Communist Founder Name means Bringer of Light Road to War Truman Era France took control of Vietnam and other SE Asian countries during the Age of Imperialism Ho Chi Minh led nationalist forces Vietminh against the French in an attempt to gain independence and create a Communist ID: 660739
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Slide1
Vietnam WarSlide2
Ho Chi
Minh
Communist Founder
Name means: “Bringer of Light”
Road to
War – Truman Era
France took control of Vietnam and other SE Asian countries during the Age of Imperialism.
Ho Chi Minh led nationalist forces (Vietminh) against the French in an attempt to gain independence and create a Communist state.Slide3
U.S. supports FrenchOverthrown in 1954 at Dien Bien Phu
Geneva Conference
Vietnam then becomes divided at the 17
th parallel with a Communist North and a Democratic SouthDomino Theory: Fear that if one country in SE Asia falls to Communism, the rest would followSouth-East Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO): An international organization for defense against Communism in Southeast AsiaThe Road to
War – Eisenhower EraSlide4
The Communist North led by Ho Chi Minh
Democratic South led by Ngo
Dinh
DiemEducated abroadPro-west, Anti-communistDiscriminated against BuddhistsKilled protesters
THE ROAD TO WAR – KENNEDY ERASlide5
US learns of a possible coup against the unpopular DiemHelp stage a military coupDiem is assassinated and America’s military commitment rose.Vietcong –Communist Guerillas who were South Vietnamese.
THE ROAD TO WAR – KENNEDY ERASlide6
Gulf of Tonkin Incident:
USS Maddox
attacked by N. Vietnamese torpedo boats in Gulf of Tonkin
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: Congress authorized President Johnson to “take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent any further aggression.”Essentially gives Congress’ war powers to the president; allows a “conflict”, but doesn’t declare war.THE ROAD TO WAR –
JOHNSON ERASlide7
USA
Viet Cong
“Search and destroy” missions: Sending out troops from a fortified position to locate and destroy Vietcong or NVA
units in the countryside.Agent OrangeNapalm
AmbushesBooby trapsGuerrilla tacticsBlended in in with general population
Ho Chi minh TrailMethods of WarSlide8
VietCong
Booby TrapsSlide9
Vietcong TunnelsSlide10
Agent Orange: An herbicide (plant killer) used by the U.S. during the Vietnam War to draw the VietCong out in the open.About 21,136,000 gal. used
4.8 million people exposed
Over 400,000 deaths; 500,000 children born with birth defects
Agent OrangeSlide11Slide12
Agent Orange VictimsSlide13
Napalm
A jellied gasoline intended to destroy thick jungle areas and draw the
VietCong
into the open.Made to burn at extremely high temperatures and stick to materials, as well as rapidly deoxygenating the available airSlide14
The iconic photo taken in Trang Bang by AP photographer Nick Ut shows 9-year-old Kim Phuc running naked on a road after being severely burned by a South Vietnamese napalm attack.Slide15
Tet Offensive: Campaign of surprise attacks by North Vietnamese forces against military and civilian commands and control centers throughout South Vietnam during Tet (New Year)
“Credibility Gap”: P
ublic
suspicion that there was a significant "gap" between the Johnson administration's declarations of military successes and the reality.Tet
Offensive
A South Vietnamese officer executes a Vietcong prisoner, February 1, 1968Slide16
TV was the most important news source and the most powerful influence on public opinion90% of the evening news was dedicated to the war50 million viewers every nightUp until this time, the war had strong support from the mediaJournalists followed the military into combat and reported their observations without restriction.
Public shown more graphic images as the war progressed
Interviewed soldiers without military censorship
Vietnam in Your Living Room
Walter CronkiteSlide17
“To say that we are closer to victory today is to believe, in the face of the evidence, the optimists who have been wrong in the past. To say that we are mired in a bloody stalemate seems the only realistic, yet unsatisfactory conclusion”
-
Walter
Cronkite
“If I’ve lost Cronkite, I’ve lost Middle America.”
-Lyndon B. JohnsonSlide18
The Faces of War
American boys playing soldierSlide19
At 18, you could be drafted, but could not vote until 21.Young men, eager to avoid the draft, escaped to Canada, feigned homosexuality, had “hunting accidents” or blatantly burned their draft cards.
