The Vietnam War and its Four Stages of Conflict

Overview

Pretest Timeline BIO’S: Ho Chi Minh & Ngo Dinh Diem The Language of War The First Vietnam War Reasons for US Involvement Exploring The Four Stages Why did America lose? Pictures Works Cited

Pre-TestLet’s see how much you know before we start!!! Write down your answers to the following 10 questions and find

out how you did during the presentation.

1. Which country fought a war in Vietnam just before the United States?

A. EnglandB. GermanyC. JapanD. France

2. Which of the following countries IS NOT located in Southeast Asia?

A. CambodiaB. ChinaC. LaosD. Vietnam

3. Who was the Vietnamese nationalist that became the leader of North Vietnam and the Vietcong

during the Vietnam War?

A. Mao Tse-TungB. Tu ThongC. Ho Chi MinhD. Ngo Dinh Diem

4. Who was president in 1955 when the US began acting as an advisor to the government

and military of South Vietnam?

A. Harry S. Truman B. Dwight D. EisenhowerC. John F. KennedyD. Richard M. Nixon

5. The 1954 Geneva Conference ended the first Vietnam war and temporarily divided Vietnam at

what location?

A. The 17th parallelB. The 38th parallelC. The Yalu RiverD. The Gulf of Tonkin

6. What Cold War theory was used by leaders of the US government to justify our

involvement in Vietnam?

A. Red Menace TheoryB. Iron Curtain TheoryC. House of Cards TheoryD. Domino Theory

7. What type of warfare did the Vietcong use against US forces during the Vietnam War?

A. GermB. ChemicalC. GuerillaD. Tank

8. How best would you describe the climate and geography of Vietnam?

A. Cold, dry and flatB. Dry, barren and desert likeC. Wet, humid and mountainous

9. Which part of Vietnam was controlled by the US and used as its military base of

operations?

A. North VietnamB. East VietnamC. West VietnamD. South Vietnam

10. The US reached its peak troop strength in the spring of 1968. How many troops do you think

were in Vietnam at this high point?

A. 543,400B. 385, 600C. 687,500D. 290,900

TIMELINE• 1946 The first Vietnam War begins

– France attempts to reassert its imperial control over Vietnam– Vietnamese nationalists led by Ho Chi Minh

• 1955-1960 STAGE 1– US begins advisory role in Vietnam– Thousands of US military advisors sent to train South Vietnamese army– Vietcong Guerilla attacks begin in south

• 1965-1968 STAGE 3– US begins combat role in Vietnam– First official combat troops arrive leading to dramatic escalation of the war– January 30, 1968 “Tet Offensive” – March 16, 1968 “My Lai Massacre”

• 1954 Geneva Conference – Ends first Vietnam war and “temporarily”

divides the country at the 17th parallel– North Vietnam controlled by Ho Chi Minh

and communist supporters– South Vietnam controlled by Ngo Kinh Diem

and democratic supporters (US)

• 1961-1964 STAGE 2– US begins counterinsurgency role in

Vietnam– Green Berets sent in and secrete military

operations begin– November 1, 1963 Diem assassinated in US

supported military coup– November 22, 1963 JFK assassinated– August, 1964 Gulf of Tonkin

• 1968-1975 STAGE 4– Vietnamization– US troop strength decreases slowly– Bombing raids stepped up secretely

(cambodia % Laos)– Anti war protests increase

• Woodstock• Kent State

Southeast Asia’s Colonial History

• France gained control of Vietnam by 1883 despite fierce resistance from the Vietnamese.

• The French combined Vietnam with Laos and Cambodia to form French Indochina.

• Ho Chi Minh led a growing nationalist movement in Vietnam.• During World War II, the Japanese army occupied French Indochina.• A group called the League for the Independence of Vietnam, or the

Vietminh, fought the Japanese.• After World War II, the Vietminh declared independence, but the French

quickly moved in to reclaim Vietnam.

• Born Nguyen Sinh Cung, and known as "Uncle Ho," he led the Democratic Republic of Vietnam from 1945-69. Ho embraced communism while living abroad in England and France from 1915-23; in 1919, he petitioned the powers at the Versailles peace talks for equal rights in Indochina. He later moved to Hong Kong, where he founded the Indochinese Communist Party. After adopting the name Ho Chi Minh, or "He Who Enlightens," he returned to Vietnam in 1941 and declared the nation's independence from France. Ho led a nearly continuous war against the French and, later, the Americans until his death in 1969.

Colonial Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh• Real name is Nguyen That

Thanh; Ho Chi Minh means “He Who Enlightens.”

• Participated in tax revolts against the French.

• Joined the French Communist Party.

• Believed that a Communist revolution was a way Vietnam could be free of foreign rulers.

World War II• Japan occupied French Indochina.• Ho Chi Minh organized the

Vietminh to fight the Japanese.• Japan surrendered to the Allies in

1945, and the Vietminh declared Vietnam to be independent.

