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VIETNAM

VIETNAM. Major Carlos Rascon. SOURCES . Dupuy, Evolution of Weapons and Warfare , pp. 270-282 Preston and Wise, Men in Arms , pp. 343-354 Weigly, The American Way of War , ch. 18. LEARNING OBJECTIVES.

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VIETNAM

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  1. VIETNAM Major Carlos Rascon

  2. SOURCES • Dupuy, Evolution of Weapons and Warfare, pp. 270-282 • Preston and Wise, Men in Arms, pp. 343-354 • Weigly, The American Way of War, ch. 18

  3. LEARNING OBJECTIVES • Comprehend the voluntary limitation of the American military effort in the Indochin Conflict • The student will know and review the anti-communist military effort from the landing at DaNang in 1965 to the end of 1967 • Comprehend and Contrast the military realities of the Tet offensive with its popular American perception and media coverage • Comprehend and explain the need for and implementation of a policy of Vietnamization

  4. DEVELOPMENT OF THE REVOLUTIONARY ENVIRONMENT AND ANTICOLONIALISM UNDER FRENCH RULE • Origins of French rule • 1858: Conquest began to make Vietnam a French Colony • 1879: French civilian control established in Vietnam • 1897: Paul Doumer became Governor of French Indochina • Vietnam had been a drain on France for 40 years, Domer planned to turn this around • Enslaved hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese peasants • The laborers were treated like animals • Doumer does not consider well being of Vietnamese

  5. VIETNAM BACKGROUNDSTATE OF THE COUNTRY • Absence of civil liberties • Development of a revolutionary mentality • Denial of participation in economics restricts development of a middle class • Japan seized control of Vietnam and most of Southeast Asia in WWII

  6. VIETNAM BACKGROUNDSTATE OF THE COUNTRY • After WWII two opposing forces try to gain control of Vietnam • French colonists • Vietminh • Persistent anticolonialism; orgins of the Viet Minh • Viet Minh starts as independence movement in 1941, adopts communism in 1950’s

  7. VIETNAM BACKGROUNDSTATE OF THE COUNTRY • France and Vietminh ask the United States for aid. • U.S. ignores them • French colonists drive Ho Chi Minh and the Vietminh out of Hanoi • Vietminh forces gradually gain control of most of Vietnam

  8. VIETNAM BACKGROUNDSTATE OF THE COUNTRY • France asks U.S. for military aid • President Truman agrees • By 1954 the U.S, was paying for 80% of the war for France • Vietminh siege the French at Dien Bien Phu. • U.S. refuses to assist the French in escape.

  9. DIEM BIEN PHU • 10,000 French soldiers were trapped by 45,000 Vietminh • Food, fresh water and medical supplies cut off • May 7, 1954 French soldiers surrender • 10,000 marched for 60 days and 500 miles to a prison camp • Half of the soldiers die on the way • France withdraws from Vietnam

  10. AMERICAN LIMITATION OF THE WAR • Concern for Soviet and Chinese involvement • Belief in monolithic communism and fears of other communist-inspired insurgencies elsewhere • DOMINO EFFECT • Ill-defined goals and failure to unite Americans for U.S. policy in Vietnam

  11. VIETNAM DIVIDED • July 21, 1954: The Geneva Accords divide Vietnam in half at the 17th parallel giving Ho Chi Minh’s communists the North and Bao Dai’s regime the south. • Vietminh forces begin a reign of terror in the south. • Bao Dai asks the U.S. for military aid • U.S begins its involvement in Vietnam.

  12. NORTH VIETNAM • Communist • Backed by USSR and China • Govt. led by Ho Chi Minh • Spy for US OSS during WWII, became increasingly totalitarian. • Experienced, motivated army (NVA) led by Giap

  13. SOUTH VIETNAM • South • Semi-democratic • Backed by US • Govt. led by Diem • Corrupt and filled with family-members • Favoritism for Catholics angered Buddhist majority. • Overthrown by group of generals in Nov ‘63. • Unreliable, conscript army (ARVN) • Viet Cong guerillas.

  14. US INVOLVEMENT PLAN 34AGULF OF TONKIN • Operational plan 34A • Headed by the CIA (later transferred to DOD) • Covert attacks targeted offshore facilities • Radar towers • Communication buildings • Emphasized bombardment rather than commando insertions.

