Today, we are living with the “ghosts of Vietnam”

America’s most unpopular warCost LBJ his second term to Richard Nixon

America’s longest and most expensive war

Divided America on the homefrontThe best technical war money could buyAmerica hardly ever lost a tactical battle

A war America did not winA war America did not winToday, we are living with the “ghosts of Vietnam”.

Background of the War

• According to President Eisenhower’s domino theory, if one Southeast Asian nation fell to communism, others would soon follow.

• Ho Chi Minh, a pro-Communist leader in Vietnam, led a group called the Vietminh against French control of his nation before, during, and after World War II.

• After the Vietminh successfully defeated the French in 1954, a peace agreement called the Geneva Accords divided Vietnam into Communist North Vietnam and anti-Communist South Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh led North Vietnam, while Ngo Dinh Diem led South Vietnam.

• The United States began providing economic aid to the French in Vietnam in 1950. In 1960, President Eisenhower sent hundreds of military advisors to help South Vietnam’s struggle against the North.

Communist Expansion“CONTAINMENT”

China1949

Soviet Union1918

Korean War1950 to 1953

Eastern Europe

1946

CONTAINMENT•Marshall Plan•Berlin Airlift

•NATO•Korean War

•Cuban Missile Crisis

•Alliance for Progress

•Peace Corps

Berlin Blockade

1947-8X

Vietnam War1946 to 1975

US Involvement1965 to 1975

Cuban Missile Crisis *

XX

*Cuba would

remain and still is a

communist country.

Southeast Asian Southeast Asian ConflictConflict

A Chronology of EventsA Chronology of Events

Ho Chi Minh – North Vietnamese Army – Communist insurgents

Revolt against the South Vietnamese Govt

– VCVC = Viet Cong or South Vietnamese guerrillas

Ngo Dinh Diem– South Vietnamese Army

United States

North Vietnam leader Free of foreign

interference Re-unite Vietnam under Ho

Chi Minh as communists

Dictator of SVN Used US aid to keep power

Feared Communist takeover of South Vietnam

Supported Diem to keep SVN free

US willing to commit troops

INDIVIDUALS/GROUPS POINT OF VIEW war sides

“You can kill 10 of my men for every one I kill of yours, yet even at those odds, you will lose and I will win”

“I first met Ho on the China border between China and Indochina in the last days of April of 1945. He was an interesting individual. Very sensitive, very gentle, rather a frail type. We spoke quite at length about the general

situation, not only in Indochina, but the world at large.”– ARCHIMEDES PATTI (OSS Officer)

•Founder of the Vietnamese Communist Party•Traveled for almost 30 years around the world. Visited France, England, Russia, China, Thailand

and the United States. •In that time he learned to speak fluent Russian,

Chinese and English. •Patriot or Communist?

•Motivated the Vietnamese to rebel and fight against France/US for independence. •Became Vietnam’s first president.

Ho Chi Minh 1890-1969“Light-Bringer"

•First democratically elected President of South Vietnam in

1955. •Next 7 years, he presided over

an increasingly corrupt, nepotistic and repressive

regime. •Communist guerrillas (VC) backed by North Vietnam launched a new rebellion

•A civil disobedience led by the country's Buddhist monks contributed more directly to his downfall.

•Brutal persecution of Buddhist monks in 1963 damaged Diem’s shaky international reputation.

•With US support, Vietnamese generals overthrew and assassinated Ngo later that year.

The War in Southeast Asia vn map

““Domino TheoryDomino Theory””Must “contain”“contain” communism and not

allow it to spread. If it does, it would lead to more countries falling

to the communists.

Background to the War

Vietnamese culture Villages and rice Buddhist

Historic tension with Chinese

Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia were originally a French colony (French (French IndoChina)IndoChina) in the late19th century Imperialism


Japan took control during World War II

Opposed by guerrilla force led by Ho Chi Minh

US backed Ho Chi Minh’s to remove Japan

Japanese Expansion•1933 1941•Control Attacks

1941


At end of WW II, Ho Chi Minh declared

Vietnam an independent nation

President Truman refused to recognize

Ho Chi Minh and Vietnam.

With U.S. aid, France attempted re-colonize

Vietnam


Fighting between France and Vietminh began in 1946

The French lost control to Ho Chi Minh’s Viet Minh forces at Dien Bien Phu…. …. May 7, 1954

France requested US air support

Nuclear if necessary President Eisenhower

declined to intervene on behalf of France.