• Ho Chi Minh hoped for U.S. support of their independence.

• The French reclaimed Vietnam after World War II.

The First Vietnam War (1946-1954)• Also known as the First French-

Indochina War• Since the 1860’s Vietnam had been

considered a colony of France• During WW II Vietnam was

invaded by Japan– During this time Ho Chi Minh was

actually an ally of the US• After WW II Ho Chi Minh

declared Vietnamese independence (Sept 2, 1945

• At this time France made plans to reestablish its imperial control.

• The US, needing France’s help in fighting the Cold War in Europe, agreed to ally itself (financially) with France, along with Great Britain and China, in Vietnam

What policies did Presidents Truman and Eisenhower pursue in Vietnam after WW II?

• Communists seized China in 1949.• Communist North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950.• Communist-led revolts in Indonesia, Malaya, and the

Philippines

Truman• Saw Vietnam in terms of the Cold War struggle against

communism• Supported France; unwilling to back the Vietminh

because many were Communists

Events

• Believed in the domino theory • Sent arms, ammunition, supplies, and money to the

French forces in Vietnam.Eisenhower

Vietnam after World War IIThe Domino Theory

• Domino theory—the belief that communism would spread to neighboring countries if Vietnam fell to communism

• To avoid this, the United States supported the French during the Vietnam War.

• By 1954 the United States was paying more than 75 percent of the cost of the war.

• The French continued to lose battle after battle.

• Vietminh used guerrilla tactics effectively.

France Defeated• French soldiers made a last stand at

Dien Bien Phu.• French forces hoped for a U.S.

rescue, but Eisenhower did not want to send U.S. soldiers to Asia so soon after Korea.

• The French surrendered on May 7, 1954.

• After eight years of fighting, the two sides had lost nearly 300,000 soldiers.

• The Vietminh had learned how to fight a guerilla war against an enemy with superior weapons and technology.

The Geneva Peace Accords• The Geneva Peace Accords, signed

by France and Vietnam in the summer of 1954, provided for the temporary partition of Vietnam at the 17th parallel, with national elections in 1956 to reunify the country.

• In the North, a communist regime, supported by the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China, set up its headquarters in Hanoi under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh.

Opposition to Geneva Accords• The United States prevented the elections that were

promised under the Geneva conference because it knew that the Communists would win. – Secretary of State John Foster Dulles thought the Geneva

Accords granted too much power to the Communist Party of Vietnam.

– He and President Dwight D. Eisenhower supported the creation of a counter-revolutionary alternative south of the 17th parallel.

• This was accomplished through formation of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO).

• After refusing Ho Chi Minh's invitation to join the Communist movement, Ngo Dinh Diem led South Vietnam from 1954 to 1963, when he was killed by his generals in a coup. His autocratic rule, exemplified by the imprisonment and execution of hundreds of Buddhists, and his refusal to institute land reforms probably contributed to increasing popular support for Ho Chi Minh.

• (OBVIOUS & IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES!!) A rich, Catholic landowning president in a predominantly poor, peasant, Buddhist country who ruled like a dictator and refused to give land to the peasants (who were promised land by “Uncle Ho” – who looked and acted like a peasant and promised economic equality.)

The Language of War: Important terms to keep in mind!!

• RVN: Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) • ARVN: Army of the Republic of Vietnam (Army of South Vietnam)• VIETCONG: Communist forces fighting the South Vietnamese

government • VIETMINH: Viet Nam Doc Lap Dong Minh Hoi, or the Vietnamese

Independence League• CHARLIE, CHARLES, CHUCK: Vietcong--short for the phonetic

representation Victor Charlie • SEARCH AND DESTROY: offensive operations designed to find and

destroy enemy forces rather than establish permanent government control; also, called "Zippo missions"

• FRIENDLY FIRE: euphemism used during the war in Vietnam to describe air, artillery, or small-arms fire from American forces mistakenly directed at American positions

• FRAGGING: assassination of an officer by his own troops, usually by means of a grenade

Opposition to Diem• The outcry against Diem's harsh and oppressive actions

was immediate. – Buddhist monks and nuns were joined by students,

business people, intellectuals, and peasants in opposition to Diem’s corrupt rule.

– The more these forces attacked Diem's troops and secret police, the more Diem complained that the Communists were trying to take South Vietnam by force. This was "a hostile act of aggression by North Vietnam against peace-loving and democratic South Vietnam."

The National Liberation Front• The Communists

supported the creation of a broad-based united front to help mobilize southerners in opposition to the government in South Vietnam.

• On December 20, 1960, the National Liberation Front (NLF) was born.– It brought together Communists and non-Communists in an umbrella

organization that had limited, but important goals – Anyone could join as long as they opposed Ngo Dinh Diem and

wanted to unify Vietnam.

December 1961 White Paper

• In 1961, President Kennedy sent a team to Vietnam to report on conditions in the South and to assess future American aid requirements.

