Vietnam War
mDAY 1
Indochina
-Controlled by France from 1858 until WW2
-Seized by Japan during the War
-This generated
Ho Chi Minh
-Leader of nationalist movement in Vietnam
-Founded the Vietminh to resist Japan during WW2
Democratic Republic of Vietnam
-After the war, Ho Chi Minh declared independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam
-French sought to regain its colonial possession by deposing Ho
-Ho and the Viet Minh retreated to hills and were forced into guerrilla wat for independence
U.S. Involvement Begins
-Communist China supported with Viet Minh with arms and equipment
-Eisenhower began to help the French with monet, equipment, and “advisers”
-By 1954, the US had supplied 300,000 small arms and spent 1 billion in support of the French
French Defeated
-1954, the French suffer a huge defear at Dien Bien Phu at the hands of the Vietminh
-12,000 troops surrender and the French withdraw from Indochina
Domino Theory
-IN 1954, President Eisenhower explained Contain,ent with an analogy become known as the Domino Theory
-If Vietnam fell into communism, so would the other southeast Asia would follow
Genava Accords
-July 1954 – peace conference held in Geneva, Switzerland
-Terms of the Geneva Accords
-Laos and Cambodia were to be independent
-“Temporarily” divided Vietnam ino
North Vietnam
-Ho Chi Minh and Vuetminh controlled North Vietnam
-They were communists with allies in China
South Vietnam
-Pro-western regime in South Vietnam led by Ngo Dinh Diem
-Support by the U.S.
S. Vietnam Government Corrupt
-Diem proved to be the wrong man for for job
-He was a wealthy American-educated Catholic
-Did not connect to the common people
-He broke the Gevena Accords by refusing to hold the promising elections
DAY 2
Viet Cong
-Many Vietnamese resented the division of their country and Diem’s leadership
-An organized communist insurgency began to form in South Vietnam, became known as the Viet Cong (shorted version from Vietnamese communists)
The Enemy
-South Vietnamese citizens who fought for the North (Viet Cong) were nicknamed: VC, Victor Charlie, Victor, Charlie, Chuck, Charles
-Fighters were farmers by day and guerrilla soldiers at night
-Tactics were old-fashioned, brutal, and very effective
Viet Cong tactics included:
-Ambushes
-Booby traps (punji sticks, trip wires, land mines)
-Guerilla warfare in the thick Asian jungles
National Liberation Front
-IN 1960, Ho Chi Minh formalized the mission of the Viet Cong by forming the National Liberation Front to reunite the country
-Demanded a democratic collation government which would negotiate a peaceful union of Vietnam
Diem Loses Support
-Imprisoned government critics
-Filled government with members of his own family
-US money for economic reforms went instead to the military and corrupt officials
-As a catholic in a largely Buddhist Country, his persecution of Buddhist monks were extreme
Something Important
-On June 10, 1963, news reported in Vietnam got an anonymous tip that something important would happen the next day…
-Most ignore the message, but not David Halberstram of the New York Times or Malcolm Browne of the Associated Press
-What they see, they will never be able to forget…
-Quang Duc, Buddhist monk, set himself on fire and burned to death to protest the South Vietnamese government’s persecution, he never moved a muscle and remained peaceful
Diem’s Abuse Continues
-By 1963, Kennedy had order 15,000 Americans “advisers” to Vietnam
-Peasants were moved into “fortified villages” to allow control by the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN)
-These villages were essentially concentration camps
-Realizing Diem would never reform, the Kennedy administration told the ARCN generals they wouldn’t object to a coup
Military Government
-November 2, 1963
-Diem was overthrown by the ARVN generals and executed
-20 days later, Kennedy was killed in Dallas
-A new military government assumed power in South Vietnam
-ARVN generals bickered with each other and still failed to direct the South Vietnamese army effectively
Escalation Begins
The result?
