Chapter 29 The Vietnam War MAIN IDEA Concern about the spread of communism led the United States to become increasingly involved in Vietnam Chapter 29 Section 1 T he War Develops Colonial Vietnam ID: 668881
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THE BIG PICTURE: It was the first war to invade American homes via television. For years TV brought the Vietnam War into American living rooms. Seemingly unwinnable, the US war effort brought down a president and bitterly divided the nation.
Chapter 29: The Vietnam WarSlide2
MAIN IDEA: Concern about the spread of communism led the United States to become increasingly involved in Vietnam.
Chapter 29
Section
1:
T
he War DevelopsSlide3
Colonial VietnamVietnam had been controlled by
China
since 200BC (drove them out in the early 1400s)
French took control of Vietnam in 1883
Nguyen That
Thanh hoped to gain independence for his nation at the conclusion of WWI, but was disappointed…France retained controlChanges his name to Ho Chi Minh and goes to Vietnam to fight for independence
During WWII, Japan controlled Vietnam, and Ho Chi Minh created the Vietminh to challenge the JapaneseFrance reasserted control at the end of the war and the Vietminh began challenging French rule
A Nationalist Leader
Changing RulersSlide4
Vietnam after World War IIAfter the war, Truman refused to support Ho Chi Minh because he was
communist
, and the US was pledged to
contain
the spread of communism
1949: China becomes communist, causing more American aid to flow to the French in their fight against the Vietminh1950: communist North Korea invades South Korea and communists revolts break out in Indonesia, Malaya, and the Philippines
Eisenhower believed that if Vietnam fell to communism, the other nations in Southeast Asia would fall too; this is called the domino theoryUS began spending arms, ammunition, supplies and money to French forces fighting in Vietnam (75% of the cost of the war)
The first Indochina War
The Domino TheorySlide5
Vietnam after World War IILast major battle for the French was
Dien
Bien
Phu
40,000 Vietminh surround 15,000 French…US refuses to send troops to help
May 7, 1954: French surrender and agree to leaveVietminh became experts at guerrilla war
(hit-and-run, camouflage)Warring parties met at the Geneva Conference to workout a peace agreementSigned in July 1954, the Geneva Accords divided Vietnam at the 17th parallel (North communist, South nationalists) with elections to be held July 1956
US pledged to support the South, China supported the North
France is defeated
The Geneva ConferenceSlide6
Growing Conflict in VietnamNorth controlled by Ho Chi Minh (very popular with his people, their
George Washington
)
Minh took land from rich and gave it to poor peasants making him popular with the people
Leader of South Vietnam was
Ngo Dinh Diem and he was not popular with the people (Catholic, anti-communist)
and was corrupt and brutalCracked down on the Buddhist majority, gave gov’t jobs to familyCanceled the election in 1956By late 1950s, Diem’s opponents were in open revolt and North Vietnam sent supplies to the rebels called the Vietcong1955: Eisenhower begins sending supplies to South Vietnamese government (900 military advisors in the country at end of his term)
Vietnam’s Leaders
A Civil WarSlide7
Increasing US InvolvementKennedy supported US involvement (believed in the domino theory) & increased # of military advisors (16,000 by 1963)
Diem’s arrest and killing of Buddhist protesters led to them setting themselves on fire in public
US public support turned and the US helped overthrow and
assassinate
Diem in Nov. 1963
Johnson wanted an expanded US role in Vietnam, but needed Congressional approval
1964: Johnson claimed N. Vietnamese fired on USS Maddox in Gulf of TonkinJohnson misrepresented facts (Maddox was spying and actually fired 1st)Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: authorized Johnson to expand the warPresident no longer had to get approval for any military actions
Diem’s Overthrow
The Tonkin Gulf ResolutionSlide8
MAIN IDEA: As the United States sent increasing numbers of troops to defend South Vietnam, some Americans began to question the war.