French withdrew from Indochina

French defeat at Dien Bien

Phu


International Conference at Geneva in 1954 Vietnam was divided at 17th parallel

Ho Chi Minh’sHo Chi Minh’s nationalist forces controlled the North

Ngo Dinh DiemNgo Dinh Diem, a French-educated, Roman Catholic claimed control of the South

Elections were to be held two years later.

http://www.britannica.com/eb/art?id=28909&type=A

8

SEATO Southeast Asia

Treaty Organization Initiated by the US in Sept 1954 to prevent

spread of communism – “Domino Theory”

Member nations were: US, Great Britain, France, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand Philippines, and Pakistan

Didn’t require participants to support each other with military force

Politically justified US actions in South Vietnam


A date was set for democratic elections to reunify Vietnam

Diem backed out of the elections, leading to military conflict between North and South

U.S. Military Involvement

Begins Repressive dictatorial rule by Diem

Diem’s family holds all power Wealth is hoarded by the elite Buddhist majority persecuted Torture, lack of political freedom prevail

The U.S. aided Diem’s government Ike sent financial and military aid 675 U.S. Army advisors sent by 1960.

Early Protests of Diem’s Government

Self-Emulation by a Buddhist Monk protesting against the brutality of Diem’s government

1960

Troop Levels:

South Vietnamese

243,000

American 900

April 1955--US agrees to advise South Vietnam– Green Berets arrive Oct. 1959

to train only South Vietnam troops.1959 -- North Vietnam increased

actions to unify North and South ”insurgents””insurgents” – US increased action to prevent a North

Vietnam victory

U.S. Military Involvement

Begins Kennedy elected 1960 Increases military “advisors” to 16,000 1963: JFK supports a S. Vietnamese

military coup d’etat – Diem and his brother are murdered (Nov. 2)

Kennedy was assassinated just weeks later (Nov. 22)

Kennedy’s Vietnam Policy

Diem’s Downfall• During the early 1960s, Ngo Dinh

Diem’s policies lost him the support of his people.

• Realizing that the struggle against communism could not be won under Diem’s rule, President Kennedy told South Vietnamese military leaders that the United States would not object to Diem’s overthrow.

• In November 1963, military leaders seized control of South Vietnam and assassinated Diem.

McNamara’s Role• Robert McNamara, President

Kennedy’s Secretary of Defense, was influential in shaping American policy toward Vietnam.

• McNamara used his strong business background to cut costs while modernizing the armed forces.

• In the coming years, McNamara would push for direct American involvement in Vietnam.

U.S. Troop Deployments in

Vietnam

1961 and 1962Troop Levels:

South Vietnamese

243,000

American 3,205

In order to containcontain the spread of Communism, newly elected President Kennedy agreed to further US military

assistance to South Vietnam.

1963Troop levels:South Vietnamese

243,000

American 16,300Australian 30

President Johnson and Communist Advances

• Shortly after Diem’s assassination in November 1963, President Kennedy was assassinated, and Vice President Johnson assumed the presidency.

• In South Vietnam, the military leaders who had taken over the government were unsuccessful and unpopular. As a result, Communist guerrillas in South Vietnam, known as the Viet Cong, made gains in both territory and loyalty. The Viet Cong’s political wing was known as the National Liberation Front.

vietnam collage

•Why are we in South Vietnam? We are there

because we have a promise to keep. Since 1954 every American

President has offered to support the people of

South Vietnam. •We have helped to build

and we have helped to defend. Thus, over many

years, we have made a national pledge to help

South Vietnam defend its independence.

Lyndon Johnson, Speech at Johns

Hopkins University, "Why are we in South

Vietnam"

vietnam collage

•I intend to keep our promise. To dishonor that pledge, to abandon this

small and brave nation to its enemy and to the

terror that must follow would be an unforgivable

wrong. •We are there to

strengthen world order.



Vietnam"

vietnam collage

•Around the globe from Berlin to Thailand are

people whose well-being rests, in part, on the

belief they can count on us if they are attacked. •To leave Vietnam to its

fate would shake the confidence of all these people in the value of

American commitment. The result would be

increased unrest and instability, or even war.



Vietnam"

Johnson Sends Ground Forces

Remembers Truman’s “loss” of China --> Domino TheoryDomino Theory revived

I’m not going to be the president who saw Southeast Asia go the way China went.