-Americans advisors were sent to keep the peace
-The war escalated despite many of Kennedy’s and LBJ’s advisors privately believing in would not be won
-The Viet Cong gained control of more territory and earned the loyalty of an increasing number of South Vietnamese
-Johnson also followed the policy of communist containment
-“I am not going to lose Vietnam”
-Intended to increase troops but waited until after the election to do so
The Gulf of Tonkin Incident
-August 2nd, 1964
-Two North Vietnamese torpedoes boats were accused of firing on the American destroyer USS Maddox in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of North Vietnam
-US initially claimed a second attack happened two days later
-This has been proven false
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
-Following the incident, Congress gives President Johnson authority to “prevent further aggression”
-The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution passes Congress overwhelmingly
-416-0 in House
-88-2 in Senate
First U.S. Ground Troop Deploy
-March 8, 1965
-First 3,500 U.S. Marines landed at Da Nang
-Almost 200,000 by the summer of 1965
-385,000 by 1966
-485,000 by 1967
-436,00 by 1968
Bloody Sunday in Selma Alabama was happening at the same time the marines were landing at Da Nang
William Westmoreland
-William Westmoreland was a general in the U.S. Army
-Commander of the US ground troops in South Vietnam during the first part of the Vietnam War
-Believed best way to win the war was to throw more troops at the situation
The Average American foot soldier in Vietnam
-19-years-old
-usually from a poor or working-class family
-most likely not college educated
-most were white, but minorities and those from the south were overrepresented
-Many came from either inner cities or from small rural towns or farming communities
The Battlefield
-Soldiers faced tough conditions and an enemy who was willing to die for his cause
-10-foot-tall elephant grass hid the VC and their booby traps
-Conditions were rough on the body (Leeches, fever, jungle rot)
U.S. tactics
-US forces had better supply and equipment
-US carried out “search and destroy” missions
-Got rid of thick jungle hiding places by using Agent Orange and napalm
Agent Orange
-was the code name for a powerful defoliant used by the US to clear areas controlled by the VC
-Unfortunately, Agent Orange would cause serious harm to the health of exposed Vietnamese and American soldiers
Napalm
-a jellied gasoline, is a flammable liquid fuel weapon
-First used in WWI by the Germans
-Burns exceptionally hot
-waters at 100 C
-Napalm generates temperatures of 800 degrees to 1,200 degrees
-The US used it extensively in Vietnam
-Victim Kim Phuc’s clothes were burnt off of her form the Napalm
Ho Chi Minh Trail
-As the war dragged on, the North needed a way to resupply its troop
-The Ho Chi Minh Trail was created and maintained in Laos and Cambodia
-US troops were not legally allowed to invade these countries
-Nixon would eventually authorize raids without informing Congress
Operation Rolling Thunder
-Operation Rolling Thunder was a frequently interrupted bombing campaign that began in February 1965 and lasted through October 1968
-US air force and navy aircraft engaged in bombing designed to demoralize North Vietnam and abandon its plan to take over South Vietnam
POWs and The Hanoit Hilton
-The Hoa Loa Prison was an old French prison used by North Vietnam for prisoners of war
-Conditions and food were so bad the POWs nicknamed it the Hanoi Hilton
-Released prisoners told storied of widespread and systematic abuse
-John McCain was a prisoner at the Hanoi Hotel for five years
What is Tet
-The Chinese/Asian New Year is celebrated in Vietnam where it is known as Tet
-Based on the lunar calendar it bounces around in late January or early February
-In 1968, Tet was on January 31st
The Tet Offensive
-Viet Cong launched a surprise simultaneous and coordinated assaults on South Vietnam
-The largest organized attack since beginning of the war
-It nearly overran the capital in Saigon
-The North Vietnamese (NVC) surged into more than hundred cities and towns
-This became known as the Tet Offensive
Reporters of and in the War
-There were about 600 journalists in Vietnam during the war
-More than 60 were killed covering the war
Walter Cronkite
-February 27, 1968
-CBS News Anchor was one of the most trusted and respected journalists in America
-LBJ would not win again because if he lost Cronkite, he lost the country
How Tet Changed the War
-The ARVN and the US military won the battlefield
-North Vietnam and the Vietcong proved they could penetrate South Vietnamese cities
-Americans (especially at home) increasingly viewed the war as unwinnable
The Establishment
-The social, economic, and political leaders of a nation who hold power and influence
The Counterculture
-Began as a reaction against the rigid social norms of the 1950s, Segregation in the Deep South, the government’s military intervention in Vietnam
-Resulted in youth attacks on mainstream America, Student protest movements, revolt against middle class, respectability and responsibility.