• The report, known as the "December 1961 White Paper," argued for:

– An increase in military, technical, and economic aid– The introduction of large-scale American "advisers" to help

stabilize the Diem regime and crush the NLF.

Washington White Papers• In a series of government

"White Papers," Washington insiders denounced the NLF, claiming that it was merely a puppet of Hanoi. They called it the "Viet Cong," a derogatory and slang term meaning Vietnamese Communist.

• The NLF, on the other hand, argued that it was autonomous and independent of the Communists in Hanoi and that it was made up mostly of non-Communists. Many anti-war activists supported the NLF's claims.

The Kennedy Response• As Kennedy weighed the merits of

these recommendations, some of his other advisers urged the president to withdraw from Vietnam altogether.

• In typical Kennedy fashion, the president chose a middle route. – Instead of a large-scale military

buildup or a negotiated settlement, the United States would increase the level of its military involvement in South Vietnam through more machinery and advisers, but no military troops.

Growing Conflict in VietnamVietnam’s Leaders

• Ngo Dinh Diem became the president of South Vietnam in 1954.

• Diem’s government was corrupt, brutal, and unpopular from the start.

• He favored Catholics and the wealthy.

• Diem cancelled the 1956 election that would unify Vietnam under one government.

• Ho Chi Minh’s leadership in North Vietnam was totalitarian and repressive.

• He gave land to peasants, which made him popular.

A Civil War• Diem’s opponents in South Vietnam

began to revolt.• North Vietnam supplied weapons to

Vietminh rebels in South Vietnam.• The Vietminh in South Vietnam

formed the National Liberation Front and called their military forces the Vietcong.

• The Vietcong assassinated many South Vietnamese leaders and soon controlled much of the countryside.

• In 1960 Ho Chi Minh sent the North Vietnamese Army into the country to fight with the Vietcong.

Escalation of the Conflict• At the time of the Kennedy and Diem

assassinations, there were 16,000 military advisers in Vietnam. – The Kennedy administration had

managed to run the war from Washington without the large-scale introduction of American combat troops.

– The continuing political problems in Saigon, however, convinced the new president, Lyndon Baines Johnson, that more aggressive action was needed.

• After a dubious North Vietnamese raid on two U.S. ships in the Gulf of Tonkin, the Johnson administration argued for expansive war powers for the president.

Attack on American Ships• In August 1964, in response to American

and South Vietnamese espionage along its coast, North Vietnam launched an attack against the C. Turner Joy and the U.S.S. Maddox, two American ships on call in the Gulf of Tonkin. – The first attack occurred on

August 2, 1964. – A second attack was supposed to have

taken place on August 4, but authorities have recently concluded that no second attack ever took place.

The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution• The Johnson

administration used the August 4 attack to obtain a Congressional resolution, now known as the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, that gave the president broad war powers.

• The Resolution was followed by limited reprisal air attacks against North Vietnam.

Reasons for US Involvement• There were both public and private reasons for US involvement in Vietnam. • PUBLIC REASON

– The establishment of the 'Iron Curtain' in Europe after the second World War, the communist take-over of China, the Korean War and the communist victory over the French in Vietnam - all led many Americans to fear that the communists were taking over the world and must be stopped. Many people believed in the 'Domino Theory', suggesting that if one Asian country fell to the Communists the others would quickly follow. (REASON) The US government believed that by helping the South Vietnamese government resist the attacks of the communist North they were helping to prevent the spread of communism throughout the world.

Reasons for US Involvement• PRIVATE REASONS: Privately,

there were several reasons to support war:– It was believed that

communist control of all of Southeast Asia would seriously jeopardize US security interests in this area

– A communist victory would make it extremely difficult to prevent Japans eventual fall to communism because of its dependence on rice from this area

– Southeast Asia was (and is) immensely wealthy in raw materials desirable to the US (rice, rubber, coal, iron ore, tin, & petroleum)

STAGE 1: Advisory Role (1955-1960)

• GOALS:– Make the ARVN (South Vietnamese Army) a

model of our military – Stabilize the Diem government and gain

support in south – Combat increasing guerrilla attacks against

Diem and his supporters

• IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS:– Ho seen by US as an

international leader of communism(Soviet ally)

– 1956: Free elections denied by Diem (decision supported by US)

– 1957-58: The first Vietcong(VC) guerrilla attacks begin in South Vietnam

– About 2,000 so called “military advisors” are sent to Vietnam (although “officially” only 675)

– 1960: US drops first bombs of war on VC strongholds in South

http://teachpol.tcnj.edu/amer_pol_hist/fi/000001dc.jpg

STAGE 2: Counterinsurgency Role (1961-1964)

• GOALS:– JFK takes office and vows to continue Eisenhower’s Vietnam

policies– Fix the Diem “problem” as his autocratic rule leads to increased

demonstrations and opposition in the South– Use covert operations in North Vietnam to engage in sabotage

and light harassment of NVA

• IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS:– VC widen their attacks against

ARVN soldiers and raid villages sympathetic to Diem and the US

• GUERRILLA TACTICS: http://www.pbs.org/battlefieldvietnam/guerrilla/index.html

– The # of “military advisors” (now including Green Beret’s) increases dramatically to over 16,000. Although there officially to advise and train the ARVN, many participate in combat missions with the ARVN.

