The Vietnam War Years 1957-1975

1. The Vietnam WarYears 1957-1975 EQ: Why did the U.S. decide to fight a war in Vietnam, and why was the U.S. unable to achieve their goals?

2. Military Confrontations • Bay of Pigs • ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ • Proximity of Cuba worried Americans. • Kennedy approved CIA operation to remove Castro from power. • ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ • Kennedy faced criticism for the disastrous invasion. • The Berlin Wall • Many East Germans fled to democratic West Germany. • Soviet’s demanded that the border be closed and threatened war. • ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ • ________________________________________________________________________

3. The Cuban Missile Crisis • ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ • If launched, missiles could reach American cities in minutes. • __________________________________________________________ • U.S. Navy formed a blockade around Cuba to prevent Soviet ships from bringing more weapons. • Soviet ships turned back, ending the Cuban missile crisis. • Effects • Soviets later agreed to remove missiles from Cuba. • Kennedy promised not to invade Cuba and to remove some missiles in Turkey and Italy. • ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ • ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

4. Conflict in Vietnam • ________________________________________________________________________ • July 1954, French and Vietnamese leaders agreed to Geneva Accords. • __________________________________________________________________________ • Called for democratic elections in July 1956 to unite the two countries under one government

5. North and South Vietnam • North Vietnam • Communist state led by Ho Chi Minh • Funded and supplied Communist guerilla forces, called the Vietcong, for South Vietnam’s NLF • South Vietnam • Western-style government, supported by United States • Poor leadership resulted in many problems. • Growing numbers of South Vietnamese began to support Ho Chi Minh.

6. U.S. Involvement • ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ • _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. Challenges of War • __________________________________________________________________ • Used their knowledge of region and guerilla warfare tactics • Continual supply of troops at the ready • Received weapons and supplies from Soviet Union and Communist China • __________________________________________________________________ • Vietcong killed people they believed were cooperating with the South Vietnamese government. • _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. Soldiers in Vietnam • American troops faced harsh conditions. • ____________________________________________________ • Never knew when they might encounter enemy fire • Danger of land mines and booby traps • ___________________________________________________ • ____________________________________________________________ • Average age was 18-21 • ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. Opinions about the Vietnam War divided American society in the 1960s. • ______________________________________________________ • College students often took the lead in organizing antiwar protests. • One active group was Students for a Democratic Society. • ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ • Some Americans held demonstrations in support of the war. • ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ • ______________________________________________________ • Emphasized individual freedom, nonviolence, and communal sharing • Expressed rejection of traditional society by growing long hair and wearing unusual clothes

10. The End of Vietnam • On January 27, 1973, the United States signed a cease-fire called the Paris Peace Accords. • _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ • United States agreed to withdrawal of all troops. • __________________________________________________________________________

11. Impact of Vietnam War • Southeast Asia • 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died in the war. • 1 million North Vietnamese and Vietcong solders were killed. • An estimated 2 million civilians killed • North Vietnamese and Communist leaders created the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. • Communist dictators took over Laos and Cambodia. • United States • Some 58,000 Americans were killed in the war. • More than 300,000 Americans were wounded. • Returning American soldiers were not always welcomed home and many suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. • War Powers Act passed in 1973, requiring president to get Congressional approval before committing U.S. troops to armed struggle