The Hippies
-Followed the beat generation of the 1950s
-The hippie lifestyle included: political protest, sexual revolution, music and musicians, drugs (including LSD and other psychedelic drugs)
Summer of Love
Summer 1967
-The height of the hippie movement
-200,000, mostly young people in hippie dress and behavior
-Converged on San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury neighborhood during the Summer of Love
Flower Children
-Idealistic young people gathered in San Fransico during the Summer of Love in 1967; they wore and distributed flowers or floral themed decorations to symbolize universal belonging, peace, and love; became a slang term for any hippie
Communes
-Small communities where people with common interests, often having common values and beliefs, live together and share property, possessions, resources, and, in some commune’s income assets
The Yippies
-Were more radicalized and militant than the Hippies
-Most used organized protests and sit-ins
-Some drew attention by using guerilla theater or public pranks
-Most radical incited riots, like at the DNC in Chicago
The Drug Culture
-Many counterculture groups created a Drug Culture
-Sharing the common ideas of experimentation with drugs, especially hallucinogens such as LSD
The Sexual Revolution
-Known as the Sexual Revolution, the 1960s saw major shifts in society’s attitudes toward sex
-Increased acceptance of sex between unmarried adults
-Sexual activity began at increasingly younger ages
-Marriage was delayed, giving opportunity for sexual experimentation before a slong term monogamous relationship
Woodstock and Altamont
-In 1969, two large scale music festivals were held: Woodstock and Altamont
Woodstock
-Generally, a peaceful experience although 400,000 people crashes the gates
-And there were all in one place
-A generation lost in space
Altamont
-Went badly- the hell’s angel were hired as security and killed one of the young people at the concert
The Beatles
-An English rock and roll group featuring John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr
-From 1962 to 1970, their songwriting and musical experimentation greatly expanded the scope of rock music
Antiwar Movement
-By 1968, US public was discontent with the war
-Television coverage: body counts and carnage
-Many different groups protested the Vietnam War in many ways…
Generation Gap
-A difference in attitude and the lack of understanding and communication between older and younger members of society
The Teach-In Movement
-Teach ins were groups of professors who organized and discussed the war on college campuses around the country
Hawks and Doves
Desire for non-violence
Opposition to military action
Voice in the wilderness
Eyes set on peace
Horror of community control
Answered the call of duty
War is the answer
Knights of democracy
Protests to Draft
-Many young people opposed to the war also protested the draft
-The selective service act had doubled the number of men who were drafted
-College students received a deferment
-Conscientious objectors were those who did not believe in war
-To protest to the war, many young men burnt their draft cards
Protests have Consequences
-In 1965, David Miller publicly burnt his draft card and was sentenced to two and a half years in prison
-Between 1963 and 1973, 9,118 men were prosecuted for refusing to be drafted into the army
-The most famous of these was Muhammed Ali, the world heavyweight boxing champion
March on the pentagon
-A coalition of antiwar activists called National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam was formed 1967
-October 21, 1967- 50,000 people marched form the Lincoln memorial to the pentagon for a protest
Hey, hey, LBJ
-LBJ’s popularity was plummeting in 1968
-College students and other protestors blamed him for the death of a generation of young men
-The marchers called out, “Hey, Hey, LBJ, how many kids have you killed today?”
