Confrontation in the Vietnam War

When was Kennedy assassinated?

November 1963

What did Johnson want for vietnam?

He wanted South Vietnamese forces to trounce the North without the war becoming Americanised

How much did Johnson increase the number of military advisers by in vietnam?

7,000 more military advisers (From 16,300 to 23,300)

Who out of America’s allies supported involvement in Vietnam?

• SEATO did support it as a justification for anti-communism

• Britain, France and the European allies did not support it.

The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution - August 1964

• USS Maddox was then attacked twice by North Vietnamese torpedo boats

• Congress then passed the Gulf Of Tonkin resolution

• Gave Johnson the power to act without consulting congress.

• It said he could take any action necessary to resist armed attacks on US Forces

Who had agreed to assist North Vietnam by 1964?

China

Who had agreed to send Military equipment to North Vietnam?

USSR

What fighters did the USSR and China give North Vietnam?

USSR supplied Mig-21 fighters and China supplied Shenyang J-6 fighters

What three countries did the Ho Chi Minh trail run through?

Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam

Why were the South Vietnamese army demoralised?

They were on low pay, inadequate training and had poor leadership

Operation Rolling Thunder:

• February 1965

• It was a strategic bombing campaign to utilise the American B-52 Stratofortress bomber

• Aimed to boost the morale of the SV army

• Destroy NV infrastructure and also disrupt the Ho Chi Minh trail

• Compel the North Vietnamese people to stop assisting guerillas in the South

What was North Vietnam’s 4-point response to Operation Rolling Thunder?

• US troops to withdraw from Vietnam

• North and South should not enter any military alliances during the division

• SV’s internal affairs should be settled without external influence

• The reunification of Vietnam should be settled peacefully only by the population of Vietnam.

What did Johnson do in response to the North Vietnamese four point programme?

He decided to then escalate the conflict in July 1965

How much did Johnson increase ground troops by between 1965-68

He added 351,700 grounds troops

How many tons of bombs were dropped on NV during Operation Rolling Thunder?

864,000 tons of bombs

US tactics in Operation Rolling Thunder:

• Deadly chemicals like Agent Orange to defoliate jungles and crops

• Search and Destroy missions using “Huey” helicopters to take out Vietcong in the rural villages, it often killed innocents in the process.

How much raw materials was the US supplying to South Vietnam per month?

One Million tons

Failures of Operation Rolling Thunder:

• Their actions alienated the rural populace of Vietnam

• Homegrown opposition to the war grew substantially after the Tet Offensive

• Operation Rolling Thunder failed to hurt NV economy as it was an agrarian country and lost resources were replaced by USSR and China.

North Vietnamese tactics:

• To engage in limited conventional warfare

• Used guerilla tactics such as complex tunnel systems, booby traps and ambushes

• Used the Ho Chi Minh trail to assist Vietcong

What type of army weapons did China and USSR give the Vietcong?

• Rocket launchers, anti-tank rifles, flamethrowers, artillery SAMs, AA weapons.

How many troops did China supply to North Vietnam?

300,000 Troops

What were the weaknesses of the Vietcong?

• The North did not have the resources or economy to sustain themselves without USSR and China

• They still could not match the weaponry of the US supplied SV

• No guaranteed support from peasants

The Tet Offensive 1968

• Vietcong used the Lunar New Year (Tet) to launch surprise attacks whilst everyone was celebrating

• This was done in over a hundred towns and cities

• It was a huge military disaster as the Vietcong could not hold any main cities

• 25,000 were killed

Why was the Tet Offensive a psychological defeat for the US?

• It proved to US state media the range and determination of NV

• Suggested NV were no where near a surrender

• Suggested Johnson’s military escalation was not working

Who tried to convince Johnson it was a turning point and that NV were on the defence?

General Westmoreland

When did Johnson announce he would not stand for re-election?

March 1968