1. TheVietnamWar
1956-1974

2. America’s Longest War

3. The Vietnam War Background
• Vietnam ( Indochina) was a colony of France for
decades
• From 1939-1945 Vietnam was controlled by Japan
• After WWII, just like in Korea, Vietnam was divided
(17th parallel) North Vietnam was controlled by the
Communist, while South Vietnam was allied to the U.S.
• The North was led by Ho Chi Minh , his goal was to
unite Vietnam into one nation

4. The French and Vietnam
But the French had no intention of
seeing Vietnam become independent
or communist. The French asked the
US to help—this put the US in a
difficult position.

5. • The US didn’t want the French to have
Vietnam but it didn’t want Vietnam to
become communist either—remember the
Cold War is still going on.
• So the US helped the French with money
and war materials.
• But after much fighting, the French gave up.
The US was left holding up South Vietnam

7. • after the French left Vietnam it remained divided. The
South being governed Diem. His government was very
unstable. But the U.S. still supported the South.
• Ho Chi Minh’s goals had not changed

8. Elections
President Diem refused to have elections—said
that Ho Chi Minh would not have fair elections.
So Ho Chi Minh organized a new guerrilla army,
Vietcong, and sent them down to South Vietnam.
The US increased aid to South Vietnam but
despite all the aid and advisors, the Vietcong
continued to be powerful.

9. • One reason the Vietcong was so powerful
was because the South Vietnamese did not
like President Diem—he was corrupt and
catholic and increasingly discriminatory
against the Buddhists—the majority religion
in the area.

11. Assassination of President Diem

12. • The assassination of Diem with the
approval of the Kennedy’s admistration
only made matters worse in Vietnam. It
grew increasingly weak and unstable. The
US became even more deeply involved. The
President Kennedy was killed. Now the
problem became Johnson’s.

13. The United States Goes To Vietnam
• In the 1950’s President Eisenhower, sent some advisors and
money to aid the French in their fight
• In 1960 President Kennedy sent 2,000 advisors to South
Vietnam
• After Kennedy was assassinated President Johnson was
determined not to let Vietnam meet the same fate as China and
North Korea
• American involvement in Vietnam was based on the “Domino
Theory” that if Vietnam fell to the communist so would all of
South East Asia

14. Johnson and Vietnam
No President wanted to appear soft on
Communism. He did not want the
fate that Truman had had in regards
to China. On one hand he says “we
do not seek to widen this conflict”
and on the other hand he sought a
way to “win” this struggle.

15. 1965 The Escalation Begins
• The Gulf of Tonkin Incident, and
Resolution
• In 1965 an American warship was
attacked by North Vietnamese forces in
the Gulf Of Tonkin. LBJ used this
incident to say “ The U.S. would use
any means possible to defend South
Vietnam from Communism”.

16. The War In Vietnam 1965-1972
• Between 1965 and 1968 U.S. forces
escalated from about 150,000 to over 500,00
men
years from 1965 to 1968.

17. Vietnam The Soldiers War
• The average age of the Vietnam War soldier was 18
years old, many of whom were drafted. They faced many
hardships.The geography and climate of Vietnam was
very difficult. The enemy was also very difficult he could
be your friend by day and killing you by night.

18. The Vietnam War 1960-1965
• Starting in around 1960 the North began guerilla
attacks into the South using a citizen army called the
Viet Cong, Charlie, V.C., Ghosts

21. • And as the war dragged on, they faced a very
unpopular war
• They also faced all kinds of Booby Traps.