In Politics
-In 1968, LBJ’s approval rate dropped to 35%
-he decided not to run for a second term in 1968
-The Democrats splintered, looking for a viable candidate…
-The Republicans quickly rallied behind former VP Richard Nixon
Senator Robert Kennedy
-One Democratic Candidate was U.S. Senator for New York, Robert F. Kennedy, JFK’s younger brother
-He focused on social reform issues
-working with minority groups
-identifying with the poor and disenfranchised
-Quickly gained widespread popularity with the Party
Kennedy Wins California
June 4, 1968
-Kennedy won the Democratic Presidential Primary in California
-Shortly after midnight, Kennedy finished his victory speech at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles
-Security was escorting him through the kitchen
-Sirhan Sirhan was waiting
-He shot and killed Kennedy
The 1968 Democratic Convention
-August 26-29, 1968
-Riots between anti-war and patriotic movements broke out at the 1968 Democratic National Convention
-The mayor of Chicago moved quickly to stamp out protest with the police
-Despite the violence, the convention nominated Hubert Humphrey, Johnson’s Vice President, for President
Vietnamization and Withdrawal
March 1969
-Nixon avoided antiwar protests by hinting that he had a secret plan for ending the war
-Vietnamization was Nixon’s plan to turn the war over to the South Vietnamese
-Would lead up to gradual withdrawal of US land troops
-His stated goal was “peace with honor”
June 1969
-Nixon announced the withdrawal of 25,000 US troops
My Lai Massacre
March 16, 1968
-US soldiers attacked unarmed civilians (mostly women and children) thought to be or to support the Viet Cong
-They killed between 347 and 504
-Could have been worse
-Did not become public knowledge until November 1969
-Outrage around the world further reduced support for the war at home
The Results
-Lt. William Cllaey led the unit
-Many of the men were tried, but only Calley was convicted for his crimes
-Sentenced to life in prison
-President Nixon commuted his sentence tot here years under house arrest
-Since then, he has lived a quiet life in Rural Georgia, trying to avoid the press
Kent State Massacre
May 4, 1970
-National Guard fired into an anti-war rally
-4 students killed, 11 wounded
-Considered one of a few events in US history that symbolize the potential of government becoming the people’s worst enemy
Daniel Ellisberg and the Pentagon Papers
1971
-Defense Department employee Daniel Elisberg leaked a classified assessment of the Vietnam War
-7,000 page document became known as the Pentagon Ppaers
-It cast doubt ob the justification for entry into the war
-Also revealed that senior government officials had always had serioud misgivings about the war
Publishing the Pentagon Papers
-The New York Times and Washington Post began to publish the Papers, which said in summary
-The war was uniwinnable, and the American people and Congress had been
26th amendment
-Lowered the legal voting age from 21 to 18
-Submitted to the states on March 23 1971
-Ratified 3 months and 8 days later on July 1 1971
-Quickest any amendment had been ratified
Nixon’s Domestic Policy
-Southern Strategy: Republican tactic to secure electoral votes by appealing to segregationists in the South
-Domestic affairs took a back seat to foreign policy
-New Federalism: revenue sharing, giving local governments money to address local needs
-Addressing economic concerns
-cut funding for great society programs
-increased payments for social security
Apollo 11
-Kennedy issued the challenge
-July 20, 1969, American “won” the space race against the Soviet Union
-Apollo landed on the moon
-Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon
Foreign Affairs
-National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger
-Realpolitik: basing foreign policies on realistic views of national interest rather than broad rules and principles
-Détente: “easing of tensions” between the US and USSR/China
Nixon and Kissinger tried not to let anyone else have a full picture even if it meant deceiving them.
Foreign Affairs: Soviet Union
-Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT) (1972): limited production and deployment of ICBMs
-Intended as a first step with the Soviets
Foreign Affairs: China
-Cold War tensions have declined, so Nixon takes advantage of the situation:
-Lifts trade embargo against China and allows China in the United Nations
-Kissinger and Nixon travel to China (1972)
Election of 1972
-Candidates are Republic, Richard Nixon, and Democrat George McGovern
-Nixon wins 49 states
-Electoral College Vote: 520-17-1
Popular Vote:
60.7% v. 37.5%
Paris Peace Accords
Paris – January 27, 1963
-Ceasefire Accord that accepted North Vietnamese Troops in South Vietnam
-All fighting was to stop and American prisoners of war were to be released by north Vietnam
-Troop Withdrawal Began
War Powers Act (1973)
-The War Powers Act restricts the President’s war making powers
-Requires the President to notify Congress within 48 hours of committing armed forces to military action
-Forbids armed forces from remaining got more than 60 days (with further 30-day withdrawal period) without Congressional authorization or a declaration of war
-The resolution was vetoed by President Nixon, but Congress overrode the veto with a two-thirds majority
The Double Nickel Law
-In response to the Energy Crisis, Nixon signed the Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act
-Set a national speed limit of 55 mph on all states
-Becomes the second most disobeyed law in US history
-Law was repealed in 1995
Environmental Concerns
-Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (1970)
-Government agency committed to cleaning up and protecting the environment
-Clean Air Act (1970)
-Act passed by Congress yjay sought to lessen air pollution by limiting emissions form factories and cars
-Clean Water Act (1973)
-A law designed to restrict rge pollution of water by industry and agriculture
Endangered Species act (1973)
-Law passed with the goal of protecting endangered plants and animals
Earth Day (1970)
Watergate
-What was Watergate?
