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The Vietnam War 1954 - 1975

The Vietnam War 1954 - 1975. I.) Background to the War. Pre-War : 1. “ Indochina ” a colony of France since the late 19 th century 2. In 1924 : Ho Chi Minh organizes Vietnamese revolutionaries 3. Indochinese Communist Party created in 1930

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The Vietnam War 1954 - 1975

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  1. The Vietnam War 1954 - 1975

  2. I.) Background to the War • Pre-War: 1. “Indochina” a colony of France since the late 19th century 2. In 1924: Ho Chi Minh organizes Vietnamese revolutionaries 3. Indochinese Communist Party created in 1930 4. Vietminh formed in 1940 Goal: to win independence for Vietnam

  3. B. WWII: 1. 1940: Japan seizes control of Vietnam C. Postwar: 1. September 1945: Ho Chi Minh declares Vietnam independent 2. Late 1945: France sends in troops to regain Vietnam 3. In 1950: U.S. offers economic and military support to fight the communist aggressor

  4. In 1954: Eisenhower explains the Domino Theory “If you line up a row of dominos, you knock over the first one and what will happen to the last one is the certainty that it will go over very quickly”.

  5. 4. May 1954: The French lost to Viet Minhforces in 1954 at Dien Bien Phu 5. Geneva Accords divides Vietnam at the 17th parallel w/new elections in 1956 • Ho Chi Minh’s nationalist forces controlled the North • Ngo Dinh Diem, French-educated Roman Catholic claimed the South VS

  6. II.) The U.S. Steps Into Vietnam A. Diem cancels countrywide elections of 1956 1. Ho Chi Minh: popular support of the North and is seen as a national hero 2. Ngo Dinh Diem: repressive & corrupt 3. President Eisenhower: sends 275 military aides to train South Vietnam “We will sink or swim with Ngo Dinh Diem”.

  7. Protests of Diem’s Government Self-Emolation by a Buddhist Monk

  8. . . . B. In 1957: the Vietcong (opposition groups in South Vietnam) emerge and carry out attacks on government officials C. In 1959: Ho Chi Minh trail created to support Vietcong w/arms from the North via a path along borders of Vietnam, Laos, & Cambodia

  9. . . . D. President Kennedy elected 1960 1. Increases military “advisors” to 16,000 2. In 1963: JFK supports a Vietnamese military coup d’etat(Diem and his brother are murdered) “In the final analysis, it’s their war”.

  10. III.) LBJ Expandsthe Conflict A. Believed Communist takeover of South Vietnam would be disastrous. “I’m not going to be the president who saw Southeast Asia go the way China went”.

  11. B. Tonkin Gulf Incident  August 2,1964: USS Maddox fired upon by N. Vietnamese boat August 4, 1964: USS Maddox reports of more torpedoes fired and U.S. launch bombing strikes on N. Vietnam C. Tonkin Gulf Resolution August 7, 1964: Congress grants LBJ to carry out military operations in Vietnam • “The Blank Check” “I request all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against forces of the U.S. and to prevent further aggression”.

  12. IV.) U.S. Escalation & Involvement A. March 2, 1965: Operation Rolling Thunder beginsustained bombing of North Vietnam B. End of 1965: U.S. had 180,000 American troops in Vietnam

  13. C. General Westmoreland: the American commander in Vietnam asks for more troops “ The AVRN cannot stand up to the pressure without substantial U.S. combat support on the ground” D. Army of the Republic of Vietnam (AVRN): the South Vietnamese Army

  14. V.) Vietnam War: New Type of War United States: • superior army and weaponry North Vietnamese: • elusive enemy w/guerrilla tactics VS • Ambush attacks • Hid within civilian population • Elaborate Tunnels • Booby traps & Land Mines

  15. Who Is the Enemy?

  16. Example of Tunnel System Used by Vietcong

  17. VI.) U.S. Strategy & Tactics in Vietnam A. Strategy: - Destroy N.Vietnamese Morale - Win Support of S.Vietnamese rural population B. New Tactics: 1. Napalm: gasoline based bomb that set fire to the jungle 2. Agent Orange: toxic leaf killing chemical used to expose Vietcong hiding places 3. Search & Destroy Missions: uproot civilians w/suspected ties to Vietcong

  18. VII.) U.S. Divided on the Home Front A. “Living Room War”: Reporters bring the war home w/body counts on TV every night B. Draft: selects U.S. citizens ages 18-26 to fight in Vietnam C. Troops morale begins to fall: • Disproportionate representation of poor people and minorities. • Severe racial problems. • Major drugproblems.

