Vietnam War U S Involvement Vietnam War 1954

Vietnam War U. S. Involvement

Vietnam War • 1954 -civil war ended between communist North Vietnam under Ho Chi Minh and weak neutral government in south Vietnam • 1956 -war begins again and by 1960 the south Vietnam forces were confined to the cities

Vietnam War • 1960 -confilict spreads to Laos— 2 sides in Laos: one U. S. and other communist • 1961 - U. S. sign an agreement creating a coalition government in Laos • 1961 - May- Kennedy sends 400 Green Berets to help train south Vietnamese in guerilla war fare-it fails

Vietnam War • 1961 -August- U. S sends 600 green berets and helicopters • 1962 - South Vietnam hold their own in battles • 1963 -Vietcong emerge from jungle and chew up inept south Vietnamese

Vietnam War • Without massive American intervention the war would be lost

Tonkin Gulf • August 2, 1964 - American destroyer “Maddox” claimed to be attacked by communist patrol boat in Tonkin Gulf, off the coast of North Vietnam • August 4 - Maddox and another ship, “C Turner Joy” claimed to have been attacked-neither ship saw enemy vessel or suffered any damage. • Johnson ordered air raids against torpedo boats and oil storage tanks

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution • Johnson asked and got more power when congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution • Gave the president the authority to take the nation to war without congressional approval • Article 1 of constitution says congress has that power • 1973 - congress placed restriction on the resolution

Gulf of Tonkin

More trouble in Vietnam • Spring 1965 -South Vietnam regime had completely lost control of the countryside and huddled in the cities

More Involvement • Presidential advisor said without American intervention South Vietnam government would collapse • Johnson decides to get involved deeper

Vietcong Attacks • Feb 7, 1965 Vietcong raids camp of American military advisers • Killing 8, wounding 100 • The raid gives Johnson excuse to order air strikes

More Involvement • April 196535, 000 American troops • June-doubled • 2 years – 500, 000 troops • 20, 000 deaths

Guerrilla war • Vietnam was a guerrilla war • Every village as a potential battleground • 150, 000 civilians died annually

Agent Orange / Napalm • In in effort to take away Vietcong hiding places – American planes dropped Napalm (a jellied gasoline that explodes on contact) and Agent Orange (a chemical that strips leaves from trees and shrubs).

$$$$$$ • 1966 -cost $8 billion • 1968 - cost $27 billion

Unpopular • Three causes that made the Vietnam War to be the most unpopular in U. S. history.

T. V. , Cost, Lies • Television- First time Americans could see a child running down a street of thatch-covered house her clothes aflame. • LIES - Government Falsehood- Statement contradicted one another: reported only 103, 000 Vietcong and suffered 79, 000 casualties-Jan 1, 1966 237, 000 Vietcong. • Cost- Every Vietcong communist killed cost the U. S. $322, 000

Television and the War

• “New Left”Antiwar movement by college students and intellectuals. • Beginning in 1964 and Berkeley, Cal. Students wreaked havoc at American universities— called for “nonnegotiated peace” demand class disruption. Protest

• April 1967125, 000 students surged through the streets of New York to the United Nation building to ask the U. N. to intervene. • October 196775, 000 descended on the Pentagon and blocked the building entrance in a massive act of non-violent disobedience. Non-violence

Discontent • Only 29% of the American people thought the President was doing a good job. • Burning of draft cards gesture of opposition of the war. • “New Left” destroyed itself by its violent methods that antagonized everyone else in the country.

Tet Offensive • Jan. 1968 -Tet is the Vietnamese New Year • Vietcong made a surprising move and came down on every city of substantial size in South Vietnam and dozens of American bases • Thousands of guerrillas enter the hear of Saigon, captured the American Embassy for 6 hours • City was leveled by US bombers to regain control of cities

The Truth • Tet offensive demonstrated that in 3 years of war, the Vietcong was still a military power • Also demonstrated that the Vietnamese people had turned against their government • Thousands of peasants must have known about the moves of the Vietcong forces yet the government knew nothing

Vietnam Withdraw • Nixon and Kissinger dictated a final withdraw of Vietnam. • It was clear the war could not be won and its continuance hampered negotiation elsewhere in the world. • It was important that the withdraw not appear to be a surrender.

Vietnam Pull-out • Peace talks opened up in Paris in 1968 • Vietcong demanded a role in the gov. • South Vietnam military leaders in Saigon had little popular support to stay in power had to keep fighting • US to win the war had to send million of troops to Southeast Asia • To withdraw was to confess that the tens of thousands of lives lost in Vietnam had been lost for nothing

U. S. Had 3 Choices 1. Continue the war at the present level-lead nowhere 2. Pull out quickly and let the South Vietnamese take care of themselves-cause political reaction at home 3. Begin a slow pull out, while trying to negotiate a settlement • Nixon chose third---allowing South Vietnamese to fight on the ground and US forces to supply air power

1970 • March 18 -a right wing general seized control of the government in Cambodia • North Vietnamese troops moved in the defense-less country • April 27 -Nixon ordered combined American and South Vietnam troops to remove the Vietcong in Cambodia • Students take to the street smashing everything in sight

End of Vietnam • Kissinger and North Vietnamese finally come to terms: • U. S. agreed to permit the North Vietnam army to remain in South Vietnam after cease-fire • Nixon calls is “peace with honor” • Help Nixon get re-elected

More Trouble in Vietnam • December-Nixon unleashes new B-52 attacks on the North because of haggling over details at peace talk • Bombing causes world outcry but it works • Final cease-fire was signed on Jan. 27, 1973

The Real End • Neither side obey peace settlement • Nixon orders air raids over Cambodia • August 15, 1973 -Congress passed resolution for ceasing all American military activity in S. E. Asia

Vietnam Falls • Spring 1975 -Communist mounted a massive attack • April 30 communist forces force Saigon South Vietnam to surrender

The Fall of Saigon