-The word itself refers to the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C.
-The “Watergate” is now a general term used to describe a complex web of political scandals between 1972 and 1974
The White House Plumbers
-The Pentagon Papers
-The Plumbers
-White House internal security unit to stop leaks
-Sept. 3, 1971- burglarized office of Daniel Ellsberg’s psychiatrist seeking material to discredit Ellsberg
-Nixons domestic advisor John Elrichman approves the plan
Farewell, Tricky Dick
August 9th, 1974
-Richard Nixon became the first American president to resign from office
-Just before noon, he boards a helicopter on the white house grounds and departs with his family for California.
President Gerald. R. Ford
-Gerald Ford was sworn in as president at noon on August 9, 1974
-The only president not elected as either Vice-president or president
-Ford retained a few of Nixon’s cabinet, including Henry Kissinger
Ford Pardons Nixon
-September 8, 1974, a month after Nixon’s resignation, Ford grants Nixon a full pardon
-Ford believed a pardon would enmd the scandal
-president’s ford approval rate slipped from 71% to 39% overnight
President Ford’s early actions
September 16th, 1974
-Ford issued a clemency order for those who evaded the draft during the Vietnam War
-Draft evaders and military deserters could return to the US but must serve two years in a public service job
Ford’s Economic Dilemma
-American economy had begun to falter in 1971
-Inflation rose from 5.9% in 1970 to 9.1% in 1976
-Unemployment rates also rose as high as 9%
-That was IMPOSSIBLE! (at least according to Economic theory at the time)
Stagflation
-the term stagflation was created to describe the situation
-Economic growth stagnates, the inflation rate is high, and unemployment stays high
-The problem: economic policies designed to lower inflation would exacerbate unemployment and vice versa
Deindustrialization
-the rust belt suffers massive industrialization
-Chicago and Detroit lost half of their manufacturing jobs
Vietnam Reunification
-March 1976 – final offensive of North Vietnamese against the South
-April 29th, 1975 – Vietnam was reunited
Evacuation and Fall of Saigon
-north Vietnamese forces took the South Vietnamese capital city of Saigon on April 30th 1975
-US troops evacuated the American embassy as the South Vietnamese fled
-The Communist forces occupied the south renaming Saigon “ho chi minh city”
Vietnam Conflict’s Causalities
-Killed and MIA – 58,132
-Wounded- 303,704
Total: 361,837
Ford seeks Re-election
-President Ford decides to try to win election to presidency in his own right
-Got the Republican nomination (beating the former governor of California, Ronald Reagan)
Democratic Nomination
-Jimmy who?
-James Earl (Jimmy) Carter was a relatively unknown former governor of Georgia
-Carter ran as a Washington outsider and reformer
-He promised to deliver “a government as good and honest and decent and compassionate as its people”
-“I will never lie to you.”
Carter’s Infamous Interview
-Carter, a born-again Baptist, needed to show he understood the new attitudes in America
-He agreed to an interview with Playboy magazine
-He was ridiculed in the press and this poll numbers dropped 15 points (temporally)
1976 Election Campaign
-Ford had issues to overcome
-a slow economy
-the political cost of his pardon of Nixon
-suggested during a debate Russia didn’t control Eastern Europe
-Carter had many characteristics that people could pick on:
Toothy grin
Peanut farmer
Crazy Family
Decision 1976
-What did voters look at?
Ford
-experienced
-integrity
-episcopalian
-family man
Carter
-Washington outsider
-decency and integrity
The election of 1976
-Ford suffered from a public backlash against Republicans and Washington “outsiders