Vietnam War Explicitly Assess information and draw conclusions

The Beginnings of US Involvement

• French Indochina• Ho Chi Minh• Vietminh

• Dien Bien Phu (1954)• Domino Theory• Geneva Accords (1954)

– 17th parallel– Promised elections in 1956

• Ngo Dinh Diem

U.S. Involvement in Vietnam

• Believed in the Domino Theory• Increased the number of military advisors and

army special forces, or Green Berets• Advisors were not to take part in combat, but

many did

Eisenhower

• Began sending money and weapons to South Vietnam

• Military advisors sent to train South Vietnamese army

Kennedy

• Believed an expanded U.S. effort was the only way to prevent a Communist victory in Vietnam

• Asked Congress to pass the Tonkin Gulf Resolution

Johnson

Resistance Intensifies• NLF (National Liberation Front)

– Vietcong VC (South Vietnamese rebels)• NVA

– North Vietnamese Army (regular)• JFK sends Advisors/ Green Berets

– “Hearts and Minds”

• Protests – Buddhist self-immolations • Diem overthrown

– coup Nov 1963

Gulf Of Tonkin IncidentEvents:

Aug 2nd and 4th 1964 - US destroyers “attacked” by N. Vietnamese patrol boats

LBJ Tonkin Gulf Resolution, all necessary power to prevent aggression.

“Fog of War” Clip - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76wv2ybJelQ

Johnson Sends Ground ForcesJohnson Sends Ground Forces

-Remembers Truman’s “loss” of China

Domino Theory revived

-”I’m not going to be the president who saw Southeast Asia go the way China went.”

-1964 campaign promise-”We are not going to send boys 9 or 10 thousand miles away from home to do what Asian boys ought to be doing for themselves”

Escalation under LBJ

Operation Rolling Thunder

• A bombing campaign over North Vietnam

• Bombed military targets—army bases and airfields—as well as bridges, roads, railways, and power plants

• Main target was the Ho Chi Minh Trail

Weapons of the Air War

• Agent Orange—defoliant, or chemical, that destroys vegetation

• Napalm—jellied form of gasoline used to create firebombs

• “Cluster bombs”—sprayed sharp metal fragments when exploded

Why did U.S. superiority in the air war fail to win quickly in Vietnam?

The Air War • Bombing did not

succeed• Flow of goods from

North to South Vietnam actually increased

• Vietcong repaired bridges, had bunkers underground, and used weapons from the Soviet Union and China

Operation Rolling Thunder

The Ground War1965-1968

The Ground War1965-1968

General Westmoreland, late 1967:

We can see the“light at the end of the tunnel.”

The Ground War 1965-1968

The Ground War 1965-1968

-No territorial goals-Body counts on TV every night

(first “living room” war)“

“Breakfast where the news is read, television, children fed..” – The Doors

-Viet Cong supplies over the Ho Chi Minh Trail

U.S. Forces MobilizeThe Draft

• 25 percent were excused for health reasons; 30 percent received deferments, or postponements of service.

• College students were deferred, so men from higher-income families were less likely to serve.

• A high percentage of combat soldiers were African Americans.

• A draft lottery began in 1969; the draft ended in 1973.

• 3 percent of eligible men escaped the draft by either refusing to register or by leaving the United States.

Non-combat Positions• Most Americans in Vietnam

served in non-combat positions—administration, communications, engineering, medical care, and transportation.

• About 10,000 American military women served.

• Some 20,000 to 45,000 more women worked in civilian capacities, many as volunteers for the Red Cross or other humanitarian relief organizations.

Victims

Patrols

Search and Destroy

SuppliesPontoon Boats

Where is the Enemy?

Hueys

Dangers on Patrol Soldier (Draft and Volunteer)

Strengths and Weaknesses

“We own the day, Charlie owns the night”

Who Is the Enemy?Who Is the Enemy?

-Vietcong:-Farmers by day; guerillas at

night.-Very patient people willing to

accept many casualties.-The US grossly

underestimated their resolve and their resourcefulness.

The guerilla wins if he does not lose, the conventional army loses if it does not win. -- Mao Zedong

“Dear America – Letters Home from Vietnam”

Questions:– How do the opinions of soldiers change over the

course of the war?– What do you think of the conditions of Vietnam? – How do US soldiers’ morale change?– What were the psychological effects of war?– How do they respond to events at home?

Remember:– Average age of combat soldier = 19

War Protests

• Why did some people oppose the Vietnam War?

Media’s Impact • Reporters and

television crews went on patrol with the soldiers.

• Television brought scenes of firefights and burning villages into America’s living rooms.

• Criticized the government’s reports about the war

Hawks and Doves• Doves—people

opposed to the war• Hawks—people

who supported the war’s goals

• Both criticized the war effort.

• Hawks wanted more troops and bombing.

• Doves opposed the war for many reasons.

Public Opinion Regarding the Vietnam War

Antiwar Movement • Movement attracted

a broad range of participants

• Much antiwar activity took place on college campuses.

• Most vocal group—Students for a Democratic Society.

• Antiwar protesters made up a small percentage of the U.S. population.

