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BELLWORK1. What were the advantages Americans had in the
Vietnam War?
2. What were the advantages the North Vietnamese/VietCong had in the War?
3. What were the pros/cons of using Agent Orange?
4. How did the U.S. officially become involved in the Vietnam War?
5. What is guerilla warfare? Do you think it is effective?
6. THINKER: In your opinion, why were so many Americans unsupportive of U.S. involvement in Vietnam?
Operation Rolling Thunder
American Bombings
General Nguyen Van Thieu
U.S. Troops in Vietnam
Vietcong Underground
Tunnels
Conditions in Vietnam War
Guerilla Warfare
Agent Orange
Napalm Bombs
• COLD WAR QUIZ ON MONDAY!!!
• Open-note
• One presentation from each Cold War topic is on my website
Tet Offensive• On January 30, 1968, Communist forces
launched a major surprise attack on civilian & military targets in South Vietnam.
• The first day of the Vietnamese New Year, or Tet.
• Within 24 hours, 84,000 Communist soldiers had stormed more than 100 South Vietnamese cities and towns, 12 U.S. military bases, and the U.S. Embassy in Saigon.
• U.S. and South Vietnamese forces eventually retook most of the targets, but it destroyed the cities and landscape of South Vietnam.
Tet Offensive Aftermath• U.S. killed 33,000 VietCong • 1,100 U.S. troops killed• 2,300 South Vietnamese troops killed• 12,500 Vietnamese citizens killed• More than 1 million Vietnamese became refugees.• Dozens of South Vietnamese towns and villages lay in
ruins.• One army officer said: “We had to destroy the town to
save it.”• Considered the turning point of the Vietnam War
because it showed that no place in South Vietnam – not even the U.S. Embassy, was safe from attack.
• It shattered American confidence and raised doubts about Johnson’s policies in Vietnam.
Vietnam Protest
• As the generation gap widened, youth protested U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.
• Created a movement called the New Left which believed that problems called for radical change.
• Student activism and the free speech movement were on the rise.
• Television and the media played a large rule in influencing public opinion.
Draft Resistance• A Selective Service Act passed in
1951 allowed the government to draft men between the ages of 18 and 26.
• In 1965, Johnson quadrupled the number of men drafted into the armed forces.
• By the end of the war, 10,000 men fled to Canada to escape the draft.
War Opposition & Johnson’s Unpopularity
• After the Tet Offensive, polls showed that the majority of Americans disagreed with the war.
• Walter Cronkite (CBS newscaster) reported in Saigon after the Tet Offensive:– “What the hell is going on? I thought we were
winning the war! It seems now more certain than ever that the bloody experience in Vietnam is to end in a stale-mate. The only rational way out, will be to negotiate”
• Johnson responded: – “If I’ve lost Walter, then it’s over. I’ve lost Mr.
Average Citizen.”
War Opposition & Johnson’s Unpopularity
• President Johnson rarely left the White House for fear of being assaulted by angry protestors.
• 6 weeks after Tet, his popularity rating was only 36%.
• In 1968, he declared that he would not run for another Presidential term.
• Nixon was elected as the new Republican president.
Protest Music• During the war, many artists protested
Vietnam by singing for peace and change.
• Today we will listen to clips from six protest songs during the time period.
• On a sheet of paper, answer the three questions for EACH song.
• Use evidence/quotes to back up your point!
• Be ready to discuss each song, its meaning, and how it related to the Vietnam protest movement.
Protest Music Questions
• Answer the following questions on your OWN sheet of paper:
1. What message does the song send about the Vietnam War? (Examples!)
2. What message does the song send about protests and activism? (Examples!)
3. What is the overall message of the song?
Bob Dylan: “The Times are a Changin”
Buffalo Springfield: “For what its Worth”
Edwin Starr: “War”
Barry McGuire: “Eve of Destruction”
Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR): “Fortunate Son”
Eric Burdon and The Animals: “Sky Pilot”
CLOSURE• What was the Tet Offensive? What
effect did it have on Johnson’s popularity?
• What was the primary focus for the protest movement of the 1960s?
• What media outlet showed the brutality of the war to millions of Americans?
• In order to resist the draft, what did many young men do?
War spreads to Cambodia• In 1970, Nixon authorized the invasion of
Cambodia in order to clear out Communist camps.
Kent State• At Kent State University in Ohio, students
reacted angrily to Nixon’s move in Cambodia. They broke business windows and burned the army ROTC building.
• In response, the Ohio National Guard threw tear gas at the students trying to break them up. When this did not work, the guardsmen began shooting the students.
• This attack horrified Americans and fueled more activist movements.
Paris Peace Treaty• As the war drug on, it was evident that neither
side would back down.• In January 1973, the U.S, South Vietnam, North
Vietnam and the Viet Cong signed a peace agreement in Paris.
• The provisions of the agreement were:1. The U.S. would withdraw from Vietnam within 60
days.2. All prisoners of war would be released.3. All parties would end military activities in Laos and
Cambodia.4. The 17th parallel would continue to divide North
and South Vietnam.
End of Vietnam War• After the U.S. left Vietnam in 1973,
the south and north continued to fight for two more years.
• The Vietnam War officially ended in 1975 when the whole country of Vietnam fell to communism.
• Communism did NOT spread and therefore, proved the Domino Theory FALSE!
Vietnam War Protest Flyer• For this art project, you will create a propaganda
flyer that either:– Supports the Vietnam War and encourages
involvement– Protests the Vietnam War and calls for its end
• This must be historically accurate and actually relate to what we’ve been studying on the Vietnam War.
• War, draft, Agent Orange, bombing, killing citizens, money, increase U.S. troops, etc.
• Worth 20 points!
