Vietnam War Study Materials

1. Vietnam War Study Materials With Visuals Set 1 of 2

2. Americans, p. 728-765Ch. 22: The Vietnam War YearsHistory Alive! P. 654-693Ch. 51: The United States Gets Involved in VietnamCh. 52: Facing Frustration in VietnamCh. 53: Getting Out of Vietnam“Top Essentials to Know About the Vietnam War” By Martin Kellyhttp://americanhistory.about.com/od/vietnam/tp/vietnam-war.htm“Vietnam 101: A Short Introduction” By Kennedy Hickmanhttp://militaryhistory.about.com/od/vietnamwar/p/VietnamBrief.htm

3. Vietnam WarU.S. involvement ended on August 15, 1973 as a result of the Case–Church Amendment passed by the U.S. Congress.The capture of Saigon by the Vietnam People's Army in April 1975 marked the end of the war, and North and South Vietnam were reunified the following year. The Vietnam Warwas a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from November 1, 1955to the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975. This war was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of South Vietnam, supported by the United States and other anti-communist countries. The Viet Cong (also known as the National Liberation Front, or NLF), a lightly armed South Vietnamese communist-controlled common front, largely fought a guerrilla war against anti-communist forces in the region. The Vietnam People's Army (North Vietnamese Army) engaged in a more conventional war, at times committing large units into battle. U.S. and South Vietnamese forces relied on air superiority and overwhelming firepower to conduct search and destroy operations, involving ground forces, artillery, and airstrikes.

4. Ch. 51 - The United States Gets Involved in Vietnam • After World War II, nationalist and communist rebels in the French colony of Vietnam fought for their independence. A 1954 agreement ending this colonial war split the country into communist North Vietnam and democratic South Vietnam. When France pulled out the following year, the United States stepped in to prop up South Vietnam. Over the years, American involvement grew and eventually led to the introduction of U.S. ground forces. • First Indochina War In this first phase of fighting, which lasted from 1946 to 1954, Ho Chi Minh led Viet Minh insurgents in the struggle to end French rule in Vietnam. • Geneva Accords The First Indochina War ended with a 1954 agreement known as the Geneva Accords. The accords split Vietnam into north and south but called for elections to reunify the country. The United States backed South Vietnam financially and militarily. • Viet Cong Insurgents in the south, known as the Viet Cong, worked to overthrow the nominally democratic but corrupt government of South Vietnam. The Viet Cong received aid from communist North Vietnam. • Gulf of Tonkin Resolution An alleged attack on U.S. ships off the coast of North Vietnam led Congress to pass the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. This resolution gave President Johnson broad powers to expand the U.S. role in Vietnam. Massive air strikes against North Vietnam followed. • Ho Chi Minh Trail By 1965, North Vietnamese Army troops were moving south along the Ho Chi Minh Trail to help the Viet Cong. The United States feared that South Vietnam would fall without more direct support. • Americanization In March 1965, the United States began sending ground troops to fight the Vietnam War. The war quickly became an American conflict.

5. Ch. 52 - Facing Frustration in Vietnam • The United States decided to wage a limited war in Vietnam, with limited troop strength. Fighting an elusive enemy on unfamiliar terrain frustrated U.S. soldiers. The South Vietnamese people themselves were unsure whom to support: the Saigon government or the communist-backed Viet Cong. As the war dragged on, American antiwar protests grew. Opposition to the war greatly affected the 1968 elections. • War of attrition The U.S. military waged a war of attrition, hoping to wear down the enemy by inflicting heavy losses. Increasing the enemy body count became a key military goal. • Opposing Vietnamese armies Regular troops of the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) joined forces with Viet Cong insurgents. The United States trained the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) to defend South Vietnam. • New weapons of war The United States sprayed the herbicide Agent Orange to clear forest vegetation and expose the enemy. It dropped napalm firebombs that burned forests and buildings and caused widespread destruction. Both weapons had devastating effects on the Vietnamese population. • Credibility gap The Johnson administration’s optimistic public assessments of the war did not match reality. This created a credibility gap, and many Americans lost faith in the president. • Protest movement Antiwar protesters on college campuses and elsewhere held demonstrations and carried out acts of civil disobedience. The protesters called for peace negotiations and an end to the war. • Tet Offensive Some 45,000 Viet Cong and NVA soldiers died after launching a major offensive in 1968. But the Tet Offensive also boosted U.S. opposition to the war and undermined the Johnson presidency, helping to pave the way for Richard Nixon’s election in 1968.