22. The Tunnel Rats

23. The Air War In Vietnam—Operation Rolling
Thunder

24. The War Of The Rivers and Delta’s

25. Dust Off

26. http://youtu.be/aVgoOVl6cb4
http://youtu.be/aVgoOVl6cb4
Music from the time

27. An Antiwar Movement Emerges
• As the casualties began to build in Vietnam,
many people began to protest the war.

28. Why?
• A Civil war in which the US had no
business in
• South Vietnam was a world away—no
relevance
• Anger at the Draft--unfair
• Many famous started to voice opposition to
the war

29. •
• http://youtu.be/TxxeyPBB36c

30. 1968 The Turning Point Year
• Up to 1968 President Johnson, General Westmoreland assured the
American people we were winning in Vietnam
• The Vietcong and the regular North Vietnamese army executed the
Tet Offensive. They attacked every major city in South Vietnam
including Saigon

31. Walter Cronkite
http://youtu.be/kcSeecx-Z1E

32. Effects of the Tet Offensive
• Although the Tet Offensive was not a military victory,
it had dramatic effects in America, public opinion
began to turn against the war. The anti-war protest
became larger and louder. LBJ under extreme
pressure chooses not to run for re-election in 1968.

33. 1968-A year of Violence
MLK killed in April
http://youtu.be/BCrx_u3825g

34. The Election of 1968
Republican Richard M. Nixon runs for
President pledging to end the War-with a
secret plan.
Many Democrats try to get the nomination:
Robert Kennedy
Eugene McCarthy
Hubert Humphrey

35. California Primary
• http://youtu.be/ilZuAnBXeM8

36. Chicago Democratic Convention
• Stung by the loss of the one candidate who
might have been able to win the election
and end the war, demonstrators set out to
Chicago. Thousands stormed into Chicago,
where Mayor Richard Daley prepared
12,000 policeman—armed with billy clubs,
tear gas and guns-- to keep order—the result
massive confrontation

37. “The whole world is watching”
• http://youtu.be/oQkgCZylkBc
• http://youtu.be/epxmX_58tOo
• http://youtu.be/eaBwgsZhZJA
• 1968- The Conventions
• http://youtu.be/0l4n5uw_GFM
• 1968 Mexico Olympics
• http://youtu.be/uqhv1g0sIpY
• http://youtu.be/k9NsN0ybTec -trailer

38. Nixon Becomes President
• He becomes President and starts
Vietnamization—the process of gradual
withdrawal of US troops from Vietnam. And at
the same time starts to bomb Cambodia and
Laos
• Pentagon Papers-Daniel
Ellsburg -the individual most
responsible for illegally leaking
the Pentagon Papers to the
press in 1971

39. Massacre at My Lai

40. Anti-war protest at Kent State turned deadly

41. http://youtu.be/GI7-m919ynU
CSNY-Ohio

42. Nixon and the Vietnam War
• Nixon was elected on the promise he would get use
out of Vietnam “ Peace With Honor”
• He began a process of Vietnamization, turning the
war over to South Vietnam.
• After negotiations with China and Russia, and
continued bombing he was able to secure the peace
• Jan 1973, Nixon announced the suspension of all
military action in Vietnam
• The terms were simple The North would not invade
the South and we would leave Vietnam

43. The Fall of Saigon 1975
http://youtu.be/IdR2Iktffaw

44. The Effects of the Vietnam War
• 58,000 Americans died, thousands were wounded.
Millions of Vietnamese died
• Cost America millions of dollars
• Americans began to distrust and question the
government
• We did not win. Wars had to be short and decisive
• The War Power Act, said the President could not
send troops anywhere without congressional approval

45. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial

46. • Despite the belief in the Domino Theory,
communism did not spread to the rest of
Southeast Asia. However in Cambodia a
horrible and repressive regime came into
power under the government of Pol Pot.

47. • He wanted to completely erase any western,
capitalist, or colonialist influence on his
people. Estimates are that he killed ¼ of the
population. Vietnam will overthrow that
regime.

48. Historical Perspective
• US failed to achieve its military objective
WHY?
Critics argue the US failed to understand the
nature of the war
Understood the conflict in simply Cold War
terms and not a Civil War
Lack of Asian experts

49. • Some military leaders blame the civilian
government placing restrictions on he
conduct of the war
• Some leaders blame the media

50. Lessons from Vietnam
• Should not go into an area with no vital
interest to our security
• Should not go into a War unless confident
they can rally and sustain the support of the
American people