The Vietnam War n 1955 -1975 n

+ The Vietnam War n 1955 -1975 n Began with a revolutionary movement in Vietnam to fight for independence n The Vietnam war created the biggest anti-war movement the U. S. had ever seen

+ Vietnam Basics n Location: n n In Southeast Asia, near Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and parts of China Population n n Mostly Buddhist n n 83 Million People Strong minority of Catholics Resources n Very fertile, hot, tropical climate, many resources

+ Vietnam History (Key Points) Before WWII, France controlled Vietnam French Indochina – territories in South East Asia colonized by France

+ WWI & Vietnam n At the end of WWI, American President Woodrow Wilson promises to end colonialism. n A young Ho Chi Minh (Communist leader) attends Versaillies Conference hoping to gain Vietnamese Independence from France. n Ho Chi Minh led a revolutionary movement for independence from foreign control n Viet Minh – founded by Ho Chi Minh. n Communist/Nationalist group that opposed the French and foreign rule n Nationalism – pride in your country, desire for independent homeland for your people.

+ WWII & Vietnam n At the beginning of the War, French still control Vietnamese resistance grows. n Ho Chi Minh n Leader of the Viet Minh n Wants an independent Vietnam n Opposes French, Japanese, and Americans n Millions rejoice that their country is free of foreign control at last!

+ Declaring Independence n WW 2 Ends and September 2, 1945, Ho Chi Minh declares Vietnam independent !! n Ho Chi Minh reads from US Declaration of Independence n Some see Ho Chi Minh’s Declaration of Independence as evidence of being a nationalist rather than being a communist. They refer to this example has him expressing his interest in having a relationship with the United States. n BUT, the French want Indochina back, and they do not recognize Vietnamese independence. Reclaim colony. n At this point, US has 2 options: Support Vietnamese or help France regain its colonial empire

+ Divided American State Department PRO - WAR ANTI - WAR n European Experts in American Government support backing France. n Asia Experts in American Government support backing Ho Chi Minh n STOP spread of Communism in Asia !! n Feel he is a Nationalist

+ If Vietnam turns Communist… n Containment theory fails (NOO!) n Domino Theory, fear of monolithic (solid block) communist alliance of China, Vietnam, and USSR

+ South Vietnam n Instead of supporting Geneva Agreement and allowing unification elections and a Communist victory, US supports creation of a non-Communist, South Vietnam. n American war in Vietnam is fought to keep South Vietnam Non-Communist

+ Ngo Dinh Diem n First leader of South Vietnam n Nationalist but strongly anti-Communist n Catholic n Receives strong support from United States n Administration is very corrupt n He was assassinated n United States stepped in with increased involvement

+ ESCALATION OF VIETNAM WAR n What did Johnson see as the lesson from World War II that led him to his decision? n What were the options mentioned in this excerpt for Johnson to make regarding Vietnam?

+ Golf of Tonkin Resolution n President Lyndon B. Johnson – 1964 n North Vietnamese “attack” on two US ships in the Gulf of Tonkin is Johnson’s excuse to get congressional approval for major escalation in Vietnam. n Sending in more troops, military equipment, money, etc. n Resolution authorized President Johnson to take any measures he believed were necessary to retaliate and to promote the maintenance of international peace and security in southeast Asia.

+ Who did America Fight in Vietnam? n Viet Cong: South Vietnamese supporters of the Communist North. They allied with North Vietnam, and were supported by North Vietnamese army. n And Northern Vietnamese Army n Both groups were heavily supplied from USSR via China

+ n http: //www. pbslearningmedia. org/resource/pres 10. socst. ush. now. es calate/escalation-of-the-vietnam-war-by-lbj/ n Does America have a commitment to protect freedom?

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+ Viet Cong Tactics n https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=jf. Px 1 jfo. Wjs

+ n Guerilla Warfare Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare in which a small group of fighters, armed civilians, or irregulars (not typical military) use military tactics including ambushes, sabotage, raids, hit-and-run tactics, and mobility to fight a larger and less-mobile traditional military.

+ n Guerilla Tactics Guerrilla Tactics Ho Chi Minh’s tactics were dependent on the support of the local villagers who were expected to hide the Vietcong. VC fighters were expected to be courteous and help the peasants in the fields. However, the VC were ruthless when they were opposed, they murdered police, tax collectors, teachers and other employees of the government in South Vietnam. The aim of the tactics was to weaken the US soldier’s morale. This worked well; Americans lived in fear of ambushes and booby traps. The VC were almost impossible to identify, they had no uniform, camps or headquarters. They attacked and then disappeared.