Reasons that Doves Opposed the War

• Argued that Vietnam was not crucial to American national security (Ex. George Kennan)

• Argued that the United States was fighting against the wishes of a majority of Vietnamese (Ex. Dr. Benjamin Spock)

• Argued that the war was draining needed resources from Great Society programs (Ex. Martin Luther King Jr.)

• Argued that it was unfair for African Americans to fight for democracy in a foreign land when discrimination continued at home (Ex. Civil rights activists)

• Argued that Johnson’s policies were too extreme (Ex. J. William Fulbright)

Counterculture Values• Rock and Roll• Drug use• Free Love• Communal living• Eastern philosophy• Hippies• Youth

• Pro-Environment• Pro Civil Rights• Anti-imperialism• Anti-establishment• Anti-war

Reflecting on Counterculture Values

• David Crosby: "We were right about a lot of things. We were right about the war. We were right about the environment. We were right about civil rights and women's issues. But we were wrong about the drugs."

March on Washington (1965 and 1967)

Jan.- MLK speaks out (1967)

Anti- War

“New Left”

Berkeley, CA

Free Speech Movement

1964

OriginsSDS

– (Students for a Democratic Society)– Port Huron Statement, 1962

Tactics

Teach-ins

Marches and Protests

Draft Card Burning

The Pentagon, 1967

Universities

Columbia 1968Police

Privileged

Or

Protestors

Soldiers become disconnected from war effort

Some turn to drugs, alcohol, and awaiting the end of their tour

1968- The Turning Point

• Themes• Clash of Values• Violence and Protest• Vietnam quagmire• Loss of leaders• Youth Disillusionment• Return of

Conservatism

• Events:• Tet Offensive• MLK and RFK

Assassinated• LBJ Drops out• Wallace and AIP• Dem. Nat. Convention• Columbia Univ.• Nixon Elected

TET Offensive• Vietnamese New Year

1968 : Tet offensive– shocks US military– US is demoralized (TV)– V.C. and fight escalates

South Vietnamese Soldier shooting a VC prisoner

Khe SahnKhe Sahn

1968

Effects of the Tet OffensiveGrowing Doubts

• Walter Cronkite broadcast a television report in which he gave his personal assessment of the situation in Vietnam.

• Major national magazines such as Time and Newsweek also expressed doubts about the war and began to call for its end.

• Public criticism of the government’s policies grew louder and more intense.

• Leaders within Johnson’s administration began to criticize Johnson’s policies.

• Robert S. McNamara began to seek ways to end the war.

Democratic Challengers• Roughly 3 out of 4 Americans

opposed his policies in Vietnam.• Minnesota senator Eugene

McCarthy challenged Johnson for the Democratic Party’s nomination.

• New York senator Robert Kennedy entered the race.

• Shaken by the divisions within his party, Johnson announced that he would not seek nor accept the office of the presidency.

The Credibilty Gap - Johnson’s popularity dropped in 1968 from 48% to 36%.

Impact of the Vietnam WarImpact of the Vietnam War

…I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your President.

Johnson announces (March, 1968):

1968

Chicago- Democratic National Convention

Humphrey Nominated

Mayor Daley

Nixon Elected 1968

‘Silent Majority’

Plan to exit Nam?

US troops begin to pull out of Vietnam…

Nixon’s Vietnamization Plan

Nixon Doctrine

Protests from Vietnam Vets

Expansion of the Conflict

-1969 Bombings

-1970 US Troops

-Pol Pot and Khmer Rouge

Expansion Leads to More War Protests

• In 1970 Nixon announced that he had ordered troops into Cambodia.

• Antiwar protests intensified—especially on college campuses.• Antiwar protests erupted into violence.• Nixon believed that antiwar protesters represented only a minority

of Americans.• Radical antiwar groups turned to violent measures to oppose the

war.• More and more Americans began to oppose the war when they

learned about the My Lai massacre and the Pentagon Papers.

Increasing ProtestsMy Lai Massacre

• Troops under Lieutenant William Calley killed at least 450 men, women, and children in the village of My Lai while on a search-and-destroy mission.

• No Vietcong were found in the village.

• The My Lai massacre was kept quiet at first, but former soldiers began talking about it.

• This atrocity intensified the divisions between war supporters and opponents.

• Calley was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison; he was paroled in 1974.

Pentagon Papers• A collection of secret government

documents that traced the history of U.S. military involvement in Vietnam since the Truman years

• Revealed that government officials had been misleading the American people about the war for years

• Daniel Ellsberg leaked the papers to the press.

• Ellsberg originally supported the war, but then concluded that few South Vietnamese civilians supported the U.S.-backed government.

Anti-War Demonstrations

Anti-War Demonstrations

-May 4, 1970

-4 students shot dead.

-11 students wounded

Kent State University

-Jackson StateUniversity

-May 10, 1970

-2 dead; 12 wounded

Campus Violence• Kent State

University in Ohio• 4 students

were killed and 9 injured

• Jackson State College in Mississippi

• 2 students were killed and 9 wounded

Antiwar Movement• Polls showed that

fifty percent of Americans opposed the war.

• Coalition of clergy, trade unionists, and veterans established a nationwide day of protest called Moratorium Day.

