would have thought differently from the start- Defense Secretary Robert McNamara.

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American fighting techniques

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American fighting techniques

LBJ Robert McNamara- Sec of Defense

Dean Rusk- Sec of State

We will wear them down, but we will not invade the North.

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Winning Hearts and Minds

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Winning Hearts and Minds

An attempt to win the people to the American side so that the communist guerillas wouldn’t have a place to hide.

In many cases the strategy failed.

Fear in the Vietcong.

Disgust for American Search and destroy tactics that relocated many villages.

Hate in Americans for the use of Agent Orange and Napalm that ruined their crops.

"It became necessary to destroy the village in order to save it.“

3 million refugees.

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Age of Innocence

Just out of High School

10 years old and 2 kills

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The Tet OffensiveIn December of 1967, LBJ and General Westmoreland stated that the end was near and that the enemy couldn’t threaten the South any longer.

From 1964 to 1967 the war was mostly supported by Americans.

In January 1968, the NVA attacked the northern base of Khe Sahn, this forced the US to concentrate their attention and troops at this location.

On January 31st, 1968 during the Tet New Year celebration, the NVA and Vietcong orgainized a surprise attack on every major South Vietnamese town and city. Including the American Embassy in Saigon.

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The Goals of the Tet OffensiveMilitary Goal- To defeat the Americans in South Vietnam

Political Goal- To put maximum pressure on the American Government by using its people and media against them.

The Communist expected many people living in the South to join their cause.

Economic- to force the US to expand its war effort.

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The Results of the Tet OffensiveNVA and Vietcong were defeated, Americans regained control of all cities and the embassy

Vietcong became exposed

The South Vietnamese didn’t join the Communist

But the American Media showed a different story.

Increased pressure on the President and MilitaryChart

The Results of the Tet Offensive

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The Results of the Tet Offensive on LBJ

The Creditability Gap widens either Johnson had been lying or he underestimated the ability of the enemy.

It was reported that the Military requested an additional 200,000 soldiers, the congress, media, and public become enraged.The Doves (Anti-war) wanted the US to pull out.

The Hawks (in favor of war) wanted the US to change its strategy.

The media led by Walter Cronkite declared the War unwinnable.

Massive anti-war protest.LBJ lost the confidence of his closest advisors.

The Democrats sought a democratic candidate to run against LBJ in the primary, his name was Eugene McCarthy.

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Impact on LBJ

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Impact on LBJ

In a March 31st 1968 speech, LBJ declared that the US would seek negotiations to end the war.

Additionally and most memorably, he also announced that he would not run for re-election.

In January of 1973, he died of a massive heart attack.

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Anti-War argumentsIt was a civil warThe Domino Theory was flawedVietnam not a direct threatCrimes against humanityWe were acting like imperialist

Anti-War actionsProtest, student strikes, riotsDraft dodging and burning draft cardsAbuse for returning soldiers

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War ProtestsChicago 1968 Kent State 1970

Riots at the Democratic Convention

Protested the nomination of Hubert HumphreyProtest turned into a riot, “the whole world is watching!”

Kent state college in OhioStudents burnd ROTC headquarters

National Guard shot into a group of rock throwing students. Wounding 9 and killing 4.

Students were protesting the invasion of Cambodia

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Richard Nixon 1969-1974

1st Republican since IKE, very tough on communism

Henry Kissinger was Nixon’s national security advisor

Vietnamization- gradual withdraw of US forces, replace with South Vietnamese soldiers

“Peace with Honor”

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19641963 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 19730

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U.S. Troops in Vietnam (by the 1000’s)536,000

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Vietnamization

My Lai MassacreMy Lai Massacre occurred on March 16th, 1968.Reported in November 1969.A frustrated platoon under Lieutenant William Calley entered the village looking Vietcong, when they couldn’t find the enemy they rounded up the villagers and shot them. They were mostly women and children.The soldiers claimed that they were only following orders. The order?

Only Calley was charged with involvement in a massacre and cover-up.“Kill anything that breathes.”

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The Bombing of South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia

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The Bombing of Laos and CambodiaNixon ordered the carpet bombing of Cambodia and Laos.

The purpose was to destroy the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

The “Madman” approach

Nixon wanted North Vietnam to think that he had gone mad and was willing to do anything to stop the war.

Results: North Vietnam didn’t come to the peace table, The Ho Chi Minh trail wasn’t any less effective, Cambodia and Laos became two of the most heavily bomb countries in the history of the world.

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The Invasion of Cambodia

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The Invasion of CambodiaThe “incursion” was intended to eliminate the NVA and Vietcong suppy centers of the HO Chi Minh Trail.

Angered Americans- Kent states

Nixon lost the support from Congress- they repealed the Gulf of Tonkin ResolutionThe U.S. invasion of Cambodia led to a future civil war in that country.A communist group called the Khmer Rouge murdered over 2 million citizens in Cambodia in an attempt turn it into a peasant society.

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The Pentagon PapersTop secret study of US actions in Vietnam from 1945-1967, completed in 1968.7000 pages long, 4800 pages of primary documents.Leaked by the New York Times in 1971.Revealed information to the public including

IKE’s decision to help Diem cancel elections.

JFK’s role with Diem coup

Explanation that the US deliberately extended the war in Cambodia and Laos That there never was an exit strategy

LBJ lied about meeting with advisors.

Creditability Gap widened and to many confirmed their beliefs about the war. Chart

The Christmas bombings of 1972U.S. plans dropped 100,000 bombs for 11 straight days, stopping only during Christmas day.

Nixon was trying to force the North Vietnamese back to the peace table.

The bombing horrified the world and many nations called for an end to the war.

On January 27th, 1973 the two nations met in Paris to sigh the 1973 cease-fire agreement.

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1973 cease-fire agreement

End of hostilities between North Vietnam, Vietcong, US, and South Vietnam.

U.S. agreed to remove all troops from Vietnam

North Vietnamese troops remained in South Vietnam.

Nixon promised to respond in full force if North Vietnam violated the treaty.

Kissinger and Le Duc Tho negotiated peace.

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Within months the Vietcong and South Vietnamese

resumed their fighting. Later North Vietnam joined

the cause. In March of 1975, the North launched an

all out attack. Although South Vietnam appealed for

help from the United States, we refused. President

Ford promised economic aid but no troops. President

Ford claimed, “that we cannot regain our pride by re-

fighting this war.” On April 30th, 1975 North

Vietnamese tanks entered Saigon. Americans and

South Vietnamese were forced to leave my

helicopter. The war was over.

The Fall of Saigon

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Problems, results and LessonsProblems

Poor knowledgepoor communicationlack of trustno plan or goal

Results/lessons58,000 US soldiers died, over 100,000wounded.

Loss of confidence, and trust in our government

1973 War Powers Act and Abolishment of the draft

Vietnam Syndrome- considering possible risks Chart