– Military aid increases, including American-piloted armed helicopters, to combat VC attacks

http://www.vwip.org/images/ground/you-vc.jpg

STAGE 2: Counterinsurgency Role (1961-1964)

• IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS:– Spring, 1963: Buddhist monks demonstrate opposition to Diem

by self-immolation (ignoring US demands, he burned their temples and imprisoned those who opposed his rule)

– Nov 1, 1963: Diem, after losing confidence of Americans and his own people, is assassinated by his own military (supported by US)

– 11 days later JFK is assassinated in Dallas and LBJ is sworn in as president (NEWS CLIPS …… .http://www.authentichistory.com/audio/1960s/1960s_news_01.html

– http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6772585564431596301&q=JFK+assassination

Gulf of Tonkin

– August 7, 1964: After N.Vietnam gunboats attacked American warships in the Gulf of Tonkin, Congress passes the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution giving the president broad war making powers in Vietnam (a so called “blank check” to escalate the war)

Change in Strategy• Sec. of Defense Robert McNamara and American

commander in South Vietnam General William Westmoreland advised Johnson to step up American presence

• Wanted American troops to do most of fighting• March 8. 1965- first U.S. Marines deployed in South

Vietnam

“Americanization” of the War

• GOALS:– Continually bomb North Vietnam to pressure VC to stop attacks – N.Vietnam (Ho) adopts new “protracted war strategy” intended

to bog down and frustrate US military, intended to force a negotiated peace

• IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS:– August, 1965: After the VC

attacked two US Army bases LBJ orders the start of Operation Rolling Thunder (lasts 3 yrs.)

– March 8, 1965: The first official US combat troops arrive- Marines

– As a result, VC target American civilian and military personnel

– March-April: The first NVA combat troops arrive in the south & play limited role helping VC

Operation Rolling Thunder• In early 1965, the NLF attacked two U.S. army

installations in South Vietnam, and as a result, Johnson ordered sustained bombing missions over North Vietnam.

• The bombing missions, known as “Operation Rolling Thunder,” caused the Communist Party to reassess its own war strategy

Operation Rolling Thunder

Phosphorous & Napalm Bombs• “Operation Rolling

Thunder” was backed up by phosphorous and napalm bombs – the latter causing dreadful burns to thousand of innocent civilians.

NVA Troops

Difficult Ground War in Vietnam

• The number of U.S. ground forces in Vietnam continued to grow.• U.S. strategy called for ground forces to go on search-and-destroy

missions.– General William Westmoreland commanded the U.S. ground troops in

South Vietnam.– Ground troops located the enemy and called for air strikes.– Areas that were “cleared” rarely remained that way for long.

• U.S. forces implemented a program of pacification to “win the hearts and minds” of the South Vietnamese people.– Nonmilitary pacification involved construction projects.– Military pacification involved moving people out of their villages when

Vietcong were nearby.

Search & Destroy Tactics• The United States countered with

“Search and Destroy” tactics. In areas where the NLF were thought to be operating, troops went in and checked for weapons. If they found them, they rounded up the villagers and burned the villages down.

• This often alienated the peasants from the American/South Vietnamese cause. – As one marine said – “If they weren’t Vietcong before we got there, they sure as hell were by the time we left”. – The NFL often helped the villager’s re-build their homes and bury their dead.

How did the North VietnameseFight Back Against the U.S. Invaders?

• The North Vietnamese used classic Maoist guerrilla tactics. “Guerrillas must move through the peasants like fish through sea,” i.e., the peasants will support them as much as they can with shelter, food, weapons, storage, intelligence, recruits.

North Vietnamese Tactics• In areas held by the NLF, the

Communists distributed the land to the peasants. (By 1973, the NLF held about half of South Vietnam.)

• Their weapons were cheap and reliable.

– The AK47 assault rifle out-performed the American M16– The portable rocket launcher took out many US vehicles & aircraft. – They recycled dud bombs dropped by the Americans. Deadly booby-traps

could inflict huge damage on young American conscripts!

Tunnel Complexes• The Vietnamese built large tunnel complexes such as

the ones at Cu Chi near Saigon. This protected them from the bombing raids by the Americans and gave them cover for attacking the invaders.

Heroism in Vietnam

• Despite trials of war, soldiers fought with same intensity as in previous wars

• Many fought for the villagers to win their trust and respect

• Many fought out of sense of duty

• Women displayed courage and valor as nurses close to the front

Declining Troop Morale

• American forces in Vietnam faced many challenges.– Vietcong struck and then melted back into the jungle– Vietnamese peasants seemed peaceful during the day, but at night aided or

became Vietcong.– Vietcong knew the local geography.– Nearly impossible to tell the difference between a Vietcong fighter and a

civilian.

