"We were wrong, terribly wrong. We
owe it to future generations to
explain why." — McNamara, writing
in his 1995 memoir, In Retrospect, on
the management of the Vietnam War.
3 Major Mistakes Made In Vietnam:
1) The U.S. believed stopping communism from
spreading into Vietnam would stop communism
from spreading throughout the rest of Asia.
2) The U.S. failed to bomb the Ho Chi Minh trail and
stop the transportation of troops and supplies
from North Vietnam into South Vietnam.
3) The U.S. underestimated the Vietnamese, used
WWII tactics to fight a different war in a different
part of the world, and allowed the media full
access in reporting on the war.
How would you feel if student
privileges at FHS-the best classes,
schedules, parking, spot in lunch
line, etc.-were awarded according
to the wealth or prominence of the
student’s family?
What would you do about it?
Objectives
TLW…
1. Explain the reasons for the escalation of the
Vietnam War.
2. Explain the draft policies that led to the
Vietnam War becoming a working-class war.
3. Describe the military tactics and weapons
used by U.S. forces and the Vietcong.
PRESIDENT LYNDON B. JOHNSON
• President Johnson won the
November 1964 election by
promising to not escalate
the war in Vietnam.
• In reference to Vietnam he
said “It’s their war.” And “I
will not send American boys
to Vietnam to do what Asian
boys should do for
themselves.”
• However by March of 1965
LBJ will use the Tonkin Gulf
Resolution to begin sending
U.S. troops to Vietnam.
180,000 sent by end of 1965.
TONKIN GULF RESOLUTION
• LBJ had authorized secret raids to be conducted into
North Vietnam. In response to the raids the North
Vietnamese twice attack the USS MADDOX in the Gulf
of Tonkin on different nights.
• Torpedoes miss, but according to our government the
U.S. navy returns fire and sinks the North Vietnamese
boat. Government claims the Maddox was attacked
again the next night but there is no evidence of an
attack.
• LBJ gets congress to pass the Tonkin Gulf Resolution
on August 7, 1964=allows the president of the U.S. to
take military action against any armed attack without
having to officially declare war.
Did the Tonkin Gulf Incident ever
occur OR was it faked so that the
U.S. had an excuse to go to war?
RESULT OF TONKIN GULF RESOLUTION
1) LBJ orders “Operation Rolling Thunder” in
February 1965=bombing of North Vietnam by the
Air Force. We dropped more bombs in the first
month than we did in all of WWII. (ordered to
not bomb any North Vietnamese ports or
anywhere near China.)
2) In March the first American combat troops
arrived in South Vietnam.
3) By June 50,000 U.S. soldiers were fighting the
Vietcong.
ROBERT MCNAMARA
• Secretary of Defense McNamara
(no previous military training;
president of Ford Motor
Company) worked closely with
LBJ and suggested the use of
“Operation Rolling Thunder”
• Sent combat troops into South
Vietnam even though he did not
believe either would work
unless we established a stable
and secure government in South
Vietnam.
• This guy is totally the wrong guy
for the job.
PROBLEMS WITHIN THE WHITE HOUSE
• Members of LBJ’s cabinet in the White House all
openly disagreed on what to do about the war in
Vietnam.
• The disagreements not only created bigger
disagreements within Congress but it made the
White House and all other politicians look
incompetent.
• The military also openly disagreed with the war
tactics and decisions used by the “inexperience” in
the White House.
• What does McNamara know?
• Dissatisfaction spread within the White House –
Congress-Military-American People.
CREDIBILITY GAP
1) Vietnam became known as the “living room
war” because the media was (specifically TV)
showing nightly combat footage.
2) The U.S. government kept telling the American
people that “VC surrender was imminent.”
However the media was telling a different story.
3) Credibility Gap=Public distrust of statements
made by the government.
GENERAL WESTMORELAND
• General Westmoreland was in
charge of the Vietnam War.
• Highly decorated officer from
WWII and Korean War.
• Requested U.S. combat troops
to be sent to support the
incompetent “Army of the
Republic of Vietnam” (ARVNSouth Vietnamese Army).
Received 500,000 by 1967.
• Thought the U.S. could break
the morale of the Vietcong by
racking up a high body count
total (Attrition). Claimed the
U.S. never lost a battle.
SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM
(DRAFT)
• In 1964 the first draft
since 1942 was reimplemented.
• Young men between
the ages of 18-26 were
eligible for the “lottery.”
• 100,000 young men
were drafted in 1964.
• Another 400,000 in
1966.
Mock Draft Activity
RESISTING THE DRAFT
1) Fail the physical.
2) Change residency.
