The Vietnam War

GCSE History OCR

Effects of Second World War on Indo-China

• 1941 Communist Vietminh set up - August 1945 Vietminh occupied Hanoi + Set up Democratic Republic of Vietnam

• France were determined to reconquer Indo-China and war broke out but China aided Vietminh

How did USA get involved in Vietnam + after

• Truman wanted to stop spread of Communism

• By 1953, US paid 70% cost of war

• In 1954 French forced to Surrender and evacuate Vietnam

Vietnam Divided

• 1954: Geneva Agreement - Vietnam split

South Vietnam under Diem

1955: Diem became dictator backed by US
Viet Cong formed to oppose corruption and brutality

What was the “Domino Theory”?

If one country fell to communism, its neighbours would follow - believed by US politician

Why did USA get increasingly involved in Vietnam?

• USA wanted to prevent Communist influence

• US military advisers send to help South Vietnamese army

• Kennedy increased number of Military advisors from 700 - 15,000

Strategic Hamlets ordered by Kennedy

• Heavily defended villages that South Viet people were moved to

• Vietnamese opposed policy and turned to Viet Cong

US policy changes under President Johnson

• Increased US support to 23,000 men + wanted combat troops in Vietnam

What happened at the Gulf of Tonkin?

August 1964 - USA claimed that Warships had been attacked at Gulf of Tonkin (2nd attack was proven false)

What did President Johnson do after the “Gulf of Tonkin”?

January 1965 - an excuse to attack vietnam: “Operation Rolling Thunder” - heavy aerial bombing of North Vietnam to force them to give up

Johnson sent US combat troops to Vietnam - increased to more than 50000 troops

North Vietnamese tactics (Guerilla combat)

• No uniform - impossible to identify

• built booby trapped tunnels

• built traps, used pits, sharpened sticks

• Support by South Vietnamese peasants sometimes children attacked

• hid in villages

US tactics

• heavy bombing

• Searching and Destroying military bases and supply trails

• tried to win support of the south

• US increasingly unwilling to fight

• burnt villages and used defoliants “Agent Orange” and “Agent blue”

Tet Offensive

• 30th January 1968 - Massive attack on South Vietnam by Cong

• Major cities attacked - including Saigon (were hoping for more support there)

• 11,000 troops a week to drive Viet Cong out of Saigon - US killed 80,000 Viet Cong

Why was Tet Offensive important?

• Viet Cong could strike anywhere and US couldn’t do anything

• Clear that war could not be won

• Persuaded Nixon to withdraw US forced from Vietnam

My Lai Massacre

16th March 1968 - US Aimed to find members of Viet Cong - massacred 300 civilians
Covered up

Effects of War on USA

• US casualties rose

• Half a million US soldiers deserted

• Protests in 1968 against the war

• 1969 - truth of My Lai massacre revealed

Vietnamisation strategy

1969 - Nixon began peace talks and at the same time stepped up attacks on North Vietnam while strengthened ARVN (South Vietnam) so they could defend country by itself and withdrawing US troops

Increased military action by Nixon while withdrawing US troops in 1969

• Withdrew troops but didn’t want North to know - stepped up Operation Rolling thunder

• Air raid on Hanoi lasted 7 days and killed 2000 people

• Invaded Laos + Cambodia: bombed and used defoliants to uncover Viet Cong lines

Effects of Fighting on Vietnam

20,000,000 men, women + children killed - suffered effects of chemicals
3x amount of bombs dropped during WW2 was dropped in Vietnam - Large areas of country destroyed

Consequences of War on USA

• War cost 120 trillion dollars
  700,000 veterans suffered from PTSD - more veterans committed suicide than were killed in fighting

North Vietnamese triumph

Negotiations between USA + North Vietnam dragged on for 5 years

When South Vietnam fell, it was united with the North