Vietnam War

By Kassandra Castillo

• The Vietnam war began on November 1, 1955 and ended on April 30, 1975.

• It occurred in South Vietnam, North Vietnam, and Cambodia, Laos

• People have given the Vietnam War several names such as

• Vietnam Conflict

• American War.

• Another name it is known as is the Second Indochina War.

a. The reason for that is because it followed the first Indochina War, that took place in French Indochina, but manly north Vietnam.

Fought Between

• the communist north Vietnam– supported by communist allies

• government of south Vietnam– supported by the United States as well as other

anticommunist nations.

• The U.S entered the war to stop a communist takeover in South Vietnam. – They did that as part of there wider strategy of

containment.

• Military advisors started to arrive in the beginning of 1950.

• Although the U.S was involved since almost the beginning they really didn’t get involved and help until about the early 1960’s – when there troop level tripled in 1961 and yet

again in 1962.

• They started to send out there troops in 1965.

Vietnamization

• While Laos (Vietnam) and Cambodia were heavily bombed, involvement peaked in 1968 at the time of the Tet Offensive.

• After this, U.S ground forces were withdrawn as part of a policy called Vietnamization.

• Even though the Paris Peace Accords signed by all parties in January 1973 fighting continued.

• Vietnamization lasted from 1969 until 1973.

Case Church Amendment

• Passed by the U.S Congress prohibited use of the American military after August 15,1973

• unless the president secured congressional approval in advance.

• The capture of Saigon by the North Vietnamese army in April 1975 marked the end of the Vietnam War.

• North and South Vietnam were reunified the following year.

Anticommunist

South Vietnam(main)

United States(main)

South Korea

Australia

Philippines

New Zealand

Thailand

Khmer Republic

Kingdom of Laos

Republic of China

Communist

North Vietnam (main)

Viet Cong (main)

Khmer Rouge

Pathet Lao

People's Republic of China

Soviet Union

North Korea

Background

• France began its conquest of Indochina in the late 1850’s and completed the pacification by 1893

• During 1944-1945 a deep famine struck northern Vietnam

• Due to– poor weather– Japanese exploitation.

• In august 1945, the Japanese had been defeated and surrounded.

• Into this power, the Viet Minh entered and grasped power across Vietnam in the “August Revolution.”

• On September 2, 1945, Ho Chi Minh (leader of the Viet Minh) declared the independent Democratic Republic of Vietnam in front of a crowd of 500,000

• Major allied victors of World War II – United Kingdom– United States – Soviet Union

• all agreed that the area belonged to the French.

• As French did not have ships, weapons, or soldiers to take Vietnam, the major powers came to an agreement– British troops would take the south while

nationalist Chinese forces would move in from the north.

• In January 1946 the Viet Minh won elections across central and northern Vietnam

• They began killing off most politicians.

• The French landed in Hanoi by March 1946 and in November of that year they ousted the Viet Minh from the city.

• Soon after that the Viet Minh began a Guerilla War against the French union forces– beginning the first Indochina war.

• In1950 the communist nations led by the People's Republic of China (PRC) recognized the Viet Minh’s Democratic Republic of Vietnam as the government of Vietnam.

• The Battle of Dien Bien Phu marked the end of French involvement in Indochina.

• French Union garrison surrendered.

• Independence was granted to

Cambodia,

Laos

Vietnam.

Transition Period

• Vietnam was partitioned at the 17th parallel

• under the terms of the Geneva Convention -civilians were the be given the

opportunity to freely move between the two provisional states for a 300 day period.

• Elections throughout the country were to be helped in 1956 to establish a unified government.

• Around one million northerners mainly minority Catholics fled south fearing persecution by the communist

• In April-June 1955, Diem cleared the decks of any political opposition in the south by launching military operations against the Cao Dai religious sect and many others.

• As broad-based opposition to his harsh tactics mounted, Diem increasingly sought to blame the communist.

• In a referendum on the future of the State of Vietnam on October 23, Diem rigged the poll supervised by his brother and was created with 98.2 percent of the vote including 133% in Saigon

• On October 26 1955 Diem declared the new Republic of Vietnam(ROV) with himself as president.

• The ROV was created largely– because of the Eisenhower administration's

desire for an anti-communist state in the region.

