Vietnam1955-1975

Mr. Koch

US History B

Forest Lake High School

Background

• Passionate nationalism• History of resisting China

– Colonized by France in 1800s

• After WWII, Ho Chi Minh led independence movement against France– French lose in 1954

Geneva Conference• Countries of Indochina (SE

Asia), US, Soviet Union, France, & Britain met to decide fate of Indochina

• July 1954 – Vietnam divided– N. Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh

(Communist)– S. Vietnam: Ngo Dinh Diem

(Republic) – US supported

• Supposed to have elections to unify in 1956– US and S. Vietnam refuse

Diem

• Unpopular in own country– Imprisoned critics, appointed

corrupt family members, misused US aid, relocated peasants, pushed Catholicism upon Buddhist population

• US encouraged an overthrow– Diem assassinated– Military government takes over

Viet Cong• Communist guerrillas in

S. Vietnam - aided by N. Vietnam– Had support of many in S.

Vietnam – hard to identify– Skilled at jungle warfare– Could cross border of

Cambodia/Laos– Used Ho Chi Minh trail to

get supplies

Presidential Actions• JFK: sent aid & military advisors

• Increased from 675 to 16,000

• Johnson: didn’t want to lose South, but said wouldn’t send troops– Aug 1964 – US destroyer

torpedoed by N Vietnam– Or was it????

– Gulf of Tonkin Resolution • Congress gave President authority to

do whatever necessary

• 1965 – begin rapid build-up of military, war escalates– Start of 1965: 25,000– End of 1965: 184,000– End of 1968: 536,000

Tet Offensive• Jan 30 (Vietnamese New

Year)– Surprise attack by N.

Vietnam & Viet Cong– Viet Cong turned back, but

psychological victory– Many Americans have

reservations after seeing TV images

Battlefield Conditions

• Hot, tall grass, wet, 60lb. packs, leeches, fever, jungle rot, booby traps– Little support from local

population for US

Effects on Civilians

• Unsure who was Viet Cong, so civilians suffered heavy losses– B-52 saturation

bombing– Agent Orange

(chemical – herbicide)– Napalm – jelly that

burned uncontrollably

My Lai MassacreMarch 1968

• Word that village sheltering 250 Viet Cong

• Led by Lt. William Calley, kill between 175-500 women, children, old men– US helicopter crew (Hugh

Thompson) stepped in to stop killings

• When story gets out, Americans outraged