Chapter 22: the vietnam war years

1. Credence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son” Chapter 22: the vietnam war years

2. Moving toward conflict: section one AMERICA SUPPORTS FRANCE IN VIETNAM • 1800 to WWII France controls Indochina* • Built plantations on peasant land for own profit • No freedom of speech or assembly—causes resentment • Ho Chi Minh* • Vietminh*

3. 1940 Japan takes over; Allies force them to give up Vietnam French send troops to relinquish its colony—land in the South Ho Chi Minh vowed to fight from the North to liberate the South Domino theory* Truman and Eisenhower send one billion to Fr. Dien Bien Phu* Moving toward conflict

4. MOVING TOWARD CONFLICT • Geneva Accords* THE UNITED STATES STEPS IN • Ho Chi Minh earns support by giving peasants land and for fighting French and Japanese • Ngo Dinh Diem* • Eisenhower promises military aid and training for holding stable govt.

5. Diem’s faults: corrupt govt. that got rid of opposition; never gave land to peasants; restricted Buddhist practices Vietcong* Ho Chi Minh Trail* Kennedy to continues to send financial aid to Diem and thousands of military advisers Moving toward conflict

6. Moving toward conflict • Diem corruption continued with removal of peasants from ancestral land • Imprisoned and killed hundreds of Buddhist clerics and burned temples • Diem’s assassination*

7. PRESIDENT JOHNSON EXPANDS THE CONFLICT Military leaders in South Vietnam attempt to take control of country Johnson worried about a communist take over of the South; he did not want to appear “soft” August 2nd, 1964—USS Maddox attack* Tonkin Gulf Resolution* Johnson’s failure to explain and “Operation Rolling Thunder” MOVING TOWARD CONFLICT

8. Barry McGuire and “Eve of Destruction” JOHNSON INCREASES U.S. INVOLVEMENT Most of the nation supported Johnson sending troops in the beginning Robert McNamara and Dean Rusk* William Westmoreland* Army of the Republic of Vietnam* U.S. INVOLVEMENT AND ESCALATION: Section two

9. U.S. INVOLVEMENT AND ESCALATION FIGHTING IN THE JUNGLE • U.S. enters war believing we had superior weapons • American soldiers not used to guerilla tactics and unknown terrain • Hard to distinguish* • Elaborate tunnels*

10. U.S. INVOLVEMENT AND ESCALATION • Terrain laced with traps and mines; some were dismantled • Humid weather and leeches • Westmoreland’s goal* • Vietcong had no intention of giving up*

11. Another American strategy was to keep the Vietcong from winning support of S. Vietnam Napalm* Agent Orange* Search-and-Destroy Missions* Winning the “hearts and minds” of the South Vietnamese seemed to be a failure U.S. INVOLVEMENT AND ESCALATION

12. U.S. INVOLVEMENT AND ESCALATION • Morale drops steadily due to mentioned conditions • Resort to alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs • Killed superior officers • Would get worse during later years of war*

13. THE EARLY WAR AT HOME Johnson thought war would end quickly—as it continues on, he loses support His Great Society program suffers because he has to spend more on the war Vietnam became first “living-room war”* Westmoreland and McNamara lie Creates a credibility gap* and nation’s youth rise against the govt.—Vietnam footage U.S. INVOLVEMENT AND ESCALATION

14. The Beatles and “Let It Be” THE WORKING CLASS GOES TO WAR Selective Service System calls for a draft* Ways to get out of draft* Draft dodgers had doctor’s right fake excuses, moved to Canada or Mexico, changed residences to find lenient draft boards, and joined the National Guard or Coast Guard A NATION DIVIDED: SECTION THREE

15. Disproportionate amt. of African Americans serve as ground troops—Why? Racial tension in platoons is extremely high Women not allowed to serve in combat become nurses and provide hospitality THE ROOTS OF OPPOSITION New Left* Students for a Democratic Society* A NATION DIVIDED

16. Free Speech Movement* Ideas of two organizations spread to college campuses Addresses campus issues such as dorm rules, dress codes, and curfews Eventually, moves in the direction of the Vietnam War A NATION DIVIDED