6. Ch. 53 - Getting Out of Vietnam In 1969, President Nixon began withdrawing U.S. troops from Vietnam, but the war continued throughout his time in office. He carried on peace talks with the North Vietnamese but also ordered massive bombing of North Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. He faced ongoing protests from the antiwar movement and criticism from Congress. In 1973, the last U.S. combat forces came home. North Vietnam swept to victory over the South in 1975. • Vietnamization Nixon’s Vietnamization of the war allowed for the withdrawal of U.S. troops and prepared South Vietnam to take over responsibility for the war. • My Lai massacre In 1968, U.S. soldiers slaughtered hundreds of Vietnamese civilians in the village of My Lai. Reports of the massacre shocked Americans and increased antiwar protests. • Kent State shootings The invasion of Cambodia in April 1970 sparked an increase in antiwar protests. The most violent one occurred the following month at Kent State University in Ohio, where National Guard troops fired into an angry crowd, killing four students. • War Powers Resolution Congress reacted to Nixon’s activities in Cambodia by passing the War Powers Resolution. This resolution limits a president’s ability to send armed forces into combat. • Pentagon Papers In 1971, Daniel Ellsberg leaked to the press a top-secret study of the U.S. role in Indochina. This study, the Pentagon Papers, revealed secrecy and deceit on the part of U.S. presidents. • Boat people The North Vietnamese defeated South Vietnam and took control in 1975. This prompted an exodus of refugees from Indochina, many of whom fled by boat.

7. Chapter 22 Americans, p. 728-765 The Vietnam War Years 1. Why did the U.S. enter the war in Vietnam? The U.S. entered the war in Vietnam to try to support the government of the South because it did not want communists in the North to control the whole country. -containment; Eisenhower supported Diem (opposed Ho); USS Maddox/Gulf of Tonkin incident (Resolution) Additional details/answers?

8. Chapter 22 Americans, p. 728-765 The Vietnam War Years 2. Why could the U.S. not win a quick victory over the Viet Cong, and what was the effect? The U.S. could not quickly defeat the Vietcong because they engaged in guerrilla tactics of quick attacks and disappearing into the jungle. The result was a loss of morale among U.S. soldiers. -political limitations were placed on superior US weapons & numbers (military was not “effective”); enemy was difficult to identify; napalm (incendiary/explosive); agent orange (defoliant); civil war (self-determination)…QUAGMIRE! -Additional details/answers?

9. Chapter 22 Americans, p. 728-765 The Vietnam War Years 3. How did public opinion split over the war? As the war continued and victory seemed less achievable, American society split into hawks, who favored the war, and doves, who opposed it. They were bitterly opposed to each other, and some hawks thought that antiwar protesters were disloyal. -“draft dodgers” fled to Canada or burned draft cards; returning vets greeted harshly (spit on); Additional details/answers?

10. Chapter 22 Americans, p. 728-765 The Vietnam War Years 4. Why is 1968 considered a year of upheaval? The year 1968 was marked by loss of confidence and violence: a major North Vietnamese offensive* weakened American support for fighting the war. Also, President Johnson decided not to seek re-election, two major leaders (MLK and Robert Kennedy) were killed, and violence marred the Democratic convention. -*Tet Offensive; presidential advisors questioned the war; Nixon elected president Additional details/answers?

11. Chapter 22 Americans, p. 728-765 The Vietnam War Years 5. What were the effects of the war? As a result of the war in Vietnam, many American soldiers were dead (58,000+) or wounded (158-303,000+), and many more scarred by their reception when they returned home. The war created deep divisions in American society and opened mistrust of people toward the government. -Tet Offensive (lied about “success?”); changed US foreign policy (Congressional limits on troop commitments); “Pentagon Papers” Additional details/answers?

12. Top Essentials to Know About the Vietnam War By Martin Kellyhttp://americanhistory.about.com/od/vietnam/tp/vietnam-war.htmVietnam 101: A Short Introductionhttp://militaryhistory.about.com/od/vietnamwar/p/VietnamBrief.htmBy Kennedy Hickman • HIGHLIGHT the missing text • Identify page(s) from textbooks for further study • EXPLAIN in your own words…annotate! • ASK “good questions”…examine & evaluate…use ethos, logos, pathos to REASON…THINK! The Vietnam War was a cause of much controversy in the United States. One of the first things to realize about the war is that it was a progressive thing. What began as a small group of 'advisors' under President Dwight Eisenhower ended up with over a total of 2.5 million American troopsinvolved. Here are the top essentials to understanding the Vietnam War.

