BELLRINGER 12/13

Is there such a thing as a “good war?” How would you describe a good war? How would you describe a bad war?

Which wars have we studied thus far that you think are good wars and which are bad?

THE VIETNAM WAR: ORIGINS AND US

INVOLVEMENTFOCUS QUESTION: Why did the US become

involved in Vietnam?

1964-1973

RECAP

Which countries are COMMUNIST by the year 1960?

Who becomes President after JFK is assassinated in 1963?

What was the name of LBJ’s domestic policy?

How did most of the American public view LBJ ?

VIDEO CLIP

Origins of Vietnam

ORIGINS OF THE WAR French Occupation (1877-1940)

Japanese Occupation (1940-1945)

Late 1945 – France sent troops back to Vietnam to take back the country

France is resisted by a COMMUNIST Vietnamese man:

Ho Chi Minh

WHY DOES THE U.S. HELP FRANCE TRY TO REGAIN VIETNAM?The Domino Theory! (idea that if Vietnam fell to communism, its neighbors would follow)Keep Communism CONTAINED!

North Vietnam

Government: Communist

Leader: Ho Chi Minh

Army: Vietminh

17th parallel

GENEVA ACCORDS: VIETNAM DIVIDED AT 17TH PARALLEL

17th parallel

South Vietnam

Government: Democracy

Leader: Ngo Dinh Diem

Army: Vietcong

Geneva Accords: Vietnam Divided at 17th Parallel

Ngo Dinh Diem

Ho Chi Minh

Who do you think the U.S.

will support?

WHY?

GULF OF TONKIN RESOLUTION (AUG. 1964)

US ships fired on in the Tonkin Gulf

LBJ gets permission from Congress to send troops to Vietnam

Gives LBJ huge war powers!

“Aggression by terror against peaceful villages of Southern Vietnam has now been joined by open aggression on the high seas against the United States of America” - LBJ

MILITARY STRATEGIES LEAD TO A STALEMATE

Vietcong US

Know terrain well, able to blend in with citizens

Will pay any price for victory

Better weapons

Guerilla warfare; ambushes, booby traps, land mines

Bombing, search and destroy, Agent Orange

Advantages

Military Strategies

EFFECTS OF AGENT ORANGE AKA NAPALM

OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER

U.S. dropped bombs continuously on North Vietnam

THE TET OFFENSIVE

Surprise attack by North Vietnam on over 100 towns and Saigon (capital of South Vietnam)

The US looked really bad for not being prepared!!

Turning point of US

public opinion –

they start to think the

war is a bad idea

MY LAI MASSACRE US troops attacked this village and killed 200 women and children

Makes the US public angry at the war & the soldiers

MY LAI MASSACRE

Picture published all over the world. How does the U.S. look now?

EFFECTS OF THE VIETNAM WAR

58,000 US and 2 Million Vietnamese die

Vietnam is unified under Communism

US troops return home to mixed public reaction

Americans don’t trust in their leaders

War Powers Act requires a president to get approval from Congress to keep troops somewhere more than 90 days

1ST PERIOD PAIRS Zack, Jordan Darryl, Adrianne Tyrone, Danny Keenan, DJ Weston, Drew Amanda, Tyler Kristen, Kara Mary, Anthony Nikki, Alex Gabby, Dexter Kymtrece, Sean Jazmine, Nick Mike, Jake, Curtis

2ND PERIOD PAIRS Evan, Farandia

Hunter, Christian

Dru, Robert

Gabby, Alex

Josh, Keven

Ethan, Vincent

Nicole, Dennis

Valerie G., Chad

Chrishera, Brice

Felicia, Adam

Brianna, Jamal

Jarrett, Matt

Sam, David

Tatianna, Valerie

TICKET OUT

Why did the U.S. Get involved in Vietnam?Could the Vietnam War have been avoided? If so, how? If not, why not?