Johnson Sends Ground Forces

Advised to rout the communists by Secretary of State, Robert S. Robert S. McNamaraMcNamara

Tonkin Gulf Incident --> 1964(acc. to Johnson – attacks were unprovoked)

Tonkin Gulf ResolutionTonkin Gulf Resolution “The Blank Check”

Aug ‘64 -- N Vietnamese gunboats attack 2 US destroyers in Gulf of

Tonkin…maybemaybeTroop levels:South Vietnamese 514,000American 23,300Australian 80Philippines 20South Korea 200New Zealand 30

1964

1964Gulf of Tonkin ResolutionGulf of Tonkin ResolutionPassed by Congress 5 Aug 1964Passed by Congress 5 Aug 1964

– Radically altered the War in Southeast AsiaRadically altered the War in Southeast Asia– Gave President Johnson a Gave President Johnson a “blank check”:“blank check”:

““To take all necessary steps to repel armed To take all necessary steps to repel armed attack against US forces”, including force, to attack against US forces”, including force, to assist South Vietnam and any member of assist South Vietnam and any member of SEATO”SEATO”

Committed US to fight for S VietnamCommitted US to fight for S Vietnam

Expanding Presidential Power

The Gulf of Tonkin ResolutionThe Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

In August 1964, Johnson announced that North Vietnamese torpedo boats had attacked American destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin. However, some people doubted that this incident had happened and believed it was only an excuse for further U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

What Inspired the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?

The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, passed by Congress in 1964, regarded peace and security in Southeast Asia as vital to American national interest, and it gave the President additional powers to assist any Southeast Asian country “requesting assistance in defense of its freedoms.”

What Was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?

Under the resolution, the President had authority to “take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression.” The resolution, therefore, changed the balance of power between Congress and the President.

What Additional Powers Did It Give the President?

1964Gulf of Tonkin Incident

The Vietnam War, The Vietnam War, 1964 to 19751964 to 1975

The Ho Chi Minh Trail

• North Vietnamese troops and supplies entered South Vietnam via the Ho Chi Minh Trail, a route that passed through Laos and Cambodia.

Intensifying the War

• After the election of 1964, President Johnson began a gradual escalation, or expansion of the war. The number of American soldiers stationed in Vietnam rose from about 25,000 at the beginning of 1965 to nearly 536,000 by the end of 1968.

• Originally, American soldiers had been sent to advise the South Vietnamese; now their task was to prop up a failing South Vietnamese government led by Nguyen Cao Ky.

• Despite the large buildup of American troops, between 1965 and 1967 the war was at a stalemate.

• Within the United States, debate raged between hawks, those who supported the war, and doves, those who did not.

1965In February the US commences bombardment of North

Vietnam and begins to send combat troops to Vietnam.

Troop Levels:South Vietnamese

642,500

American 184,300Australian 1,560New Zealand 120South Korea 20,620Philippines 70Thailand 20

First U.S. combat troops land in Da

Nang, South Vietnam.

The Air and Ground Wars

Some Weapons Used in the Vietnam War• Land Mines — Land mines,which can be set off by the pressure of

a footstep, are explosive devices planted in the ground. Viet Cong landmines killed and wounded both American GIs and Vietnamese civilians.

• Saturation Bombing — American B-52 bomber planes dropped thousands of tons of explosives, resulting in saturation bombing of North Vietnam.

• Fragmentation Bombs — Fragmentation bombs, dropped by Americans over both North and South Vietnam, threw pieces of their thick metal casings in all directions when they exploded. In South Vietnam, fragmentation bombs killed and maimed countless civilians.

The Air and Ground Wars

Some Weapons Used in the Vietnam War• Agent Orange — American pilots dropped an

herbicide called Agent Orange over Vietnamese jungles, killing vegetation and exposing Viet Cong hiding places. Agent Orange was later discovered to cause health problems in livestock and humans.

• Napalm — Another chemical weapon used in Vietnam, napalm,was a jellylike substance which, when dropped from planes splattered, and burned uncontrollably.

The Air War1965-1968

1965: Sustained bombing of North Vietnam begins Operation Rolling ThunderOperation Rolling Thunder (March 2, 1965)

1966-68: Ongoing bombing of Hanoi nonstop for 3 years! Esp. targets the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

Downed Pilots: P.O.W.s Carpet Bombing – napalmnapalm


1965First sustained bombing of North Vietnam

1966U.S. air raids over Hanoi, 1966 to 1968


The Air War:A Napalm

Attack

3

Americans flew from bases in Thailand, Laos, Guam and South Vietnam

Troops from Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Philippines fought with the US and South Vietnam

China and the Soviet Union – heavily supported North Vietnam

The War in Southeast

Asia Background

Battlefield Conditions

American Troops• Had superior weapons• Were unprepared for heat,

terrain, or guerrilla tactics• Lacked support of most

South Vietnamese• Most never saw the enemy

but constantly faced the possibility of sudden danger.

Viet Cong Troops• Fought as guerrillas;

avoided head-on clashes• Were familiar with terrain;

had support of many South Vietnamese

• Built and hid in elaborate underground tunnels

Who Is the Enemy?

