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The Vietnam War

The Vietnam War. Section 1 – Background to Conflict. Opening Questions. Where is Vietnam? Who is Ho Chi Minh? Why was the U.S. involved there?. A. Vietnam History. Where is it? Easternmost country of Southeast Asia

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The Vietnam War

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  1. The Vietnam War Section 1 – Background to Conflict

  2. Opening Questions • Where is Vietnam? • Who is Ho Chi Minh? • Why was the U.S. involved there?

  3. A. Vietnam History • Where is it? • Easternmost country of Southeast Asia • Bordered by China to the north, Laos and Cambodia to the west and South China Sea to the east • Most of population is centered in two areas - Red River delta in the north (Hanoi) and Mekong River delta in the south (Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City) • Rice is grown twice a year in the moist, tropical climate

  4. A. Vietnam History • Chinese occupation – • 200 BC to 939 AD • Again tried to regain control in the early 1400s but were ultimately driven off • French colonization – • Vietnam granted complete control to France in 1883 • Combined with Laos and Cambodia to form colony of French Indochina

  5. B. Vietnamese Independence • Nationalist feelings remained despite French occupation • Ho Chi Minh – “He who enlightens” – Nationalist leader who spent many years living in China and Soviet Union, became committed to communism

  6. B. Vietnamese Independence • France and Vietminh go to war • Who were the Vietminh? • Resistance movement started by Ho • He had secretly returned to Vietnam during Japanese occupation in 1941 • Trying to get U.S. support • Ho Chi Minh begins writing letters to Truman in 1946, asking for help • Cited Declaration of Independence • Why was Truman unwilling to support Ho in 1946? • France was an ally • Didn’t like connections to Communism

  7. B. Vietnamese Independence • When he took over, Eisenhower held similar beliefs to Truman • China, Korea, etc. • Domino theory – • 1954 – U.S. is funding most of France’s effort against Vietminh • Dien Bien Phu (May 7, 1954) – In Vietminh-controlled northern Vietnam, French were outnumbered almost 4-to-1 and surrounded, had to surrender to the Vietminh

  8. Ho Chi Minh • “If the tiger ever stands still, the elephant will crush him with his mighty tusks. But the tiger does not stand still…He will leap onto the back of the elephant, tearing huge chunks from his hide, and then the tiger will leap back into the dark jungle. And slowly the elephant will bleed to death. That will be the war of Indochina”.

  9. Ho Chi Minh • “You can kill ten of our men for every one we kill of yours. But even at those odds, you will lose and we will win."

  10. B. Vietnamese Independence • Geneva Conference • Meeting between French and Vietminh to settle Indochina conflict • Result – • Vietnam was divided at the 17th parallel • Vietminh controlling the north • France regained control of the south with an election to reunify the country scheduled for July 1956 • U.S. refused to support the agreement • Feared that the Communists would win a nationwide election, civil war follows

  11. C. Rule of Ngo Dinh Diem • Who was Ngo Dinh Diem – • Anti-communist became president of South Vietnam in 1955 (rigged election) • Refused to call election in 1956, knowing that the Communists would win • Why was Diem unpopular? • Roman Catholic when most were Buddhist • Corrupt and controlling, opponents were tortured by police • Vietcong (National Liberation Front – NLF) – rebel force opposing Diem’s regime, many but not all were Communists

  12. C. Rule of Ngo Dinh Diem • U.S. involvement grows • JFK agreed with domino theory • Number of U.S. military advisers increased from 900 to over 16,000 within a few years • Number of American casualties rose from 14 in 1961 to almost 500 in 1963

  13. C. Rule of Ngo Dinh Diem • Diem’s overthrow • Buddhist leaders openly opposed Diem’s regime • Many were arrested and several others set themselves on fire in public (self-immolation) • U.S. officials threatened to end support • U.S. quietly orchestrated coup • November 1963 – Diem and his brother are shot and killed, not part of U.S. plan • Kennedy was concerned about growing U.S. involvement, said “it is their war” but he was killed three weeks after Diem

  14. The Rusk – McNamara Report (1961) • According to the report, what would happen if the Communists took over South Vietnam? Why would this endanger American security interests? • What limits, if any, did Rusk and McNamara attach to American involvement in Vietnam? Explain. • In what respects did this report epitomize the premises of the Cold War?

