Vietnam

7. What were the causes of the Vietnam War?

Vietnam had been dominated by foreign powers for centuries…

• 1st the Chinese for over 1000 years

• Then colonized by the French in 1860s

• Built roads, RR, rice & rubber plantations

• Catholicism• French – 2nd language

• Post—WWII, Nationalist leader Ho Chi Minh returned to Vietnam to lead an independence revolt against the French

Ho Chi Minh• Long exile – some in USSR

• Returned in ’40s

• Fought Japanese

• After WWII, fought France

• “barefoot army” known as Viet Minh

•Defeated the French in 1954 at Dien Bien Phu, N. Vietnam—Communist control

Geneva Accords• Peace

conference• Vietnam was

divided at 17th parallel

• temporary dividing line

Domino Theory

• US feared if Vietnam “fell” to communism, the rest of SE would too

• Guided US foreign policy for years

• Supposed to hold elections to reunify the country

•

•N. Vietnam- Communist, led by Ho Chi Minh

•Elections never happened

                                                                                                                     

Truman• His “doctrine” = support any non-Comm. Country

• Sent $ to France

• Containment

•

                                                                                                                   

Eisenhower• Sent military advisors & $ to S. Vietnam

                                                       

Kennedy• More military advisors

• Sent LBJ to S. Vietnam to assure US support

Johnson• • Policy of

escalation• US took over major role of fighting N.V.

Gulf of Tonkin• U.S. ships off the

coast of N. Vietnam reported being fired on…LBJ launched air raids on North Vietnam; technically a declaration of war, furthered our commitment to South Vietnam

What were the major sides of the

war?

US & South Vietnam

• US allied with S.V.

• Led by Ngo Dinh Diem

Diem •

• Educated in NJ; Catholic (>90% of Vietnam was Buddhist)

• Harsh, autocratic, unpopular

North Vietnam & Viet Cong• • Led by Ho

Chi Minh• National hero

• Nationalist, Communist

Viet Cong• National Liberation Front

• Communist South Vietnamese

• Guerrilla warfare

•

•

• USSR & China were also providing military & economic aid to N.V.

Tet Offensive—1/68; Vietnamese New Year; Viet Cong caught the S. Vietnamese by surprise; targeted and invaded every major city and military center in S. Vietnam—technically failed, but it changed the public opinion in the U.S.; citizens watched this on TV—had been told we were winning the war

What were the results of the Vietnam War?•Peace agreement = 1973—U.S. agreed to withdraw, a year later, the war resumed & the Communists defeated the S., reunifying the country•U.S. lost 58,000 men & women; spent >$200 billion•Millions of Vietnamese were killed, homeless, entire generations were wiped out•Major changes in U.S. foreign policy…much more cautious when entering conflicts•Recognized the limits of military power—have a cause & support of the people