The War in VietnamThe War in Vietnam

Chapter 24 section 1 and 2Chapter 24 section 1 and 2

Background to ConflictBackground to Conflict

• Vietnam lost its independence during the Vietnam lost its independence during the surge of European Imperialism in the surge of European Imperialism in the 1800’s1800’s

• They lost their Independence to the French They lost their Independence to the French in 1833in 1833

• Most Vietnamese stayed loyal to a free Most Vietnamese stayed loyal to a free VietnamVietnam

• Foremost of the Vietnamese nationalists Foremost of the Vietnamese nationalists was Ho Chi Minhwas Ho Chi Minh

Ho Chi MinhHo Chi Minh• Ho Chi Minh was a Vietnamese nationalist Ho Chi Minh was a Vietnamese nationalist

living in China and the Soviet Union working living in China and the Soviet Union working for Independencefor Independence

• During this time he became committed to During this time he became committed to the Ideals of Communismthe Ideals of Communism

• When the Germans Invaded France during When the Germans Invaded France during the second World War Japan took control of the second World War Japan took control of Indo China (Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos)Indo China (Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos)

• This is when Ho Chi Minh saw his chanceThis is when Ho Chi Minh saw his chance

• He returned to Vietnam in 1941 and He returned to Vietnam in 1941 and organized a resistance movementorganized a resistance movement

France and the Vietminh go to France and the Vietminh go to warwar• The Vietminh were Ho Chi Minh’s group that The Vietminh were Ho Chi Minh’s group that

declared independence when Japan declared independence when Japan surrendered to the USsurrendered to the US

• In order to gain the US support he echoed the In order to gain the US support he echoed the declaration of independence in his speechdeclaration of independence in his speech

• However the French wanted their former However the French wanted their former territory back and were sending in troops by territory back and were sending in troops by 19461946

• The US supported France because they were The US supported France because they were seen as an ally in the fight against seen as an ally in the fight against communismcommunism

ContinuedContinued• He was also unwilling to back Ho Chi Minh He was also unwilling to back Ho Chi Minh

because of his communist party connectionsbecause of his communist party connections• This was further complicated by Mao This was further complicated by Mao

Zedong’s communist party taking over China Zedong’s communist party taking over China and The US helping South Korea fight and The US helping South Korea fight against a Communist North Koreaagainst a Communist North Korea

• This led to the This led to the Domino TheoryDomino Theory that stated that stated if Vietnam fell to Communism then the rest if Vietnam fell to Communism then the rest of Southeast Asia would followof Southeast Asia would follow

• This theory led to the backing of the French This theory led to the backing of the French and the eventual involvement in a losing warand the eventual involvement in a losing war

• The French surrendered May 7, 1954The French surrendered May 7, 1954

The Geneva ConferenceThe Geneva Conference

• One day after the surrender there was a One day after the surrender there was a conference to determine what to be done conference to determine what to be done with Indochina.with Indochina.

• China had been helping the Vietminh and China had been helping the Vietminh and hoped to limit US influence in the regionhoped to limit US influence in the region

• And the US did not want Vietnam to And the US did not want Vietnam to become communistbecome communist

• There was an agreement to divide There was an agreement to divide Vietnam at the 17Vietnam at the 17thth parallel parallel

• The French regained control in the South The French regained control in the South

1717thth parallel parallel

New South VietnamNew South Vietnam• Ngo Dinh Diem was an anticommunist who Ngo Dinh Diem was an anticommunist who

had spent several years in the UShad spent several years in the US• He had the backing of powerful backers He had the backing of powerful backers

who were determined to get him electedwho were determined to get him elected• In 1955 Ngo Dinh Diem became president In 1955 Ngo Dinh Diem became president

of the new Republic of Vietnamof the new Republic of Vietnam• The election was rigged in Diem’s favor The election was rigged in Diem’s favor

receiving 150,000 more votes than there receiving 150,000 more votes than there were registered voters in Saigon. were registered voters in Saigon.

• Then a year later when there were Then a year later when there were supposed to be another election Diem supposed to be another election Diem refused to hold itrefused to hold it

Ngo Dinh DiemNgo Dinh Diem

Ngo Dinh DiemNgo Dinh Diem• Diem was a roman Catholic which was Diem was a roman Catholic which was

unpopular with the in the large Buddhist unpopular with the in the large Buddhist populationpopulation

• his reign of terror against his political his reign of terror against his political enemies torturing those who he thought to enemies torturing those who he thought to want to overthrow his presidencywant to overthrow his presidency

• The Vietminh created the National Liberation The Vietminh created the National Liberation Front or NLF its members called the VietcongFront or NLF its members called the Vietcong

• Eventually the Buddhist became oppressed Eventually the Buddhist became oppressed when they started to outwardly oppose when they started to outwardly oppose Diem. In protest the set themselves on fire. Diem. In protest the set themselves on fire.

