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VIETNAMVIETNAM, 1946-75 , 1946-75 (the (the 10,000 Day War10,000 Day War))

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PHASE 1 - A WAR OF PHASE 1 - A WAR OF COLONIAL INDEPENDENCECOLONIAL INDEPENDENCEAGAINST THE FRENCHAGAINST THE FRENCH

Vietnam had been a French Vietnam had been a French colony under the name of colony under the name of French IndochinaFrench Indochina (along with (along withCambodia and Cambodia and Laos)Laos)

Vietnam began to fight for its Vietnam began to fight for its independence from France independence from France during WW II ( when France during WW II ( when France was preoccupied with was preoccupied with European conflict)European conflict)

the Vietnamese revolutionary the Vietnamese revolutionary leader was leader was Ho Chi MinhHo Chi Minh, a , a CommunistCommunist

wanted to be the leader ofwanted to be the leader ofan independent, communist an independent, communist Vietnam; Ho received support Vietnam; Ho received support from both the USSR and from both the USSR and “Red” China“Red” China

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this colonial war raged from this colonial war raged from 1946-54, culminating in the 1946-54, culminating in the French defeat at French defeat at DienbienphuDienbienphu

Fr. decided it wanted out and Fr. decided it wanted out and called a peace conference in called a peace conference in Geneva, Switzerland (attended Geneva, Switzerland (attended by France, Vietnam, the US, by France, Vietnam, the US, and the USSR)and the USSR)

the decision of the conference the decision of the conference was to partition Vietnam into a was to partition Vietnam into a communist North led by Ho communist North led by Ho and a “democratic” South and a “democratic” South Vietnam led by Vietnam led by Ngo Dinh DiemNgo Dinh Diem

the settlement was an the settlement was an outgrowth of basic Cold War outgrowth of basic Cold War tensions between the tensions between the Americans and Soviets and Americans and Soviets and clearly reflected the US policy clearly reflected the US policy of of containmentcontainment with respect to with respect to Soviet communist Soviet communist expansionismexpansionism

the US had come to see South the US had come to see South Vietnam as a “Vietnam as a “dominodomino” that ” that they couldn’t afford to losethey couldn’t afford to lose

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PHASE 2 – AMERICAN ESCALATION AND MILITARY PHASE 2 – AMERICAN ESCALATION AND MILITARY INVOLVEMENTINVOLVEMENT

this phase originated with this phase originated with ““Ike” and JFK but was Ike” and JFK but was intensified under Lyndonintensified under LyndonBaines Johnson (LBJ), who Baines Johnson (LBJ), who assumed the presidencyassumed the presidency after JFK’s assassinationafter JFK’s assassination

The U.S. never formally The U.S. never formally issued a declaration of war, butissued a declaration of war, but after the after the Gulf of Tonkin IncidentGulf of Tonkin Incident, , where 2 Americanwhere 2 Americandestroyers were apparently destroyers were apparently fired upon by the North fired upon by the North Vietnamese, Congress Vietnamese, Congress passed the passed the Tonkin GulfTonkin GulfResolutions (August 1964)Resolutions (August 1964)- - herehere Congress gave LBJ Congress gave LBJ their support in sending their support in sending American personnel and materielAmerican personnel and materiel

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in spite of ongoing escalation in spite of ongoing escalation throughout the 1960s, the USthroughout the 1960s, the USexperienced a lack of successexperienced a lack of successagainst the Vietnamese against the Vietnamese guerrilla forces in S.guerrilla forces in S.Vietnam (the Vietnam (the VietcongVietcong) as the) as theUS Army was unprepared forUS Army was unprepared for

their tactics and mentality their tactics and mentality

The US was also never entirely The US was also never entirely successful in shuttingsuccessful in shutting

down the down the Ho Chi Minh TrailHo Chi Minh Trail, a, a supply line that ran betweensupply line that ran between North and South Vietnam viaNorth and South Vietnam via difficult jungle terrain, difficult jungle terrain,

