VIETNAMThe Neverending War

POST WWII VIETNAM

Ho Chi Minh Fought against Japanese

forces Support by US

Hopes for independence from Post-War French rule

End of War Ho leads rebellion against

French Dienm Bien Phu

French routed Vietnam divided in 2 until

elections in 1956 Ho controls north Diem controls south

DOMINO THEORY

Ho has communist ties Though really just

seeking independence Domino Theory

If Vietnam falls to communism so will the rest of South East Asia

Eisenhower Ok block of 1956

elections by Diem Funnels money to prop

Diem gov’t 90% villagers

Hate Diem

KENNEDY AND COUP

1963 Diem becomes a

liability Corrupt Lost faith of South Needs to go

US supports a Coup Diem goes into hiding

and is arrested While transported he

is killed

GULF OF TONKIN

Aug. 2, 1963 USS Maddox is

attacked by 3 N. Vietmanese small boats

A second incident is reported but questions remain

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution Congress gives LBJ

authorization to engage N. Vietnam

WAR BEGINS

Feb. 1965 Gen. Westmoreland

sent to see situation in South

Requested Marines to protect air bases in Da Nang

LBJ approves 150,000 Marines

land in Vietnam Start of War

THE ENEMY

NVA North Vietmanese

Army Actually troops

Vietcong Revolutionary army

used in South Tactics

Use of jungle Tunnels Booby Traps

Kill and mame

TACTICS OF WESTMORELAND

Search and Destroy Essentially use US

forces as bait Pull enemy out of

hiding Destroy them

“Free-Fire” Zones Designated areas of

South free for US soldiers to essentially kill everything in sight

Civilians forced out

STRATEGIC BOMBING

Idea to disrupt enemy No ports bombed

Russian and China ships in port

Hanoi bombing Only made enemy more

determined Ho Chi MinhTrail

Swept through Laos and Cambodia

Large amounts of bombs dropped

Failed to disrupt flow

EARLY SUPPORT

Many Americans supported the war Red Scare The people fighting

Middle/poor class American Pride

Younger Generation Resentment growing

Centered around draft Protests begin in

1966

DRASTIC CHANGES IN SUPPORT

By 1967-68 Growing protest against war Boys are dying Stalemate Lies

Told that America us winning but gains don’t show it

Television First televised war

Reporters show battles and American dead

Distaste for long drawn out conflict

1968 THE “WAR IS LOST”

Jan. 1, 1968 Cease-fire to celebrate

New Year North surprise attack

Make gains but utterly destroyed

Propaganda Success Americans told that the

back is being broken Now see North soldiers

taking US embassy

Walter Cronkite Most loved reporter Tells America war is lost

1968 A BAD YEAR

LBJ Vietnam breaks him Announces he will not run for re-

election Mach 16, 1968

My Lai Incident April 2, 1968

Columbia University Students take over buildings Police remove them with brutal

tactics

April 4, 1968 Martin Luther King Jr Assassinated

June 5, 1968 Robert Kennedy Assassinated

Aug. 6-8, 1968 Democratic National Convention

Police and anti-war protestors battle on the streets as the Dem’s select their candidate

THE COUNTER CULTURE

Began with the 1950’s Beatnik Leftist/liberal More in the art and

literature scene Rebelled against

conformity Centers

San Francisco Greennich Village, NY

Died out as the 1960’s approached

THE NEW COUNTER CULTURE

Election of Kennedy Democrats control

all levels of Gov’t Focus on Civil

Rights African Americans Women Hispanics Native-Americans

AFRICAN-AMERICANS

Early Passive/non-violent

resistance SNCC

Later Break with MLK style Malcolm X Black Power

Stokely Carmichal Riots

WOMEN

NOW: National Organization of Women Focus on fair

treatment and equal pay

Empowerment of women in society

Especially work place Envil

First pill birth control Seen a step in the

liberation movement

HISPANICS Cesar Chavez

Led farm workers Unionized them Boycotts

Gained better pay and treatment

Chicano Movement Break with Spanish and

embrace of Native heritage

Chicana Movement Better treatment Not accepted into NOW

NATIVE AMERICANS

AIM: American Indian Movement Sought to break the

assimilation Sought to end

discrimination Sought to address

the neglect and mistreatment on Reservations

YOUTH Age of Aquarius

Change Sexual Revolution Drugs

Marijuana Timothy Leary

LSD Heroin

Rock and Roll Break with parents

music Acid Rock

Dress Mini skirts and jeans

EPITOME OF THE MOVEMENT

Woodstock Music and Arts Festival Aug. 15-18, 1969

Biggest bands of the times performed Except The Doors

Almost the last hurrah of the Peace and Love Movement Becomes darker

after this

ANTI-WAR

Post 1968 Growing protest

against war SDS: Students for a

Democratic Society Focused mainly on

college campuses Opposition to Draft Opposition to

American tactics Opposition to College

research

ACHIEVEMENT

Some change did occur Civil rights changes

Attention on Society Environment Education Poor

Every lasting changes Music: Rock Media: Sex and

Violence Empowerment of the

people

“THE SILENT MAJORITY”

Majority of Americans not involved Status quo Saw anti-war protest differently

College, middle class kids who weren’t actually fighting the war

Every candidate running in 1968 was committed to remaining in Vietnam

Republicanism Nixon wins in 1968 Dominate Presidency since

THE LASTING EFFECTS

1960’s seen through the prism of Counter Culture Thanks largely to

television and media Reality is that the

movements were relatively small Great change did

come, but not everything was acheived

A NEW ERA HAS BEGUN

NIXON AND VIETNAM

Nixon wins 1968 election with “Peace with Honor” platform

War: Anti war movement

stronger Pentagon Papers

released Exposes faults of

America’s war

Nixon starts new phase of the war

ESCALATION

Ends restricted bombing Hits harbors and

civilian centers in Hanoi

Ho Chi Minh Trail Nixon begins

bombing in Cambodia and Laos

CIA now operating within both nations

ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT DURING NIXON Kent State: May.

1970 National Guard fires

on protestors throwing rocks

4 students are killed

Nixon ends the draft in 1972 Hopes to quiet anti-

war movement

DE-ESCALATION

Nixon begins Program of Vietmanization South will take over

combat operations Begins withdrawing

troops By 1973 150,000 in

Vietnam down from the 1968 high of 500,000

PEACE WITH HONOR

Peace-talks begin in Paris Hanoi pounded into

submission Agree that elections

will be held US will continue to

support S. Vietnam N. Vietnam agrees to

withdraw to borders

FALL OF SAIGON

1975 N. Vietnam invades

S. Vietnam again US does not engage

Instead all US personel are withdrawn from Vietnam

South falls in June 1975

Vietnam now a communist/nationalist nation under the capital of Hanoi

EFFECTS

Cambodia Nationalist Khmer

Rouge rise against gov’t

Take over nation Begin re-education

and extermination campaign

Estimates place totaled killed between 2.2-3.4 million killed

US does nothing Same occurs in Laos

and Vietnam

NIXON

During 1972 Dem. Convention men caught breaking into headquarters at Watergate hotel

Nixon denies any involvement

Post reporters Woodward and Bernstien learn of tapes from “Deep Throat”

Expose story Request for tapes

Nixon claims executive priveledge

Court overrules him Nixon resigns the

presidency before impeachment begins

MEMORY OF THE WAR

America hopes to forget the dark past of Vietnam Lack of veteran

support 1982 the Vietnam

Memorial Wall is dedicated Designed by Mya Lin 58,000 names

etched in black marble