• Enormous casualties inflicted upon the Communist forces did not lead to victory.– With the aid of the Soviet Union and China, North Vietnam sent a steady stream

of supplies and soldiers to the South.– Vietcong continued to refill their ranks with civilians.– U.S. air strikes and the pacification program turned many peasants into

Vietcong fighters.

Media’s Impact

• Reporters and television crews went on patrol with the soldiers.

• Television brought scenes of firefights and burning villages into America’s living rooms.

• Criticized the government’s reports about the war

Hawks and Doves

• Doves—people opposed to the war

• Hawks—people who supported the war’s goals

• Both criticized the war effort.

• Hawks wanted more troops and bombing.

• Doves opposed the war for many reasons.

Public Opinion Regarding the Vietnam War

Antiwar Movement

• Movement attracted a broad range of participants

• Much antiwar activity took place on college campuses.

• Most vocal group—Students for a Democratic Society.

• Antiwar protesters made up a small percentage of the U.S. population.

STAGE 3: Combat Role (1965-1968)• GOALS:

– Dramatic escalation of war intended to combat increased VC/NVA attacks

– Difficulty in determining who the enemy was led the US to begin several “pacification” tactics, including the use of “free-fire zones” and “search and destroy missions”

– Bombing halted in north – not south (March 31, 1968) by LBJ in order to “seek peace” before the end of his term

– 1968: Peace talks begin in Hanoi

• IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS:– US winning major battles but

losing war (public being told the US winning the war- almost over)

– Jan 30, 1968: NVA, with help from VC, launch surprise Tet Offensive. Together they attack every southern city at once, including the US Embassy in Saigon (capital of South Vietnam)

– NVA/VC: Lost overall battle but won a psychological victory as TV coverage proves US not really winning the war (credibility gap created)

– March, 1968: My Lai Massacre

Reasons that Doves Opposed the War

• Argued that Vietnam was not crucial to American national security (Ex. George Kennan)

• Argued that the United States was fighting against the wishes of a majority of Vietnamese (Ex. Dr. Benjamin Spock)

• Argued that the war was draining needed resources from Great Society programs (Ex. Martin Luther King Jr.)

• Argued that it was unfair for African Americans to fight for democracy in a foreign land when discrimination continued at home (Ex. Civil rights activists)

• Argued that Johnson’s policies were too extreme (Ex. J. William Fulbright)

Saigon during the war

My Laihttp://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/mylai/mylai.htm

The Tet Offensive

• In January 1968 thousands of NVA and Vietcong troops attacked a U.S. military base in Khe Sanh.

• This and other rural attacks were diversions to draw U.S. and ARVN forces away from urban areas.

Tet Offensive

• A series of massive coordinated attacks throughout South Vietnam

Khe Sanh

• Main Communist offensive began on January 30, 1968, at the start of Tet, the Vietnamese New Year.

• Some 84,000 Communist soldiers attacked 12 U.S. military bases and more than 100 cities across South Vietnam.

The Main Attacks

Effects of the Tet OffensiveGrowing Doubts

• Walter Cronkite broadcast a television report in which he gave his personal assessment of the situation in Vietnam.

• Major national magazines such as Time and Newsweek also expressed doubts about the war and began to call for its end.

• Public criticism of the government’s policies grew louder and more intense.

• Leaders within Johnson’s administration began to criticize Johnson’s policies.

• Robert S. McNamara began to seek ways to end the war.

Democratic Challengers• Roughly 3 out of 4 Americans

opposed his policies in Vietnam.• Minnesota senator Eugene

McCarthy challenged Johnson for the Democratic Party’s nomination.

• New York senator Robert Kennedy entered the race.

• Shaken by the divisions within his party, Johnson announced that he would not seek nor accept the office of the presidency.

Searching for Solutions

President Johnson denied General Westmoreland’s request for 206,000 more ground soldiers.Johnson’s advisors could not come up with the best course for the war strategy.Robert McNamara suggested limiting the air strikes and reversing the escalation of the war.Johnson decided to negotiate with the North Vietnamese.The Paris peace talks stalled over two issues: the United States wanted all NVA troops out of South Vietnam, and North Vietnam would not accept a temporary South Vietnam government that included a U.S.-backed president.

How did President Nixon’s policies widen U.S. involvement in the war?

• During his 1968 campaign, Nixon pledged to end the war in Vietnam.

• Nixon and his National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger devised plans to end the war.

• In 1969 Kissinger began secret peace negotiations in Paris with North Vietnamese revolutionary Le Duc Tho.

• The U.S. strategy aimed at achieving “peace with honor.”

A Secret Plan to End the War

• In late March 1968, a disgraced Lyndon Johnson announced that he would not seek the Democratic Party's re-nomination for president and hinted that he would go to the bargaining table with the Communists to end the war.

