1 / 33

Vietnam War

Vietnam War. Background. Vietnam (VN) lost independence to FR mid 1800s FR formed FR Indochina (VN, Laos, Cambodia) Nguyen That Thanh - nationalist A.k.a.  Ho Chi Minh (‘He Who Enlightens”) Spent time in CN and USSR Saw opportunity when JP army occupied. FR v VN.

denniswalker
Télécharger la présentation

Vietnam War

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Vietnam War

  2. Background • Vietnam (VN) lost independence to FR mid 1800s • FR formed FR Indochina (VN, Laos, Cambodia) • Nguyen That Thanh - nationalist • A.k.a.  Ho Chi Minh (‘He Who Enlightens”) • Spent time in CN and USSR • Saw opportunity when JP army occupied

  3. FR v VN • League for the Independence of Vietnam or Vietminh • After JP w/drew - Vietminh declared independence • Ho tried to get US support • US put support behind FR • FR ally against communism, Ho has ties with commies • US feared communism would engulf Asia • Ike cont. w/ Truman policy

  4. Domino Theory • If VN fell to commies, rest of SE Asia would fall • By 1954, US paying much of FR’s war • $2.6 bill • Despite, FR losing • $ & military tactic useless against guerilla tactics

  5. Dien Bien Phu • FR tried to lure Vietminh into conventional battle • Backfired • 13,000 FR v 50,000 VN • Thought help would come… it didn’t • Ike didn’t want to get involved with another Asian war • FR surrendered on 05/07/1954

  6. Geneva Conference • Int’l conference to settle conflict • Cambodia, GB, Laos, CN, USSR, US included • Cease fire • Temp division at 17th parallel • Vietminh w/drew to north (communists) • FR has south (anti-communists)

  7. 1 problem • S VN led by Ngo Dinh Diem • 1956 S VN refused to hold unification elections (w/ US backing) • Ngo knew he would lose nat’l election v. Ho • 1958 communist led guerillas - Viet Cong (or NLF)- began to battle S VN

  8. US involvement • JKF agreed w/ domino • 1963 - 16,000 US military advisors in VN • Train Army of the Rep of VN • JFK then authorized US forces to engage in combat • 1961 - 14 causalities , 1963 - 500 causalities

  9. Diem Overthrow • Diem is a R.C. • VN is mostly Buddhist • Diem had brutal campaign to control Buddhists • In response, several Buddhist monks publicly set themselves on fire • US shocked! • US officials threaten to w/draw support if Diem didn’t end campaign • Diem assassinated

  10. Tonkin Gulf Resolution • 1963 Sec of Defense Rob McNamara • Advised LBJ to increase commitment in VN • LBJ needs congressional backing • T.G. Resolution - gave pres authority to take all necessary measures to defend any attacks

  11. Tonkin Gulf Resolution • LBJ claimed attack in Gulf was unprovoked • US destroyer Maddox attacked N VN 1st • TGR gave LBJ authority to expand war • Congress gave up constitutional power to declare war

  12. US Troops • LBJ called for escalation • Selective Services - draft • deferments • 2 mill Ams served • Poor, black, Hispanic • 10,000 servicewomen

  13. Air War • Operation Rolling Thunder • Bombing military targets in North • Ho Chi Minh Trail • Network of jungle paths • Used to bring weapons/supplies into South • Ineffective - North found ways around it • Rebuild, go w/o, or built underground • 800 bombs/day

  14. New Weapons! • Napalm • Jellied gas mixture - firebombs • Cluster bombs - sprayed razor-sharp metal fragments • Defoliants - planes sprayed chemicals that strip the land of vegetation • Expose enemy & destroy food supply • Agent Orange - horrible consequences!