+ Viet Cong Tactics n List: n 21 st century weapons – Guns n Crossbow n Spears n Spikes n Booby traps – Man traps n Underground tunnels n Use of villagers to set traps n Using land/jungle to hide n Propaganda videos

+ According to all of these sources: n How effective do guerilla war tactics seem to be? n What did the tactics used mean for US soldiers? n How could this effect the way people viewed the war in the United States? n Make sure to take note of tactics in your vocab list to be able to use in preparation for summative assessment!

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+ US Tactics n Pg. 440 – 441 n What US Tactics are mentioned in the text?

+ US Tactics n “Reveal” and Destroy Jungle n To expose Viet Cong’s hiding places n To avoid going into the jungle and facing the multiple traps

+ US Tactics n Napalm: a highly flammable sticky jelly used in incendiary bombs and flamethrowers, consisting of gasoline thickened with special soaps (used to burn down buildings/jungle) n https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Ev 2 d. Eqr. N 4 i 0 n Agent Orange: —or Herbicide Orange —is one of the herbicides and chemicals used by the U. S. military as part of its herbicidal warfare program in Vietnam (used to destroy jungle) n https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=uzv. TB 0 m. OS 0 w

+ Search and Destroy n A military strategy that became a large component of the Vietnam War. The idea was to insert ground forces into hostile territory, search out the enemy, destroy them, and withdraw immediately afterward. n https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=1 ns. A 9 l 5065 s

+ Vietnamization n Train Southern Vietnamese so they could take over the war n How do you predict this would work?

+ Tet Offensive n Tet – most important holiday in Vietnam, Vietnamese New Year. It is the most popular festival in Vietnam. n January 31 st, 1968 n North Vietnamese and Viet Cong coordinated surprise attacks on more than 100 cities in South Vietnam n US Embassy in Saigon is attacked. n n Pg. 442 until U. S. Morale Sinks What were the effects of the Tet Offensive?

+ Effects of Tet n Shocked Americans n Doubted if war could be won n President changed war policy n After seeing media coverage of these attacks: n n n American media turns against the war. American public turns against the war. Growth of American Anti-War Movement n Strong anti-war movement in US n War divides American population

+ My Lai n Most horrific incident against Vietnamese civilians during Vietnam War n The village was believed to be a hideout for Viet Cong – and marked for a search and destroy mission n Estimated 125 -500 people including women, children, and elderly brutally killed – No Viet Cong were found n Higher ranking US officers covered up the events for a year before the incident was investigated n More anti-war sentiment grew after seeing the brutality

+ https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=91 Zr 7 Kp 6 oo. Y https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Klx 4 TB 33 BRU

+ Nixon Silent Majority n http: //watergate. info/1969/11/03/nixons-silent-majorityspeech. html

+ Why did many Americans oppose the Vietnam War?

+ Music and Culture n Think about a song that really speaks to you… n How do songs impact or influence you? n Do you know any songs that help you explain or express your ideas or feelings?

+ Protest Music n Music in general, and anti-war music specifically, became a space for cultural and political conflict and dialog, and at times a product and resource for broad movement against the war. The Vietnam War was accompanied every step of the way by an anti-war soundtrack that touched on every tone—melancholy and touching, enraged and sarcastic, fearful and resigned—and that captured the long demoralizing impact of this war. And like the anti-war movement itself, it began without a significant audience in the early sixties, but grew to a critical mass by the war’s termination.

+ WOODSTOCK

+ Woodstock Music and Art Fair n Woodstock, New York n Audience of 400, 000 people n Three days long on dairy farm, August of 1969 n Free concert , 33 Artists Performed n Including Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, The Who, & Jimi Hendrix

+ The Lyrics n https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=-7 Y 0 ekr-3 So n https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=z. JEj. YY 4 TTj. M n https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=dp. Wml. RNf. Lck n https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Rk. ZC 7 sq. Ima. M

+ How would people have reacted to these songs? n Soldiers? n The Government? n Young people? n Parents?

