Vietnam Era 1954-1976

By: Andrew Dincher Andrew Murphy

Thesis

• To educate the class further in depth about the Vietnam Era.

The Start• 1945- Vietnam a communist country declares independence

from France.• December 19th, 1946- Indochina War Begins, Vietnam attacks • 1950- U.S begins Military and economic aid• May 7th, 1954- Vietnamese Victory over French• North Vietnam wanted whole country to become communist

(domino theory).• July 1955- Ho Chi Minh goes to Moscow and accepts Soviet Aid• 1956- French leave Vietnam• U.S troops begin training South Vietnam

Chemical Warfare• Agent Orange- Estimated 20 Million Gallons spread throughout South

Vietnam. 1/7th of Countries total area has been sprayed. • Birth defects, spina bifida (split or open spine), nerve and urological disorders, soft

tissue cancers

War Escalades, U.S Involvement Increases

• October 1957, Viet minh begin attacking South Vietnam. • March 1959- Second Indochina War Begins- all out military effort.• May- Ho Chi Minh trail begins- Network of roads from N-S Vietnam. • Underground tunnels to hide. Americans would search for N Viet minh

while they were right under their nose.

African Americans In Vietnam20 Received the Medal of Honor

The Tet Offensive

• Jan 31st, 1968- Tet Offensive, Vietcong attacks all major capitals of South Vietnam provinces.

• 100,000 left homeless, 13 day attack• Vietcong/Communist- lost over 10,000 men.

Massacres

• March 16th, 1968: My Lai: 347-504 unarmed Vietnamese killed, all civilians.

• Massacre at Hue: Four week occupation- North Vietnamese killed 2,800-6,000 South Vietnamese, buried some alive.

Ho Chi Minh

• September 3rd, 1969- Ho Chi Minh dies.

Hamburger Hill

• May 10th, 1969- 101st Airbourne have 10 day battle to take Hamburger Hill

• 46 U.S Deaths, 400 Wounded• After we capture hill we leave it to be

captured back• One senator called it "senseless and

irresponsible."

War while under Nixon Presidency• Sabotaged 1968 election by convincing South Vietnam to break away

from Paris negoiations. • Vietnamization- Slow withdrawal of troops, gradually hand responsibility

over to S Vietnam• Bring “Peace with Honor” to Vietnam• June 1969- Nixon announces plan to slowly withdrawal troops from

540,000 to 25,000.• Nixon promises South Vietnam help if North Vietnam violates treaty• December 18, 1972- 11 Day Bombing of Hanoi, over 100,000 bombs

dropped. • June 19th, 1973- U.S congress votes to end all involvement in Southeast

Asia.

Paris Peace Accords

• January 17th, 1973- Established a temporary peace.

• Kissinger and Tho reached agreement.

Coming to an end• The North Vietnamese continued to try to overthrow South Government• South failed to stop Northern advances because of a lack of funds.• South government toppled and Helicopter evacuations began.• Vietnam was now united under a communist government.

Work Cited• "Wars and Battles, 1968." U-S History. 19 May 2009 <http://www.u-s-

history.com/pages/h1862.html>.• • Allen, Joe. "Massacre at My Lai." Socialist Worker. 28 Mar. 2003. 19 May

2009 <http://socialistworker.org/2003-1/446/446_09_MyLai.shtml>.• "Vietnam War." The History Place. 19 May 2009

<http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/vietnam/index.html>.• "Agent Orange: "Collateral Damage" in Viet Nam." Agent Orange:

"Collateral Damage" in Viet Nam. 15 May 09.