• Why was Vietnam divided?• Why did the United States become

involved in the conflict?• Why did many Americans oppose the

war?• How did the youth and counterculture

affect government policy?• How did the Johnson and Nixon

Administrations differ in their war goals?• How did this loss change American Cold

War policies

Nov 1, 1955-Apr 30, 1975 Neighbor of Red China Ho Chi Minh the leader of N Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem was the leader of S

Vietnam 17th parallel

North Vietnam=Communist South Vietnam=Republic (backed by the

U.S.) Vietcong=rebels in South Vietnam that

supported communism

Stop the spread of communism 16,000 troops in Vietnam by 1963 Diem loses his people’s support and he is

assassinated in 1963 Secretary of defense believed in cutting

cost by modernizing the armed forces

“I am not going to lose Vietnam” “We’re not sending over American boys

to do what Asian boys should be doing” Gulf of Tonkin had a major impact on the

U.S. involvement in Vietnam By 1965, the Vietcong, had a strong hold

in South Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh trail allowed supplies to get through Vietnam easily

1965 saw tremendous growth of U.S. presence in Vietnam

Jungle warfare with the Vietcong and bombing of North Vietnam

Tet offensive by the Vietcong

Who is the enemy? U.S. soldiers walked through jungles with

10ft. Tall elephant grass across flooded rice paddies

Fought leaches, fever, jungle rot, and snakes

U.S. harmed civilians with bombs, agent orange, and napalm

Village that supposedly housed 250 Vietcong

Instead had women and children U.S. solders given the order to kill them

all 175 killed and more than 400 wounded Helicopter crew stopped them

Many student protests Pentagon lied about Vietnam Resistance to war

Draft Couldn’t afford college, you most likely would

be drafted People used excuses such as physical

disabilities to avoid being drafted Some left the country

Racial war? Others supported the war Many bumper stickers

Counterculture Sex, drugs, rock and roll, hippies, and dress There is a sexual revolution as many couples

begin to live together outside of marriage Illegal drugs become more prominent Rock and roll events get out of control

Vietnamization-removing American troops and replacing them with Vietnamese soldiers

Severely decreased the military between 1968-1972

Kent St. Sign an agreement in Paris in January

1973 withdrawing all forces within 60 days

Fighting continues after the treaty April 30, 1975, Saigon is surrounded and

South Vietnam surrenders and Vietnam is reunited

58,000 Americans died 150 billion dollars spent in direct

expenses Cambodia and Laos also fall to

communism No love for the troops