  15. GULF OF TONKIN • April 2, 1964: NVA gunboats attacked the USS MADDOX • Aug 7, 1964: Congress passes the “Tonkin Gulf Resolution” • Gives the president the ability to use “all necessary measures” to deal with the “aggression” in Vietnam

  16. U.S. AIR STRIKES • Johnson places extensive restrictions on targets due to concerns over public opinion and Soviet and Chinese response. • Massive tonnage of bombs dropped, often on questionable targets. • US drops greater tonnage of aviation ordnance around Khe Sahn in three months than it had dropped on Japan during all of WWII. • NVA avoid large troop concentrations or other opportunities for strategic bombing.

  17. U.S. AIR STRIKES • OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER • Constant bombing of North Vietnam • Escalated U.S. involvement • Planned for eight weeks, lasted three years. • 500 US aircraft shot down • NV use captured US aviators as propaganda weapons. • Aimed at US CV… popular support. • Video 10min Rolling Thunder

  18. VIETNAM 1965 • March 1965: Send in the Marines • Two Marine battalions wade ashore at Da Nang • Operation Starlite • 5,000 Marines move against Viet Cong destroying major stronghold near Van Tuong

  19. COUNTERINSURGENCY CAMPAIGNS • Nature of War – Frustrations • Deny enemy access to key areas • “Search and destroy” missions become main method of combat

  20. VIETNAM 1966 • War becomes a protracted war of attrition • Total number of personnel in country • 389,000 • Tremendous limits on U.S. forces • Off limits • Laos, Cambodia, North Vietnam

  21. Khe Sahn • Khe Sahn • Marine Corps base • One of the largest battles of the war • 21 January 1968 NVA begin siege of Khe Sahn • Tens of thousands of NVA regulars begin siege of Khe Sahn • 6,000 Marines hold them off

  22. Khe Sahn • Diversion for the Tet offensive • General Vo Nguyen Giap sought another Dien Bien Phu • Marines were surrounded and had to rely on aircraft for resupply • Operation PEGUSUS

  23. Khe Sahn • Air support could not get through due to weather • March 1 the weather cleared up • 38 days after the battle had started • B-52 bombers • Every 30 seconds a bomber would complete its mission • Profitless battle • Base was not used for any serious strategic aim • Marines did not hold the base for any significant amount of time

  24. TET OFFENSIVE • 30 Jan 1968, estimated 85k NVA and VC launch attacks throughout SV. • Sought max psychological impact by attacking political centers, including Saigon, Hue, and US Embassy. • Sought to incite a general uprising among RVN populace. • Achieve strategic and tactical surprise by attacking during Lunar New Year, when many RVN and US troops on leave, reduced alert, etc.

  25. TET OFFENSIVE • Impact of television reporting/ media coverage • US/SV win tactical victories, but North (with help of media) achieves strategic victory. • Viet Cong losses so great that it is not a factor for remainder of war, but… • Johnson has been assuring US public that victory is in sight. • After Tet, public believes war will go on indefinitely.

  26. TET OFFENSIVE • Americans begin to question both the morality and practicality of U.S. involvement. • March: Johnson announces end to bombing N of 20th parallel and that he will not seek reelection.

  27. HUE CITY • 12,000 NVA move in on 30 January 1968 • Occupied all of the city except • The 1st ARVN division complex • A compound housing military advisors • Americans arrive to reinforce the 2 points • Urban warfare began • By the end there were 5,800 civilians dead or missing • Mass graves

  28. AMERICAN WITHDRAWL • Peace talks begin in Paris. • My Lai: 300 RVN civilians killed by USA platoon. Not “discovered” until a year later. • June: announced 25k troop reduction (reduction from 540k) is balanced by promises to increase aid to RVN and bombing of NV by US. • Nixon elected. • “Vietnamization” policy seeks to turn fighting over to South Vietnamese. • US commanders instructed to minimize casualties.

  29. AMERICAN WITHDRAWL • US and RVN forces invade Cambodia in Spring 1970 to attack NVA staging areas. • US planes bomb Cambodia and Laos to cut off Ho Chi Minh trail. • Anti-war protests increase. • 4 students killed at Kent State. • US troops reduced to 350k. • Bulk of USMC leaves by April • Peace treaty signed on 27 Jan 1973. • US would withdraw all forces. • NV would repatriate all POWs.

  30. SUMMARY • US attempts to fight war of attrition while NVA/VC fight maneuver-style campaign • Limitation of the American military effort in the Indochin Conflict need for and implementation of a policy of Vietnamization

  31. QUESTIONS?

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