The Vietnam War 1954 - 1975

1. The Vietnam War 1954 - 1975

2. U.S. Aid Begins Domino Theory – as part of containment policy U.S. sent fin. & mil. aid/advisors for Diem’s gov. – 1955 under “Ike’s” presidency Repressive dictatorial rule = Diem Undemocratic = Social unrest

3. U.S. Increased Involvement • N.V. sent troops (Vietcong) & supplies to S.V. on Ho Chi Minh Trail • Pockets of violence to disrupt S.V. • 1961: JFK sent 1,000+ military “advisors” • Combat ominous threat of communism • 1963: Diem ignored U.S. “advice”; doesn’t want to be controlled; canceled elections • Fall 1963:JFK wants to withdraw (now 16,000 advisors) • U.S. mil. leaders wantDiem replaced

4. Map

5. Cont. • Diem assassinated – 11/2/1963; new leader = Nguyen Khanh • N.V. takes advantage of S.V. chaos = increased attacks • U.S. troops needed to help S.V. (both @ border & V.C. within S.V.) • Gulf of Tonkin incident – Aug. 1964 • Pres. Johnson claimed unprovoked attack on USS Maddox by N.V. - ** officially became a military engagement for U.S. • Tonkin Gulf Resolution

6. The Air War1965-1968 • 1965: Operation Rolling Thunder = Sustained bombing of N.V. • Carpet Bombing w/Napalm • Overwhelm N.V. w/superior military airforce • 3.2 mil tons of explosives dropped “The Americans thought that the more bombs they dropped, the quicker we would fall to our knees and surrender. But the bombs heightened rather than dampened our spirit.”

7. The Ground War1965-1968 June 1965 – 50,000 U.S. troops in S.V. Fighting V.C. in S.V.; can’t tell who’s enemy (V.C. tactic: S.V. & V.C. look same) V.C. tactic: elaborate tunnel systems Elusive enemy escalates war Dec. 1965: nearly 200,000 U.S. troops in S.V. 1966: another 200,000 End 1967: 500,000 & 16,000 dead

9. Cont. ● Agent Orange = needed for dense jungle terrain ● V.C. tactic: Ambush troops w/land mines and booby traps ● V.C. tactic: “Cling to enemy’s belt”

10. Troop Disillusionment • In beginning, troops believed fighting to halt communism AND win the “hearts and minds” of the Vietnamese peeps • Econ. & social aid

11. Cont. ● Morale declined as war progressed with no gains, jungle terrain fighting and U.S. deaths increased “Vietnam is no gain that I can see, Dad. We’re fighting, dying for a people who resent our being over here. This war is all wrong.” “We Americans aren’t the guys in the white hats, riding white horses. Maybe we shouldn’t be in Vietnam. Maybe I’d gotten my a** out in these bushes for nothing.”