• The next picture is gruesome if you want to The next picture is gruesome if you want to close your eyesclose your eyes

Diem’s OverthrowDiem’s Overthrow• The US supported the over throw of Diem and The US supported the over throw of Diem and

in 1963 they murdered Diem and his brotherin 1963 they murdered Diem and his brother

• President Johnson then needed to have President Johnson then needed to have Congress backing to get more involvement in Congress backing to get more involvement in VietnamVietnam

• The Tonkin Gulf Resolution gave the president The Tonkin Gulf Resolution gave the president the authority to take all necessary measures the authority to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attacks against US forcesto repel any armed attacks against US forces

• This gave the President the authority to This gave the President the authority to expand the warexpand the war

US Forces in VietnamUS Forces in Vietnam• Johnson soon called for a buildup of troops in Johnson soon called for a buildup of troops in

VietnamVietnam• He ordered the selective service to call up He ordered the selective service to call up

more men for the armed forces with the draftmore men for the armed forces with the draft• During the war more than 2 million American During the war more than 2 million American

men served in Vietnam including those that men served in Vietnam including those that were draftedwere drafted

• one out of four draftees were excused for one out of four draftees were excused for health reasons and 30% more received health reasons and 30% more received deferments (or postponed service)deferments (or postponed service)

• The deferments that were received were due The deferments that were received were due to college educations leaving the poorer to college educations leaving the poorer classes who could not afford college to fight classes who could not afford college to fight for themfor them

ContinuedContinued• As a result poor Americans were drafted in As a result poor Americans were drafted in

record numbersrecord numbers

• Minorities went into combat in high numbersMinorities went into combat in high numbers

• In the early years of the war African Americans In the early years of the war African Americans accounted for 24% of battle deaths even accounted for 24% of battle deaths even though they made up only 11% of the armed though they made up only 11% of the armed forcesforces

• 10,000 women experienced the horrors of the 10,000 women experienced the horrors of the war mostly as nurses on the ground in Vietnamwar mostly as nurses on the ground in Vietnam

• Another 20,000 to 45,000 worked for the war in Another 20,000 to 45,000 worked for the war in civilian organizations like the red crosscivilian organizations like the red cross

The war in the airThe war in the air• President Johnson hoped to gain a quick President Johnson hoped to gain a quick

victory and launched Operation Rolling victory and launched Operation Rolling ThunderThunder

• This was a bombing campaign that was to This was a bombing campaign that was to weaken the enemies will to fightweaken the enemies will to fight

• A key target was the Ho Chi Minh trail. A A key target was the Ho Chi Minh trail. A network of jungle paths for supplies and network of jungle paths for supplies and weaponsweapons

• When this didn’t work they started dropping When this didn’t work they started dropping more bombs along with chemicals that more bombs along with chemicals that helped kill the vegetation in order to expose helped kill the vegetation in order to expose the Vietcong and kill their natural food the Vietcong and kill their natural food supplysupply

The Ground WarThe Ground War• The constant bombing that eventually The constant bombing that eventually

started even in the south led some south started even in the south led some south Vietnamese to join the VietcongVietnamese to join the Vietcong

• The US tripled the number of ground The US tripled the number of ground troops but it did not seem to effect the troops but it did not seem to effect the Vietcong who appeared to be everywhereVietcong who appeared to be everywhere

• The US started Search and Destroy The US started Search and Destroy missions to find the Vietcong and then missions to find the Vietcong and then bomb their location bomb their location

• They would then move on to find the next They would then move on to find the next location that needed to be bombedlocation that needed to be bombed

continuedcontinued

• Snipers and booby traps made these Snipers and booby traps made these missions very dangerous and frustratingmissions very dangerous and frustrating

• The US then started to move whole villages The US then started to move whole villages and burn them to the ground and burn them to the ground

• Instead of using land taken as a way to mark Instead of using land taken as a way to mark progress they instead used a body countprogress they instead used a body count

• The body count was usually wrong cause The body count was usually wrong cause they said if its dead and Vietnamese, its they said if its dead and Vietnamese, its VietcongVietcong

• This was not always true and the morale in This was not always true and the morale in winning Vietnam droppedwinning Vietnam dropped

The Media and the warThe Media and the war

• This war like never before was seen by the This war like never before was seen by the worldworld

• American television showed images of American television showed images of frightened Vietnamese and dead or injured frightened Vietnamese and dead or injured soldierssoldiers

• As a result Americans saw images that As a result Americans saw images that seemed to contradict the government reportsseemed to contradict the government reports

• The administration found itself criticized by The administration found itself criticized by both Doves and Hawksboth Doves and Hawks

• Doves- were people opposed to the warDoves- were people opposed to the war

• Hawks- supported the wars goal’sHawks- supported the wars goal’s

The Anti-War movementThe Anti-War movement• The large fatality rate and images that were The large fatality rate and images that were

on the television spurred the anti-war on the television spurred the anti-war movementmovement

• Students, professionals, homemakers and the Students, professionals, homemakers and the retired people started to come together in retired people started to come together in protests against the warprotests against the war

• They called for an immediate end to the warThey called for an immediate end to the war

• Despite their high visibility they made up a Despite their high visibility they made up a small percent of the US populationsmall percent of the US population

• Some extreme groups believed it was one’s Some extreme groups believed it was one’s patriotic duty to fight for their countrypatriotic duty to fight for their country

• The other extremists burned the flag in protestThe other extremists burned the flag in protest

AssignmentAssignment

• Those on the left Those on the left side of the room side of the room must write a must write a paragraph paragraph defending the War defending the War from the from the perspective of an perspective of an American of the American of the timetime

• Those on the right Those on the right must write a must write a paragraph paragraph protesting the war protesting the war from the from the perspective of an perspective of an American of the American of the timetime