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The End of Vietnam

The End of Vietnam. 22.4-5 Notes. Tet Offensive. 1698 surprise attack by V.C. and N.V. Tet = January 30, Vietnamese New Year’s Eve 1 week truce for Tet Celebrations and funerals by villagers Coffins contained weapons V.C. attacked over 100 cities in S.V.

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The End of Vietnam

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  1. The End of Vietnam 22.4-5 Notes

  2. TetOffensive • 1698 surprise attack by V.C. and N.V. • Tet = January 30, Vietnamese New Year’s Eve • 1 week truce for Tet • Celebrations and funerals by villagers • Coffins contained weapons • V.C. attacked over 100 cities in S.V. • U.S. embassy in Saigon included – 5 killed • Fighting lasted about a month • S.V. eventually regained control • 32,000 V.C. died, 3,000 Americans • Military victory, psychological/political loss • Public opinion changed drastically

  3. 1968 Election • Democratic party becomes divided • Eugene McCarthy runs for D. Party • Platform = end war • Picked up steam after Tet Offensive • RFK declared candidacy • Drew support from minorities, urban voters • Won CA primary on June 4 • Assassinated at Los Angeles hotel by Sirhan Sirhan • LBJ announced it would seek negotiations and not seek another term

  4. ’68 Democratic Convention • 10,000 antiwar demonstrators went to Chicago • Eugene McCarthy vs. Hubert Humphrey • Humphrey chosen, LBJ’s VP and loyal party man • 12,000 police / 5,000 National Guard called in for order • Chaos erupted and caught on TV • Americans aware of D. Party disorder

  5. Nixon Elected • R. presidential candidate • Promised to restore law and order • Appealed to middle class • People tired of riots and protests • Vaguely promised to end Vietnam War • George Wallace entered on American Independent Party ticket • Upheld segregation • Won 5 southern states • Helped split votes

  6. Vietnamization • 1969 – 1st troop withdrawals announced • Still continued to fight though • Negotiations going nowhere • Wanted N.V. troops to withdraw and support Nguyen Van Thieu • N.V. wanted coalition gov’t with V.C. • Henry Kissinger – Nat’l Security Adviser • International relations expert • Gradual U.S. troop withdrawal completely and take a more combative role • “Peace with honor”

  7. My Lai Massacre • small South Vietnamese village • rumored to be sheltering 250 V.C. • US troops found women, children and old men instead V.C. • American soldiers worn down and frustrated – some lost control • Lt. William L. Calley, Jr. ordered civilians to be round up and killed

  8. Helicopter pilot Hugh Thompson intervened and evacuated civilians • superiors covered up the incident but it came out in late 1969 • Americans shocked and Lt. Calley sentenced to life in prison with hard labor

  9. Kent State • Students react to Cambodian invasion • Looking to clear out N.V. and V.C. supply centers • Massive student protests followed across 1,200 campuses • ROTC building burned at Kent State • Nat’l Guard called • Students threw rocks at guards • Guards fired into crowd • 9 wounded, 4 killed

  10. Pentagon Papers • Nixon invaded Cambodia w/o telling Congress • Gulf of Tonkin Resolution repealed • Daniel Ellsberg – former Defense Dept. worker • Leaked 7,000 page document • Revealed LBJ drew up plans for entering Vietnam • Confirmed belief that gov’t was dishonest • Not really damaging to Nixon

  11. Fall of Saigon • 1972 – massive bombing campaign in N.V. • Mines placed in Haiphong harbor • Kissinger secretly negotiated with N.V. • Claims “peace is at hand” • Talks broke off , Dec. 16th • “Christmas Bombings” unleashed on N.V. • 100,000 bombs over 11 days

  12. Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam signed on Jan. 27, 1973 • formal agreement reached by US, S.V., N.V. and V.C. in Jan. 1973 • US withdraws all forces from S.V. within 60 days • All POWs released • All parties end military activities in Laos and Cambodia • 17th parallel continues to divide North and South until reunited

  13. US involvement ended but fighting between N and S continued for 2 years • N.V. strategically attacked S.V. cities in 1975 • April 30, 1975 – Saigon falls to North Vietnam • Vietnam is now a single nation under a Communist government

  14. Legacy of the Vietnam War • more than 58,000 dead • 300,000 wounded • $150 billion spent on Vietnam War • Millions of Vietnamese dead – including civilians • South Vietnamese forced into “re-education camps” • 1.5 million Vietnamese fled • domino theory somewhat applied – fall of Laos and Cambodia

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