+ Democratic National Convention n Chicago, 1968 n Democratic Party chose Hurbert Humphrey as their nominee, who planned to continue Johnson’s war efforts. n 10, 000 protestors n Police and national guard sent in to keep away protestors n Ended in riot known as “Battle on Michigan Avenue” caught on television

+ Richard Nixon n Elected in 1968 n Promised to “bring an honorable end to the war in Vietnam with a “secret plan”

+ Cambodia n Neutral n Viet Cong & North Vietnamese use Cambodia as a sanctuary n US troops cannot enter n Cambodian government is powerless from preventing Communists from entering

+ Nixon & Cambodia n Nixon: n n n Minimizes efforts in Vietnam and Expands conflict in Cambodia Secretly bombs and invades Cambodia for 14 months without knowledge of public or Congress. Known as “Operation Breakfast”. Bombing & Invasion fails to make any significance in war n Communists go deeper into Cambodia n Public Opinion: n War is illegal n Public is outraged at expansion of the conflict n Massive protests

+ Kent State Incident n 1970: On April 30, Nixon announces that U. S. troops will attack enemy locations in Cambodia. The news sparks protests nationwide, especially on college campuses. n In May, Ohio National Guardsmen open fire on a crowd of student protesters at Kent State University, killing four students and wounding nine others. Several of the protesters had been hurling rocks and empty tear gas canisters at the Guardsmen.

+ Nixon & Ending Vietnam War n Uses combination of increased bombing of North Vietnam and Secret Negotiations n Vietnamization – Nixon’s Plan n Turn the war over to the South Vietnamese n Train & equip South Vietnamese to fight the North n US Troops withdraw n Last US troops leave by 1973

+ US Withdrawals n North Vietnam takes over South Vietnam n n n US doesn’t prevent the take over. Vietnam is unified under one communist state South Vietnam Betrayed n South Vietnam was promised that the US would send troops, money, and supplies if North Vietnamese launched a massive attack. n Nixon resigns due to Watergate n Congress and American people do not support further involvement

Soldiers Return Home and the + Legacy of Vietnam n Soldiers returned to an unpleasant welcome. n 58, 000 soldiers died and 300, 000 were wounded. n Many suffered from reoccurring nightmares and other stressrelated problems. n Congress passed the Twenty-sixth Amendment n n Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 War Powers Act n Limits the president’s war-making powers. n President must report to congress

+ Watergate n 1972 -1973 political scandal, following a break in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington D. C. n The scandal and it’s cover-up led to Nixon resigning from the Presidency.

+ Ford Pardons Nixon n 1974 -1975: Six weeks after the new president Gerald Ford was sworn in, he pardoned Nixon for any crimes he had committed while in office. n Ford said he pardoned Nixon in order to help the nation heal, but many people felt that the disgraced president should have been held accountable for the crimes associated with his re-election campaign. n Before he pardoned Nixon for his involvement in the Watergate scandal, Ford received two pieces of paper from Al Haig, Nixon's chief of staff, which outlined how Ford would go about pardoning the president. Even today, speculation persists that there was a deal between Nixon and Ford that he would get the presidency if he promised to keep Nixon from going to jail.

+ Cambodia n n Cambodia falls to Communists n Khmer Rouge/Cambodian Communist take power Khmer Rouge n Communist Party in Cambodia n Offshoot of the Vietnam People’s Army from North Vietnam n Led Cambodia from 1975 -1979 n Pol Pot is leader n Overthrew previous leader, Sihanouk

+ Cambodian Genocide n n n Genocide of near 1/3 of the Cambodian population by Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge regime 'To spare you is no profit, to destroy you is no loss. ” The Killing Fields n Number of sites in Cambodia where more than a million people were killed and buried in mass graves n Khmer Rouge wanted to reconstruct Cambodia as communist, agricultural society n Anyone in opposition – intellectuals and educated people were assumed to be – were killed n This included lawyers, teachers, doctors, engineers, scientists, and their extended families n Religion was banned, any form of expression banned (speaking multiple languages, singing, laughing, crying) n Ethnic minorities also targeted – Anyone with Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai in their ancestry

+ n Timeline Events How did this event contribute, or how was this event effected by the withdrawal of the U. S. from Vietnam? n Operation Breakfast – Bombing of Cambodia n Vietnamization n Kent State Incident n Watergate Scandal n Ford Pardons Nixon (quid pro quo) n Cambodian Genocide n Create informal presentation to explain your event to the class: n Describe your event n Create visual, skit, or any other mode of your group’s choosing n Answer the question above^^

+ Videos n http: //www. history. com/topics/vietnam-warhistory/videos/coming-home

+ Peace Protests

+ Low Morale/Growing Opposition n Why did many Americans oppose the Vietnam war?

+ Questions? /Review! n Test Friday