Vietnam

Bell QuestionsAt the start what percentage of Americans

approved of the policy in Vietnam.66 %

What were those who wanted to withdraw from Vietnam known as?Doves

How many were killed during for the My Lai Massacre?504 civilians

How many people went to jail for the My Lai Massacre?One

What were the communist-led guerrillas in Vietnam known as?The Viet Cong

Who escalated the Vietnam War in 1965 with air strikes on the North?President Johnson

Before the Tet Offensive, most of the fighting had been small skirmishes using what type of tactics?guerilla tactics

In military terms who won the Tet Offensive?The US

LLL:LLl

This Day in History

Notes: A quick overviewBetween 1945 and 1954, the Vietnamese

waged an anti-colonial war against France received $2.6 billion in financial support from

the USAfter French defeat - peace conference in

GenevaLaos, Cambodia, and Vietnam received

independence Vietnam divided between an anti-Communist

South and a Communist North.

NotesIn 1956, South Vietnam, with American

backing, refused to hold the unification elections.

By 1958, Communist-led guerrillas known as the Viet Cong had begun to battle the South Vietnamese government.

NotesUS sent in 2,000 military advisors–

support South’s governmentBy 1963- 16,300

Condition deteriorated- by 1963 South Vietnam had lost the fertile Mekong Delta to the Vietcong

In 1965, Johnson escalated - air strikes on North Vietnam

ground forces of 536,000 in 1968.

NotesThe 1968 Tet Offensive by the North

Vietnamese turned many Americans against the war.

Nixon takes office- advocated Vietnamization -withdrawing US troops and giving S Vietnam greater responsibility for fighting the war.

NotesFrom 1968 to 1973 efforts were made to

end the conflict through diplomacy. In January 1973- agreement

U.S. forces were withdrawnU.S. prisoners of war were releasedIn April 1975, South Vietnam surrendered to

the North and Vietnam was reunited

NotesCONSEQUENCES:Cost the US 58,000 lives - 350,000 total

casualtiesOne to two million Vietnamese deathsCongress enacted the War Powers Act in 1973

requiring the president to receive explicit Congressional approval before committing American forces overseas.

Longest war in American history and the most unpopular

Notes The Tet OffensiveJanuary 31, 1968 - The Tet Offensive70,000 North Vietnamese soldiersturning point in the Vietnam WarU.S. troops had been in Vietnam for three

yearsmost of the fighting - small skirmishes -

guerilla tacticsGeneral Vo Nguyen Giap - time for the

North Vietnamese to make a major surprise attack

NotesEarly morningNorth Vietnamese troops and Viet Cong –

attacked 100 towns and cities in South Vietnam- broke ceasefire

surprised both the Americans and the South Vietnamese

North hoped for uprising from the people - met heavy resistance instead

NotesSome areas Communists were repelled

quickly – hoursSome took weeksIn military terms- US won the Tet

Offensive -Communists did not maintain control over any part of South Vietnam

Communists North- 45,000 killed

NotesLed the U.S. to realize that the South was

much stronger than they had expectedLyndon B. Johnson ended escalation of

involvement in Vietnam

Public Opinion FOR the war

Indicator Pre-TET Post-TET Change

Approves Johnson's handling of job as president

48% 36% -12

Approves Johnson's handling of Vietnam

39% 26% -13

Regards war in Vietnam as a mistake

45% 49% +4

Proportion classifying themselves as "hawks"

60% 41% -19

NotesDomestic Opposition to the WarAt first most Americans supported the military

effort

66 % approved of the policy in Vietnam

Commanders were confident -“we have reached an important point where the end begins to come into view.” the end was in sight.

NotesMedia reports were less optimisticVietnam was the first “television war” footage of combat appeared nightly on

the evening newsbegan to doubt government reports

NotesUniversity of Michigan starts a teach-in

Spreads to other colleges across the country

Reasons for opposition

Saw the conflict as a civil war

South Vietnam was a corrupt dictatorship -defending it was immoral and unjust

Anger at the draft

NotesMost prominent -J. William FulbrightDemocrat from Arkansas

chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

broke with Lyndon Johnson over the war in Vietnam

February 1966 - six days of televised hearings on the conduct of the war

NotesEarly 1968, 53 % favored stronger military action - 24 % wanted to end the war

By 1968 we are divided Doves - withdraw from VietnamHawks - insisted that the country stay and fight

And then The Tet Offensive

NotesIn the weeks following the Tet Offensive, the

president’s approval fell -35 %

handling of the war 26 %

The credibility gap now seemed too wide to repair.

My Lai Massacre

NotesMy Lai Massacre11th Infantry Brigade - Charley Company- Platoon - Lt

William Calley

March 16, 1968Hamlet of My LaiNorthern part of South Vietnam“search and destroy” missionGoing after 48th Viet Cong BattalionMet no resistance in My Lai

Notes700 inhabitantsNo males of fighting ageIn three hours they killed as many as 504 civiliansMost of the victims were old men, women, and children

fifty age 3 or younger, 69 between 4 and 7, and 27 in their 70s or 80s.

Women were rapedSome victims were mutilated with the signature

"C Company" carved into the chest.

NotesHugh Thompson -helicopter pilot

Threatened to fire on US troops in order to rescue the Vietnamese from the slaughter

My Lai massacre took place shortly after the Tet Offensive

Charlie Company had suffered 28 casualties (five dead) just two days before the massacre

two days before the massacre-booby trap, killing a popular sergeant, blinding one GI and wounding several others.

NotesThe Cover-UpClaimed to have killed 128 Viet Cong

during the operationOnly 3 weapons capturedClaimed that only 20 civilians had been

killed inadvertentlyHelicopter gunner wrote letters to 30

congressional and military officials

Notes33 of the 105 members of Charlie Company

participated in the massacre28 officers involved in cover upCharges brought against 13 menOnly Lt. Calley went to prison

Defining symbol of the Vietnam warThe actions of a small group convinced many

people that the war was brutal and senseless