Chapter 29 Section 2:
US Support Of The War
at
Home
and AbroadSlide9
The Air War1st
action was
Operation Rolling Thunder:
a bombing campaign of North Vietnam
A major target was the
Ho Chi Minh Trail: the route the North used to send supplies to the Vietcong in the SouthPilots also used Agent Orange (a chemical that killed plants) and
napalm (jellied gasoline) to kill and burn the jungle to make the enemy more visibleBombing backfired- increasing support for the rebels without harming them significantlyBy late 1968, 1 million tons of bombs were dropped on VietnamSlide10
The Ground WarUS began sending ground troops commanded by
General William Westmoreland
Conducted search-and-destroy missions to drive enemy forces from their hiding places (made enemies of civilians)
Pacification
aimed to win civilian support (improving infrastructure and economy)– failed
Troops became frustrated with
guerilla attacksThey didn’t know the terrain and the civilians were uncooperativeThey were in constant danger and despite killing large numbers of the enemy, the fighting did not declineTroops began to question if the US could ever winUS Strategy
Declining Troop MoraleSlide11
US Forces Mobilize
2.5 million Americans served in Vietnam, they were younger and 80% had
high school
education or less
As the US committed more troops, they began relying on the draft
Could get deferment (postponement) while in college, so enrollment skyrocketedHigh numbers of poor and African American served1969- went to a lottery system with no deferments allowed
Thousands avoided service by fleeing to Canada10,000 women served in noncombat roles like secretary, nurse, or transportation
The Draft
Noncombat PositionsSlide12
Public Opinion Shifts
Vietnam was the 1
st
war where
TV
crews were with soldiersTV coverage profoundly influenced public opinion about the warImages on TV contradicted the govt’s positive reports about how the war was going
US public began dividing into two camps: hawks who supported continuing the war, and doves who wanted the war to endMajor criticisms: Vietnamese did not want us there, drained resources from Great Society programs, and was being fought by poor and minorityAs the fighting dragged on, the antiwar movement grew
Much of the activity occurred on college campusesOne of the most vocal groups was
Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) who led the first nationwide protest in 1965While they were vocal and visible, antiwar groups were in the minority throughout the 1960s
Media’s Impact/ Hawks and DovesThe antiwar movementSlide13
MAIN IDEA: As the Vietnam War dragged on and increasingly appeared to be unwinnable, deep divisions developed in American society.
Chapter 29 Section 3: 1968:
A
Turning
PointSlide14
The Tet Offensive
Tet
Offensive:
a series of coordinated attacks by the Vietcong against the US
US had seen increase in traffic on
Ho Chi Minh TrailJanuary 1968: Vietcong siege US base at Khe Sanh; it takes US 77 days to repel the forces
Westmoreland connected movement on the trail to the attack at Khe Sanh, but it was a diversionMain attack started Jan 30, 1968 during the Vietnamese new year (called
Tet) during a ceasefire84,000 troops attacked 12 US bases and 100 cities throughout South Vietnam
Although the US eventually put down the attacks, to many Americans, the Tet Offensive indicated that the communists would never
give upKhe SanhThe Main AttacksSlide15
Effects of the Tet Offensive
Feb 1968: respected anchor
Walter Cronkite
shares his view that the war was a bloody stalemate
Other major news organizations began expressing doubts that the US could win the war
Public protests grew and attracted more AmericansPeople within the Johnson administration began to express doubts (including Sec. of Defense Robert McNamara)
By the time Johnson was running for re-election ¾ of Americans opposed the warSeveral Democrats began challenging Johnson, including Eugene McCarthy and Robert KennedyGrowing Doubts
Democratic ChallengersSlide16
Johnson Seeks a SolutionGeneral Westmoreland continued to insist that the US had won the
Tet
Offensive and that the war was almost over
March 1968: requested 206,000 more
troops;
due to public outrage, Johnson denied the requestMay 1968: Johnson announces that he will try to negotiate with North Vietnam and that he will not run for re-electionPeace talks quickly stalled and the fighting dragged onSlide17
The Election of 1968Johnson’s VP
Hubert Humphrey
enters the race after Johnson’s announcement and defended the administration’s handling of Vietnam
Both McCarthy and Kennedy advocated a rapid end to the war
Kennedy was an early leader in the primaries
June 1968: Robert Kennedy is assassinated at a campaign event by Sirhan
Sirhan (angry over support of Israel)August: Democratic National Convention meets in ChicagoInside, delegate debated choosing between McCarthy and Humphrey, outside, Vietnam protests became violent under Chicago mayor Richard DaleyMuch of the violence was broadcast on national TV
In the end, Humphrey became the nominee, but the incident revealed a growing generation gap between older and younger Americans
The Democratic Primary Fight
The Democratic ConventionSlide18
The Election of 1968Republicans nominate
Richard Nixon
appealing to mainstream Americans and calling for ‘law and order’
He claimed to have a secret plan to win the war with honor
George Wallace
ran as an independent who opposed integration and war protestersMost of his supporters were conservative, Southern Democrats & working class whites
Nixon led the polls for much of the race, but the gap narrowed in November, especially when peace talks with the Vietnamese showed progressThe popular vote was very close, but Nixon had a clear majority in the electoral college (301 votes)Nixon and Wallace
The Election Campaign and ResultsSlide19
MAIN IDEA: President Nixon eventually ended US involvement in Vietnam, but the war had lasting effects on the United States and Southeast Asia.