  15. Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. • “We are launched on a course from which there is no respectable turning back: the overthrow of the Diem government. There is no turning back because US prestige is already publicly committed to this end in large measure, and will become more so as facts leak out.”

  16. The Vietnam War Section 2 – The War Escalates

  17. U.S. advantages Better training and technology Better conventional weapons Supply of chemical and nuclear weapons More money U.S. Disadvantages Poor knowledge of the terrain Lack of training in guerilla warfare Weapons ineffective in jungle fighting Unable to distinguish between friends and enemies, most in South or North supported Ho Chi Minh Low morale Advantages and Disadvantages

  18. A. Gulf of Tonkin Resolution • Johnson • McNamara advises Johnson to increase troops • 8/2/64 • Incident in Gulf of Tonkin • Unprovoked? Did USS Maddox fire first? • 2nd attack? • Gulf of Tonkin Resolution • Full War Powers given to the President • “all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against forces of the United States” • Not everybody happy

  19. Opposition to Gulf of Tonkin • “I believe history will record we have made a great mistake…We are in effect giving the President war-making powers in the absence of a declaration of war.” Sen. Wayne Morse of Oregon, who was one of just two senators to vote against the resolution

  20. LBJ and Vietnam • “I am not going to lose Vietnam” • “They can’t bomb an outhouse without my approval” • By 1965 50% of South Vietnam was controlled by the Vietcong: “We will not be defeated”, “We will not withdraw” • “Win the hearts and minds of the Vietnam people”

  21. B. U.S Forces in Vietnam • Escalation – buildup of forces ordered by LBJ • April 1965 – Selective Service authorized to increase draftees • More than 2 million total • At first, most were professional soldiers who enlisted but more draftees were used as time passed • “Blue Collar War” • Deferment of service was given to those in college or certain jobs • 1967 Stop the Draft Week • 1969 – Lottery system installed, deferments ended

  22. B. U.S Forces in Vietnam • The air war • Ho Chi Minh Trail • Network of jungle paths used by the North to bring supplies into South Vietnam • Operation Rolling Thunder (March 1965) – • Bombing campaign against military targets in North Vietnam to get a quick victory • Result – Roads and bridges were quickly repaired or rebuilt by Vietcong or not missed

  23. B. U.S Forces in Vietnam • The air war • Ho Chi Minh Trail • Operation Rolling Thunder • Types of weapons used – • Napalm – jellied gasoline mixture used in firebombs • Cluster bombs that sprayed metal fragments • Defoliants – chemicals that stripped land of vegetation • Example: Agent Orange

  24. B. U.S Forces in Vietnam • The ground war • More South Vietnamese joined the Vietcong • Increase of U.S. troops – from 185,000 in 1965 to 486,000 by end of 1967 • Search-and-destroy missions – • “dark room full of spiders” • Attempts to drive Vietcong from hideouts • Used ground troops to find the enemy and air support to finish them off • Pacification – • Moved residents to new, secure locations and burned old villages

  25. Hunting the Vietcong!!

  26. B. U.S Forces in Vietnam • Morale declines • Pacification means that body counts were the only measure of success • Inaccurate if not completely inflated • Optimism of a quick victory began to go away • Troops realized they were fighting a determined enemy on their land, which was unlike anything we were accustomed to

  27. C. Opposition to the War • By end of 1967, over 16,000 U.S. killed • The first TV War • Unprecedented media access • Images from Vietnam on TV news every night • Doves – opposed the war • All war was wrong • Vietnam was not important to national security • Fear of nuclear war • Majority of Vietnamese wanted communism • Conscientious objector – meaning? • Other opponents – MLK – Why? • Hawks – supported the war’s goals • Criticized the way the war was being fought

  28. D. Different Opinions • Defending the war – Secretary of State Dean Rusk • If the U.S. didn’t support its ally in South Vietnam, no one would trust us again • Against the war – Arkansas Sen. J. William Fulbright – • Head of the Foreign Relations Committee criticized administration’s methods and held televised hearings

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