The Vietnam War

Background• Rich in natural resources

– E.g. tin, rubber, rice

• 1800s- French gradually took control

• By 1884, French Indochina included Vietnam, Laos, & Cambodia

• Taken by the Japanese during WWII

Ho Chi Minh• 1919- Tried to gain Vietnamese independence

at the Versailles peace conference

• 1930- formed the Indochina Communist Party

• Organized the Vietminh resistance movement against the Japanese during WWII

• 1945- declared the Democratic Republic of Vietnam to be independent

War against France (1946-1954)• French troops returned to reclaim their

territories

• US encouraged France & gave them financial assistance; by 1954 the US was providing 80% of the funding

• Eisenhower proclaimed the “domino theory”

• 1954- French were defeated at Dien Bien Phu

The Geneva Accords• French withdrew troops

• Vietnam temporarily divided at the 17th parallel; Ho Chi Minh controlled the North; free elections to be held in 1956

• Laos and Cambodia independent and neutral

• US did not sign

• US created SEATO

Ngo Dinh Diem• 1955- declared independence of the Republic of

Vietnam in South Vietnam

• Supported by the US– Millions in financial aid– Military advisors to train troops

• 1956- Diem refused to allow elections

• National Liberation Front (NLF) a.k.a. the Vietcong organized an insurrection against Diem

Kennedy’s Policies • Organized counter-insurgency against the

Vietcong– Search & destroy missions– Agent Orange to clear hideouts– Strategic Hamlets Program– Green Berets

• Cuban crisis & China/India conflict led Kennedy to believe that strong show of US force would prevail; also believed that it could be a “limited war”

• By 1963- 17,000 US “advisors” in Vietnam

Downfall of Diem• Policies made Diem increasingly unpopular• Law 10/59• Corruption• Anti-Buddhist policies

• Buddhists protests included self-immolations

• 1963- Diem overthrown in a coup & assassinated; US secretly supported this

Article 1• Sentence of death, and confiscation of the whole or part of his property, . . . will be imposed on

whoever commits or attempts to commit one of the following crimes with the aim of sabotage, or upon infringing upon the security of the State, or injuring the lives or property of the people:

• 1. Deliberate murder, food poisoning, or kidnapping.• 2. Destruction, or total or partial damaging, of one of the following categories of objects by

means of explosives, fire, or other means:• (a) Dwelling-houses, whether inhabited or not, churches, pagodas, temples, warehouses,

workshops, farms and all outbuildings belonging to private persons;• (b) Public buildings, residences, offices, workshops, depots, and, in a more general way, all

constructions of any kind belonging to the State, and any other property, movable or unmovable, belonging to, or controlled by the State, or which is under the system of concession, or of public management;

• (c) All . . . means of transport, all kinds of vehicles;• (d) Mines, with machines and equipment;• (e) Weapons, military material and equipment, posts, buildings, offices, depots, workshops, and

constructions of any kind relating to defense or police work;• (f) crops, draft animals and farm equipment . . .;• (g) Installations for telecommunications, postal service, broadcasting, the production and

distribution of electricity and water . . .;• (h) Dikes, dams, roads, railways, airfields, seaports, bridges, channels, or works relating to them;• (i) Waterways, large or small, and canals....

Policies of Johnson• 1964- Saigon in chaos

– 7 governments in 1 year

• 1964- election year; LBJ did not want to appear to be soft on communism

• With the situation in Saigon deteriorating LBJ feared that increased US involvement was necessary to “save” Vietnam

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution• Aug. 1964- US destroyers Maddox & Turner

Joy fired on by North Vietnamese

• Congress authorized the president to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against US forces in Vietnam

• LBJ used this as a blank check in Vietnam– 1965- US sent 100,000 ground troops– 1965- Rolling Thunder- massive bombing– Military draft instituted– By 1968, 520,000 US troops in Vietnam

Opposition to the War• Protests against the war increased during

the late 1960s

• “Televised war” led to increased opposition

• LBJ wanted to focus on domestic issues & therefore tried to keep info from Congress & the public; “credibility gap”

• LBJ declined to run for re-election in 1968

• Violence erupted at the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago

The Tet Offensive• Jan. 1968- Massive surprise attack against

South Vietnamese cities

• Communists suffered heavy losses, and failed to spark popular uprisings

• Increased US casualties fueled anti-war protests in the US

• Led to Johnson’s decision not to seek re-election

• Communist strategy turned to breaking America’s will to fight

Nixon’s Policies• Promised “peace with honor”

• “Vietnamization”

• Secret bombings in Cambodia led to increased protests– Eg. Kent State

• 1972 Peace talks failed

• Christmas bombings led to more criticism at home & internationally

The Paris Peace Agreement• Jan. 1973- American forces out of Vietnam

• North & South to remain split, and prisoners were exchanged

• Nixon secretly promised support to Nguyen Theiu-Ky if it became necessary

• 1974- Nixon resigned due to Watergate & new leaders refused to uphold this

• April 30, 1975- Communist forces captured Saigon; the war was over

Conclusions:US Defeated

• US failed to prevent communists from taking over South Vietnam; Cambodia & Laos also fell to communism

• “Domino Theory” was never a real threat, as evidenced by the results of the war

• Over 58,000 US troops killed

• Domestic upheaval in the US

• Loss of international prestige

• E.g. George C. Herring, America’s Longest War

Conclusions:US Victory

• “Domino Theory” was a serious threat in the 1950s and 1960s

• US intervention in Vietnam enabled non-communist governments in SE Asia to stabilize

• By 1975, the situation had changed dramatically, communism was no longer a threat, & capitalism was thriving in Asia

• Current prosperity in Asia is a result of the US in Vietnam

• E.g.- Lee Kuan Yew, The Singapore Story