Vietnam war

Warm-up

•Why did the United States get involved in conflicts around the world during the Cold War?

Announcements

• Review• Homework packets• Final exam in less than 3 weeks!!!• What is your goal of the rest of the semester?

Vocabulary

• Domino Theory- the political theory that if one nation comes under communist control then neighboring nations will also come under communist control

Origins of War• Vietnam had been under French control since

the late 1800s. • In about 1900 Vietnamese nationalists began a

fight for independence.• Ho Chi Minh, the most successful nationalist

believed that the best way to fight colonial imperialism was through a communist revolution

• The Japanese kicked the French out of Vietnam and when Japan lost WWII, Vietnam declared its independence.

Origins of War• The French refused to accept that Vietnam

was free. • The Vietnamese were not as well equipped as

the French but were able to weaken them with hit-and-run guerrilla attacks.

• The Geneva Accords separated Vietnam into two countries, North Vietnam was Communist and South Vietnam had a Democratic government.

Rival Governments• The South Vietnamese government was dishonest and

brutal but the United States continued to support it. • The North Vietnamese government was thriving and

life in North Vietnam was improving. • As the 1956 reunification election approached, South

Vietnam refused to participate. • More people in South Vietnam became unhappy with

their government and joined The National Liberation Front (NLF) an organization created to fight the government in South Vietnam.

• They relied on the Vietcong, communist guerrilla force, as its army.

US involvement

• As the fighting between the Vietcong and the government of South Vietnam increased the United States sent aid and advisers to South Vietnam.

• By the end of the 1960, about 800 military advisors were stationed in Vietnam.

• By 1963 16,000 U.S. soldiers were in Vietnam.

How did the Domino theory influence the U.S. to get involved in the Vietnam War?

Tonkin Gulf Resolution• In the summer of 1964, a navy vessel exchanged fire

with North Vietnamese vessels in the Gulf of Tonkin. • Two days later, during bad weather, U.S. ships

reported that their radar showed torpedo attacks. • No ships were damaged but President Johnson called

it an act of war. • On August 7, Congress passed the Tonkin Gulf

Resolution. It gave President Johnson the authority to use whatever means he thought necessary in Vietnam.

• It shifted the power of war from Congress to the President.

Stations: Important events from the war

• Tet Offensive• My Lai Massacre: • Tonkin Gulf Resolution:• Invasions of Cambodia and Laos• Pentagon Papers• You will walk through the room and read

through each station. Answer the questions on the stations graphic organizer sheet.

Station What is this event? Write a 1-2 sentence summary. Why is this even important? What is its significance?

Tonkin Gulf Resolution A resolution passed by Congress that gave Johnson the authority to use whatever power he thought necessary in Vietnam

it shifted power of war from Congress to the President

Tet Offensive A series of surprise attacks by the Vietcong and North Vietnamese forces on South Vietnam. They were not successful in defeating the South Vietnamese but forced them and the U.S. to fight to retake the captured cities

It demonstrated the resolve of the Vietcong and showed many in the United States that this was not going to be an easy victory. Many in the U.S. started to oppose the war.

My Lai Massacre The mass murder of hundreds of unarmed citizens in South Vietnam conducted by the U.S. military.

It became one of the most important events in the campaign to get the United States out of Vietnam.

Invasion of Cambodia and Laos

The United States bombed and invaded Cambodia and Laos to continue to attack the NLF (The National Liberation Front)

Sparked outrage in the United States which led to anti-war demonstration. It also increased support for Communists in Cambodia and Laos.

The Pentagon Papers A series of newspaper articles that exposed the U.S involvement in the war in the South east Asia. Showed that the Johnson administration had lied to the public and Congress.

Reduced the credibility of the government and many Americans began to lose their support of the war.

Newspaper article

• Write a newspaper article describing U.S. actions in Vietnam. Include why the United States got involved and pick at least two events from the war and analyze their importance to the war.

Closing

• Take an index card.• Write three things you learned today.• 2 questions you still have from today’s lesson.• 1 thing you want to learn tomorrow when we

continued the Vietnam war.