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10th American History10th American HistoryThe War in Vietnam- CD WorksheetThe War in Vietnam- CD Worksheet

Historical Overview- Vietnam a Long Divisive WarThe French in Indo-ChinaThe French seeking trade routes to China began to colonize Vietnam in 1858.

After France collapsed in 1940 to the Germans; Japan occupied Vichy French run Vietnam. On Sept. 2, 1945, Ho Chi Minh read a declaration of independence for Vietnam. But, the French were returning to Vietnam. FDR was opposed to this because he felt the Vietnamese people were entitled to something better than a return to French Colonialism

Ho Chi MinhThe name Ho Chi Mihn means “Enlightened One”? Ho Chi Mihn traveled to

United States, London, Paris and Russia. His group was called the Vietminh in Vietnam, and was supported during WWII by United States and Nationalist Chinese. After the war he was involved in an eight-year struggle with the French. The 1954 Geneva Accords said that Vietnam was to be divided into two parts- North and South. Ho died on Sept. 3, 1969 at age 79.

1st Indo-China War The first Indo-China War lasted 8 years, and nearly bankrupted the French.

Bao Dai was the last Vietnamese Emperor and he formed a Vietnamese government with the French. May 8, 1950, the U.S. aids the French with $4 Billion over 4 years.

1953 – Dien Bien Phu Dien Bien Phu was a fortress in a valley in North Vietnam. French

paratroopers inhabited the fortress in 1953. After a two month battle, the Vietminh under General Giap, defeated the French at the fort, ending the French control of Southeast Asia.

1954 – Geneva Accords This was the division of Vietnam into a North and South Vietnam. The division was made by a peace conference in Geneva, Switzerland. The division was made along the 17th parallel. According to the agreement, the Vietnamese people- North and South were to have a national election eventually to decide on what type of government they wanted to unify the entire country.

Ngo Dihn DiemThe South Vietnamese Premier in 1954. He was very Nationalistic and Roman Catholic. His government was corrupt and cruel. Hated by the Buddhists and the French, he had one ally- the United States. The Buddhist religious groups opposed Diem due to his cruel treatment of them. They protested his administration with Self-Immolation. They publicly set themselves on fire.Diem and his brother (head of the secret police) were overthrown in a military coup (junta) in 1963. They were both assassinated. The United States under JFK knew about the coup and supported it as long as no harm came to Diem. Diem had lost his support throughout the country by this time.

National Liberation Front- NLF or VietcongWhen it became clear that President Ngo Dinh Diem had no intention of holding elections for a united Vietnam, his political opponents began to consider alternative ways of obtaining their objectives. Some came to the conclusion that violence was the only way to persuade Diem to agree to the terms of the 1954 Geneva Conference.

Ho Chi Minh was initially against this strategy, but agreed to supply the guerrilla units with aid. He also encouraged the different armed groups to join together and form a more powerful and effective resistance organization. This they agreed to do and in December, 1960, the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam (NLF) was formed. The NLF, or the 'Vietcong', as the Americans were to call them, was made up of over a dozen different political and religious groups.

The NLF put forward a ten-point program. It included the replacement of the Catholic dominated Ngo Dinh Diem administration with a government that: "represented all social classes and religions." The most popular aspect of the NLF program was the promise to take the land from the rich and to distribute it amongst the peasants. The promise of the NLF to give the peasants their land free of charge was an important factor in persuading them to help the guerrillas in their fight against the Diem government. In return for the land they had been given, the peasants agreed to help the NLF by feeding and hiding them. In some cases, the peasants also agreed to take up arms with the NLF and help 'liberate' other villages.

The strategy and tactics of the National Liberation Front were very much based on those used by Mao Zedong in China. This became known as Guerrilla Warfare. The NLF was organized into small groups of between three to ten soldiers. These groups were called cells. These cells worked together but the knowledge they had of each other was kept to the bare minimum. Therefore, when a guerrilla was captured and tortured, his confessions did not do too much damage to the NLF.

