1/16/2015
y 1956 – Elections are cancelled (1 of Geneva Accords)
y 1957 – The Vietcong attack in South Vietnam
y Vietcong are South Vietnamese communists y Guerrilla fighters
y Civil War erupts in Vietnam y Communist North vs. non‐Communist South
y Organized by Ho Chi Minh
Who are Vietcong fighting?
What happened to Vietminh?
y How?
y Money, military aid (weapons/equipment), military advisors(teach how to fight, strategy), intelligence (spying)
y Why?
1
1/16/2015
y How is the U.S. involved in Vietnam at this point in history (after Vietcong attack U.S. bases – research from yesterday)?
y Political: y Economic:
y Military:
y 1963 – Ngo Dinh Diem (leader of south) overthrown and executed by South Vietnamese generals (military coup) – Why?
Diem very unpopular Catholic (5% minority)
Anti‐Buddhist laws
The US did nothing
3 wks later Kennedy assassinated.
y Johnson becomes president.
y
y
y
y
y
2
1/16/2015
y Gulf of Tonkin Incident y 2 attacks ‐ U.S. warship fired upon in Golf of Tonkin ‐ Aug. 2, 1964
y U.S. response: fired back at boats, warning to N. Vietnam
y 2nd attack? Aug. 4
y U.S. response: Air strikes on N. Vietnam naval bases
y Did it really happen?
y Why U.S. ships there?
y doing surveillance to guide
S. Vietnam army attacks
y Response to Gulf of Tonkin Incident
y Congress gives President Johnson full authority to do y
y
y
y
y
y
“whatever necessary” to stop communism in Vietnam
“Blank Check”; “keys to military”
Good idea? Bad idea?
Passed the House 416‐0
Passed the Senate 98‐2
Constitutional Issue? Vietcong attack U.S. bases with military advisors
3
1/16/2015
y Gives president authority to use U.S. military without approval from Congress.
y Why is this a problem? y Too much power for one person. y Violates the Constitution: Congress is supposed to vote on it to show the “will of the people”
y
y Authorizing this measure means sending our American boys into combat in a war which we have no business, which is not our war, into which we have been misguidedly drawn, which is steadily being escalated. This resolution is a further authorization for escalation unlimited.
‐ Senator Ernest Gruening (Alaska), August 1964
4
1/16/2015
y Hawks – For military action in Vietnam y Many Advisors to president
y Expand fighting in Vietnam
y Reasons yes
y Domino theory
y If don’t fight communism here, will have to fight it elsewhere
y World credibility. U.S. is protector of free world, helps allies, S. Vietnam asked for help
y U.S. Public opinion – can’t look soft on communism – lose elections
y Main military advisors say (Westmoreland) can win this!
y Doves – Negotiate for peace
y Reasons No
y No guarantee of victory (remember Korea, costly, gained little after 3 yrs)
y Vietnam even more difficult – guerilla jungle warfare
y Too expensive – interfere with domestic programs (great society)
y Not in U.S. interest – someone else's civil war, no strategic value in Vietnam, more important issues at home
y Risk of war with China and Soviet Union 5
1/16/2015
y Are you a hawk or a dove?
y What is value of Vietnam to U.S.?
y American responsibility to help / protect those seeking freedom – spread democracy
y International prestige
y American influence
y Ho Chi Minh warned that if the Americans "want to make war for twenty years then we shall make war for twenty years. If they want to make peace, we shall make peace and invite them to afternoon tea.“
y Deputy Foreign Minister Tran Quang Co (from North)‐
the primary goal of the war was to reunify Vietnam and secure its independence. The policy of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) was not to topple other non‐
communist governments in South East Asia.
6
1/16/2015
y Options
y Continue aid to South
y More direct involvement (U.S. military including troops)
y Get out
y Negotiate peace
y 1965 – OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER
y Heavy bombing of North Vietnam by the US
y Goal: bomb North Vietnam so much that they would give up
y Where had that been tried before?
7
1/16/2015
y March 8, 1965 ‐ US sends in first ground troops (3500 marines)
y Americanization of War
y U.S. takes over main role of fighting the war
y 66% Americans approve of policy in Vietnam
y Ground commander in Vietnam
y Tells Pres. Johnson that enemy will be defeated by 1967
y Need 120,000 troops
8
1/16/2015
Troops in Vietnam
600,000
543,000
486,000
500,000
389,000
400,000
300,000
Troops in Vietnam
184,000
200,000
100,000
15,000 23,000
0
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
y Vietcong: communist and guerilla fighters
y North Vietnamese Army (NVA )
y Both NVA and Vietcong fighting in South Vietnam
y Supported By: Soviet Union and Chinese
y Versus…
y U.S. military y Regular troops – wanted to be there
y Drafted troops – had to go because of “draft”
y Army of Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) – South Vietnamese Army
9
1/16/2015
y Guerilla War
y Enemy blends in
y Ambush
y Hit and run attacks
y Use of tunnels
y Booby traps
y The Vietcong supplied by North Vietnam via the Ho Chi Minh trail
y Supported by the Chinese and Soviets
y more
10
1/16/2015
y Search and destroy missions + air support
y War of attrition – kill so many of enemy over time can’t fight anymore. Body counts a measure.
y Eliminate the hiding places y Napalm (burn down the jungle)
y Agent orange (defoliate the jungle)
11
1/16/2015
y Pacification – promote security and stability in S. Vietnam ‐ win hearts and minds
y Supply food, goods, build schools, bridges
y Propaganda – persuade villagers to support South gov.
y Eliminate Vietcong and sympathizers from villages, provide security (ARVN)
y Limited War
y U.S. never uses it’s full military. Why not?
y U.S. never invades North Vietnam with troops. Only bombs the north. Why not?
12
1/16/2015
y Ineffective security / uprooting villagers
y Bombs and missiles destroyed whole villages
y Napalm had lasting psychological damage
y Search and destroy made more enemies than friends
y Vietcong intimidation: used fear, assassinations y Westmoreland claims victory is close!
y Television shows different story
y Leads to a credibility gap
y Public does not trust gov.
13