often underground and often underground and through neighboring nationsthrough neighboring nations

like Cambodialike Cambodia

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the war definitely turned the war definitely turned against the US in 1968, against the US in 1968, when the NVA’s General when the NVA’s General Giap began the Giap began the Tet Tet OffensiveOffensive, a surprise , a surprise offensive on a major offensive on a major Vietnamese holiday that Vietnamese holiday that saw attacks all over the saw attacks all over the country, including in country, including in Saigon itselfSaigon itself

ongoing US casualties ongoing US casualties and losses saw an and losses saw an increase in antiwar increase in antiwar sentiment on the sentiment on the American Home Front,American Home Front,in large part because in large part because Vietnam was a Vietnam was a TV WarTV War where American where American audiences saw the audiences saw the brutality of war firsthandbrutality of war firsthand

Slide 7 this included this included

American atrocities at American atrocities at My LaiMy Lai (Lieutenant (Lieutenant Calley)Calley)

they also witnessed they also witnessed the usage of weapons the usage of weapons like like napalmnapalm and and Agent OrangeAgent Orange, which , which devastated the devastated the environmentenvironment

Slide 8Agent Orange was the nickname given to a herbicide and defoliant used by the U.S. military in its Herbicidal Warfare program during the Vietnam War. Cropdusting in Vietnam during Operation Ranch Hand lasted from 1962 to 1971.

Slide 9Effects of Agent Orange

Images taken from Agent Orange: "Collateral Damage" in Vietnam by Philip Jones Griffiths

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MORE VIETNAM PHASE 2 – AMERICAN ESCALATION AND MORE VIETNAM PHASE 2 – AMERICAN ESCALATION AND MILITARY INVOLVEMENTMILITARY INVOLVEMENT

After Tet and My Lai, After Tet and My Lai, increasingly the increasingly the American people came to American people came to perceive the “perceive the “Credibility Credibility GapGap”, i.e. they no longer”, i.e. they no longerbelieved that LBJ was believed that LBJ was telling them the truth telling them the truth about events in the warabout events in the war

in 1968, LBJ chose not to in 1968, LBJ chose not to run for president, and run for president, and Republican Richard M. Republican Richard M. Nixon was elected on a Nixon was elected on a platform of “platform of “Peace with Peace with HonourHonour””

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· As the fighting escalated, the U.S. relied on the draft for raising troops.

· By 1968, over half a million Americans were fighting in the Vietnam War.

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· In addition, it was very difficult to identify which South Vietnamese were our allies and which were supporting the Vietcong.

· Jungle warfare was difficult, and it was hard to locate the enemy.

Video Clip: Platoon The Uncertain Enemy

Ex Vietcong showing secret tunnels, November 7, 2004

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This Pulitzer Prize winning photograph is of Kim Phuc Phan Thi, center, running down a road near after a napalm bomb was dropped on her village by a plane of the Vietnam Air Force. The village was suspected by US Army forces of being a Viet Cong stronghold. Kim Phuc survived by tearing off her burning clothes.

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"Napalm is the most terrible pain you can imagine," said

Kim Phuc. “Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius. Napalm

generates temperatures of 800 to 1,200 degrees Celsius.“

Phuc sustained third-degree burns to half her body and was

not expected to live. Thanks to the assistance of South

Vietnamese photographer Nick Ut, and after surviving a 14-

month hospital stay and 17 operations, Phuc eventually

recovered.

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A guerrilla in the Mekong Delta paddles through a mangrove forest defoliated by Agent Orange (1970).

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The Anti-War Movement IntensifiesThe Anti-War Movement Intensifies

As the Counterculture As the Counterculture gathered momentum gathered momentum (Hippies, Flower (Hippies, Flower Children, etc.), Children, etc.), protests became protests became widespread and widespread and began to polarize the began to polarize the nationnation

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The movement was The movement was intensified after the intensified after the Kent Kent State MassacreState Massacre

National Guardsmen National Guardsmen opened fire on student opened fire on student protestors in Ohio, killing protestors in Ohio, killing four, and by Senator four, and by Senator William Fulbright’s William Fulbright’s (Chairman of the Senate (Chairman of the Senate Armed Forces Armed Forces Committee) admission Committee) admission that the war was a that the war was a “mess”“mess”

Slide 19Protests at Home

· Thousands of Americans protested against the war, especially on college campuses.

