Notes
The Vietnam War
I. French Vietnam (WWII)
A. French Indochina-(1883) Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos
B. Ho Chi Minh-(a Communist leader styled after Stalin)-#
II. French Indochina war 1946-54
A. Vietminh-Communist resistance to French occupation
B. After 1949, the US stepped up support for the French
C. Domino theory-#
D. guerilla tactics (hit and run maneuvers)
E. Dien Bien Phu-#
F. Geneva Accords-#
III. A Divided Country
A. Rival Governments
1. North Vietnam
· Ho Chi Minh
2. South Vietnam
· President Diem
B. Resistance Grows to Diem’s government
1. National Liberation Front (NLF)-an organization dedicated to fighting Diem’ government, (political arm) relied on the Vietcong.
2. Vietcong (VC)-#
3. North Vietnamese Army- (NVA)
4. Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN)-S. Vietnam’s army began fighting the VC.
C. Strategic Hamlets-#
D. Buddhist Protests-Monks protested against Diem government banning Buddhist flags
E. Diem assassinated- (11/1/63) Vietnamese Army generals with US approval
IV. The War Escalates
A. USS Maddox & Turner Joy-attacked off the coast of N.Vietnam (8/2-4/64)
B. Gulf Of Tonkin Resolution-(8/7/64)-#
C. Ho Chi Minh trail-#
V. The Air War( 1964-1968)
A. Rolling Thunder-(March 65)-#
B. Types of Bombings
1. Agent Orange-#
2. Napalm-#
VI. The Ground War 65-67
A. 1st Combat Troops-March 8, 1965-Marines landed at Da Nang to protect the air base
B. General Westmoreland-Commander of US forces in Vietnam(MACV)
C. US forces gradually increased from 65-68 (Army-II-IV Corps-Marines-I Corps-Navy-Amphibious support, and River Raids)
D. Search and Destroy Missions-#
E. Major Operations (65-68)-See Hand out
F. Attrition-#
G. Nature of Combat-technology
H. Pacification-#
I. Credibility Gap-#
VII. Khe Sanh and TET offensive-1968.
A. Khe Sanh-handout
B. NVA planned all out offensive during
1. General uprising
2. Overthrow government in South
C. Saigon-Embassy
1. Saigon Execution Photo
2. Cronkite moment
D. Hue city-(NVA massacred civilians) Marines fought several days of fierce urban warfare to destroy the enemy
E. Major military defeat for VC & NVA ½ of forces destroyed
F. After Tet many US politicians said the war could not be won (turning point)
VIII. The last years 69-75
A. Politics at Home (68-75)
1. 1968 Presidential Election
a. Republican-Nixon “Peace with honor” –Trianglization
b. Democrat-Herbert Humphrey(RFK assassinated)
c. independent-George Wallace-Segregationist
2. Major protest (1970)
a. Kent State-#
b. My lai Massacre(68)-#
B. Repeal of Tonkin Resolution-70
C. Pentagon Papers(71)-#
D. War Powers Act-#
E. Vietnam (reduction of troops)
1. Vietnamization-#
2. Major Operations/battles 69-73-See hand out
F. Paris Peace Accords-January 27, 1973-#
G. Fall of Saigon (4/30/75)-Capital collapses after 1974 NVA offensive, US evacuates many by helicopter from embassy
IV. Vietnam myths and Television
A. Body Counts-Enemy killed & US troops reported daily
B. Draft-1/2 volunteer forces, Middle class & Students did serve-AA 12% of the casualties: avg-age 20
C. Vietnam Veterans-Myths and portrayal
V. Effects and Results-pg 676
-26th Amendment-#