The Vietnam WarBy Rohan A. Rastogi and Nathan Beningson

French Colony

•French colony since 1840's

• Japanese takeover

•French receive colony back

•Ho Chi Minh leads nationalist revolt in Northo Fight for 8 yearso Drive out French

•Geneva Conference divides on 17th parallel

•US increases influence in South

North Vietnam vs. South Vietnam

•Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV)

•Communist

•Led by Ho Chi Minh

•Bring "an era of right and justice" to all of Vietnam

•State of Vietnam

•Corrupt, dictatorial regime under Ngo Dinh Diem

•Anti- communist

•US backed

•"Crusade" against communism

Causes of the Vietnam War

1.French Colonialism

•Creates disdain for West

•First Indochina War- split countries

1.Domino Theory

•US belief

• If one country "fell" to communism, then rest of countries in that region will fall in turn (like dominos)

Causes (cont.)

3. US policy of containment

•Prevent spread of communism

•Korean War4. North/ South Vietnamese tensions

•Contrasting governments

•Diem's anti-communism leads to guerrilla fighting near border- Vietcong

•South receiving US aid, advisors

Short Term Cause: Gulf of Tonkin

The USS Maddox

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

•Uses excuse to pass resolution

•Allows president to control military without Congress

• Johnson sends troops

•US Air Force

Rolling Thunder

US Air Force unloads tons of bombs on North Vietnam

•Vietcong: South Vietnamese communistso Fight US with guerrilla tacticso Hide in dense forestso Supplied by Ho Chi Minh Trail

•US use bombs, napalm, Agent Orange

•North Vietnamese Army (NVA)

•Army of Republic of Vietnam (ARVN)o US backed South Vietnamese armyo Desert in increasing numbers after US

involvement

Guerrilla Warfare

Ho Chi Minh Trail

Tet Offensive

•Vietcong, NVA join forces

•Attack Urban centers

•Try to spark rebellion

•US, South eventually halt

•Huge Vietcong casualties

US Attitudes

•Draft

•Tet Offensiveo Thought US

winning

•Anti-war protestorso Protest casualtieso 500,000 people

march on Washington

•Conservative support

Nixon's Vietnamization

•US offers training, equipment to South Vietnam

•US soldiers presence gradually reduced

•Fails with corrupt officers, lack of motivation

Nixon announces troop withdrawals

End of War

•Paris Peace Talks result in a fragile peace

•Broken with North offensive- sweep across South

•Saigon falls- later becomes Ho Chi Minh City

Effects of the Vietnam War

1.Casualties

2. Vietnam devastated• Bombing destroys cities

• Chemical warfare leads to starvation

• 1.5 million refugees

North Vietnam South Vietnam United States

Soldiers Killed 1,100,000 223,748 58,219

Soldiers Wounded

600,000 1,169,763 304,704

Civilians Killed 2,000,000 415,000 N/A

Effects (cont.)

3. United States•Disillusionment with government

•Less militaristic foreign policy

•Veterans face hostility

4. New Communist Regimes

•Cambodia's Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot kill 1 million "bourgeoisie" in communist revolt

•Laos

•Motivated by US attacks during war