  19. D. Johnson’s popularity dropped in 1968 from 48% to 36%

  20. VII.) The Protest Movement A. 1960’s New Left emerges 1. demand changes to American society B. College students lead groups: 1. Students for Democratic Society (1960) 2. Free Speech Movement (1964)

  21. C. Why protest? 1. conflict is a civil war which U.S. had no buisness in 2. S. Vietnamese govt. was no better than a communist govt. 3. war was draining strength in other parts of the world 4. U.S. cannot police the whole world 5. war was morally unjust

  22. Anti-WarDemonstrations • March on Washington1965 • 30,000 protestors

  23. Anti-WarDemonstrations • Columbia University1967

  24. Anti-War Demonstrations Student Protestors at Univ. of CA in Berkeley, 1968

  25. Anti-War Demonstrations Democratic Convention in Chicago, 1968

  26. Anti-War Demonstrations “Hell no, we won’t go!” New York Central Park Protest, 1967

  27. “Hanoi Jane” Jane Fonda: Traitor?

  28. Protest Songs “ Tin soldiers and Nixon coming, We’re finally on our own. This summer I hear the drumming, Four dead in Ohio. Gotta get down to it Soldiers are cutting us down Should have been done long ago What if you knew her And found her dead on the ground How can you run when you knew?” Ohio by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Recorded May 15, 1970

  29. Anti-War Demonstrations • May 4, 1970 • 4 students shot dead. • 11 students wounded Kent State University

  30. May 10, 1970 • 2 dead; 12 wounded Jackson State University

  31. Doves: those who oppose the war

  32. Hawks: those who support the war

  33. VIII) The Tet Offensive • January 30, 1968 = Tet: holiday for Lunar New Year ; Truce agreed B. Tet Offensive: 67,000 Vietcong attack 100 villages in South Vietnam, 12 U.S. air bases, and U.S. embassy in Saigon

  34. The Tet Offensive, January 1968

  35. Outcome: 1. Vietcong defeated after one month 2. Vietcong suffer 32,000 casualties “ The attacks proved to be an overwhelming defeat for the Vietcong”

  36. “ The war is unwinnable. We put more in and they match it. I see more and more fighting with more casualties on the U.S. side and no ends in sight to the action.” D. Reality & Impact: 1. shook the minds of the American public 2. loose support for war “ It seems more certain than ever that this bloody experience of Vietnam is to end in a stalemate”

  37. “…I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your President”. E. March, 1968: Johnson announces he will not seek re-election as president

  38. IX.) Election of 1968 A. Candidates: 1. Eugene McCarthy: Democrat; promise to end war in Vietnam 2. Robert Kennedy: Democrat; vision for poor, minorities, healing America 3. Hubert Humphrey: Democrat; Vice President 4. Richard Nixon: Republican; promise to restore law and order; peace w/honor 5. George Wallace: Independent; “white backlash candidate”

  39. Robert Kennedy assassinated in 1968 • Richard Nixon wins election

  40. X.) Nixon & Vietnam A. January 1969: Peace Negotiations stalling 1. Henry Kissinger: National Security Advisor and chief negotiator 2. Veitnamization: U.S. plan to end war by gradual withdrawal & increase in S.Vietnam’s role Goal: “Peace with Honor”

  41. B. Summer 1969: Nixon announces first troop withdrawals “ We have to get rid of the nightmares we inherited. One of these nightmares is the war without end”.

  42. Nixon orders secret bombing of supply N. Vietnam supply routes also Laos & Cambodia 1. Expanding the war? April 30, 1970: U.S. troops invade Cambodia to destroy Vietcong & N. Vietnam supply centers 1. outrage of college students

  43. E. December 31, 1970: Congress repeals Tonkin Gulf Resolution F. June 1971: Pentagon Papers leaked 1. shows govt. had not been honest about war intentions

  44. XI.) Peace Negotiations • Henry Kissinger (US) & Le DucTho (N.Vietnam) argue over peace talks for 5 months

  45. B. October 1972: Peace is at hand U.S. allow N.Vietnam’s troops to stay in S. Vietnam 1. South rejects plan 2. December 1972: massive Christmas Bombings by U.S.

  46. C. January 27, 1973: U.S. signs “Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam” Conditions: • U.S. to remove all troops • North Vietnam could leave troops already in South Vietnam • North Vietnam would resume war • No provision for POWs or MIAs D. March 29, 1973: Last American troops leave South Vietnam

  47. E. March 1975: North Vietnamese forces invade South Vietnam 1. U.S. sends economic aide but NO TROOPS! “ America can regain its sense of pride that existed before Vietnam. But it cannot be achieved by refighting a war that is finished as far as American is concerned”.

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