VietcongVietcong: founded in South Vietnam who were communists—supported by N. Vietnam. Farmers by day; guerillas at night. Very patient people willing to accept many

casualties. The US grossly underestimated their resolve

and their resourcefulness. ““Charlies”Charlies” to American Troops that will later

fight them.

The guerilla wins if he does not lose, the conventional army loses if it does not win. -- Mao ZedongMao Zedong

Who Is the Enemy?

The Vietcong consisted of a well organized guerilla fighting force in

South Vietnam.

Their guerilla and jungle hit and run tactics made them a menace for

American, South Vietnamese, and other allied forces.

Who Is the Enemy?

The Vietcong possessed underground networks of tunnels

Passageways that contained hidden caches weapons and

supplies that were difficult to locate and destroy.

vc

Who Is the Enemy?

Who’s your enemy?U.S. and South Vietnamese forces found it extremely difficult to fight

the Vietcong’s hit and run tactics.

Vietcong could easily blend into a village where they could move about freely since they did not belong to a “standard” army.

Who Is the Enemy?

vc1

Who Is the Enemy?

vc2 Who Is the Enemy?

The Ground War 1965-1968

No territorial goals Body counts on TV every night

(first “living room” war“living room” war)

Viet Cong supplies over the Ho Chi Minh TrailHo Chi Minh Trail

The Ground War1965-1968

General WestmorelandGeneral Westmoreland, late 1967: “We can see the light at the end of the tunnel’”

•Wearing down to weaken or destroy; "a war of attrition"

The Tet Offensive, January 1968

N. Vietnamese Army + Viet Cong attack South simultaneously

80,000 attack 100 cities, bases and the US embassy in Saigon

Take every major southern city U.S. + ARVN beat back the

offensive Viet Cong destroyed

N. Vietnamese army debilitated


1965First sustained bombing of North Vietnam

1966U.S. air raids over Hanoi, 1966 to 1968

1968Tet Offensive, Jan. 30 to Feb. 24


The Tet Offensive

US troops defending the American Embassy in Saigon

The Tet Offensive: A Turning Point

• On January 30, 1968, the Viet Cong and North Vietnam launched a major offensive. This series of attacks was called the Tet Offensive since it occurred during Tet, the Vietnamese New Year.

• During and after the Tet Offensive, both sides were guilty of brutal atrocities. Communists slaughtered anyone they labeled an enemy; Americans massacred hundreds of civilians at My Lai, a small village in South Vietnam. A helicopter crew that stopped the massacre was later rewarded, and the officer who had ordered it was imprisoned.

• Because Americans now knew that the Viet Cong could launch massive attacks, and because no end to the war was in sight, the Tet Offensive proved to be a major psychological victory for the Viet Cong and a turning point in the war.

The Tet Offensive, January 1968

Because of the Tet Offensive, the US media announced the US was

loosing the war.Walter Cronkite, part of CBS news who opposed

the war after Tet.

Impact of the Tet Offensive

Domestic U.S. Reaction: Disbelief, Anger, Distrust

of Johnson Administration

Hey, Hey LBJ! How Hey, Hey LBJ! How

many kids did you many kids did you kill today?kill today?

T a lks m a ke no progress

Pea ce ta lks begina fter T et to

ha lt the bom bing o fN orth V ietna m

PAR IS

G enera l W estm orela nda sks for m ore troops

Increa sed bom bing inSouth V ietna m

C ity of H ue' destroyedSVN reta kes c ities a ndtow ns, but governm ent

loses support

SO U T HVIET N AM

N ixon w ins 1968Presidentia l E lection

R iots in C hica go duringD em ocra tic Pa rty

C onvention

D em ocra tic Pa rty sp lintersR obert K ennedy a ssa ssina ted

Johnson critic ized byH aw ks a nd D oves

Johnson steps dow nAm ericans w ant out of V ietnam

USA

T E T OF F E N S IV ENVA Invades South V ietnam

J anuary 1968

Impact of the Tet Offensive

1968Troop Levels:South Vietnamese

820,000

American 536,100Australian 7,660New Zealand 520South Korea 50,000Philippines 1,580Thailand 6,000

Are We Becoming the Enemy?

Lt. William Calley, Platoon Leader

My lai Massacre, 1968 200-500 unarmed villagers

Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry

1964Gulf of Tonkin Incident1965First sustained bombing of North Vietnam1966U.S. air raids over Hanoi, 1966 to 19681968Tet Offensive, Jan. 30 to Feb. 24My Lai Massacre, March 16


Documents

Today, we are living with the “ghosts of Vietnam”