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Day 1 Notes US Gets Involved in Vietnam
The Early Days: French Indochina
• 1880s to WWII- Vietnam part of French Indochina
• WWII
– Japan occupies Indochina
– Ho Chi Minh leads a group opposing foreign occupation (Viet Minh)
• After WWII
– Ho Chi Minh creates Democratic Republic of Vietnam
France refuses to accepts Vietnamese independence
• First Indochina War (8 yrs)• Truman supports the French- believes they
are keeping communism in check• War not going well for the French• Eisenhower warned that if Vietnam fell to
communism, they rest of SE Asia would topple like “a row of dominoes”
• Domino Theory would provide a strong motive for US intervention in Vietnam
Geneva Accords
• France, US, USSR, China, GB, Laos, Cambodia all meet in Geneva, Switzerland
• Geneva Accords drawn up
– Divides Vietnam into two parts at the 17th Parallel
– N. Vietnam – Communist, led by Ho Chi Minh
– S. Vietnam – Nationalist, capital Saigon
– Elections for unification government scheduled for 1956
Diem• US put Diem in charge
• Built an army with US military advisers
• Elections coming up, Ho Chi Minh most likely to win
• Diem, w/ US approval, blocked vote and held elections only in the south
• Diem (President of South Vietnam) attacked his opponents and jailed people without trial
• Viet Minh communists in south launched a guerilla war against Diem’s gov’t formed the Viet Cong; North Vietnam supporting the rebels
Kennedy
• Viet Cong insurgency (rebellion) threatened to overwhelm S. Vietnamese army
• US sent more supplies and military advisers; Kennedy resisted sending combat soldiers
• Diem’s discrimination against Buddhists protests
• Kennedy realizes Diem failed as a leader
– US approved coup
– Diem killed
• Kennedy killed; Pres. Johnson takes over
• North Vietnam sending weapons and supplies to the Viet Cong over the Ho Chi Minh Trail– Passed through Laos and Cambodia
Gulf of Tonkin– SV attacks radar stations on NV coast (w/ help
from CIA)
– NV fire at US ship in Gulf of Tonkin (not damaged)
– LBJ says “unprovoked” attacks would bring consequences
– Aug 1964- stormy weather; US sailors think they are under attack and fire back- no enemy ever seen (no attack had taken place)
– US officials (w/ Pres) concluded that a 2nd attack occurred, approves air strikes against NV
–Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
• Gave permission to President to expand US role in the conflict
• NOT a declaration of war
Debate over Increased Involvement
• Most advisers were hawks- favored expanding US involvement– Crucial in struggle against communism– Domino theory– US credibility- ‘tough on communism’
• Doves- advocates of a peaceful solution in Vietnam–No more troops, war is un-winable–Would undermine LBJ’s Great Society
programs–Not in nation’s interest–US involvement might draw China
and USSR into conflict
• Johnson sends more and more troops
• Bases authority to act on the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
• US takes over main responsibility for fighting the war
• “Americanization” of the Vietnam War
Day 2 Notes
Frustration in Vietnam
• Hawks are becoming doves; counsel Johnson to cut back
• By 1968, most Americans blaming Johnson for a war that was out of control
Difficult Conditions• By 1968, most soldiers were drafted into the army-
dim view of the war
• Geography and climate
• Hot and humid
• Swamps, mountains, jungles
• Enemy knew lands and could conceal themselves
– Agent Orange
• Helped kill jungles that gave enemy cover
• Contaminated soil and water
• Long-term health risks
– Guerilla warfare
• Underground tunnels used by enemies
• Enemy could also “hide in plain sight”
• “search and destroy missions”
– Small groups of soldiers (platoons) would search for insurgents
– Call for air strikes to destroy enemy force
• N. Vietnamese and Viet Cong
– Determined to fight on, no matter how long
Opposition to the War
• Role of television on public support of the war; “living room war”
• Costs (human and economic)
– Led to inflation and higher taxes
• Credibility Gap- difference between the reality of the war and the Johnson administration’s portrayal of it
• Hawks and doves– Evenly divided in 1967– Peace movement on college campuses
• Protests; sit-ins– Tinker v. Des Moines– Civil disobedience- burning draft cards;
draft dodgers (Muhammad Ali)– Complaint that men can be sent to war yet
they are not old enough to vote 26th Amendment lowers the voting age to 18.