The Geneva Conference 1954

• The Domino Theory which argues that if one country fell to communist then all of the surrounding countries would follow.

• Was first proposed as policy by the Eisenhower administration.

Kennedy’s Administration

• When John F. Kennedy won the 1960 U.S president elections, one major issue Kennedy raised was whether the Soviet space and Missile programs had surpassed those in the U.S.

• The Kennedy administration remained essentially committed to the Cold War foreign policy inherited from the Truman and Eisenhower administration.

• Kennedy was determined to draw a line in the sand and prevent a communist victory in Vietnam saying “Now we have a problem making our power credible and Vietnam looks like the place.”

• The quality of South Vietnamese military however remained poor. – Bad leadership– corruption– political promotions all played part in

emasculation of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam.

• Kennedy advisers Maxwell Taylor and Walt Rostow recommended that U.S troops be sent to South Vietnam– disguised as flood relief workers.– Kennedy rejected the idea but increased

military assistance yet again.

• On July 23, 1962 fourteen nations including the People’s Republic of China, South Vietnam, the Soviet Union, North Vietnam and the United States, signed an agreement promising the neutrality of Laos.

Lyndon B. Johnson

• Lyndon B. Johnson took over the presidency after the death of Kennedy

• Did not consider Vietnam a priority

• Was more concerned with his “Great Society” and progressive social programs.

• Johnson had reversed Kennedy’s disengagement policy from Vietnam in withdrawing 1,00 troops by the end of 1963 with his own NSAM 273 to expand the war.

• On August 2 1964 the USS Maddox on an intelligence mission along North Vietnam’s coast, allegedly fired upon and damages several torpedo boats that had been stalking It in the Gulf Of Tonkin.

• A second attack was reported two days later on the USS Turner Joy and Maddox in the same area.

National Security Council

• Recommended a three-stage escalation of the bombing of North Vietnam.

• Operation Flaming Dart

• Operation Commando Hunt

-targeted different parts of the NLF and Vietnam People’s Army

• Operation Rolling Thunder

-covered the north with tons of missiles, rockets, and bombs.

Escalation and Ground War

• On March 8, 1965 over 3 thousand U.S Marines were sent out to South Vietnam

• Marked the beginning of the American ground war

• The Army of the Republic of Vietnam forces suffered a heavy loss at the Battle of Binh Gia in December.

• And yet again in June at the battle of Dong Xoai.

• Later on the U.S came up with a three-point plan to win the war.

– Phase 1) Commitment of the U.S forces to halt the losing trend by the end of 1965.

– Phase 2) U.S were to seize and destroy the guerilla forces, this will end when the enemy have been worn down and driven back

– Phase 3) if it is not complete in 12 to 18 months they will need the final destruction of enemy forces

• The plan was approved by Johnson and marked a heavy departure from the previous administrations insistence that the government of South Vietnam was responsible of beating the guerillas.

Tet Offensive

• Over 100 cities were attacked with assaults on General Westmoreland’s headquarters and the US Embassy, Saigon.

• That was considered the American turning point.

• General Westmoreland became the public face of the war.

• On May 10, 1968 peace talk between the United States and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam begins.

• Throughout this time election is going on between Hubert Humphrey (Democrat) and Richard Nixon (Republican)

• Both were Vice Presidents

• Johnson refused to send more U.S troops to Vietnam.

Vietnamization

• Nixon wins election– Began troop withdrawals.

• Nixon Doctrine, – was to build up the ARVN, so that they could take over

the defense of South Vietnam. – October 10, 1969, Nixon ordered a squadron of 18 B-52s

loaded with nuclear weapons and attach the boarder to show the Soviet Union he will do anything to end the war

– also pursueded negotiations

• The anti-war movement was gaining strength in the United States.

Operation Menu

• Prince Norodom Sihanouk proclaimed Cambodia neutral since 1955– communists used

Cambodian soil as a base and Sihanouk allowed their being because he didn’t want a bigger conflict

• he changed this policy in 1969.

• Vietnamese communists were no longer welcome

• President Nixon took the opportunity to launch a massive secret bombing campaign.

• This violated a long succession of pronouncements from Washington supporting Cambodian neutrality

WWWWOOOOAAAAHHHH!!!

MUUUSSSIICC TIME!!!