Gulf of TonkinAug. 3, 1964- Maddox Attacked The Destroyer Maddox , part of the 7th Fleet, was on maneuvers in the international waters of the Gulf of Tonkin (surveillance of supply lines from North Vietnam to the Communists of South Vietnam). It was attacked by North Vietnamese patrol boats and three torpedoes and 35 mm shells were fired at the Maddox. The Maddox returned fire, sent out fighter planes and the North Vietnamese patrol boats withdrew. The destroyer Turner Joy was also attacked in the Gulf of Tonkin, while supporting South Vietnamese patrol boat attacks.

Gulf of Tonkin ResolutionOn August 10, 1964, after the President had asked for support from Congress, Congress gave overwhelming approval to the President to use all necessary means to repel armed attack against U.S. forces and to prevent further aggression. In other words, even though the president did not

1st U.S. Combat Troops The first U.S. combat troops, 3,500 marines- called dynamic defense, came to Da Nang, South Vietnam on Mar. 7, 1965. The reaction back home was worry about the commitment of so much men and money. War protest and demands for peace grew strong at home. Teach-ins began on American campuses.

Fundamental Changes were taking place in Vietnam.

Bombing and fighting drove the peasants from the fields to cities and refugee centers. Rural economy was being disrupted. Inflation was rampant. Entrepreneurs made millions off connections with the military. SEATO, Australia, South Korea, and Thailand all sent troops to South Vietnam to help them win the struggle.

The Vietnam war and the My Lai Massacre

The Vietnam War was confusing and painful for American soldiers because there was no real front line to drive toward and no thankful or supportive nation behind them. Soldiers began to questions why they were even there.

On March 16, 1968, American soldiers under the command of Lt. Calley entered the village of My Lai on a Search and Seizure mission. By the end of the day the soldiers had slaughter between 175-400 men, women and children of the village. Were they following orders? The villagers were not resisting.

Lt. Calley called the victims- non humans, an enemy with whom one could not speak or reason. Lt. Calley had no remorse, and said simply that he was following orders- the “mere gook rule”, which meant he could be a self appointed Judge, jury and executioner. Due to some large losses in Charlie Company, Calley had said the Capt. had given orders to treat all native as the enemy and destroy everyone and everything in My Lai.Often prisoners in such cases were used as guides over trails that could be booby trapped or to walk first through mine fields. If they were too slow they were shot. The orders of the day were common- burn the houses, kill the animals, destroy food and wells and round up the people. Lt. Calley was found guilty and served 1/3 of the sentence, and received a dishonorable discharge.

Many feel that the whole affair was covered up for the following reasons- 1) It brought disgrace to the army uniform, 2) there were major repercussions in America, 3) Families, 4) and the individuals involved.

Tet OffensiveBy Jan. of 1968, the government and the leadership in Vietnam were telling the American public that the war was getting closer to the end and the Vietcong were no longer a major threat.Jan. 30, 1968 marked the beginning of the Vietnamese lunar New Year –“Tet”. Usually during this type of celebration there would be an uneasy truce between the two sides. However, on this day 84,000 Communist troops (Vietcong) launched an offensive against the U.S. and South Vietnamese forces, attacked every major city in South Vietnam including the American Embassy. The areas lost were retaken after weeks of hard fighting. In the end the Vietcong were crushed as an effective fighting force, but it mattered little as North Vietnamese regular troops now joined the war. This offensive did cause major concerns at home, it was apparent that we were not winning like we were being told.

The purpose of the offensive was to cause major damage and disorganization to government administration and the military. The Vietcong also wanted to control major cities and overthrow the Government of South Vietnam. The Vietcong miscalculated the number of defector they thought they would get from South Vietnam and also failed to keep the cities. What they did accomplish was to cause morale at home to reach an all time low, and encourage more Anti-War protest.

Nguyen Van Thieu –He was the South Vietnamese President in June 1968. Possessing a long military career, having fought the French and overthrown Diem, he authorized a general mobilization for the South Vietnamese to take control of the war. This was often referred to as a policy of Vietnamization to allow the South Vietnamese to carry the burden of the war.