• Negotiations began in the spring of 1968, but the Democratic Party could not rescue the presidency from Republican challenger Richard Nixon who claimed he had a secret plan to end the war.

STAGE 4: Vietnamization (1969-1975)

• Goals:– Nov 3, 1969: President

Nixon adopts the “Vietnamization” program• intended to

gradually transfer combat operations in Vietnam entirely to the South Vietnamese army

• Intended to bring the fighting to an “honorable end”

• IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS:– By 1970, peak American

troop levels of 543,400 fell to 334,600

– Military suffering morale problems, including increased drug abuse and racial tension

– US expansion of war into Laos and Cambodia =

– Slowly (as a result of huge VC casualty rates) the bulk of the fighting in the south shifted from VC guerrilla units to well trained NVA troops between 1969-1970

The Silent Majority Speech• Aware of the growing public

discontent with the war in Vietnam, Nixon addressed the nation.

• The “Silent Majority" speech was delivered on November 3, 1969.

• The President attempted to bolster public support for his policy of "Vietnamization".

• The speech was regarded highly, yet skepticism continued to grow.

From the Silent Majority Speech

Let historians not record that when America was the most powerful nation in the world we … allowed the last hopes for peace and freedom of millions of people to be suffocated by the forces of totalitarianism. And so tonight -- to you, the great silent majority of my fellow Americans -- I ask for your support.

I pledged in my campaign for the presidency to end the war in a way that we could win the peace. … The more support I can have from the American people, the sooner that pledge can be redeemed; for the more divided we are at home, the less likely the enemy is to negotiate at Paris.

Let us be united for peace. Let us also be united against defeat. Because let us understand: North Vietnam cannot defeat or humiliate the United States. Only Americans can do that.

Expansion to Laos & Cambodia• The Nixon years also saw the expansion of the war

into neighboring Laos and Cambodia, violating the international rights of these countries in secret campaigns, as the White House tried desperately to rout out Communist sanctuaries and supply routes.

Campus Protests & Shootings

• The intense bombing campaigns and intervention in Cambodia in late April 1970 sparked intense campus protests all across America.

Kent State

• At Kent State in Ohio, four students were killed by National Guardsmen who were called out to preserve order on campus after days of anti-Nixon protest.

Kent State

Kent State

WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT UNANSWERED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MAY 4 SHOOTINGS?

• Who was responsible for the violence in downtown Kent and on the Kent State campus in the three days prior to May 4th? As an important part of this question, were "outside agitators" primarily responsible? Who was responsible for setting fire to the ROTC building?

• Should the Guard have been called to Kent and Kent State University? Could local law enforcement personnel have handled any situations? Were the Guard properly trained for this type of assignment?

• Would the shootings have been avoided if the rally had not been banned? Did the banning of the rally violate First Amendment rights?

• Who was ultimately responsible for the events of May 4, l970?

Campus Violence

• Kent State University in Ohio

• 4 students were killed and 9 injured

• Jackson State College in Mississippi

• 2 students were killed and 9 wounded

Antiwar Movement

• Polls showed that fifty percent of Americans opposed the war.

• Coalition of clergy, trade unionists, and veterans established a nationwide day of protest called Moratorium Day.

• 250,000 protesters made up the largest antiwar demonstration in U.S. history.

Increasing Protests

Radical Protests

• Some antiwar groups turned to violent measures.

• The Weathermen set off more than 5,000 bombs and carried out the Days of Rage.

• Most antiwar protesters did not support extremist groups or terrorist measures.

The My Lai Massacre

• In March 1968 a massacre took place in the My Lai region at the hands of an American military unit.

• This unit, angered by a Viet Cong attack that killed an American soldier, attacked the village, raping and killing women and children before burning it down.

• Many soldiers were horrified, particularly due to the fact that it appeared to be sanctioned by the unit's command. (Lt. William Calley)

• Became public in 1971

Pentagon Papers

• Published in New York Times in 1971• Secret document – history of America’s involvement in Vietnam• Daniel Ellsberg (one of authors) leaked story• Pres. Nixon tried to block publication• Supreme Court ruled against administration• Report showed that U.S. leaders involved America in Vietnam

without fully informing people or Congress

U.S. Involvement in Vietnam Ends

• Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18• McGovern hoped the ratification of this amendment

would boost his election chances.

George McGover

n

• Senator from South Dakota who criticized war• Insisted that the Vietnam War be brought to an

immediate end

26th Amendment

• Nixon stressed law and order at home and told voters he would end the war.

• Kissinger announced a breakthrough in the peace talks just weeks before the election.

• The announcement helped Nixon win by a landslide.

1972 Election

The Christmas Bombings• In December 1972, the Nixon administration unleashed a

series of deadly bombing raids against targets in North Vietnam’s largest cities, Hanoi and Haiphong.