13. Top Essentials to Know About the Vietnam War By Martin Kellyhttp://americanhistory.about.com/od/vietnam/tp/vietnam-war.htmVietnam 101: A Short Introductionhttp://militaryhistory.about.com/od/vietnamwar/p/VietnamBrief.htmBy Kennedy Hickman • HIGHLIGHT the missing text • Identify page(s) from textbooks for further study • EXPLAIN in your own words…annotate! • ASK “good questions”…examine & evaluate…use ethos, logos, pathos to REASON…THINK! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVxcZqN11uE The Vietnam War was a cause of much controversy in the United States. One of the first things to realize about the war is that it was a progressive thing. What began as a small group of 'advisors' under President Dwight Eisenhower ended up with over a total of 2.5 million American troopsinvolved. Here are the top essentials to understanding the Vietnam War.

14. Top Essentials to Know About the Vietnam War By Martin Kellyhttp://americanhistory.about.com/od/vietnam/tp/vietnam-war.htmVietnam 101: A Short Introductionhttp://militaryhistory.about.com/od/vietnamwar/p/VietnamBrief.htmBy Kennedy Hickman • HIGHLIGHT the missing text • Identify page(s) from textbooks for further study. • EXPLAIN in your own words…annotate! • ASK “good questions”…examine & evaluate “logical reasoning” The Vietnam War occurred in present-day Vietnam, Southeast Asia. It represented a successful attempt on the part of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam, DRV) and the National Front for the Liberation of Vietnam (Viet Cong) to unite and impose a communist system over the entire nation. Opposing the DRV was the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam, RVN), backed by the United States. The war in Vietnam occurred during the ColdWar, and is generally viewed as an indirect conflict between the United States and Soviet Union, with each nation and its allies supporting one side.

15. When was the Vietnam War?Americans, p. 732; Alive! p.657 The most commonly used dates for the conflict are 1959-1975. This period begins with North Vietnam's first guerilla attacks against the South and ends with the fall of Saigon. American ground forces were directly involved in the war between 1965 and 1973.

16. Homework: Read through Ch. 22, review Vietnam notes, and/or peruse Ch. 51-53 Alive!Ch. 22 Vietnam QUIZ: Friday, 5/24FYI: Decades of Change “chunked exam” is Friday, May 31st Wednesday, May 22, 2013 Ch. 22, “The Vietnam War Years” Americans, p. 728-765 History Alive! Ch. 51-53 (p. 654-693) CONTINUED inspection/discussion of Vietnam War era photographs Review via Socratic Circle:Contribute & enhance NOTES…THINK? “Top Essentials to Know About the Vietnam War” By Martin Kellyhttp://americanhistory.about.com/od/vietnam/tp/vietnam-war.htm“Vietnam 101: A Short Introduction” By Kennedy Hickmanhttp://militaryhistory.about.com/od/vietnamwar/p/VietnamBrief.htm

17. The United States began sending military advisers to Vietnam to help the French in the early 1950s. The number of advisers increased rapidly in the early 1960s. These advisers were not combat troops, but they played a key role in the military buildup in Southeast Asia.

18. 1. Beginning of American Involvement in VietnamAmericans, p. 730-731; Alive! p. 657 America began sending aid to the French fighting in Vietnam and the rest of Indochina in the late 1940s. France was fighting Communist rebels led by Ho Chi Minh. It wasn't until Ho Chi Minh defeated the French in 1954 that America became officially involved in trying to defeat the Communists in Vietnam. This began with financial aid and military advisors sent to help the South Vietnamese as they fought Northern Communists fighting in the South. The U.S. worked with Ngo Dinh Diem and other leaders to set up a separate government in the South.

19. Ho Chi Minh was president of North Vietnam from 1945 to 1969. He fought for an independent, unified Vietnam. At first he sought support from the United States, but his communist ideology aroused U.S. hostility. Though considered a “freedom fighter” by many, he ordered the killing of thousands of North Vietnamese landowners as “class enemies.”

20. The key battle of the First Indochina War took place between March and May 1954, when Viet Minh troops attacked the French stronghold at Dien Bien Phu. The French lost the battle and began to withdraw their forces from Vietnam.

