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The Vietnam War 1945-1975. By Eric Tolman. Before WW2. A French Colony since the 1850’s and part of French Indo China which also included Laos, Cambodia - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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By
Eric Tolman
The Vietnam War 1945-1975
A French Colony since the 1850’s and part of French Indo China which also included Laos, Cambodia
A young nationalist named Ho Chi Minh travelled to Paris to seek Vietnamese independence- Ho was inspired by Wilson but was neglected and helped form the French Communist Party in 1920 as a result.
Vietnam occupied by the Japanese during WW2, and French nationals were imprisoned except those who supported the Vichy and collaborated with the Japanese
Ho developed his movement without Chinese or Soviet help which encouraged the Nationalist side of his movement- an Asian Tito
Before WW2
After the Japanese defeat, Vietnam was divided along 17th parallel for purposes of disarming Japanese troops
Nationalist China was in charge of the NorthBritain in charge of the southIn the North, The Viet Minh, a nationalist group under Ho
had established itself as the effective governmentThe French return and share power with Vietminh in the
North. This deteriorated into open war in December 1946USSR and China recognize Ho’s government in the NorthUSA recognized re-instated emperor Bao Dai in the SouthWar developed between the returning French and the Viet
minh- The Chinese and later the soviets supported Ho and the Americans backed the French
Events after the Japanese Defeat
After 8 years of fighting, the French are defeated at the battle Dien Bien Phu and signals the end of French control, despite massive US aid
At the Geneva Conference Temporary division of Vietnam into North and South along the 17th parallel with a DMZ
No more troops in Vietnam from outside powers
Country-Wide elections by 1956 – unification to result
Elections not encouraged by USA for fear that democracy would bring Ho to power
The defeat of the French 1954
FDR had been vocal about his anti-colonial feelings and the Viet Minh looked to the US for Support
When Ho took power in September of 1945 he developed a program based on the American declaration of Independence- Vietnamese had posters of Truman on Independence day
When Mao took power in China, the US began to see Vietnam through the paradigm of the Cold War
Eisenhower would coin the term “the domino Theory” to explain concern over communism in Vietnam
How the US got involved
Americans support Diem as the new leader in the South. Diem is dictatorial but a fervent anti-communist and he does not support elections. US support him anyway.
He is a Catholic and policies anger local BuddhistsHis neglect of reform created the conditions for creation of the
NLF or Viet Cong, a group sympathetic to the northPeasants in the South Largely favoured the VC and supported
them in their Civil War to unite all of VietnamThe VC receive support from the North. They are successful in
destabilizing the South. By the early 1960’s there is virtual civil war in the South and by this time JFK has committed several thousand advisors.
American policy makers see Eisenhower's domino theory coming true
Rise of the Vietcong
President Diem is overthrown in Nov 1963 by a military coup with US approval and probably with CIA support- Kennedy sees Diem as incapable of stifling the growth of the VC
Kennedy restricted involvement to advisors and military supplies and promoted the “safe village” model
North Vietnamese allegedly attack US destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin. US retaliates by bombing North Vietnam military installations in 1964. LBY escalates US involvement
War escalates with the US bombing NV targets, the Ho Chi Minh trail, and by 1967, 500 000 American troops in Vietnam
The U.S – JFK and LBJ
Vietcong launches Tet Offensive. Despite heavy losses and a military failure for the Vietcong, US public opinion turns sharply against the war
Americans realize that this war is unwinnable and LBJ’s popularity plummets and refuses to run for re-election
LBJ saw his Great Society ruined by the expense of the war and his welfare policies would not be implemented
LBj leaves office a tired and broken man
The Tet Offensive
The use of Napalm, a burning petroleum jelly, was often used on civilians when villages were bombed. It stuck to the skin of victims and burned them
The US sprayed the land with chemical defoliants like Agent Orange which destroyed vegetation. This continued to poison Vietnamese long after the war
Drug use and addiction became rampant with American troops
In March 1968, The Mai Lai Massacre saw 300 woman and children gunned down. It was believed they were sheltering the VC. Americans at home were appalled
The Dark Side
New President – Nixon begins troop withdrawal and introduces “Vietnamization” which means letting SV troops fight on their own with American air support
Nixon orders bombing of Cambodia through which much of the Ho Chi Minh Trail runs – Christmas bombings
Intensive bombing of North Vietnam and the North invades the South. US blockades Haiphong harbour
Paris Peace Settlement (sound familiar) and ceasefire. US begin final troop withdrawal while the North agrees to not take anymore territory
The North takes Saigon and the two countries are unified- In previous 10 years, US drops more bombs on the North than all bombs dropped on Europe in WW2 – by both sides
50 000 Americans would lose their lives and close to 2 million Vietnamese would lose theirs
The Vietnamese jungles were largely destroyed by chemicals and land mines planted by Americans continue to mame Vietnamese
Retreat and Defeat
Americans saw this as a Cold War struggle not as an independent nationalist movement
The NLF had massive support from peasantsAmericans responded with massive bombing which
killed many civilians pushing Vietnamese in the arms of the VC
The VC were excellent guerrilla fighter who knew their country
Communist morale was always high American soldiers wanted to do their tour and go
promptly home- many were spat on and called baby killers by protestors
How did the US Lose?