Vietnam War Origins of Vietnam War French Rule

Vietnam War Origins of Vietnam War

French Rule in Indochina • Before WWII the French had colonized Indochina, (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos). • After the war the French tried to reclaim it’s territory in Vietnam • Vietnamese nationalists led by Ho Chi Minh resisted the French • Ho was a communist

America and the War • The United States was against colonialism and against communism • The US wanted France as an ally in its efforts to contain the Soviet Union • Between 1950 and 1954 the US contributed 2. 6 billion dollars to aid the French in Vietnam • Containing the Vietminh or communist forces in Vietnam became a national priority

The Domino Theory • President Eisenhower continued Truman’s policy in Vietnam • Domino theory-if Vietnam falls to communism then the other countries in the region are in danger of becoming communist. • The French lost their fight for Vietnam • Peace Accords were signed in Geneva Switzerland

The outcome of the Peace Accords • France granted independence to Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Vietnam was divided at the 17 th parallel into two countries North Vietnam was controlled by Ho’s communist forces and South Vietnam had an anticommunist government supported by the United States. • The accords called for free elections in 1956 to unify the country

US aids South Vietnam • SEATO was formed-goal was to contain the spread of communism in South East Asia. • North Vietnam was ruled by Ho Chi Minh. • South Vietnam was ruled by the government of Ngo Dinh Diem. He was very much for nationalism and against communism. However he was not a popular leader

The Politics of Vietnam • Diem was an unpopular leader, he was Catholic and most people in his country were Buddhist. He even signed anti-Buddist legislation into law. • Because he thought he would lose to Ho Chi Minh Diem refused to participate in the 1956 elections. Only the support of the United States kept Diem in power.

Vietcong • A communist rebel group in the South The National Liberation Front committed themselves to undermining Diem’s government. NLF guerrilla fighter were called the Vientcong. • They launched an insurgency: destroyed roads and bridges, assassinated government officials. Supplied by North Vietnam the Vietcong used hit and run tactics to weaken Diems government.

Kennedy and Vietnam • Elected in 1960 Kennedy took a more aggressive stand against communists in Vietnam. • 1961 -he sent Special Forces Troops to advise the army of South Vietnam. (ARVN) • 1963 -more than 15, 000 advisors were in Vietnam

Diem loses power • Americans plotted with anti-Diem generals to overthrow Diems government. • 1963 Diem was removed from power and later assassinated. • Three weeks after Diems fall from power Kennedy was assassinated. • Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as President and was very anti-communist.

Monolithic View of Communism • The view that all communists governments were the same. Soviet Union, China and Vietnam were one and the same. • In reality the governments of these countries were different • LBJ knew that the American people expected a victory in Vietnam.

Tonkin Gulf • 1964 -North Vietnamese Torpedo boats fired on the American destroyer USS Maddox as it patrolled off the coast of North Vietnam. The Maddox was not hit and returned fire. • Johnson ordered an airstrike against North Vietnam. Johnson next asked Congress to authorize the use of force to defend American troops.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution The resolution authorized the President to “take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression” This gave Johnson tremendous war powers. It allowed him to commit US troops to Vietnam without going back to Congress to get a declaration of war.

? • How might this effect the balance of power in government?

US Involvement Grows • Operation Rolling Thunder- in response to a Vietcong attack at Pleiku Johnson ordered a bombing campaign against North Vietnam. Johnson hoped this new campaign would convince North Vietnam to stop reinforcing the Vietcong in South Vietnam.

American tactics • 6 million tons of bombs were dropped-more than 3 times the tonnage dropped by all the combatants in WWII • Napalm-jellied gasoline dropped in large canisters that exploded on impact, covering large areas in flames. Hard to extinguish and clung to everything it touched.

American tactics cont. • Agent Orange- is a herbicide (destroys plants) the US forces used it to disrupt the enemy’s food supply and defoliate the countryside. • Search-and-destroy missions- to kill as many Vietcong guerillas as they could. . • Some soldiers defended airbases. • Used helicopters to ferry soldiers to remote locations.

