Mt. Carmel High School
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Vietnam Notes History/Background · 1258 - 1428: The Chinese occupy Vietnam · 1429 - 1804: Various countries including Portugal,
Netherlands, France, and China attack and occupy Vietnam · The French go to Vietnam for raw materials during
the early industrial revolution (1847-1897) · By 1900, the government of Vietnam is controlled by
France · The French government raised the price of alcohol
and salt beyond the means of most peasants. Taxes were increased, rice
production increased while rice consumption decreased, educational opportunities
decreased and protest movements were suppressed. · During WW II, Japan conquered Vietnam · Nguyen Ai Quoc (Ho Chi Minh) organizes the League
for Vietnamese Independence AKA The Viet Minh. · From 1941 until the end of the war, the Viet Minh
fought to get the Japanese out of Vietnam · Ho Chi Minh returned downed US pilots to the US in
exchange for a promise of Vietnamese independence. · After WWII, France re-occupied Vietnam · Between 1945 and 1954 a guerrilla war took place
between the Viet Minh and the French. · Ho Chi Minh adopted a communist philosophy and
receives aid from the Soviet Union. ·
The
US backs France and pays 75% of France’s war bill II.
US Involvement In The Vietnam War · After the defeat of the French at Dien Bien Phu, a
conference was held in Geneva · Vietnam was officially split in two with the North
led by Ho Chi Minh and the South led by
Ngo Dinh Diem who was a conservative
catholic and a personal friend of both JFK and Nixon · Elections are scheduled for 1956 in order to
reunite Vietnam · Ngo Dinh Diem refuses to hold the elections because
he said the communists would “fix them” · He runs against
Bao Dai for control of South
Vietnam and wins easily receiving 605,000 votes from 405,000 voters · Diem is a very cruel leader · Many South Vietnamese people oppose Diem and they
form the National Liberation Front later known as the Viet Cong (V.C.) · The US supports Diem and in 1961 sent
Green Beret advisors, military aid, and American piloted armed helicopters · The US feared the Domino Theory · Diem’s cruelty grew and the US feared they could
no longer support him · On November 1, 1963 a US supported army coup
overthrew and executed him · The Vietnamese military now rules Vietnam · November 22, 1963
Kennedy is
assassinated · Vice President
Lyndon B. Johnson took over The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (Incident) ·
July 31, 1964- South Vietnamese patrol boats attack two North Vietnamese
Islands ·
August 2, 1964 - The USS Maddox is in international water and is attacked
by North Vietnam ·
By August 4, 1964 the C. Turner Joy joins The USS Maddox ·
That night the US ships reported that they had been attacked (reported
seeing torpedoes in the water) · President Johnson ordered a US air strike for 10:30 a.m. August 5th. ·
At 4:00 a.m., the US ships called back. They weren’t sure they were
attacked due to bad weather · Johnson ignored the message and went before Congress and presented ‘The
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution” which gave Johnson a blank check to wage war. ·
The first US air strike wiped out 1/10 of North Vietnams oil supply ·
The US is now officially involved in the conflict. ·
A DECLARATION OF WAR WAS NEVER
MADE III.
The Vietnam War 1965 - 1968 ·
February 1965- the US began strategic bombing of North Vietnam; The US
hoped this would persuade the North Vietnamese to pressure the Viet Cong to stop
fighting ·
March 8, 1965- US Marines fight officially for the first time in direct
combat at Danang ·
By 1965, 185,000 Americans are stationed in Vietnam; they fight against
the Viet Cong. ·
The battles are difficult due to
the V.C. strategy (stay lightly armed, be familiar with your territory, attack,
run, and mix in with the general population.) ·
Strategy for US includes: 1) Free fire zones: these were designated areas
where anything that moved was assumed to be the enemy and shot (Areas were
enlarged in 1966 to allow for air raids) 2) Search and Destroy Missions: these
were mainly used to respond to sniper attacks; The village would be designated a
V.C. village and destroyed and the survivors were relocated 3) The Phoenix
program: the US tried to assassinate the leaders of the V.C. 4)
Operation Rolling Thunder: This began in 1965 and was a 3 1/2 year effort to
bomb North Vietnam into submission. ·
By the start of 1968 525,000 Americans along with 625,000 South
Vietnamese soldiers were battling 240,000 Viet Cong/North Vietnamese troops in
the South. ·
On January 31,1968, the V.C. launched the TET Offensive during a truce
they had called. ·
34 Provincial Centers, 64 district towns, and every major city in South
Vietnam was attacked (even the US Embassy in Saigon was attacked.) ·
The TET offensive was launched with aid from the North and 80,0000 VC
troops ·
US bombers were forced to bomb Saigon ·
The offensive was defeated within 10 days. On a military level it was a
complete disaster with over 40,000 VC killed vs. 2500 Americans killed · Johnson states, “I shall not be the first President to
lose a war.” ·
The US military leader in Vietnam, General Westmoreland, requests 200,000
more US soldiers but is denied. · 3/31/68 - President Johnson announced he will not run for re-election. IV. THE VIETNAM WAR
COMES TO AN END —The
Nixon Years ·
1968 Richard Nixon is elected President and he promises “peace with
honor” ·
November 3, 1969 Nixon begins “Vietnamization Program” which
transfers fighting to South Vietnam troops
·
U.S. Troop level begins to drop
1967
-543,400 ·
U.S. strategy shifts to move air strikes ·
1970- U.S. invades Cambodia ·
1971- the U.S. invades Laos ·
1972- the Easter offensive is a North Vietnamese attack ·
The U.S. responds with heavy bombing and the mining of Haiphong Harbor ·
Fall 1972 - A military stalemate exists and U.S. Presidential elections
are scheduled ·
Since l968 peace talks have been going on in Paris ·
Christmas 1972- A peace agreement is reached ·
1) North Vietnamese troops shall stay wherever they are.
2) The NLF (VC)
are officially recognized
3) The U.S. may
continue military aid to S. Vietnam (Between 73-75 U.S. spent $7 billion in aid)
4) Early 1973, the
final U.S. troops leave Vietnam V. The Vietnam War In
The United States The
War At Home · The
anti-war movement grew over the years · Boston 1965- 100 people protest the war · Boston 1969- 100,000 people protest the war · Protesters were originally white middle
class college students · At
Berkeley and Columbia Universities, protests
were scheduled for mornings and afternoons so they could be on the nightly news · As the war continued many other groups began to
protest; the Civil Rights movement joined anti-war movements The
Tide Turns · 1965 - 60% of Americans agree with US involvement
in Vietnam · 1967 - 51% oppose · 1968 - The Tet Offensive (1/31/68) and the
My Lai
Massacre (3/31/68) occur. · 1971 - 60% of Americans oppose US involvement in
Vietnam Civil
Disobedience · 1965 - 380 draft evaders were prosecuted · 1969 - 33,960 draft evaders were prosecuted · Over 100,000 Americans fled the US to avoid
conscription · Between 50,000 and 100,000 deserted their units VI. The
Aftermath ·
North Vietnam attacked the South ·
July 31, 1973 Congress voted to end all bombing and military aid in
Indochina ·
April 3O, 1975-Saigon is captured by the North ·
Vietnam is reunited · May 9, 1997- The U.S. reopens its embassy in Vietnam.
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