VIETNAM

Dien Bien Phu (1954)

• French defeated at Dien Bien Phu• Geneva Agreement (1954)

– Divides Vietnam at 17th parallel

• Ike uses Domino Theory as justification for intervention– Support Diem in S. Vietnam

Diem Regime (54-63)

• Ngo Dinh Diem president– JFK has 16,000 men in S Vietnam.

• Diem’s popularity fades– Attacks Buddhist– Nepotism

• Results– Vietcong grows in South– Diem overthrown by

military coup (63)

Tonkin Gulf Incident (1964)• LBJ’s standing shot up

• In a few years, his credibility will be destroyed

U.S. Role Increases• Vietcong attack U.S base at

Pleiku (1965)• Operation Rolling Thunder

(1965-68)• Limited War

– Not invade the North. Don’t want China or Soviets involved

• Decided on war of attrition and pacification (hamlets)– Alienate peasants

Jungle Warfare• Dangers

– Ambushes– Booby Traps– Land Mines– Heat– Malaria– Foliage– Napalm– Agent Orange– Ho Chi Minh Trail– Limited War

• Wins based on body count

• Other issues– drugs

• The enemy: Vietcong– Farmer and guerilla

– Willing to accept high causalities

– Resolved

• Who truly is the enemy?– They all look the same

– Search and destroy missions

• Unsuccessful

• Alienate peasants

1968: A Pivotal Year

• The Tet Offensive– Jan. 30, 1968

• Effects– LBJ outlines plans to

end the war peacefully– Escalation stops– LBJ not run for Prez– Divided Democrats

Morale Low• No territorial gains

• Body counts on T.V every night (MEDIA PLAYS A BIG ROLE!!!)– 1968 = 500 dead a week

• Wonder what we were fighting for– Were we becoming the enemy?

Protest: Hawks vs Doves

March on the Pentagon 1967

Columbia University 1968

Protest: African American

Nixon’s War• “Peace with honor”

• “Vietnamization”• Nixon’s Doctrine

– U.S honor existing commitments, but in future, Asia will have to fight their own wars (no troops)

• Secret War w/ Cambodia• Appeals to “silent majority”

– Tough on crime

– Not push Civil Rights policies• “Southern Strategy”

My Lai Massacre (Spring ’68)• 200-400 villagers massacred by U.S. soldiers

• Revealed in Nov. ’69, increasing protest

Student Protest (1970)• Kent State (Ohio)

• Jackson State (Miss.)

• Possible Results– Congress repealed

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

– 26th Amendment (1971) – lowering the voting age to 18

Pentagon Papers (1971)

End of War• “Christmas Bombings” (’72)• Paris Accords (Jan. ’73)

– U.S withdraw in 60 days– 17th parallel divide N and S– POWs released

• War Powers Act (‘73)– Prez must notify Congress within

48 hrs of deploying troops– Must withdraw troops unless gets

Congress approval within 90 days

• Saigon falls 1975 (under Carter)

The Cost• 3 mill Vietnamese

killed

• 58,000 Americans killed

• 300,000 wounded

• 2,583 POW/ MIA

• $118 billion

• Lose of trust in govt

• Genocide in Cambodia