Chapter 29 Section 4:
The War EndsSlide20
Widening the WarNixon gets National Security Advisor
Henry Kissinger
to conduct secret peace talks in 1969
Nixon’s ‘peace with honor’ plan also included
Vietnamization
: gradually turning over the fighting to Vietnamese troops while pulling out US soldiersWar protesters wanted all troops out immediately; Nixon appealed to the silent majority: middle class Americans who he believed supported
Vietnamization but were not as vocalWhile withdrawing troops, Nixon also secretly expanded the war by bombing Cambodia and Laos to disrupt the Ho Chi Minh Trail (goal was also to win concessions in the peace talks)Nixon called it the ‘Madman Theory’- trying to convince the North Vietnamese he would do anything to win…it did not work
1972 North Vietnam invaded South Vietnam again
Vietnamization
Laos and CambodiaSlide21
Increasing Protests1970: Nixon announces an invasion of
Cambodia
sparking protest on campuses nationwide
May 4, 1970: National Guard called out to end protest on
Kent State
campus– fire into the crowd killing 4 (more violence on other campuses)…several shut downProtest groups were joined by more mainstream, middle class Americans (over 250,000 marched in DC)
1969: America learns of massacre of civilians by US troops at My Lai1971: New York Times publishes Pentagon Papers revealing that the US gov’t had been misleading the public about the war for yearsNixon tried to stop publication in US v. New York Times but Supreme Court sided with free speech claims
Campus Violence and Growing Protest
Radical Protests and Troubling RevelationsSlide22
End of US InvolvementNixon ran against George McGovern, who insisted on an immediate end to the war
1971: Congress ratifies
26
th
Amendment
changing voting age from 21 to 18Nixon stressed law an order and promised an end to the warWeeks before the election, Kissinger announced a breakthrough in peace talksNixon
wins in a landslidePeace talks stall, so Nixon begins a new round of bombing (called the Christmas Bombings)Peace agreement reached January 1973US agreed to withdraw all troops and help rebuild VietnamBoth sides released all prisoners of war (POWs)
Agreement did not address what would happen to South Vietnam
The 1972 Election
A Peace AgreementSlide23
The Legacy of Vietnam1975: North invades South, Saigon surrenders April 30
th
Communist forces called the
Khmer Rouge
gain control of Cambodia in 1975
Vietnam War devastated Southeast Asia: 185,000 soldiers and 450,000 civilians in South Vietnam died (1 million in the North)Over 700,000 refugees fled to the US
58,000 Americans killed in the war300,000 were wounded and 2,500 were reported missingOther soldiers suffered from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or suffered from exposure to chemicals Many soldiers were the target for American anger and shame
Cambodia and Southeast Asia
Effects on VeteransSlide24
The Legacy of Vietnam
US spent
$150 billion
fighting the war in Vietnam, greatly adding to the debt and fueling inflation
Many Americans were angry at the federal government by how they were misled
To prevent another Vietnam, Congress passed the War Powers Act: set a 60-day limit on presidential commitment of US troops with out authorization from CongressAmericans also became more reluctant to get involved in other foreign conflicts
1982: Vietnam War Memorial was unveiled in DCIt lists all 58,000 Americans who were killed or listed as missing in the conflictThe US resumed relations with Vietnam in 1995
The war’s political impact
Healing from the war