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Vietnam1955-1975
Mr. Koch
US History B
Forest Lake High School
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Background
• Passionate nationalism• History of resisting China
– Colonized by France in 1800s
• After WWII, Ho Chi Minh led independence movement against France– French lose in 1954
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Geneva Conference• Countries of Indochina (SE
Asia), US, Soviet Union, France, & Britain met to decide fate of Indochina
• July 1954 – Vietnam divided– N. Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh
(Communist)– S. Vietnam: Ngo Dinh Diem
(Republic) – US supported
• Supposed to have elections to unify in 1956– US and S. Vietnam refuse
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Diem
• Unpopular in own country– Imprisoned critics, appointed
corrupt family members, misused US aid, relocated peasants, pushed Catholicism upon Buddhist population
• US encouraged an overthrow– Diem assassinated– Military government takes over
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Viet Cong• Communist guerrillas in
S. Vietnam - aided by N. Vietnam– Had support of many in S.
Vietnam – hard to identify– Skilled at jungle warfare– Could cross border of
Cambodia/Laos– Used Ho Chi Minh trail to
get supplies
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Presidential Actions• JFK: sent aid & military advisors
• Increased from 675 to 16,000
• Johnson: didn’t want to lose South, but said wouldn’t send troops– Aug 1964 – US destroyer
torpedoed by N Vietnam– Or was it????
– Gulf of Tonkin Resolution • Congress gave President authority to
do whatever necessary
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• 1965 – begin rapid build-up of military, war escalates– Start of 1965: 25,000– End of 1965: 184,000– End of 1968: 536,000
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Tet Offensive• Jan 30 (Vietnamese New
Year)– Surprise attack by N.
Vietnam & Viet Cong– Viet Cong turned back, but
psychological victory– Many Americans have
reservations after seeing TV images
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Battlefield Conditions
• Hot, tall grass, wet, 60lb. packs, leeches, fever, jungle rot, booby traps– Little support from local
population for US
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Effects on Civilians
• Unsure who was Viet Cong, so civilians suffered heavy losses– B-52 saturation
bombing– Agent Orange
(chemical – herbicide)– Napalm – jelly that
burned uncontrollably
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My Lai MassacreMarch 1968
• Word that village sheltering 250 Viet Cong
• Led by Lt. William Calley, kill between 175-500 women, children, old men– US helicopter crew (Hugh
Thompson) stepped in to stop killings
• When story gets out, Americans outraged