U.S. History
Lesson 1
U.S. Supports France in Vietnam
A. French Rule in Vietnam
1 1800’s
1.
1800’ – FR ruled
l d Vietnam,
Vi
Laos,
L
& Cambodia
C b di
2. 1930 – Ho Chi Minh started the Com. party in VN
a) took exile in USSR during WW II
3. Returned
d iin 1945 – declared
d l d VN a independent
i d
d country.
4. FR returned to take control – U.S. sent them $1 billion to
help contain communism.
B. Vietnamese Drive Out the French
1. Eisenhower believed in domino theory – stop one com. country
and they will all topple over.
2 May
2.
M 1954 – FR surrender
d @ Ft
Ft. Di
Dien Bien
Bi Phu
Ph
3. VN was split – N. was communist Æ S. was democratic!
U.S. Steps In
A Communism Spreads
A.
1. Vietcong – communists in S. VN
2. Ho Chi Minh begins supplying weapons to VC
a)) trail in neighboring
g
g Cambodia – Ho Chi Minh Trail
3. S. VN was in chaos – JFK ordered military coup of S. VN leader.
- he was killed just weeks before JFK’s assassination.
Johnson Expands the Conflict
A. Instability
1. Many leaders in S. VN – more and more unstable
2. Pres. Johnson did not want S. VN to become communist
B. Tonkin Gulf Resolution
1. 8/2/64
/ / – VN patroll boat
b shot
h a missile
i il at USS Maddox
dd
-- did it again 2 days later
2. T. G. Resolution – Johnson can repel an attack on U.S. &
prevent further aggression -- lots of power!!!
a) began bombing N. VN cities 2/65.
3. USS Maddox had actually been involved in clandestine raids
i
into
N. VN.
U.S. Increases Involvement
A. Support for Containment
1 S
1.
Sec. off D
Def.
f R
Robert
b tM
McNamara
N
&S
Sec. off St
State
t D
Dean R
Rusk
k
began sending 1000’s of troops.
a) by 1965 – 180,000 troops
b) Gen
Gen. William Westmoreland wanted more
1) ARVN – not prepared (Army of Rep. of VN)
c) by 1967 – 500,000 troops
Jungle Fighting
A. Elusive Enemy
1. VC – ambush fighting – “hit & run”
2. GI’s couldn’t tell civilians from the enemy
3. elaborate tunnel system – withstand air strikes, surprise attacks
4 bbooby
4.
b traps
t
everywhere
h
B. War of Attrition
1. U.S. would wear down the VC
2 VC refused to quit
2.
C. Battle for Hearts and Minds
1. Campaign to win the support of the civilians in S. VN
a)) it failed
1) napalm – gas bombs burned the forests
2) agent orange – killed all foliage – see in the jungle
b)) civilians were upset
p – destroyed
y their land – caused illness
D. Sinking Morale
1. U.S. thought it would be an easy victory – it wasn’t
2. draft – soldiers did not really support the war effort.
3. soldiers knew that people did not support them at home.
E. Duty
1. Many felt it was our duty to stop communism
F. Living Room War
1. TV brought the war into people’s homes – 1st time ever.
2 People
2.
P l saw body
b d bags
b
– piling
ili up
3. Public wanted to withdraw – don’t want to lose though
Working Class Goes to War
A Manipulative Draft
A.
1. Men – 18-26 were called to serve.
2. Medical exemptions – people were injuring themselves
3. College deferment – can
can’tt be drafted while attending school
a) poor could not afford to go to college
B. Af. Am. in Vietnam
1 20% of Army was made up of Af.
1.
Af Am.
Am – 10% of U.S.
U S pop
pop.
a) M.L. King Jr. said it was unfair
2. Racial tension led to low troop morale
Opposition
pp
A. New Left
1. SDS – Students for Democratic Society
g
was beingg run by
y the wealthy.
y
a)) felt that the govt.
2. FSM – Free Speech Movement
a) don’t want to be part of U.S.’s “machine”
B. March to Washington D.C.
1. 1965 – 20,000 SDS marchers went to D.C.
a)) Johnson
J h
eliminated
li i
d college
ll
deferments
d f
for
f students
d
in poor academic standing.
1) students protested
(a) “This is not the U.S.’s fight”
(b) “U.S. can’t police the world.”
C. Resistance
1. 1967 – students began to burn their draft cards
a) U.S. accused 200,000 of draft offenses – 4,000 jailed
b)) 10,000
,
fled to CAN
2. Nixon phased out the draft in the early 1970’s
D. Nation Divides
1. Doves - want to q
quit the war.
2. Hawks – want to win the war.