• These attacks, now known as the Christmas bombings, brought immediate condemnation from the international community and forced the Nixon administration to reconsider its tactics and negotiation strategy.

A Peace Agreement

Nixon tried to force North Vietnam to make peace concessions by ordering the so-called Christmas bombing. It failed to work.

Officials from North Vietnam, South Vietnam, and the United States finally reached an agreement in January 1973.

The United States agreed to withdraw all of its troops and help rebuild Vietnam. Both sides agreed to release all prisoners of war.

The agreement did not settle the political future of South Vietnam—the key issue behind the war from the start.

The Paris Peace Agreement

• In early January 1973, the Nixon White House convinced Saigon that they would not abandon the South Vietnamese army if they signed the peace accord.

• On January 23, therefore, the final draft was initialed, ending open hostilities between the United States and North Vietnam.

• The Paris Peace Agreement did not end the conflict in Vietnam, however, as Saigon continued to battle Communist forces.

The Vietnam War’s Legacy

• Two years after U.S. troops were withdrawn, North Vietnamese troops invaded South Vietnam.

• After a short amount of fighting, South Vietnam surrendered.– The U.S. military rushed to evacuate Americans still working in Saigon.– Some 130,000 South Vietnamese were also evacuated and flown to the United

States.• After two decades of “temporary” division, Vietnam was reunited under a

Communist government.• In 1975, Communist forces called the Khmer Rouge gained control of

Cambodia.– Vietnam forces invaded Cambodia in 1979, overthrew the Khmer Rouge, and

occupied the country till 1989.

Southeast Asia

• 635,000 South Vietnamese died; Vietcong and NVA war dead equaled 1 million

• Severe environmental damage from bombs and defoliants

• More than 1.5 million South Vietnamese fled the country after the fall of Saigon.

Veterans• 58,000 Americans

were killed; 600 were held as POWs; 2,500 soldiers reported MIA; 300,000 wounded

• Experienced a negative reception upon return

• Trouble readjusting to civilian life (post-traumatic stress disorder)

The Legacy of the War

Political Impact

• United States failed to prevent Communists from taking over South Vietnam.

• Spent more than $150 billion on the war

• Changed how many Americans viewed government

• Congress passed the War Powers Act in 1973.

America was the most powerful military nation in the world, yet it lost the war in Vietnam to an army of straw-hatted peasants. There are a number of reasons for this:

• The South Vietnamese government was widely unpopular because of its corruption and failure to introduce land reforms. This meant the Vietcong had widespread support amongst the ordinary peasants, and the brutal methods used by the Americans to fight the war actually increased that support - they lost the battle for the 'hearts and minds' of the Vietnamese people.

• The Americans severely under-estimated the Vietcong. The derogatory names such as 'dink' and 'gook' show this attitude. The Americans were over-confident and didn't take the Vietcong seriously until it was too late.

Why Did America Lose?

Southeast Asia

• 635,000 South Vietnamese died; Vietcong and NVA war dead equaled 1 million

• Severe environmental damage from bombs and defoliants

• More than 1.5 million South Vietnamese fled the country after the fall of Saigon.

Veterans• 58,000 Americans

were killed; 600 were held as POWs; 2,500 soldiers reported MIA; 300,000 wounded

• Experienced a negative reception upon return

• Trouble readjusting to civilian life (post-traumatic stress disorder)

The Legacy of the War

Political Impact

• United States failed to prevent Communists from taking over South Vietnam.

• Spent more than $150 billion on the war

• Changed how many Americans viewed government

• Congress passed the War Powers Act in 1973.

Why Did America Lose?• The American army was trained to fight a conventional

war of 'set-piece' battles against large armies where it could bring its superior fire-power to bear. It had difficulty adapting to the low-scale guerrilla tactics adopted by the Vietcong, which were perfectly suited to the difficult jungle terrain in Vietnam.

• Vietnam was the first media war - widespread television coverage showing the bloody reality of war undermined support for the war in America, leading to massive anti-war demonstrations and unrest at home. Deaths of student protesters like those at Ohio University in 1970 sickened many Americans and eventually forced the government to make peace.

Why Did America Lose?• The Vietnamese cleverly exploited

opposition to the war in America. The Tet Offensive of 1968 was considered a victory by the Vietnamese, even though they were actually defeated in battle. The television coverage of the massive American casualties convinced many Americans that the war could not be won, and Nixon was elected President on the promise to end the war

Kennedy and McNamara

Interesting Sites to Explore

• Vietnam War Myths:http://www.rjsmith.com/war_myth.html

• The Vietnam War Photo Album • http://www.geocities.com/~nam_album/

Works Cited• The History Channel

http://www.thehistorychannel.co.uk/classroom/gcse/viet.htm• Vietnam Online:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/whos/index.html• History of the Vietnam War 101

http://vets.appliedphysics.swri.edu/vn101/vnfaq.htm• “Vietnam: A Teachers Guide”. The Asia Society’s Focus on Asian

Studies, Special Issue, No 1. Fall, 1983.• Pictures: http://www.google.com/imghp

Nixon Redefines Foreign Policy

• Before Nixon – policy of “containment”– Us vs. Them mentality– “The enemy of my enemy is my friend”

• Nixon and Kissinger employ “realpolitik”– Don’t look at the world so inflexibly– China and Soviet Union could be powerful

trading partners– There was NO unified communist movement

(ex. Yugoslavia)

CHINA

Two Chinas

• After the Chinese Civil War of 1949, the Communists under Chairman Mao Zedong had created the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on the mainland.

