VIETNAMAncient times-1967

EARLY CONQUESTS

Fertile River Valleys B.C. – 900 A.D., China 900 – 1500, Independent 1500’s – 1941 French

EARLY CONQUESTS French

› French Catholic missionaries› 5% converted› Buddhists resentful of

Catholics Missionaries murdered French Control

› stripped natives of land › large rice plantations

(natives tenant farmers)› monopoly on opium and

alcohol Attempted revolts squashed

EARLY CONQUESTS

Independence movement

Led by Ho Chi Minh› Educated in France,

Russia, and China› Priority: independence› became communist in

1920's.

STEPS TO U.S. INVOLVEMENT 1941 – 1945

› Japan took over Vietnam› Vietminh formed› Fought with Allies› Expected independence› Led by Ho Chi Minh

1946 –1954› Ho Chi Minh declares

independence› President Truman ignores Ho

Chi Minh › French return› Vietminh begin fighting

French› U.S. supports French with

weapons and money

STEPS TO U.S. INVOLVEMENT 1954 – MAJOR CHANGES Eisenhower – Domino Theory

› Countries will fall to communism if not stopped

Vietminh overrun Dien Bien Phu› French surrender

Geneva Accords› Split Vietnam› Communist North (Ho Chi

Minh)› Non-communist South (Ngo

Dinh Diem)› Reunification elections in

1956

STEPS TO U.S. INVOLVEMENT 1956 – 1963 Elections cancelled (by

Diem) Why? Vietcong (S.V.

communists) begin attacks

Diem very unpopular Catholic (5% minority) Anti-Buddhist laws Overthrown in coup

(Nov. 1963); US did nothing

STEPS TO U.S. INVOLVEMENT

1964 – 1965 Gulf of Tonkin

Incident› U.S.S. Maddox

“fired” upon (Aug. 2, 1964)

› Aug. 4 – 2nd “attack” Led to Gulf of Tonkin

Resolution› Johnson’s “blank

check”

STEPS TO U.S. INVOLVEMENT TONKIN GULF

RESOLUTION Johnson asks Congress for

authority to retaliate Congress gives full

authority to do whatever he needs to in Vietnam

Good idea? Bad idea? Constitutional issues?

Passed House 416-0 Passed Senate 98-2 We find out years later it

was a lie – there was no attack

STEPS TO U.S. INVOLVEMENT

1965 – OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER IS LAUNCHED › Heavy bombing of

North Vietnam by the US

› Goal: bomb North Vietnam so much that they would give up

Where had that been tried before?

WHERE ARE WE BY 1965?

The U.S. had provided the South Vietnamese with:› Weapons› Money› Military advisors (15,000 by 1963)

Operation Rolling Thunder was not working› North Vietnamese (northern communists) and

the Vietcong (southern communists) were continuing to fight – and growing stronger

As President, you have four choices . . .

WHAT WILL JOHNSON DO?

Remove all U.S. troops from Vietnam› Positives/Negatives?

Declare war on North Vietnam› Positives/Negatives?

Continue to provide defensive help for important South Vietnamese installations› Positives/Negatives?

Join the South Vietnamese and commit ground troops to the war› Positives/Negatives?

WHAT WILL JOHNSON DO?

Remove all U.S. troops from Vietnam› Positives: no money being spent or lives lost in a

foreign war› Negatives: would let down our allies, would look weak

for not stopping communism NOT AN OPTION Declare war on North Vietnam

› Positives: we will be engaging the enemy on their own turf, the war is “official”

› Negatives: we may engage North Vietnam’s allies, China and the Soviet Union, which may lead to nuclear war

NOT AN OPTION

WHAT WILL JOHNSON DO?

Continue to provide defensive help for important South Vietnamese installations› Positives: we will only be helping the South Vietnamese, it will

cost less money, it will put fewer American soldiers in harm’s way

› Negatives: it’s what we’re currently doing and it’s not working NOT AN OPTION Join the South Vietnamese and commit ground troops to

the war› Positives: we will be taking out the Vietcong, General

Westmoreland says it will take 120,000 troops and be over by 1967

› Negatives: it will cost more money and more lives THE ONLY OPTION

GEN. WILLIAM WESTMORELAND

Ground commander Tells Johnson . . .

› enemy will be defeated by 1967

› Need 120,000 troops

TROOP BUILDUP – 1961-1963

Kennedy: 1,500 military advisors in South Vietnam (1961)

At death: 15,000 military advisors in South Vietnam (1963)

TROOP BUILDUP – 1964-1968

1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 19680

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

15,00023,000

184,000

389,000

486,000543,000

Troops in Vietnam

Troops in Vietnam

WHAT TYPE OF WAR WAS IT?

Civil War› Vietnamese fighting Vietnamese

Guerilla War› Enemy blends in› Ambush› Hit and run attacks› Use of tunnels

Vietcong supplied by North Vietnam via Ho Chi Minh trail

supported by Chinese and Soviets WHY THIS STYLE OF WAR?

USE OF TUNNELS

WHAT IS THE U.S. RESPONSE?

Get rid of Viet Cong Eliminate hiding places

› Napalm (burn down the jungle)

› Agent orange (defoliate the jungle)

WHAT IS THE U.S. RESPONSE? Pacification

› Remove loyal villagers› Eliminate the Viet Cong› Allow the villagers to return

HOW DO THE VIETNAMESE FEEL?

Most apathetic at war since 1941 Tired of corrupt

governments Most rural people

don’t care communist or not

Becomes a war of attrition› Viet Cong don’t have

to win; simply must outlast Americans

WHAT IS THE IMPACT ON THE U.S.?

Westmoreland claims victory is close!

Leads to a credibility gap

THE DRAFT Who is eligible?

› 18-25 year old men Who’s eligible for

deferment?› College students› Medical conditions› National Guard› Conscientious objectors

How else could you avoid the draft?› Flee the country› Burn draft card› Have right “connections”

Who is left to fight?

THE ANTI WAR MOVEMENT Who are the protesters?

› Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)

› College aged people› Called “Doves”

How are they protesting? › Refuse to go› Burn draft cards› Marches› Music

THE ANTI WAR MOVEMENT

October 21, 1967› 100,000+ march at Pentagon

1967 Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara resigns

Clark Clifford: new Secretary of Defense

war is “unwinnable” Now what?