3) Join National Guard or
Coast Guard.
4) Attend college (deferment):
white people with $
5) Conscientious Objector
(CO)=morally or religiously
don’t believe in war.
6) Flee to Canada (Draft
Dodger).
Vietcong Tactics
• "The enemy advances, we retreat; the enemy
camps, we harass; the enemy tires, we attack;
the enemy retreats, we pursue.“
• The imaginative use of booby-traps by the NVA and VC caused many
casualties amongst their opponents. Between January 1965 and June 1970,
11% of the fatalities and 17% of the wounds among U.S. Army troops were
caused by booby traps and mines. To give one historical example, Charlie
Company of the First Battalion, 20th Infantry sustained over 40% casualties
in 32 days. They scarcely saw the enemy and took the casualties mainly from
booby-traps and snipers. The effect on morale was such that these losses in
men and the fact that they included virtually all of the experienced NCO's
was said to have been more than partly responsible for the My Lai massacre
that occurred.
Guerilla Warfare
• The guerilla army wins by NOT
losing. The traditional army loses
by NOT winning.
BELL QUIZ: USE PAGES 748-753
1) What is the Vietnamese holiday of Tet?
2) How many cities in South Vietnam and how many
U.S. air bases were attacked in the Tet Offensive?
3) Why did American support for the Vietnam War
change after the Tet Offensive?
4) What did President Johnson mean when he said,
“If I’ve lost Walter Cronkite, then it’s over. I’ve
lost Mr. Average Citizen.”
5) What % of Americans supported the Vietnam War
after the Tet Offensive?
BELL QUIZ ANSWERS
1) New Years Eve: January 30
2) Over 100 towns and 12 U.S. air bases were attacked.
3) It appeared to Americans that Vietnam was not in
control and chaos reigned. Approval for the war
dropped. Unwinnable?
4) Walter Cronkite was the evening news anchor.
Cronkite’s news reports would quickly change public
opinion against the War…U.S. citizens will listen and
follow Cronkite.
5) 40% (1968)
Write the following statements
in your notes ( 2 slides):
1) War Powers Act: Passes in November 1973.
Amendment to the Tonkin Gulf Resolution.
This is the power the President currently
possesses.
A) President must inform Congress within 48
hours of sending troops into battle without a
declaration of war.
B) The troops may remain there no longer than
90 days unless Congress approves the
president’s actions or declares war.
Partner Up: Use your technology to fill
out the chart:
Vietcong Fighting
Tactics
What is it?
Effective? Why or
why not?
U.S. Fighting
Tactics
Bouncing Betties
U.S. firepower and
technology
Toe Poppers
Strategic Hamlet
Program
Punji Stake Pit
Search and Destroy
Punji Bear Trap
Large Scale
Bombings
Non-Explosive
Trips Wires
Helicopters
Explosive Trip
Wires
Zippo Raids
Tunnels
Attrition
“Hanging onto the
belts” Vietcong
Napalm and Agent
Orange
Bouncing Betty
Toe Popper
Punji Stake Pit
Punji Bear Trap
Explosive Trip Wires
Nonexplosive Trip Wires
Vietcong Tunnels
VIETCONG TUNNELS
VIETCONG TUNNELS
VIETCONG TUNNELS
1) The Vietcong used guerilla warfare fighting tactics to
frustrate the Americans. Most VC stayed in the
tunnels during the day but came out at night to
attack the U.S. soldiers.
2) The VC used elaborate tunnels to connect villages
throughout the country side.
3) They also used the tunnels to withstand air strikes
and to launch surprise attacks and then disappear
quickly.
4) The VC also laced the terrain with booby traps and
land mines.
5) Today 3.5 million mines remain active in Vietnam,
causing 160 civilian casualties each month.
The Battle for “Hearts and Minds”
• Napalm-gas bomb
dropped from airplanes
to set fire to the jungle
(40,000 tons used in the
Vietnam War).
• Agent Orange-toxic leaf
killing chemical sprayed
from airplanes. Found to
cause cancer and birth
defects.
• South Vietnamese
civilians turned against
the U.S.
Effects of Agent Orange
VIDEO CLIP: WE WERE SOLDIERS
1:34
9 year old Kim Phuk was burned by American Napalm.
She suffered 3rd degree burns and endured 17 grueling
operations.
Review
1) What executive power did President Johnson
use to send troops into Vietnam without
declaring war?
2) Why was the Vietnam war referred to as the
“living room war”?
3) How did General Westmoreland try to break the
morale of the Vietcong? Why didn’t it work?
4) What effect did the “search and destroy”
missions have on the civilians of South
Vietnam?