• The Nationalists under Chiang Kai-Shek had fled to Taiwan (Formosa) and established the non-Communist Republic of China (ROC).

Before Nixon’s administration, the Republic of China (Taiwan) had held China’s seat on the UN General Assembly, and the United States had cut off diplomatic relations with the PRC.

Rapprochement• Nixon began to consider a reopening of relations,

or “rapprochement,” with the PRC.• Reasons for rapprochement:

– Trade with China— huge market– Main reason: increase Sino-Soviet tension

• “Growing dissidence between the U.S.S.R. and China has limited both countries in the pursuit of policies basically antagonistic to U.S. interests.”

• “Beyond this, the dispute has, in a positive sense, heightened Soviet interest in developing a less abrasive relationship with the U.S. and it may at some point lead China in the same direction.”

Ping-Pong Diplomacy• The American ping-pong team received a surprise invitation to

visit the PRC in April, 1971.• Their acceptance made them the first Americans to be allowed into

communist mainland China since the Chinese Civil War of 1949.• Ten journalists accompanied them; Americans eagerly followed the

team’s progress in the news media.

The trip was a diplomatic success! The American public

became more willing to open up relations with the PRC.

America lifted its 20-year trade embargo on mainland China.

NIXON GOES TO CHINA (1972)

NIXON GOES TO CHINA

• On November 29, 1971, he announced Nixon’s intention to visit the mainland next February.– For a Democrat, negotiating with the Communist nation

could have been a fatal political mistake.– But the Republican Nixon was known as a hard-liner

anti-Communist, and thus could get away with it.

Kissinger had secretly visited the People’s Republic of China in July, 1971 to discuss a possible Presidential visit.

NIXON GOES TO CHINA• Nixon and Kissinger met with Chairman Mao

and Prime Minister Chou En-Lai several times from February 21-28.

• Results:– The leaders discussed policy and philosophy, and

made a favorable impression on each other.– Immediately after the trip, Kissinger moved to

establish regular contact with the PRC.– However, formal diplomatic relations were not

established until January 1, 1979, under the Carter administration.

SOVIET UNION “The issue of war and peace cannot be solved unless

we in the United States and the Soviet Union demonstrate both the will and the capacity to put

out relationship on a basis consistent with the aspirations of mankind.”

-Richard Nixon’s Address to the U.N. General Assembly, October 23, 1970

Detente• After years of hostility and tension between

the U.S.S.R and the U.S., Nixon instituted a policy of détente.– Détente focused on peaceful negotiations and

weapon limitations between the two nations.• Unlike previous administrations, Nixon and

Kissinger hoped to negotiate for the mutual benefit of both the U.S.S.R. and the U.S. as opposed to demanding that the U.S.S.R. give into U.S. demands.

SALT I• One of the major components of détente was

the creation of the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT I).– Talks took place from Nov., 1969-May, 1972.

• These talks in Helsinki, which lasted about a month, helped each nation understand the other nation’s desires for limitations of weaponry.

• After Helsinki, talks moved to Vienna for serious negotiations.– During this time two treaties were produced.

• One treaty limited anti-ballistic defensive missiles while the other restricted the nations’ most critical offensive missiles.

• Nixon used his strategy of “linkage” to help these talks succeed.– Linkage was a foreign policy concept of

negotiations in one area dependent on those in another was best for achieving a nation’s goals.

SALT I (cont.)• After minor disagreements, the US and USSR agreed to

focus on a permanent limit on anti-ballistic missiles with temporary restrictions on offensive missiles.

• On May 26, 1972 at the Moscow Summit Meeting, Nixon and Soviet General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev signed the SALT I treaty.– The Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty had permanent restrictions on

ABMs, but allowed for a country to pull out within the first 6 months if they deemed it too detrimental to their national security.

– The treaty on offensive missiles covered major issues with offensive missiles for a five year period.

• The treaty was not as important for its missile limitations as it was for the opening up of successful negotiations between the two world superpowers.

NIXON GOES TO THE U.S.S.R.• In 1972, Nixon made a trip to

Moscow to meet with Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev. In 1973, Brezhnev visited the White House.

• This was the first ever meeting of these countries’ leaders not outside of U.S.S.R. or U.S. borders, showing the steps that détente had taken to ease tensions.

• Gerald Ford continued this policy by visiting Brezhnev in 1975.