Throughout the Vietnam War everyone was upset but that didn’t stop them from listening to music. For a long period of time music is what kept them going. There were a variety of songs they played on the radio.

• There were different artist from all around that played music, there music made it to the top of the charts of that year. Some of the music is still played till this day!

Such as…

Artist• Isley Brothers• The Contours• The Angels• Manfred Mann• Aretha Franklin• Gary Puckett and The Union

Gap• The Foundation• Jackson 5• Sonny and Cher

Song• Shout• Do you Love Me?• My Boyfriends Back• Do Wah Diddy• Respect• Young Girl

• Build Me Up, Buttercup• I’ll Be There• I Got You Babe

• All those types of music are very famously known and were played throughout all of the Vietnam War.

TV SHOWS!

• The new TV shoes played in the 60’s and 70’s were very popular, and just like the music they’re peoples favorite till this day.

• TV shows such as…

1972 election and Paris Peace Accords

• "Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam" so said President Nixon

• Signed on 27 January 1973,

• Officially ending U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.

Opposition to the Vietnam War

• Early action to America's involvement in Vietnam was centered around the Geneva conference of 1954

• Opposition to the Vietnam War tended to unite groups.

United Groups

- U.S anti-communism

- imperialism

- colonialism

Exit of the Americans

• The U.S. began reducing their troop support in South Vietnam during the final years of Vietnamization.

• The Vietcong resumed offensive operations when dry season began and by January 1974 it had recaptured the territory it lost during the previous dry season

• Gerald Ford took over as U.S. president on August 9, 1974 after President Nixon resigned due to the Watergate scandal

Campaign 275

• On March 10 1975, General Dung launched Campaign 275

• a limited offensive into the Central Highland

– Supported by tanks and heavy artillery

• On March 22, the VPA opened the siege of Hue.• On March 31, after a three-day battle, Hue fell• By March 30, the defense of the Central

Highlands and Northern provinces came to an end.

Final North Vietnamese offensive

• Called for the capture of Saigon before May 1st

• On April 7, three North Vietnamese divisions attacked Xuan Loc east of Saigon. The North Vietnamese met fierce resistance at Xuan Loc from the ARVN 18th Division, who were outnumbered six to one

• By April 21, however, the exhausted garrison surrendered.

• President Thieu resigned the same day declaring that the U.S betrayed South Vietnam

• By the end of April, the Army of the Republic of South Vietnam had collapsed on all fronts.

• On April, 27 100,000 North Vietnamese troops encircled Saigon.

• The city was defended by about 30,00 ARVN troops.

Fall of Saigon

• Chaos, unrest, and panic broke out as South Vietnamese officials and civilians scrambled to leave Saigon.

• Martial law was declared. American helicopters began evacuating South Vietnam.

• April 29, 1975 the evacuation from Saigon by helicopter

– largest helicopter evacuation in history

President Ford gave a televised speech on April, 27 declaring an end to the Vietnam War and all U.S. aid.

Aftermath

• On April 17, 1975 Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, fell to the Communist party of Kampuchea

• After repeated border clashes in 1978, Vietnam invaded Democratic Kampuchea

• China Invaded Vietnam in 1979– Third Indochina War

• The Pathet Lao overthrew the royalist government of Laos in December 1975.

• They established the Lao People's Democratic Republic

• More than 3 million people fled from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, many as "boat people.”

Effect on the United States

• Many fled to Canada to avoid Vietnam draft

• Spent 111 Billion on the war

• More then 3 million Americans served in the war

• 50,000 Americans servicemen deserted

Chemical defoliation

• most controversial aspects of the U.S. military effort in Southeast Asia was the widespread use of chemical defoliants between 1961 and 1971.

• used to defoliate large parts of the countryside.– These chemicals continue to change the

landscape, cause diseases , birth defects, and poison the food chain

Rainbow Herbicides

• Agent Pink

• Agent Green

• Agent Purple

• Agent Blue

• Agent White

• Agent Orange– Most famous

Agent Orange

• Included dioxin as a by-product of its manufacture. About 12 million gallons were sprayed over Southeast Asia during the war.

Casualties

• Vietnamese government in its military forces suffered 1.1 million and 600,000 wounded

• U.S military has estimated between 200,000 and 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died in the war