The Vietnam War Going to War Vocab List

The Vietnam War Going to War

Vocab List 37 P 400 CH 17 -Domino Theory -Napalm -Guerilla -Agent Orange -Ho Chi Minh (P 400) -Ho Chi Minh Trail (P 405)

I. What we already know: • • • 1) Containment - we are trying to stop the expansion of communism 2) The presidents during this era: → Eisenhower: Threatens nuclear war but never acts. → Kennedy: Cuban Missile Crisis scared the world. Assassinated → Lyndon B Johnson: Takes over for Kennedy. Vietnam is his baby. 3) Korean War - China & Korea both fall into communism. We now are worried about the Domino Theory. o Idea: if Vietnam fell to communism, the rest of southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia) would too. o We worry for our only allies - Japan and S Korea. o Don’t write this: See Map on P 401.

II. Big Picture Vietnam • • • Lasts from 1965 - 1973 We send 500, 000 troops to Vietnam o Mostly lower class men because you would not get drafted if going to college. We will spend $100, 000, 000 (100 Billion) in Vietnam We will use more bombs than both Allies & Axis powers combined (in WWII) in Vietnam… : ( Death tolls: o 58, 000 US Troops will die (20% are African American) o 4, 000 Vietnamese will die. Wikipedia: Agent Orange : (

Horrifying : ( Agent Orange

III. A Bit of History. . . • • • A) Vietnam was France’s colony until the 1950 s. B) Then Vietnam is split in two o ***N Vietnam = Communist led by Ho Chi Minh***, supported by China & Russia o S Vietnam = Capitalist, led & supported by USA o Just like Korea! C) We never declared war… o Instead, in 1963, JFK “sends advisors” o Advising quickly became shooting. . .

IV. Gulf of Tonkin • • In 1964 during Lyndon B Johnson’s presidency-the public is told about: o “A North Korean Patrol Boat Attacking US Warships in the Gulf of Tonkin” § Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: Congress then tells president “take all necessary measures to repel attacks” § President then increased troop levels and bombs the North Funny thing though: o THE GULF OF TONKIN INCIDENT NEVER OCCURRED o WE ENDED UP IN A WAR FOR NO REASON. o Should remind you of The U. S. S Maine in Spanish-American War

General admits: DID NOT HAPPEN

Famous Vietnam Photos:

Banksy

Buddhist protesting

V. Vietnam War sucked • • • All jungle fighting Enemy used guerilla fighting tactics and then would blend into towns We used body counts to see who was winning war o Whoever had more dead was “losing”. . . >< We used chemical weapons and napalm against 3 million civilians… + All of this was on television

Vietnam Intro