Cambodian Incursion 1970In 1970, the communists in Cambodia overthrew the leader Prince Sihanouk and took over (Khmer Rouge). U.S. and South Vietnamese leadership were concerned with Vietcong and North Vietnamese bases located in Cambodia across the South Vietnam border (Mekong River). President Nixon gave the approval for an April, 30, 1970 attack across the border into Cambodia by the Allies and U.S. Tanks- an incursion. This seemed to be in direct conflict with administration’s attempt to scale down the war (Vietnamization)In the United States the Cambodian incursion sparked renewed Anti-War reactions. Demonstrations got louder and stronger. The Senate repealed the Tonkin Gulf Resolution and barred military operations in Cambodia without Congressional approval.

Feb. 8, 1971- the last major U.S. offensive in South Vietnam Feb. 8, 1971 was the last major U.S. offensive in South Vietnam. Supported by South Vietnamese ground troops American troops went into Laos to destroy supply deposits of the North Vietnamese. Vietnamese army was fighting on its own with no U.S. air support. It was a disaster.

Fighting intensified in 1971. The U.S. stepped up its bombing of North Vietnam, but to no avail. Nixon ordered the mining of North Vietnamese ports and harbors to put pressure on the stalemated Paris Peace Talks and to block war supplies. Henry Kissinger and Xuan Thung were involved in secret negotiations to end the war and get the peace.

The last U.S. troops were withdrawn on March 29, 1973. The war had lasted 8 years and 22 days. 58,177 American had died, 153,000 had been wounded and over 900 were missing (POW and MIA). The cost was well over $100 Billion. The South Vietnamese lost over 180,000 soldiers. It is next to impossible to estimate the countless numbers of Vietcong, North Vietnamese Regulars and Civilians lost.

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10th American History10th American HistoryThe War in Vietnam- CD The War in Vietnam- CD WorksheetWorksheet

CBS VIDEO- Ho Chi Mihn and the Vietminh

CBS VIDEO- General Giap and Dien Bien Phu

CBS VIDEO- Monk Immolation and Mme. Nhu

CBS VIDEO- Tet Offensive

10th American History10th American HistoryThe War in Vietnam- CD WorksheetThe War in Vietnam- CD WorksheetCBS NEWS VIDEO and article- CBS NEWS VIDEO and article- Agent Orange- Agent Orange- What was it and what was it What was it and what was it used for? ________________________________________________________________ used for? ________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What were the eventual ____________________________________________________ What were the eventual after affects of Agent Orange? ______________________ after affects of Agent Orange? ______________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________CBS NEWS VIDEO and article- CBS NEWS VIDEO and article- Napalm and Napalm girl- Napalm and Napalm girl- What was it and What was it and what was it used for? __________________________________________________________ what was it used for? __________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________CBS NEWS VIDEO and article- CBS NEWS VIDEO and article- Airpower in Vietnam – Airpower in Vietnam – Why was Vietnam a Why was Vietnam a textbook example of the use of airpower? textbook example of the use of airpower? __________________________________________ __________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

CBS NEWS VIDEO and article- CBS NEWS VIDEO and article- Boat PeopleBoat People – – Who were these people? Who were these people? __________ __________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

CBS NEWS VIDEO and article- V.C. camouflage- Why were the Vietcong so formidable? _______________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________CBS NEWS VIDEO and article- V.C. pungi- How did the Vietcong use pungi sticks? _________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________CBS NEWS VIDEO and article- Ho Chi Mihn Trail- What was it and how was it used? ____________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

CBS NEWS VIDEO and article- General Loc Loan executes a suspect- Why was Gen. Loan so famous? ____________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________CBS NEWS VIDEO and article- Tragedy at Kent State- What happened at Kent State? _______ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________CBS NEWS VIDEO and article- Killing Fields of Cambodia What happened in Cambodia? _______ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________CBS NEWS VIDEO and article- POW Ordeal What was the POW’s mission? _________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________CBS NEWS VIDEO and article- POW comes Home What happened when the POW’s came home? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________