21. The Geneva Accords of 1954 split Vietnam temporarily at the 17th parallel. The French moved into South Vietnam, and the Viet Minh moved into North Vietnam. The Viet Minh left a political network in the south, however, in the hope of winning victory in the national unity election set for 1956. They also left weapons hidden in the south.

22. The “domino theory” was the key rationale for increasing US military involvement in Vietnam. According to this theory, the fall of Vietnam to communism would lead to communist advances throughout Southeast Asia and the rest of the world. Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, along with Johnson, were all strongly influenced by the “domino theory.”

23. 2. Domino TheoryAmericans, p. 731; Alive! p. 659 With the fall of North Vietnam to the Communists in 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower explained America's stance in a press conference. As Eisenhower stated when asked about the strategic importance of Indochina: "...you have broader considerations that might follow what you would call the 'falling domino' principle. You have a row of dominoes set up, you knock over the first one, and what will happen to the last one is the certainty that it will go over very quickly...." In other words, the fear was that if Vietnam fell completely to communism, this would spread. This Domino Theory was the central reason for America's continued involvement in Vietnam over the years.

24. CausesAmericans, p. 730-735; Alive! p.657-661 The Vietnam War first began in 1959, five years after the division of the country by the Geneva Accords. Vietnam had been split into two, with a communist government in the north under Ho Chi Minh and a democratic government in the south under Ngo Dinh Diem. Ho launched a guerilla campaign in South Vietnam, led by Viet Cong units, with the goal of uniting the country under communist rule. The United States, seeking to stop the spread of communism, trained the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) and provided military advisors to help combat the guerillas.

25. The Ho Chi Minh Trail was actually a network of some 12,000 miles of trails. Soldiers and suppliers traveled the route on foot and by bicycle, oxcart, and truck. The south, through the rugged mountains of Laos and Cambodia into South Vietnam could take as long as three months.

26. 3. Gulf of Tonkin IncidentAmericans, p.734 ; Alive! p.662-663 Over time, American involvement continued to increase. During the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson, an event occurred that resulted in an escalation in the war. In August 1964, it was reported that the North Vietnamese attacked the USS Maddoxin international waters. Controversy still exists over the actual details of this event but the result is undeniable. Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution that allowed Johnson to increase America's military involvement. It allowed him to "take all necessarymeasures to repel any armed attack...and to prevent further aggression." Johnson and Nixon used this as a mandate to fight in Vietnam for years to come. Since the Vietnamese attacked the USS Maddox, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution that allowed all LBJ to take any “ necessary measures.” Why was there no limits to the resolution?

27. The Gulf of Tonkin Incident provoked an escalation of U.S. involvement in Vietnam. On August 2, 1964, North Vietnamese boats fired on a U.S. ship, causing little damage. Two days later, false reports of a second attack prompted the United States to launch air strikes against North Vietnam.

28. Ch. 51 - The United States Gets Involved in Vietnam • After World War II, nationalist and communist rebels in the French colony of Vietnam fought for their independence. A 1954 agreement ending this colonial war split the country into communist North Vietnam and democratic South Vietnam. When France pulled out the following year, the United States stepped in to prop up South Vietnam. Over the years, American involvement grew and eventually led to the introduction of U.S. ground forces. • First Indochina War In this first phase of fighting, which lasted from 1946 to 1954, Ho Chi Minh led Viet Minh insurgents in the struggle to end French rule in Vietnam. • Geneva Accords The First Indochina War ended with a 1954 agreement known as the Geneva Accords. The accords split Vietnam into north and south but called for elections to reunify the country. The United States backed South Vietnam financially and militarily. • Viet Cong Insurgents in the south, known as the Viet Cong, worked to overthrow the nominally democratic but corrupt government of South Vietnam. The Viet Cong received aid from communist North Vietnam. • Gulf of Tonkin Resolution An alleged attack on U.S. ships off the coast of North Vietnam led Congress to pass the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. This resolution gave President Johnson broad powers to expand the U.S. role in Vietnam. Massive air strikes against North Vietnam followed. • Ho Chi Minh Trail By 1965, North Vietnamese Army troops were moving south along the Ho Chi Minh Trail to help the Viet Cong. The United States feared that South Vietnam would fall without more direct support. • Americanization In March 1965, the United States began sending ground troops to fight the Vietnam War. The war quickly became an American conflict.