• 250,000 protesters made up the largest antiwar demonstration in U.S. history.

Increasing ProtestsRadical Protests • Some antiwar

groups turned to violent measures.

• The Weathermen set off more than 5,000 bombs and carried out the Days of Rage.

• Most antiwar protesters did not support extremist groups or terrorist measures.

Are We Becoming the Enemy?

Are We Becoming the Enemy?

-Lt. William Calley,Platoon Leader

-Mylai Massacre, 1968 (revealed in 1970_

-200-500 unarmed villagers

Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry

The Secret War• Pentagon Papers

1971– Daniel Ellsberg– War from 1945-67

• Gov. has been lying about success in Vietnam

U.S. Involvement in Vietnam Ends

• Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18• McGovern hoped the ratification of this

amendment would boost his election chances.

George McGovern

• Senator from South Dakota who criticized war• Insisted that the Vietnam War be brought to an

immediate end

26th Amendment

• Nixon stressed law and order at home and told voters he would end the war.

• Kissinger announced a breakthrough in the peace talks just weeks before the election.

• The announcement helped Nixon win by a landslide.

1972 Election

Détente and Diplomacy• Détente-(hope they will help end

the war)– China 1972– Russia 1972

• SALT I• Henry Kissinger & Le Duc Tho

– "Peace Is At Hand“ – 1972 Election

• Christmas bombings  • 1973 Paris Peace Accords• End of draft – 1973

The Ceasefire, 1973

The Ceasefire, 1973

Conditions: “Peace With Honor”1.U.S. to remove all troops2.North Vietnam could leave

troops already in S.V.3.North Vietnam would resume

war4.No provision for POWs or

MIAsLast American troops left South

Vietnam on March 29, 19731975: North Vietnam defeats South VietnamSaigon renamed Ho Chi Minh City

War Powers Act – 1973 this provides that the President can send U.S. armed forces into action abroad only by authorization of Congress or in case of "a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or

possessions, or its armed forces." i.e. – it reversed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

Nixon Resigns - 1974

Saigon falls -1975

US Embassy Evacuated

Southeast Asia • 635,000 South

Vietnamese died; Vietcong and NVA war dead equaled 1 million

• Severe environmental damage from bombs and defoliants

• More than 1.5 million South Vietnamese fled the country after the fall of Saigon.

Veterans• 58,000 Americans

were killed; 600 were held as POWs; 2,500 soldiers reported MIA; 300,000 wounded

• Experienced a negative reception upon return

• Trouble readjusting to civilian life (post-traumatic stress disorder)

The Legacy of the WarPolitical Impact

• United States failed to prevent Communists from taking over South Vietnam.

• Spent more than $150 billion on the war

• Changed how many Americans viewed government

• Congress passed the War Powers Act in 1973.

Vietnam and Korea -- Comparisons

• Cold War - Containment• No total victory• Both undeclared wars – constitutional

issue• Civilian control over the military • Fronts – different type of fighting

-President Carter Pardoned all Vietnam War draft dodgers on

January 21,1977

-President Clinton formally recognized

Vietnam on July 11, 1995

-President Carter Pardoned all Vietnam War draft dodgers on

January 21,1977

-President Clinton formally recognized

Vietnam on July 11, 1995

Lessons for Future

American Presidents

Lessons for Future

American Presidents1. Wars must be of short duration.2. Wars must yield few American

casualties.3. Restrict media access to battlefields.4. Develop and maintain Congressional

and public support.5. Set clear, winnable goals.6. Set deadline for troop withdrawals.

“We’ve Kicked the Vietnam Syndrome” – G H.W. Bush, 1991

Memorial to US Servicemen in

Vietnam

Memorial to US Servicemen in

Vietnam

58,00058,000

The Vietnam Memorial,

Washington, D.C.

The Vietnam Memorial,

Washington, D.C.

Protest event• 1. In general, what was the background and experiences of

your person? How did this influence you? Provide any significant biographical information here

• 2.) In general, how did your person feel about the war in Vietnam?• 3.) Did you produce anything in regards to the war in Vietnam?

(Books, Pamphlets, laws, military action, news coverage, protest activities, speeches) Explain. What was the work about?

• 4.) How did/might you view people who held opposite opinions from yourself on our involvement in the war? Give reasons/ Explain.

• 5.) Were you involved in any specific events related to the Vietnam War or counterculture movement? If so, explain

Specific views on some of the following:

• 6)- the domino theory• 7)-Gulf of Tonkin incident• 8)-Operation Rolling Thunder• 9)-The credibility gap• 10)-impact of war on the Great Society and Civil Rights movement• 11)-student activism, the impact of the protest movement on the war• 12)- hippie and drug culture, counterculture values, music• 13)- the Tet Offensive• 14)- the role of the media• 15)-the My Lai Massacre• 16)-the draft• 17)-Troop morale, combat experience Impact on returning soldiers• 18)-The democratic convention of 1968• 19)-Vietnamization• 20)-Widening the war (Cambodia, Laos)• 21)-Kent State• 22)-Withdrawal and legacy• 23) Are there any people that you might side with? Explain who and why.