17. A NATION DIVIDED PROTEST MOVEMENT EMERGES • Colleges host “teach-ins” to protest against war; campuses erupt in protests • April 1965: march on Washington D.C. about 20,000 • February 1965 increases to 30,000

18. A NATION DIVIDED • Johnson changes requirement for deferments* • Reasons for opposition • It was THEIR civil war • South Vietnamese govt. was no better than the communist north • Cannot police entire globe • Morally unjust

19. Returning veterans and musicians join the movement 1967 almost 500,000 protestors gather in Central Park* October 1967 around 30,000 protestors locked arms and moved to the Pentagon Broke past military police and made it to the steps—had to deal with consequences* A NATION DIVIDED

20. Two different schools of thought with the Vietnam War—people become doves or hawks* Protestors are criticized by others who believe you should be supporting the troops that are putting their lives on the line A NATION DIVIDED

21. 1968: A TULMULTUOUS YEAR: section four Edwin Starr’s “War” THE TET OFFENSIVE TURNS THE WAR • January 30th begins the new year festivities (called Tet) • Week long truce proposed • Firecrackers, flutes, and coffins* • Many villagers were Vietcong agents

22. Tet Offensive* Mainstream media shows this offensive to the American public Goes against govt. lies that the Vietcong were close to defeat and the favorable counts of dead enemy soldiers After the offensive, Johnson loses support—60 percent disapproved of his handling of the war 1968: A TULMULTUOUS YEAR

23. Johnson decides to step down Campus protests continue; MLK and Robert Kennedy are assassinated Richard Nixon, a Republican, will inherit the problem of Vietnam 1968: A TULMULTUOUS YEAR

24. THE END OF THE WAR AND ITS LEGACY: SECTION FIVE The Byrds and “Turn, Turn, Turn” PRESIDENT NIXON AND VIETNAMIZATION • Richard Nixon* • When entering the White House, negotiations are going nowhere • Different demands*

25. Henry Kissenger* Vietnamization* 1969 around 25,000 troops come home Around next three years, number of troops left will go from 500,000 to 25,000 Yet, Nixon still orders a secret series of bombing raids in North Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia ( targeted supply routes) THE END OF THE WAR AND ITS LEGACY

26. The end of the war and its legacy • Silent majority* • My Lai* • Did not find the enemy and troops insist that they were following orders • 25 charged in some way and Calley is imprisoned

27. THE END OF THE WAR AND ITS LEGACY • April 30th, 1970, Nixon announces to the public that he invaded Cambodia to attack the enemy’s supply routes • College students in uproar—1.5 million students closed down 1,200 campuses • Kent State University*

28. Guards fired on the protestors, as they hurled rocks at them Wounded nine and killed four; two of the victims were not protestors Nixon angers even more people* Pentagon Papers* Documents increase anti-war opinions THE END OF THE WAR AND ITS LEGACY

29. AMERICA’S LONGEST WAR ENDS Middle of 1972—Nixon changes his mind about the negotiation approach due to protests and an upcoming election January 27th, 1973—Nixon signs an agreement that N. Vietnamese troops remain in the South; he will attack “with full force” if the agreement is violated Sequence of events afterward* The end of the war and its legacy

30. The end of the war and its legacy THE WAR LEAVES A PAINFUL LEGACY • 58,000 troops die; 303,000 wounded • Two million Vietnamese deaths • Unsuccessful war that lead many to question the govt.

31. Different than WWII* Fifteen percent of 3.3 million soldiers dealt with PTSD* Some abuse drugs and alcohol as a form of escape; several thousand commit suicide MEANWHILE, IN SOUTHEAST ASIA… N. Vietnamese communists imprison more than 400,000 S. Vietnamese in labor camps The end of the war and its legacy

32. 1.5 million fled Vietnam After the war, Cambodia is in a civil war with the Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot 1975—wants to make a peasant society Therefore, professionals, people with an education or foreign ties are executed (one mill) War Powers Act* The end of the war and its legacy