The Vietnam War, 1954-1975 - Mr. Schuhmann's Social Studies Class

Produce aone-sidedtable in Wordwith 4 rowsdealing withthe followingtopics.Use yournotes,textbook andthe Internet ifnecessary!McCarthyismKorean WarHungaryCuban MissileCrisisBerlin WallCauses Course Consequence /AssessmentVietnam is in South-East Asia.It was part of an old FrenchColony called Indo-ChinaDuring WW2 the Japanesecaptured it from the FrenchThe Vietnamese resistance was ledby the communist Ho Chi Minh(left)1945: They resisted the Frenchwhen they tried to re-establishcontrol1946: War broke out between thetwo groupsVietnam was 9000 miles from theUSA, yet they decided to getinvolved by pouring $500 milliona year into the French war effort.Why???2

Background tothe War Differences between NorthViet Nam & South VietNamO Ho Chi Minh’s nationalistforces controlled the NorthO Ngo Dinh Diem, a Frencheducated,Roman Catholicclaimed control of theSouth3

Background tothe WarA date was set for democraticelections to reunify VietnamDiem backed out of theelections, leading to militaryconflict between North andSouthDiscussion Point:“Do you think that theUSA was justified ininterfering in the affairsof Vietnam? Explainyour answer”.4

Early Protests ofDiem’s GovernmentSelf-Emolation by a Buddhist Monk6

SEATO:Fearing that thecommunists would win amassive amount of voteswith the Buddhist peasantpopulation who weredisgusted by thematerialism of the DinhDiem government, the US- refuses to allow theseelections to take place- forms the SoutheastAsia Treaty Organization(SEATO) to protect theindependence of Vietnam. Containment / Domino Theory Truman (President 1945-53) =“Containment” = Europe Eisenhower (President 1953-61) = “Domino Theory” = Asia “You knock over the first one,and what will happen to thelast one is the certainty that itwill go over very quickly” (South Vietnam > Cambodia >Laos > Thailand > Burma >India > ??? Ho Chi Minh responds with aguerrilla campaign against thesouth.7

Activity: Produce your own politicalcartoon on how the domino theoryWorks! Include labels and at leasta one-sentence caption.8

Warm Up:Questions: 1) What twodifferent strategiescould the U.S. havetaken towards VietNam during the1960’s? 2) Why are the twomen pictured in thisway? 3)Are these positiveor negativecriticisms of thestrategies? Explainyour answer.U.S. MilitaryInvolvement Begins Repressive dictatorial rule by DiemDiem’s family holds all powerWealth is hoarded by the eliteBuddhist majority persecutedTorture, lack of political freedomprevail The U.S. aided Diem’s governmentIke sent financial and military aid 675 U.S. Army advisors sent by 1960.9

U.S. MilitaryInvolvement Begins Kennedy elected 1960 Increases military “advisors” to16,000 1963: JFK supports a Vietnamesemilitary coup d’etat (overthrow)–Diem and his brother aremurdered (Nov. 2) Kennedy was assassinated justweeks later (Nov. 22)10

Johnson SendsGround Forces Remembers Truman’s “loss”of China Domino TheoryrevivedI’m not going to bethe president whosaw Southeast Asiago the way Chinawent.Johnson SendsGround Forces Advised to rout the communistsby Secretary of State, RobertS. McNamara Tonkin Gulf Incident 1964(acc. to Johnson, the attacks wereunprovoked) Tonkin Gulf Resolution “The Blank Check” *13

Gulf of Tonkin Incident &ResolutionThe Gulf of Tonkin Incident is thename given to two separateincidents involving naval forces ofthe Democratic Republic ofVietnam (North Vietnam) and theUnited States in the waters of theGulf of Tonkin.– 1) On 2 August 1964, the destroyer USSMaddox (DD-731) engaged three NorthVietnamese P-4 torpedo boats, resultingin damage to the three boats.– 2) Two days later the Maddox (havingbeen joined by the destroyer C. TurnerJoy (DD-951) reported a secondengagement with North Vietnamesevessels. This second report was laterconcluded to be incorrect.Together, these two incidentsprompted the first large-scaleinvolvement of U.S. armed forcesin Southeast Asia.USS Maddox fires uponthree P-4 torpedo boatsWho lied? And Why? In 2005, an official NSA declassifiedreport revealed that the Maddox hadengaged the North Vietnamese, butthat there may not have been anyNorth Vietnamese vessels presentduring the engagement of 4 August.The report stated– [I]t is not simply that there is a different story asto what happened; it is that no attackhappened that night. [...] In truth, Hanoi's navywas engaged in nothing that night but thesalvage of two of the boats damaged on 2August.14

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution Gulf of Tonkin Resolution--granted U.S.President Lyndon B. Johnson the authorityto assist any Southeast Asian countrywhose government was considered to bejeopardized by "communist aggression,"including the commitment of U.S. forceswithout a declaration of war. The resolution served as Johnson's legaljustification for escalating Americaninvolvement in the Republic of Vietnam(South Vietnam).15