– College deferment• If you are a full-time college student,
you don’t have to go to war• Once you are done with school, you
can be drafted reason why protests are often on college campuses
• War fell primarily on poor and minorities to fight
• “rich mans war, poor mans fight”
1968• N. Vietnamese army attacks S.V. cities on Tet
holiday• Tet Offensive shocked American people and
became psychological defeat for US• Widening of credibility gap• Walter Cronkite- most respected TV news
anchor– Says Pres. Johnson has misled the
American people– War will end in a “stalemate”– Led to a loss of support for Johnson
Election of 1968
– Democrats: Eugene McCarthy, Robert Kennedy, Hubert Humphrey
– Johnson says he will “deescalate the conflict” and will not run for president again; supports his VP Humphrey
– MLK Jr. and Robert Kennedy both killed this year
– Violence at democratic convention
• Republicans
–Richard Nixon
• 3rd Party- George Wallace
–Segregationist
–Attracted Democratic votes allowing a Republican victory
–Republicans (Nixon) win election
Why were people unwilling to fight for this cause?
– The conflict in Vietnam was a civil war and the US had no business there
– The oppressive S. Vietnamese regime was no better than the Communists they were fighting
– US could not police entire globe
– Morally unjust
Day 3Getting Out of Vietnam
• 1968- Nixon promises to end war in Vietnam
• 1975- All American personnel ordered to leave S.V.
– SV had fallen to communists and enemy was bearing down on Saigon
– Many flee
Nixon’s Dilemma
• Sought to achieve “peace with honor”
• Carrot and stick approach
– Carrot- actions that reward
– Stick- actions that punish
• Carrot:
– Peace talks- Kissinger (sec. of state) proposed ending the bombing of the North- the CARROT- in exchange for BOTH sides leaving SV- not accepted
– Vietnamization- SV would gradually take over the fighting of the war, while American GIs withdrawn; CARROT- troop reductions
• Stick:
– To pressure NV to negotiate
– Widening the air war
– Invade Cambodia
• Intercepting supplies and enemy bases
• Communists boycotted peace talks until US pulled out of Cam.
Expanded War Sparks Protests
• My Lai Massacre
– US Platoon massacred village
– 200 innocent people were killed– reduced U.S. support at home for the Vietnam
War
• 1969- Vietnam Moratorium Day
– Rallies, marches, candlelight vigil at White House
• Students protesting against the American invasion of Cambodia and others merely walking nearby or observing the protest from a distance are shot by National Guard
• National response to the shootings: hundreds of universities closed throughout the United States due to a student strike of eight million students
• Many Americans supported the National Guard
Kent State
Pentagon Papers
• Documents revealed that gov’t had plans for entering war even as Pres. Johnson promised he would not send troops
• Confirmed that the gov’t had not been honest
Peace?
• 1973- US troops left Vietnam
• War continued without us
• US sent $, but not troops
• Fall of Saigon- N. Vietnam captured S. Vietnam capital
– S. Vietnam surrendered
Legacy
• 58,000 Americans killed; 503,000 wounded
• SE Asia remained unstable• Affected the way Americans viewed
the gov’t and the world• More cautious outlook on foreign
affairs• Health issues of veterans
Changes
• Draft abolished• War Powers Act
– Curbed president’s war-making powers– Passed in response to Gulf of Tonkin
Resolution• Vietnam Syndrome
– Americans now consider risk to own interests before interfering in affairs of other nations
• Cynicism of leaders
