Vietnam War

French Indochina

French colonies of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam

Ruled by France from the 1880s to 1940s

Japanese Occupation of Vietnam

1940-45, treated people savagely

Viet Minh founded under Ho Chi Minh for Vietnamese independence

Japan left after losing in WWII

Ho Chi Minh

1950s and 60s

Started the Vietnamese nationalist independence movement (Viet Minh)

Communist leader of North Vietnam

Used guerilla warfare to fight anti-communist

Viet Minh

Communist supporters of Ho Chi Minh whose intention was to get foreigners out of Vietnam

First Indochina War (1946-1954)

war between the French and the Vietminh

France occupied Vietnam with US assistance

US sent military advisors and financial aid to support the French against the communist-led Viet Minh forces.

Guerilla Warfare

Involves surprise attacks, sabotage, and hit-and-run tactics by small groups of fighters against a larger, stronger opponent

Booby traps and tunnels were used

Fought in the Vietnam War

Truman in Vietnam

Provided financial assistance to the French during the First Indochina War

Followed the policy of containment.

Domino Theory

This theory suggested that the spread of communism in one country (Vietnam) could lead to a chain reaction of communist takeovers in neighboring countries.

Containment

A U.S. foreign policy adopted by President Harry Truman in the late 1940s

The United States tried to stop the spread of communism by helping countries, like Vietnam, to resist communist advances

Eisenhower in Vietnam

Cited the domino theory as the reason the US needed to become involved

Supported Diem's anti-communist regime through financial and military aid

Geneva Peace Conference

1954; Vietnam divided at the 17th parallel into a Northern Democratic Republic (Communist) and non-Communist South, known as the Republic of Vietnam; aimed to establish peace and resolve conflict in Indochina following the First Indochina War.

Kennedy in Vietnam

Increased American military presence in Vietnam from fewer than 1000 men to over 16,500 military advisors

17th Parallel

Dividing line between North and South Vietnam

Ngo Dinh Diem

American ally in South Vietnam from 1954 to 1963

His oppressive regime caused the Communist Viet Cong to thrive in the South

Required increasing American military aid to stop a Communist takeover

He was killed in a coup in 1963 that was supported by the United States

Vietcong (V.C.)

This was the name of the members of the communist guerrilla movement in South Vietnam who fought with North Vietnam

Second Indochina War

1955-1975; Also known as the Vietnam War

War between North and South Vietnam because of differences between North Vietnam's extreme communism and South Vietnam's communist-nationalist government

Military Advisors

Non-combat soldiers

By 1963, the United States was becoming more involved in helping South Vietnam.

President Kennedy provided military advisors and 16,000 support troops, but not combat troops.

Gulf of Tonkin Incident

Alleged attack on US ships by North Vietnamese torpedoes in the Tonkin Gulf on August 2nd, 1964 and again on August 4, 1964.

Prompted the escalation of the War in Vietnam.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

1964 Congressional resolution authorizing President Johnson to take military action in Vietnam

LBJ is given a "blank check" to wage war against North Vietnam

Hawks vs. Doves

Hawks are people who were pro war

Doves were people who opposed the war.

Americanization of Vietnam

US gradually becomes more and more involved in Vietnam.

Eventually, United States took over the main responsibility for fighting the war

Operation Rolling Thunder (1965)

Series of bombing campaigns that started in March 1965. Largely trying to cut off the Ho Chi Minh Trail, but it is very difficult and doesn't succeed in stopping North Vietnamese forces

Draft

A law requiring people of a certain age to serve in the military

Conscientious Objector

Physical or Mental reasons

LGBTQ

Reasons for Draft Disqualifications

Conscientious Objector

a person who believes fighting is wrong, for either moral or religious reasons, and therefore does not want to serve in the military

Enrolled in college (up to 4 years)
Join the Coast Guard
Civilian occupation (policeman, firefighters)

Reasons for Service Deferral

Ho Chi Minh Trail

A network of paths used by North Vietnam to transport supplies to the Vietcong in South Vietnam

Was crucial in helping North Vietnam fight

Weather/ Climate in Vietnam

Very humid and hot

Heat/humidity -> insects -> disease

Geography of Vietnam War

Mountainous forests, thick elephant grass, difficult to navigate

Agent Orange

a toxic leaf-killing chemical sprayed by U.S. planes in Vietnam to expose Vietcong hideouts

Effect: got in water supply, toxic, caused birth defects

Underground Tunnels

Part of guerrilla warfare, North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong built a series of complex tunnels

Some with living areas, storage, and kitchens

Booby traps in Vietnam

Part of guerrilla warfare

Traps that were hidden by the North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong

examples:
-punji spikes
-bamboo stakes

War of Attrition

A war based on wearing the other side down by constant attacks and heavy losses

Death toll became a measure of success

TV War

Vietnam was the first American war with television coverage and many news reporters told of the war.

Credibility Gap

American public's growing distrust of statements made by the government during the Vietnam War that were opposite what they saw on TV

Tet Offensive (1968) and effect

One of the largest military campaigns of the Vietnam War

Launched on January 30, 1968 by forces of the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army against South Vietnam and the US

It failed for the communists but had a huge psychological impact on the US

Showing that the war was far from over, and proving that the government was lying about the war.

1968 Election

Nixon, a republican, won after the violence that broke out at the Democratic National Convention of 1968

"law and order" at home and secure "peace with honor" in Vietnam

Nixon promised…

Peace with honor

End involvement in a way that left the reputation of the US intact - used by Nixon

Vietnamization and goals

Nixon's policy in which South Vietnam would slowly take over the war while American troops would withdraw

Goals: self-government, self-development, and self-defense

My Lai Massacre

1968, in which American troops had brutally killed innocent women and children in the village of My Lai, also led to more opposition to the war.

Kent State Shootings

Incident in which National Guard troops fired at a group of students during an antiwar protest at Kent State University in Ohio, killing four people.

Pentagon Papers

In 1971, the top-secret Pentagon Papers were leaked to the N.Y. Times

The documents showed that the public had not been told the truth about the Vietnam War

Effects of Vietnam

55,000 American soldiers died

Many more came back from the war physically and mentally wounded