“Hey, hey LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?”Slide20Slide21Slide22Slide23Slide24Slide25Slide26
Average Age of WWII Soldier: 24 years old
Average Age of Vietnam Soldier: 22 years oldSlide27Slide28Slide29
11,465 KIAs were less
than 20 years oldSlide30
The youngest Vietnam casualty:
Daniel Bullock, 15 years oldSlide31
Life Magazine
– One Week’s Dead (1968)Slide32
Hawks and Doves
Protest and the Vietnam WarSlide33
Hawks
Pro-war
Mostly Republican and conservatives
Believed America had both a political and moral obligation to save Vietnam.Believed America could win the war, but required more public supportSlide34Slide35
Doves
Anti-war
Mostly Democrats and young people
Believed in a peaceful solution to the conflictDid not see a positive ending to the warSlide36Slide37Slide38Slide39
Protest Music
Protest music had grown in popularity during the Civil Rights Movement
Blowin
’ In the Wind, Bob DylanA Change Is Gonna Come
The Times They Are A Changin’Anger over the war in Vietnam, the draft, the seemingly unfair treatment for the wealthy, and the absence of a political voice for young people led to an explosion of protest songs during the 1960s and early 1970s.Slide40
Vietnam Protest Music
I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag
By Country Joe and the Fish
Alice’s Restaurant Massacree
By Arlo Guthrie
Find the Cost of Freedom
By Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
For What It’s Worth
By Buffalo SpringfieldSlide41
Fortunate Son
By Creedence Clearwater Revival
The Unknown Soldier
By The Doors
I Should Be Proud
By Martha and the Vandellas
War
By Edwin StarrSlide42
Pro-War Songs
Ballad of the Green Berets
By SSgt. Barry Sadler
Okie From Muskogee
and
The Fightin’ Side of Me
By Merle HaggardSlide43
Protesting the ProtestsRevolution was written in response to violent clashes between antiwar protesters and government officials after the Tet Offensive. The song explains the need for a clear plan and set of goals for the anti-war movement to succeed.
You say you want a revolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the worldYou tell me that it's evolutionWell, you know me outWe all want to change the worldBut when you talk about destructionDon't you know that you can count
Don't you know it's gonna be alrightAlright, alrightYou say you got a real solutionWell, you knowWe'd all love to see the planYou ask me for a contributionWell, you know
We're all doing what we canBut if you want money for people with minds that hateAll I can tell you is brother you have to waitDon't you know it's gonna be alrightAlright, alright, al...You say you'll change the constitutionWell, you knowWe all want to change your headYou tell me it's the institutionWell, you knowYou'd better free your mind insteadBut if you go carrying pictures of Chairman MaoYou ain't going to make it with anyone anyhowDon't you know know it's
gonna be alrightAlright, alrightSlide44
The Unwinnable War
Ending the War in VietnamSlide45
My Lai MassacreU.S. military intelligence believed that one of the Vietcong battalions responsible for the Tet Offensive was taking refuge in the village of My Lai.My Lai Massacre (1968): U.S. soldiers murdered at least 340 unarmed civilians in My Lai, most of which were women, children, infants, and elderly people.
Initially reported as a victory over the Viet Cong during
a
“fierce fire fight”Only 22 civilian casualties initially reportedSlide46
Second Lieutenant
William L.
CalleySlide47
Vietnam Veterans Against the WarIn April 1971, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee began to hear testimony on continuing the war in Vietnam.John Kerry (Representative of VVAW) spoke on the necessity of immediate and total withdrawal, based on Vietnam veterans' personal experiences.
"How do you ask a man to be the last man to die in Vietnam? How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?"Slide48
Richard Nixon is elected in 1968 after promising to gradually withdraw U.S. troops and replace them with South Vietnamese forces.Vietnamization: The U.S. would train and prepare the South Vietnamese to fight their own war against North Vietnam and the Vietcong.
Vietnamization
Time to LEAVE!Slide49
The Nixon Doctrine“The United States will assist in the defense and developments of allies and friends… [but will not] undertake all the defense of the free nations of the world.”
-Richard Nixon, 1969
Nixon Doctrine:
The U.S. now expected its allies to take care of their own military defense, but would aid in defense as requested.Slide50
Invasion of CambodiaU.S. invades Cambodia in summer 1970Looking to root out VietCong hiding there, e.g. Ho Chi Minh Trail
Looking to boost South Vietnam’s ability to defend itself after
Vietnamization
Led to a number of protests across the country, especially on college campuses.Slide51
America Attacks Its OwnOn May 4, 1970, four students were shot and killed by Ohio National Guardsmen during a protest of the invasion of Cambodia at Kent State.The shootings led to protests on college campuses throughout the United States, and a strike of over 4 million students, causing more than 450 campuses across the country to close with both violent and non-violent demonstrationsSlide52
The Pentagon Papers
The
Pentagon Papers
: The name given to a secret Department of Defense study of U.S. political and military involvement in Vietnam from 1945 to 1967 that was leaked to the New York Times by Daniel Ellsberg. Revealed that the White House had systematically lied, not only to the public but also to Congress, about the events and success of the war in Vietnam.
The federal government tried unsuccessfully to block publication of the Pentagon Papers on grounds of national security.Slide53
Ending the WarWar Powers Resolution (1973): Allows the President to send U.S. armed forces into action abroad only by authorization of Congress or in case of a national emergency.
Requires the President to notify Congress within 48 hours
Forbids armed forces from remaining for more than 90 days without an authorization by Congress or a declaration of war.
Within two years of American withdrawal, Communists overran South Vietnam.58,000 Americans died during the war in Vietnam.Slide54
Rock the Vote!26th Amendment: Changes the voting age from 21 to 18 years old.
“Old enough to fight, old enough to vote!”Slide55