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The War Escalates
Problems in the South
Diem losing support Why?
Not allowing Buddhists to practice their religion
Killing Buddhist Priests Cracking down on protests Assassinated in 1963
June 11, 1963 Quang Ngai, protest the policies of South Vietnam’s President Ngo Dihn Diem. Several other monks also commit suicide.
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
Authorizes President Johnson to: “take all necessary
steps including the use of force.”
Basically a declaration of war
1965—American combat forces sent to S. Vietnam
Massive Build-Up: 3/65—100,000 troops 12/65—180,000 12/66—360,000 By 1968—500,000
USSR and China supporting N. Vietnamese and Viet Cong
By 1969—US spent $100 billion
US Tactics Massive Bombing
Military installations Oil reserves RR
Napalm Bombing Sets human flesh aflame
Pacification Burn villages Move civilians Search and Destroy—
surveillance, air strikes, armed patrols
Viet Cong Tactics
Guerilla Warfare Terror and
Coercion in the villages
Convince citizens to “get rid of US”
Tet Offensive 1/31/68
Lunar New Year—generally a time of truce North launches a huge offensive on major
southern cities Move as far South as the US embassy in Saigon 6 hour, televised battle!
NOT successful—militarily 40,000 VC 3,500 US/S. Vietnamese
The chief of the south Vietnam’s National Police executes a Vietcong guerrilla on February 1, 1968, the 2nd day of the Tet Offensive.
March 31, 1968 Johnson announces he will halt
bombings of N. Vietnam April 3, 1968
N. Vietnam accepts Johnson’s offer to begin peace negotiations
Ends up taking 5 years for the U.S. to be out of Vietnam
1968 Presidential Election Richard Nixon says he
plans to pull U.S. troops out of Vietnam
Tough Position U.S. stays in Vietnam,
public opposition increases
Withdraw troops without peace agreement, Nixon becomes 1st president to lose a war!!!
Nixon introduces NEW foreign policy
Two-Step Plan:1) Phased withdrawal
of U.S. troops from Vietnam
2) Replace them with trained Vietnamese soldiers
South Vietnamese soldiers train in the use of
artillery as part of the Vietnamization program.
Coming to a Close… The U.S. dropped more
than twice the amount of bombs on Vietnam as they did in both WWII and Korea COMBINED!
January 23, 1973, a cease-fire is signed by all parties
U.S. troops withdraw completely from S. Vietnam
Once U.S. forces leave S. Vietnam, N. Vietnam launches a major offensive on the South in hopes of capturing Saigon.
By April 1975, S. Vietnamese army collapses and N. Vietnamese is on the doorstep of Saigon.
President Ford sends $300 million to protect Saigon and remove Americans.
April 29, Saigon is overtaken and an emergency evacuation of Americans takes place.
Goodnight Saigon
Vietnam Today
Saigon government surrenders on April 30, 1975.
North and South Vietnam are united as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on July 2nd.