Vietnam War

1. Vietnam War

2. Start of Vietnam War • French controlled French Indochina – mid 19th century • Japanese took over during WWII • Ho Chi Minh – Communist that led an independence movement vs. Japanese • France wanted its territory back; Truman agreed to it – needed allies for Cold War • Vietnam was split into 2 sections • North Vietnam – Communist – Ho Chi Minh • South Vietnam – Democratic – Premeir Ngo Dinh Diem - backed by US

4. Ho Chi Minh

5. Pre-LBJ Vietnam • Eisenhower – 1960 – 900 US advisers • Kennedy – 1960 -1963 – 16,000 • Kennedy assassinated by Oswald in Dallas • Robert S. McNamara told LBJ to increase troop levels in Vietnam

7. Jackie Kennedy is actually not trying to escape from the car; she is getting a piece of JFK’s skull

8. Zapruder Film • JFK shot - Graphic - look away if you don't want to watch it

9. LBJ being sworn in as POTUS with Jackie Kennedy

10. Robert McNamara – Sec. of Defense under JFK and LBJ

11. Tonkin Gulf Resolution • LBJ stated: • USS Maddox was attacked by N. V. vessels • US shot down 2 enemy vessels • Sent air attacks in retaliation • Reality: • Maddox was spying on NV vessels • Maddox fired first shot

12. Tonkin Ctd. • Congress passed the Tonkin Gulf Resolution • Congress gave up constitutional power to declare war to the president

13. McNamara showing where the North Vietnamese attacked in the Tonkin Gulf

14. Troops • Escalation of troops through a draft • 2 million Americans served • Younger, poorer, and less educated than those in WWII and Korea • 30% of draftees exempt or deferred • Afr. Amer and Hispanics serve in high #’s • AA – 24 % of all battle deaths; 11% of US pop. • Jungles, rice paddies, and rural villages

15. Ground War • 1965-1967 – 185,000 to 486,000 US Soldiers • 2 enemies: • North Vietnam Army – normal soldiers in Uniform • Vietcong – people from S. Vietnam that were sympathetic to Communism • Peasants by day, Vietcong by night • Search – and destroy missions • Pacification – remove villagers, burn village • - 1967 – 16,000 Americans killed

16. War where helicopters were 1st used

21. Elaborate tunnel system set up during the Vietnam War

22. “Tunnel Rat” – US Soldiers would search tunnels for North Vietnamese soldiers or Vietcong

23. “Booby Traps” – guerilla tactics used by VietCong

24. Punji Sticks – used by Vietcong ; sharp sticks that would have feces or other toxic ingredients on it and hidden from US Soldiers

26. North Vietnamese Army: aka NVA

27. South Vietnam General executing a Vietcong enemy – this picture was broadcasted to American citizens showing the horror of the war

28. Pacification

29. Air War • Operation Rolling Thunder – bombing • - Ho Chi Minh Trail • 800 tons of bombs a day • Napalm – petroleum mixed in a bomb form – would burn the skin of enemies • Defoliants • Agent Orange – destroyed jungles and plant life • Also found to be a cancer agent

35. Anti- War against LBJ • 1st antiwar teach in – U. of Michigan – 1965 • Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) • College students • Attacked ROTC buildings (symbol of army) • “Make Love, Not War” • “Hey, Hey. LBJ. How many kids did you kill today?” • Women Strike for Peace • Anti-war rallies • NYC – 1967 – 300,000 people • DC – 100,000 people tried to shut down the Pentagon

36. Burning draft cards in protest to war

37. My Lai Massacre • Small village in S. Vietnam • Supposed to be hoarding 250 members of Vietcong • Only women, children, and old men found • US soldiers killed approximately 400 of the inhabitants • Raped, tortured, mutilated bodies • 22 soldiers were originally convicted • William Calley – leader – only person found guilty • Helped push anti-war movement even more

39. Calley

40. Clay v. US • Heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay) drafted into US army • Refused to join – conscientious objector (Islam) • Arrested and stripped of heavyweight belt • Appealed to US Supreme Court and won • Quotes • I ain't got no quarrel with the Vietcong. No Vietcong ever called me Nigger.[29]” • “No, I am not going 10,000 miles to help murder, kill, and burn other people to simply help continue the domination of white slavemasters over dark people the world over. This is the day and age when such evil injustice must come to an end.[30]” • “Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go ten thousand miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on brown people in Vietnam while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs and denied simple human rights?[29]

42. Tet Offensive • Vietnamese New year • Jan 30,1968 • 84,000 communist soldiers attacked more than 100 cities and 12 US mil. Bases • 40,000 Com. Dead; 3,400 US dead • Turning point of war – no part of SV was secure – changed morale of US homefront

46. 1968 Election • LBJ drops out • RFK (D) is assassinated (2 mos after MLK) • Richard Nixon (R) wins election promising to end the war

47. RFK

48. Nixon

49. Nixon and Vietnam • Henry Kissinger – his Sec. of State • Vietnamization – turn fighting over to SV and withdrawing US troops • 1969 – 540,000 troops • 1972- 24,000 troops • Started secretly bombing neighboring Cambodia • Sent 80,000 troops into Cambodia

50. Henry Kissinger – smart man