Vietnam War Notes

Vietnam War

French Indochina

  • In 1945, France attempted to maintain control over its former colony, French Indochina, with financial and material support from the U.S.
  • Ho Chi Minh led the Communist Vietnamese independence movement, known as the Viet Minh, against French colonial rule.
  • By 1954, the French were driven out, leading to the creation of North and South Vietnam.
  • French Indochina comprised what are now Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.

North and South Vietnam

  • North Vietnam:
    • Communist state allied with the U.S.S.R.
    • Led by Ho Chi Minh.
  • South Vietnam:
    • Capitalist state allied with the U.S. and France.
    • Planned to hold elections to determine its leader.
    • Ongoing conflict between the two sides.

Start of US Involvement

  • The U.S. adopted the “Domino Theory,” fearing that if one Southeast Asian country fell to communism, others would follow.
  • Vietnam itself had no significant strategic military or economic value to the U.S.
  • The primary reason for U.S. involvement was Containment: to prevent the spread of communism.

US Military Action

  • The South Vietnamese government and the U.S. faced the Vietcong, communist rebel guerillas within South Vietnam.
  • 1962: JFK sent 16,000 “military advisors” to South Vietnam to train soldiers.
  • 1965: The U.S. initiated bombings of North Vietnam.
  • 1965: 200,000 U.S. troops were deployed.
  • 1967: 500,000 U.S. troops were in Vietnam.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

  • 1964: The U.S. accused North Vietnam of firing on U.S. ships in the Gulf of Tonkin.
    • The ships were aiding South Vietnam through electronic spying and commando raids.
  • The U.S. Congress passed the “Gulf of Tonkin Resolution,” authorizing the president to:
    • “take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and prevent further aggression.”
  • This resolution effectively granted President Johnson the legal authority to wage war without a formal declaration of war from Congress.
  • In response, the U.S. sent troops into Vietnam.

“Search and Destroy”

  • The U.S. launched “Search and Destroy” missions against the Vietcong.
  • The goals were to:
    • Locate and bomb supply lines, particularly the Ho Chi Minh trail.
    • Eliminate supply lines (Ho Chi Minh trail).
    • Force guerilla forces into open combat.
  • The U.S. military employed:
    • Napalm: Jelled gasoline that explodes on contact, causing severe burns.
    • Agent Orange: A chemical defoliant used to strip leaves from trees, turning forested areas into wastelands.
  • The Ho Chi Minh trail was a network of routes through Cambodia and Laos, used by North Vietnam to transport arms and supplies through the jungle.

Tet Offensive (January 31, 1968)

  • Tet is the Lunar New Year.
  • North Vietnam launched a surprise attack on South Vietnamese cities and U.S. military installations, violating a traditional New Year's truce.
    • 70,000 communist soldiers attacked over 100 “safe” cities and towns in the South.
  • The offensive resulted in:
    • Significant communist losses: 50,000 communist soldiers killed vs 2,000 US soldiers killed.
  • The Tet Offensive demonstrated that the communists were determined and would not surrender.

Protests at Home

  • Initially, there was significant support for the war.
  • By 1967, public opinion had turned against the war, leading to major protests across the U.S.
  • Protests focused on the unfair draft system:
    • Disproportionate numbers of low-income individuals and minorities were drafted early in the war.
    • College students received deferments, leading to the rejection of over 500,000 draftees.
  • 1969: The Lottery System was introduced to make the draft more equitable.
  • Nixon proposed Vietnamization:
    • A strategy to gradually withdraw U.S. soldiers and transfer responsibility to South Vietnamese soldiers.

Cambodia, Kent State and Jackson State College

  • 1970: The U.S. began secret bombings and invasion of Cambodia.
  • Protests against the Cambodian invasion occurred at Kent State and Jackson State College.
  • May 4, 1970: The Ohio National Guard fired on demonstrators at Kent State without orders, killing 4 and injuring 9.
  • May 14, 1970: Police killed two African American demonstrators at Jackson State College, Mississippi.
  • December 1970: Congress repealed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.

End of The Vietnam War

  • 1973: A ceasefire agreement was signed in Paris, and the U.S. withdrew from Vietnam.
  • 1975: North Vietnam attacked South Vietnam and captured Saigon, renaming it Ho Chi Minh City.
  • The U.S. Congress refused to send aid to South Vietnam.
  • South Vietnam fell to North Vietnam, resulting in a unified communist Vietnam.
  • US Costs:
    • $$170 Billion
    • 58,000 deaths
    • 300,000 injured
  • Vietnam costs:
    • Over 1 million North and South Vietnamese soldiers and civilians killed.