SWBAT: Determine the causes and consequences of America’s involvement in the Vietnam War

Do Now: a) Analyze the political cartoon and answer

the discussion questions

The Cold War Continues: The Vietnam War (1954-1975)

Background: The Early Years of the Vietnam War: • Vietnam is a small country in

Southeast Asia. • Its history is one of foreign

invaders and occupations. • The Vietnamese are

extremely nationalistic and have, for centuries, fiercely opposed the invading forces.

The Cold War Continues: The Vietnam War (1954-1975)

Vietnam was controlled by the French in the 1800s and the Japanese during World War II. • After the Japanese surrendered

in WWII, the French returned to reclaim their territory.

• Instead, the Vietnamese revolted for their independence under Communist leader Ho Chi Minh. In 1954 (just after the Korean War ended)

• 12,000 French troops were surrounded by the North Vietnamese army and soon forced to surrender.

• Vietnam was now independent.

Geneva Accords

The Geneva Accords of 1954 set a compromise by temporarily dividing Vietnam into two separate nations: • North Vietnam was a

Communist nation whose forces were led by Ho Chi Minh.

• South Vietnam was non-communist and ruled by Ngo Dinh Diem.

Domino Theory

Domino Theory: U.S. leaders feared that if South Vietnam fell to Communism, other nations would quickly follow.

Describe this cartoon in your

own words.

Eisenhower and Kennedy

Ho Chi Minh formed a new guerrilla army including some South Vietnamese called the Vietcong • US sent military

advisors to train S Vietnam

• But the Vietcong were too powerful

Diem’s Reign of Terror

Corrupt administration • Very unpopular • Discriminated against

Buddhism • One of the most

popular religions in Vietnam

• 9 people were killed by Diem’s police during religious protests

Diem’s Reign of Terror

• Vietnamese Generals assassinated Diem with the support of the US

• However unpopular Diem had been he was also a strong political leader • Without Diem South

Vietnam collapses • US must get more

involved

Johnson

Johnson didn’t want a bigger war, but had to be strong against Communism.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964)

• Johnson announced that North Vietnamese torpedo boats attacked U.S. ships in the Gulf of Tonkin, off the coast of North Vietnam.

• This gave LBJ the reason he needed to act.

• He asked Congress to allow him to have full authority to do whatever it took to resolve this conflict and prevent further North Vietnamese aggression.

• Changed the U.S. role in Vietnam from military advisors to active fighters.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964)

• The Vietnam War escalated (expanded) as Johnson ordered more ground troops and continued repeated bombings North Vietnam and Vietcong-held areas of South Vietnam for three years. • 1965: 3,500 marines were sent to protect an

American air base in S. Vietnam. • End of 1965: 184,000 U.S. combat troops in

Vietnam. • 1968: 500,000 troops in Vietnam!

We fought two enemies: the North

Vietnamese AND the Vietcong.

Difficult Warfare

• US arrogantly believed that it would be an easy war to win • Ambushes • Booby traps • Guerrilla tactics • Vietcong blended in with civilians “a war where nothing is ever quite certain and

nowhere is ever quite safe”

US Tactics

• Search and destroy missions • Find the enemy, bomb them, destroy the supply

lines, and force them out into the open • Napalm - a jellylike substance that burst into

flames and stuck to people’s bodies. • Agent Orange- an herbicide was used to

destroy the jungle where the Vietcong were hiding. • Dangerous side effects on civilians and

soldiers including: Birth defects, Spinal Bifida, Cancers, and Skin disorders

Tet Offensive (1968)

The Vietcong and North Vietnamese launched several attacks on every big city in South Vietnam, and broke into the U.S. embassy in Saigon, the South Vietnamese capital. • While the U.S. was able to strike back and actually

declare a military victory here, many Americans witnessed the graphic images on the TV news that shocked and sickened them.

• The Tet Offensive marked the TURNING POINT OF THE WAR, showing that even with half a million troops, no part of S. Vietnam was safe and the war was far from over.

• North Vietnam sent supplies to the Vietcong in the south through the Ho Chi Minh Trail

• Some thought our government was not telling us everything happening in Vietnam and many lost trust in the government

America Divided About the Vietnam War

Draft protesters and Political Radicals: • Many people felt that the Vietnam

War was not a worthwhile cause and the enemy posed no threat to the United States.

• College students opposed to the war adopted various protest strategies. • Peaceful protests • Occupation of college buildings • Chanting defiant slogans • Setting draft cards on fire • Draft dodgers move to Canada

America Divided About the Vietnam War Hawks Doves

1. The war was to continue our fight to contain communism. 2. To prevent the domino theory from occurring in Southeast Asia. 3. This is the war that is defining the baby boom generation just like the previous generation fought in World War II and Korea.

1. We were sending young men (18, 19 years old) to fight South Vietnam’s war in a foreign land. 2. People saw their friends and loved ones coming home in body bags. 3. Too much money was spent on the war when it could have used on other problems in the U.S. (ex. poverty).

America Divided About the Vietnam War

Counterculture • Anti-war protests fed a spirit of rebellion,

particularly among young people. • Many young people rejected traditional

American values that had been followed during their parents’ generation.

• Young people adopted new fashions and music.

Apply your knowledge

After watching the video – Answer the following question Why did Johnson not run for re-election in 1968?