U.S. TroopDeploymentsin Vietnam600,000500,000400,000U.S. Troops300,000200,000100,0001961 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 19680ASSIGNMENT:Read and complete thequestions for:“Different Visions forViet Nam”16

Ho Chi Minh TrailThe Ho Chi Minh trail was asystem of roads that ran from theDemocratic Republic of Vietnam(North Vietnam) to the Republic ofVietnam (South Vietnam) throughthe neighboring kingdoms of Laosand Cambodia. The system providedsupport, in the form of manpowerand material, to the National Frontfor the Liberation of South Vietnam(or Viet Cong) and the People'sArmy of Vietnam (PAVN) duringthe Vietnam War.The trail was not a single route, butrather a complex maze of truckroutes, paths for foot and bicycletraffic, and river transportationsystems.The road is named after NorthVietnamese president Ho Chi Minh.18

The Air War1965-1968 1965: Sustained bombing ofNorth Vietnam Operation Rolling Thunder (1965-68): Ongoing bombing of Hanoinonstop for 3 years! Esp.targets the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Downed Pilots: P.O.W.s.Example: Republican Presidentialcandidate John McCain!19

Operation Rolling ThunderOperation Rolling Thunder was a sustained U.S.2nd Air Division (later Seventh Air Force), U.S.Navy, and Republic of Vietnam Air Force (VNAF)aerial bombardment campaign against theDemocratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam)from March 1965 until November 1968, during theVietnam War.The four objectives of the operation were:– 1) To bolster the sagging morale of the Saigonregime in the Republic of Vietnam;– 2) To convince North Vietnam to cease itssupport for the communist insurgency in SouthVietnam;– 3) To destroy North Vietnam's transportationsystem, industrial base, and air defenses;– 4) To interdict the flow of men and materialinto South Vietnam. Rolling Thunder failed due to the military aidand assistance received by North Vietnam from itscommunist allies, the Soviet Union and the People'sRepublic of China (PRC). Operation RollingThunder was terminated in 1968.F-105 Thunderchiefs radar-bombing atdirection of B-66 leader.Chemical Warfarefrom the Air! Carpet Bombing –napalm --Napalmis the name givento any of anumber offlammable liquidsused in warfare,often jelliedgasoline.U.S. napalm bomb strike in South Vietnam,1966. U.S. dropped more than 338,000 tonsof napalm (jellied gasoline) on Vietnam andkilled more than 2 million Vietnamese duringeight years of war (AP).20

The Air War:A Napalm Attack Vietcong:Who Is the Enemy?Farmers by day; guerillasat night.Very patient peoplewilling to accept manycasualties.The US grosslyunderestimated theirresolve and theirresourcefulness.The guerilla wins if he does not lose,the conventional army loses if it doesnot win. -- Mao Zedong21

Who Is theEnemy?22

3. What’s this cartoon about? Whatdoes this reveal about the strugglesof President Johnson?Why? Explain your opinion, backed by facts.Why? Explain you opinion, backed by facts.zThe Ground War1965-1968General Westmoreland--was an American General whocommanded American military operations in the Vietnam Warat its peak from 1964 to 1968We can see the“light at the end of the tunnel (1967).”23

The Tet Offensive,January 1968 N. Vietnamese Army + Viet Congattack South simultaneously (67,000attack 100 cities, bases, and the USembassy in Saigon) Take every major southern city U.S. + ARVN beat back the offensive Viet Cong destroyed N. Vietnamese army debilitated BUT…it’s seen as an American defeatby the mediaThe TetOffensive,January196824

Impact of theTet Offensive Domestic U.S. Reaction:Disbelief, Anger, Distrust ofJohnson Administration Hey, Hey LBJ! Howmany kids did youkill today?25

Johnson’spopularitydropped in1968 from48% to 36%.Impact of theVietnam WarJohnson announces (March, 1968):…I shall notseek, and I willnot accept, thenomination of myparty for anotherterm as yourPresident.26

American MoraleBegins to Dip Disproportionate representation ofpoor people and minorities. Severe racial problems. Major drugproblems. Officers in combat6 mo.; in rear6 mo. Enlistedmen in combat for 12 mo.Are We Becomingthe Enemy?Charlie Company, 1 st Battalion, 20 th Infantry Mylai Massacre, March 1968 300-500 unarmed villagers Lt. William Calley,Platoon Leader27

Impact ofMy Lai MassacreThe My Lai Massacre was the mass murder of upto 500 unarmed citizens of the Republic ofVietnam (South Vietnam), almost entirelycivilians and some of them, women and children,conducted by U.S. Army forces on March 16,1968. The massacre took place in the hamlets ofMỹ Lai and My Khe of Sơn Mỹ village.Some of the victims were sexually abused, beaten,tortured, or maimed, and some of the dead bodieswere mutilated!The incident prompted widespread outrage aroundthe world. The massacre also reduced U.S.support at home for the Vietnam War. Three U.S.servicemen who made an effort to halt themassacre and protect the wounded were sharplycriticized by US Congressmen, received hatemail, death threats and mutilated animals on theirdoorsteps.Only 30 years after the event were their effortshonored.SP5 Capezza burning a dwelling.28