VIETNAM1969-1975

VIETNAMIZATION

• Turn war over to South Vietnamese– U.S. gradually draws down forces in South

Vietnam– South Vietnam expected to pick up more of the

fighting.

TROOP BUILDUP – 1964-1973

19631964

19651966

19671968

19691970

19711972

19730

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

15,00023,000

184,000

389,000

486,000543,000

480,000

280,000

140,000

16,000 0

Troops in Vietnam

Troops in Vietnam

Invasion of Cambodia

•Nixon: secret bombings on communist bases (Laos and Cambodia)•1970: Nixon orders “secret” invasion of Cambodia (wipe out communist sanctuaries)

Invasion of Cambodia (continued)

• Renewed protests and anti-war movement

My Lai Massacre•1969 media broke

story•1968 Lieutenant William Calley led platoon into village of My Lai•Ordered killing of over 120 elderly men, women, children•Village behavior:•daily routines•No gunfire

Results of the My Lai Massacre•Calley stood trial 1971: sentenced life in prison (hard labor)•Nixon reduced to 4 ½ months at Fort Benning, Georgia•1974: Nixon commuted entire sentence

Repeal of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

• 1970: Congress repealed Gulf Tonkin Resolution

• Took away President’s ability to wage unlimited warfare

PEACE TALKSHenry Kissenger (United States)

Le Duc Tho (North Vietnam)

October, 1972

• Kissenger: “peace at hand”• The deal:– Remove all American troops– Coalition government in South Vietnam

• Nixon promised South Vietnamese president Nguyen Van Thieu U.S. support if agreement broken– Broke off talks– U.S. renewed bombing of Hanoi

December, 1972

• Soviet Union and China on verge of improving relations with the U.S.

• So . . . USSR and China pushed North Vietnam to resume peace talks

TREATY OF PARIS

• January 27, 1973• ENDS American involvement in Vietnam– American troops removed– American Prisoner’s of War (P.O.W.’s) returned– Coalition government in South Vietnam

Post U.S. involvement

• Fighting resumes as soon as U.S. leaves

• President Van Thieu asks President Ford for help

• Congress refuses aid for South Vietnam

Fall of Saigon

• April 30, 1975• Saigon

surrounded• Loyalists to

government trying to escape

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdR2Iktffaw

Results of Vietnam War

• Single, independent, communist Vietnam

• 58,000 American soldiers killed

• Millions of Vietnamese killed

• Destruction of Vietnam• Loyalists flee to Hong Kong,

Taiwan, and U.S.• Questions begin . . .

POST WARVIETNAM

How do we recover from Vietnam?

•POLITICAL RECOVERY•SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL RECOVERY

POLITICAL RECOVERY

• Pentagon Papers – 1971–Media reveals that Johnson lied about Gulf

of Tonkin incident– Less trust in politicians and government

• 26th Amendment – 1971– Lowers voting age from 21 to 18

POLITICAL RECOVERY (continued)

• War Powers Act – 1973– President has authority to use military without

consulting Congress– If he does, he must notify Congress within 48

hours.– If Congress does not approve, he must return

troops within 60 days.

POLITICAL RECOVERY (continued)

• “Vietnam Syndrome”–Don’t let “another Vietnam”

happen again–The U.S. must be very careful when

sending troops abroad; we don’t want “another Vietnam”

SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL RECOVERY

TREATMENT OF VETERANS

IGNORED ABUSED

PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)drug/alcohol abuse

marriage/job problemsHomelessness

suicide

SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL RECOVERY (continued)

Maya Lin – Yale architecture StudentDesigned the Vietnam Memorial in

1982

What does this cartoon mean?

What does this cartoon mean?

What does this cartoon mean?