Anti-Vietnam War protests, Ohio State University

Video: Country Joe and the Fish, Woodstock Music Festival (1969) 3:18

Slide 20· On May 4, 1970, the Ohio National Guard killed 4 anti-war protesters at Kent State University.

This Pulitzer Prize winning photo shows Mary Ann Vecchio screaming as she kneels over the body of student Jeffrey Miller at Kent State University. National Guardsmen had fired into a crowd of demonstrators, killing four and wounding nine.

Slide 21“Ohio”

Crosby Stills Nash & Young

Tin soldiers and Nixon's comin'.We're finally on our own.This summer I hear the drummin'.Four dead in Ohio.

(chorus) Gotta get down to it.Soldiers are cutting us down.Should have been done long ago.What if you knew her andFound her dead on the ground?How can you run when you know?

Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na.Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na.Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na.Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na.

(chorus)

Tin soldiers and Nixon's comin'.We're finally on our own.This summer I hear the drummin'.Four dead in Ohio. (9X)

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Nixon wanted the South Nixon wanted the South Vietnamese to play a Vietnamese to play a greater role in the war, a greater role in the war, a policy he labeled policy he labeled VietnamizationVietnamization

in spite of that, he in spite of that, he continues carpet continues carpet bombing Hanoi and bombing Hanoi and orders a secret invasion orders a secret invasion of Cambodiaof Cambodia

He relied on the He relied on the diplomacy of diplomacy of Henry Henry KissingerKissinger to achieve to achieve peace and/or an peace and/or an American withdrawalAmerican withdrawal

the US does manage to the US does manage to extricate itself by Jan. 27, extricate itself by Jan. 27, 19731973

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· However, the U.S. continued to send billions of dollars in support of the South Vietnamese.

Peace Without Victory

· In January 1973, the U.S. reached a cease-fire agreement with North Vietnam and brought their troops home.

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PHASE 3 – VIETNAMESE CIVIL PHASE 3 – VIETNAMESE CIVIL WAR, 1973-75WAR, 1973-75

the NVA easily defeated the NVA easily defeated the South by 1975; the the South by 1975; the South had appealed to South had appealed to Nixon for aid, which had Nixon for aid, which had been promised, but by been promised, but by 1975 Nixon was 1975 Nixon was embroiled in the embroiled in the domestic Watergate domestic Watergate Crisis, and he was in Crisis, and he was in essence a “lame duck”essence a “lame duck”

1975 – the US abandoned 1975 – the US abandoned its embassy in Saigon, its embassy in Saigon, which was renamed which was renamed Ho Chi Minh CityHo Chi Minh City in the in the newly unified and newly unified and communist Vietnamcommunist Vietnam

Slide 25· In April of 1975, the communists captured the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon, renamed it Ho Chi Minh City, and reunited Vietnam under one communist flag.

Video: People rush to leave Saigon as the city falls to the Vietcong. April 30, 1975 (9 min.)

Slide 26Civil War in Cambodia

· The U.S. and South Vietnamese began to secretly bomb communist bases in Cambodia used by the North Vietnamese.

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· The Khmer Rouge were brutal leaders, killing approximately two million people in just a few short years.

· Cambodia soon fought a civil war, which was won by the communist Khmer Rouge in 1975, whereupon they changed the name of the country to Kampuchea.

Cambodia: Khmer Rouge 1975 to 1979 (2:55)

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· Between 1961 and 1973 over 58,000 Americans died in the Vietnam War.

Vietnam Balance Sheet

· During the same time period, over 1,500,000 Vietnamese died as well.

Vietnam War Memorial, Washington, D.C.