  15. Ground War • Bombings led some South to join Viet Cong • US augments ground troops • 185,000 - 486,000 • Search-and-destroy missions • Drive Viet Cong out of hiding • Pacification - moving villagers to refugee camps and then burning villages

  16. US morale declines • Thought it would be a quick victory • Superior weapons don’t work?! • 1967 - 16,000 Am killed in VN • All access press pass in S VN • TV • Doves - opposed war • Hawks - supported war

  17. Doves • MLK Jr. • George Kennan - not crucial to nat’l security • Dr. Ben Spock - fighting against the wishes of most Vietnamese

  18. Anti-War Movement • Broad range of people • Students, religious, pacifists, doctors, ministers, teachers, homemakers, etc • Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) • Org 1st nat’l antiwar demonstration • 04/17/1965 - DC • 20,000 ppl • MLK & SNCC - send blacks to wars, yet nothing to help them at home

  19. Anti-War Movement • Even though visible - still small % • Burning Am flag / draft cards • Reflected in music

  20. Tet Offensive • Tet = VN New Year • Usually no fighting • Viet Cong attacked • 100 cities, 12 US bases under attack • 84,000 commie soldiers • Viet Cong defeat - 40,000 Viet Cong killed • 1,000 Ams killed; 2,300 ARVN killed • Shook US confidence • No part of S VN secured • Public criticism rose dramatically

  21. Election of 1968 • After Tet Offensive - LBJ unpopular • Others trying for Democratic nomination • Robert F. Kennedy, Eugene McCarthy, & Hubert Humphrey • LBJ announces he won’t run for re-election • RFK seemed to be winning primaries • Assassinated in 06/05/1968 by Sirhan Sirhan • Ambassador Hotel - Los Angelos

  22. Election of 1968 • Hubert Humphrey (D) v. Richard Nixon (R) • Nixon promised to end ear • Wins with Spiro Agnew (VP)

  23. Nixon and Vietnamization • Foreign policy top priority • Foreign policy advisor Henry Kissinger • Vietnamization • Nix’s plan to end war • Turning over fighting to the S VN while gradually pulling out US troops • August 1969 US troops began to w/draw • 1969 - 540,000 troops; 1972 - 24,200

  24. Anti War Protest Increases • Nix expanded war into Cambodia • Cut off N VN on Ho Chi Minh Triail • Outraged at invasion of Cambodia • Kent Sate University in OH • Someone set fire to ROTC building • 05/04/1970 Nat’l Guard sent in • Shot randomly into lg grp of students • Killed 4, injured 9 • Shocked nation

  25. Anti War Protest Increases • 10 days later state police in Jackson, MS • Fired at protestors in dorms at Jackson State College • Killed 2; injured 9 • Students and faculty on 100s of campuses went on strike • Congress also upset • repealed Tonkin Gulf Resolution 12/1970 • Pentagon Papers - secret gov’t docs that revealed gov’t had mislead public

  26. Election of 1972 • 1971 - 26th Amendment • Voting age 21  18 • Henry Kissinger announced “peace is at hand” • Nix won

  27. Cease Fire • Kissinger and N VN Le Duc Tho • 3 yrs these two were in peace negotiations • Peace plan • Cease fire • Removal of foreign troops; End US military aid • New gov’t in S VN • Nguyen Van Thieu as president • NLF representatives as well • Nguyen opposed • Nix rejects agreement as result

  28. Cease Fire • N VN demanded agreement reinstated • Nix orders round the clock bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong • N VN didn’t give in • Nix called it off and resumed peace talks • 01/27/1973 cease fire • US w/draws troops and helps to rebuild • Prisoner-exchange

  29. Northern South VN falls • US military rushed to evacuate 1,000s of Ams still there • 04/30/1975 - S VN surrendered • VN War over • Vietnam unified under communist control • War cost US $150 billion

  30. Aftermath • 185,000 S VN soldiers died • 500,000 S VN civilians died • 1 mill Viet Cong dead • 879,000 VN orphans • 181,000 disabled • Agent Orange

  31. Aftermath for Am Veterans • 58,000 died • 300,000 wounded • 2,500 MIA • No celebration of veterans • Targets of anger, guilt, shame • Veterans turned to drugs, had hard time finding jobs or adjusting to life • Homeless

  32. War Powers Act • Under what authority can presidents wage an undeclared war? • War Powers Act reaffirms Congress’ constitutional right to declare war by setting a 60-day limit on the presidential commitment of US troops in foreign conflicts

  33. VN Veterans Memorial • Designed by Maya Ying Lin • Most moving attempt to heal the division caused by the war • 58,000 Ams names • Chronological not alphabetical

More Related