US involvement grows cont. • As the communist forces continued to fight the United States committed more troops to battle them on the ground. Americans assumed the primary military responsibility for the war with South Vietnamese soldiers serving a secondary role. US military and civilian leaders hoped that the airstrikes along with more troops on the ground would bring the communists to the peace table.

An elusive and determined enemy • Large scale battles were not typical of America’s strategy in Vienam • Ho’s military doctrine hinged on fighting only when victory was assured, never fighting on his opponent”s terms. • Ho compared his tactics to the tiger and the elephant

An elusive and determined enemy • Ho Chi Minh’s tactics was to wear the enemy down • They travelled light carrying just a rifle and a few handfuls of rice • They dug tunnels to hide in during the day and emerge at night to ambush American patrols • The set booby traps that maimed and crippled American troops • The leaders of North Vietnam and the Vietcong remained convince that if they could avoid losing the war, the Americans would eventually leave

Costly and Frustrating war • American stategy yielded limited results • US bombers did disrupt North Vietnamese industry and slow the movement of supplies to the Vietcong. • The communists did not sue for peace • End of 1965 there were 184, 300 US troops in Vietnam and 636 soldiers had died in the war • Three years later, there were more that half a million US troops in Vietnam and the number of American dead had risen to 30, 000

Costly and Frustrating war • Each year the war cost more American dollars and claimed more American lives. • Corruption was still a problem with the South Vietnamese administration-they had little support outside of the major cities. • Although Americans won most of the larger battles, they did not achieve a successful end to the war. • By 1967 the war had devolved into a stalemate

Patriotism, Heroism and Sinking Morale • The US did not try to gain territory in Vienam, they did not invade North Vietnam or March on the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi. • The US was fearful of bringing the Soviet Union and China into the war • American forces supported the survival and development of South Vietnam. Because South Vietnam was besieged with Vietcong and their North Vietnamese allies, US troops had a hard time telling their friends from their enemies.

Danger on a new battlefield • Although the US won numerous battles it could not win the war outright. • The Vietcong and the North Vietnamese avoided significant engagements. • Vietcong gunman would spring out of dense foliage and attack with automatic rifles and grenades and then disappear back into the landscape. • Much of this fighting took place at night which reduced the effectiveness of American Planes, artillary and troop tactics.

American Soldiers fulfill their duty • American soldiers adapted to the conditions in Vietnam and fought with the same intensity US forces had shown in WWI and WWII. • Many fought to prevent communism • Some fought to protect Villagers in South Vietnam and win their trust and respect • Others fought because their country was at war and they felt it was their duty. More than 58, 000 US troops gave their lives for their country

Women in the War • About 10, 000 American Military women served in the war. Most were nurses. • Not only did they face dangers working close to the front, they also had to cope with the emotional toll of working with the injured and dying soldiers and civilians.

Morale Declines as War Wears On • As the war got longer Many Americans questioned America’s involvement • The earliest soldiers in Vietnam had been volunteers, but by the end of 1965 most American soldiers in Vietnam had been drafted. They were not certain that preserving the government in South Vietnam was Crucial to American interests

The War Weakens the Economy • The war strained the government finances • President Johnson’s plan for a Great Society called for enormous government spending to eliminate poverty, improve education and medical care and fight racial discrimination. • Massive government spending lowered the unemployment rate but caused inflation. • Johnson was forced to raise taxes. Johnson had to cut back on his Great Society program to pay for the war.

Hawks and Doves • Beginning in 1967, Congress and eventually most of America divided into two camps • Hawks-supported Johnson war policy. Believed strongly in the containment of communism and the domino theory, they accepted the rising troop levels, escalating costs and increasing number of battlefield deaths. They believed it was a crucial front in the Cold WAR.

Doves • Doves-broke with Johnson’s war policy. A diverse group of liberal politicians, pacifists, student radicals, civil rights leaders. Doves questioned the war on moral and strategic grounds. For them the war was a localized civil war, not a vital Cold War battleground. • Senator J. William Fulbright, chairman of Senate Foreign relations committee emerged as an early leader of the Doves in Congress. In 1967 and 1968 Fulbright held public hearings on the war, providing a platform for critics of the conflict.