Late 1800’s – Vietnam becomes a French Colony

1924- Ho Chi Minh starts Vietnamese Independence Movement

Ho Chi Minh creates Communist Party in Vietnam, is exiled to USSR and China but stays involved

1940 Japanese take Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh returns to fight Japanese for independence (with US support)

Declares independence in 1945

France returns in 1945, supported by USFrance fights for control of VietnamUS sends over $1billion to helpGoal is to contain CommunismFrance loses war, leaves

“Domino Theory”If one country falls to the

Communists, more will follow

Ends French Indochina

Divides it into Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam

Vietnam divided between Communist North and anti-Communist South on the 17th parallel

Ngo Dinh Diem is

the leader of South

Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh leads

the north

They agree to have

elections in 1956

Diem refuses to

hold elections,

becomes

totalitarian

Eisenhower and Diem

Vietcong form in 1957Southern opposition

to DiemCommunist

Ho Chi Minh TrailPath through Laos

and Cambodia used to arm Vietcong

Goes through jungles

US sends 16,000 troops by 1963 to train South Vietnamese troops

Goal: Contain Communism

Problem: Diem unpopular and Vietcong are growing

This is a CIVIL war

Diem is a problemMoves villagesAttacks Buddhists,

jailing leaders and burning temples

US decides to oust DiemArranges military

coupDiem is assassinated

Nov. 1, 1963

South Vietnam is unstable

Aug. 2, 1964 - North Vietnamese boat fires on USS Maddox in Tonkin Gulf

They report same thing 2 days later and return fire

Report is questionable

Johnson persuades Congress to pass Tonkin Gulf Resolution

NOT a declaration of war

Johnson uses this to bomb North Vietnam and send 50,000 soldiers to battle Vietcong

President can take “all necessary measures to repeal any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression.”

US increases ground war in Vietnam, believing defeat of Communism in Vietnam is essential.

By Dec. 1965, 180,000 troops in Vietnam

By 1967, 500,000 US troops in Vietnam

American Commander in South Vietnam

Un-Impressed with Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN)

“Only possible response is the aggressive deployment of US troops”.

Fight a “War of Attrition” by wearing down the Vietcong

Win over villagers in rural areas if possible

Conduct search and destroy missions where Vietcong are hiding, even if it means killing civilians

To root Vietcong out of tunnels, US uses

Napalm – gasoline based bomb that sets fire to the jungle

Agent Orange – leaf killing toxic chemical that wipes out jungles

These hurt civilians and cause cancer later

Americans begin to oppose war

Opposition starts with students who are being drafted into a conflict that they believe the US should not be involved in

Martin Luther King Jr. also opposes the war

Marches and Protests are held

Tet Offensive – January 30, 1968Tet is the Vietnamese New Year US forces expect calm

North Vietnamese state major offensive attack, taking much of South Vietnam and attacking the American Embassy in Saigon

40,ooo North Vietnamese and Vietcong dieOver 100,000 civilian casualties and millions left

refugees

1600 Americans die and 8000 wounded

Leads a broad section of Americans to question being in the war and increases anti-war movement

60% of Americans oppose the War“The Living Room War” – people watch on TV

President Johnson decides not to run for re-election after Anti-War Senator Eugene McCarthy nearly beats him in Presidential PrimariesJohnson also said that the US would seek

negotiations to end the warRobert F. Kennedy enters the race for President

1968 becomes a turbulent year

April 4 – Martin Luther King assassinated in MemphisViolence breaks out in 100 cities

June 4 – Robert F. Kennedy wins California Primary, is assassinated

College Campus protests attract 40,000 at 100 campusesColumbia University buildings taken over by

students for one week, 900 are arrested

10,000 protesters arrive to protest convention in Chicago

Mayor sends out 12,000 police and 5000 National Guard

Aug. 28 protesters meet at park to march, police beat crowd with nightsticks and spray mace

Some protesters fight back, entire thing is caught on TV

Riots spread to downtown streets, protesters scream “The whole world is watching”.

Richard Nixon is Republican CandidateWill restore law and order, end conflict in Vietnam

Hubert Humphrey, Johnson’s VP is Democrat CandidateLast man standing for the Democrats

George Wallace, “Dixiecrat” Gov. of Alabama, runs on segregation and states

rights platform

Nixon Wins

Through “Vietnamization”, US troops will withdraw and give South Vietnamese a greater roleAugust 1969 20,000 troops come homeWithin 3 years, troops drop from 500,000 to 25,000Policy developed by Secretary of State Henry

KissingerWants “Peace with Honor”

US needs to maintain dignity

Nixon still continues bombings, says his gradual policies will appeal to the “silent majority”

NY Times reports tha in March 16, 1968 US troops massacred civilians in My Lai in South Vietnam

When no Vietcong were found in village, they massacred over 200 people at orders of Lt. William Calley, Jr.

Directive: “Kill anything that breathed”.Calley goes to jail

My Lai increases opposition to war

1970 – Nixon invades Cambodia to root out Vietcong

1.5 million students protest, close down 1200 campises

May 4 - At Kent State University in Ohio, students burn down ROTC buildingNational Guard fire into student protestersNine wounded, four killedSimilar protest at Jackson State leads to 12

wounded and 2 killed 10 days later

December 21, 1970 – Congress repeals Tonkin Gulf ResolutionLimits President’s ability to act

October 26, 1972 – Nixon agrees to withdraw troops even if North Vietnam will not leave South Vietnam

December 16, 1972 – Talks between US, South Vietnam and North Vietnam break off, Nixon drops 100,000 bombs on Hanoi and Haiphong

January 27, 1973 – Nixon signs agreement to end war, leave Vietnam

March 29, 1973 – US troops leave Vietnam

1975 – Saigon Falls to North58,000 troops killed , 303,000 wounded on US

Side2 million Vietnamese dieVeterans are not welcomed at home

15% of the 3 million who served have PSTDMany become drug addicted, homeless

South Asia remains in turmoilWar is a scar on AmericaPENTAGON PAPERS show that the troop levels

and body counts were falsified

November 1973

President must inform Congress within 48 hours of sending troops to a hostile area without declaration of war

Troops cannot remain there more than 90 days without a declaration of war from Congress