Chapter 22: The Vietnam War Years Section 1: Moving Toward Conflict 1. America Supports France in Vietnam A.

French Rule in Vietnam Many Vietnamese revolutionaries fled to China, where in 1924, they began to be organized under leader ship of Ho Chi Minh- Hoped to create the Indochinese Communist Party, and throughout the 1930s Ho continued to orchestrate Vietnams growing independence movement from exile in the Soviet Union and China Vietminh- an organization whose goal it was to win Vietnams independence from foreign rule. B. France Battles the Vietminh 1945- French start to move in and take over cities. Ho Chi Minh vowed to fight from the north to liberate the south from French control. 1950, U.S enters Vietnam C. The Vietminh Drive out the French The Domino Theory- likened countries on the brink of communism to a row of dominoes and waiting to fall one after the other. The French surrendered at the French outpost at Dien Bien Phu. May-July 1954, countries like, France, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and the United States, China, Loas, and Cambodia, met in Geneva, Switzerland, with the Vietnam and with South Vietnam anti communist nationalists to hammer out a new peace agreement. Geneva Accords- Temporarily divided Vietnam along the 17th parrell. The Communist and their leader Ho Chi Minh, controlled North Vietnam from the capital of Hanoi Anti communists controlled South Vietnam from the capital and southern port of city of Saigon. 2. The United States Steps In. A. Diem Cancels Elections. South Vietnams President, Ngo Dinh Diem, a strong anticommunist, refused to take part in the countrywide election of 1956, because of the Likeability of Ho Chi Minh ( Northern Vietnams President) The United States also sensed that a countrywide election might spell victory for Ho Chi Minh and supported cancelling the elections Vietcong- (a communist opposition group) started harassing attacks on Diem government, assassinating thousands of Gov. Officials. Ho Chi Minh Trail- 1959 Ho Chi Minh began to supply arms to the Vietcong via network of paths along the border of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. B. Kennedy and Vietnam Kennedy admin, choose to alline with Diem Under the Johnson admin, Diem was assassinated due the the horrific state his country was facing, Monks setting themselves on fire, Killed Hundreds of Buddhist . 3. President Johnson Expands the Conflict A. The South Grows more unstable Diems death brought more chaos to South Vietnam Johnson would not have the United states be ruled under communism B. The Tonkin Gulf Resolution

August 2nd, 1964, a north Vietnamese patrol boat fired a torpedo at an American destroyer, the USS Maddox, it was heavily damaged. Tonkin Gulf Resolution-all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the Forces of the United States. Operation Rolling Thunder- first sustained bombing of North Vietnam

Section 2: U.S Involvement and Escalation 1. Johnson Increases U.S Involvement. A. Strong Support For Containment March of 1965, Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara and Secretary of State Dean Rusk, Johnson began dispatching hundreds of thousands soldiers to fight in Vietnam B. The Troop Buildup Accelerates William Westmoreland, South Vietnam General, requested more and more troops by the end of 1965. 2. Fighting in the Jungle A. Fan exclusive Enemy The Vietnamese had an advantage fighting on their own land, because they knew there own terrain, and used underground camps, spys, elaborate tunnels became home to guerrilla fighters. Booby traps and land mines B. A Frustrating War of Attrition Vietcong had no intension of removing from the war, despite number of causalities and the relentless pounding of U.S bombers, the Vietcong remained defiant. United States told their citizens they were winning, but they were fooled. C. The Battle for Hearts and Minds United states dropped a Napalm- a gasoline-based bomb that set fire to the jungle. Orange Agent- a leaf-killing toxic chemical Using these bombs and chemicals, gave the soldiers cancer and other harmful things done to their bodies. D. Sinking Morale Philip Caputo said When we marched into the rice patties, we carried, along with our packs and rifles, the implicit convictions that the Vietcong could be beaten. We kept our packs and our rifles, the convictions we has lost. As the war continued, Americans and Soldiers morale dropped. No one supported it, nor wanted to be there. E. Fullfilling A Duty Most Americans thought it was their duty to stop the halt of communism. Most American Soldiers fought courangously3. The Early War at Home A. The Great Society Suffers The war grew much more costly as it continued B. The Living-Room War

 Section 3: A Nation Divided

Combat footage was being shown on the T.V sets of the average American home, and seemed to contradicted what the Johnson admin was saying about the war. Credibility Gap- Public distrust of information of the government officials. By 1967, Americans were evenly split over supporting the war, and opposing it.

1. The Working Class Goes to War A. The Manipulatable Draft Draft- All males over 18 years of age- 26 would/ could be called into the military service. As the doubt of the war grew, many men drafted tried to do anything to get out of serving in the war. Such as medical exemptions, moved to other countries or Joined National Guard. B. Women Join the Ranks Military did not let women serve combat, 10,000 women served in Vietnam, most military nurses. Thousands more volunteered in the American Red Cross, or United Service Organizations (NSO) 2. The Roots of Opposistion A. The New Left New Left- Growing youth movement of the 1960s, demanded changes in American society. Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)- was founded by Tom Hayden, in 1960, and Albert, the group charged that corporations and large government institutions had taken over America. Free Speech Movement- (FSM) gained prominence at the University of California at Berkly, grew out of a clash between students and admin over free speech on campus. Led by Mario Savio. B. Campus Activism FSM and SDS quickly spread to more colleges. 3. The Protest Movement Emerges A. The Movement Grows SDS- organized a march, some 20,000 people. Protestors raised to 30,000s. Youths most did oppose the war, which caused a civil war. Veterans also began to protest war in Vietnam B. From Protest to Resistance By 1967, anti war movement drastically increased. The Draft was still in affect due to the fact that most opposed the war now. C. War Divides the Nation Doves- Those who strongly opposed the war and believed the United States should withdraw Hawks- Those who thought the United states should unleash all military force and win the war

Section 4: A tumultuous Year 1. The Tet Offensive Turns the war A. A Surprise Attack Massive surprise attack by the Vietcong on the South in cities in early 1968. B. Tet Change Public Opinion Clark Clifford- thought the war was unwinnable. New Secretary of Defense 2. Days of Loss and Rage A. Johnson withdraws Robert Kennedy- John F. Kennedys brother and Senator of New York decided not to run for the democratic party. Eugene McCarthy- Minnesota Senator, he would run against Johnson. 3. A Turbulent Race for President A. Turmoil in Chicago Hubert Humphrey- Johnsons vice president. Democratic presidential primary. B. Nixon Triumphs Richard Nixon- achieved on of the greatest presidential comebacks in American history. George Wallace- Alabama governor raced into the primary as a third party candidate. Sectio n 5: The End of the War and Its Legacy 1. President Nixon and Vietnamization A. The Pullout Begins Henry Kissinger- National Security Advisor planned to end Americas involvement in Vietnam Vietnamization- Gradual withdrawal of U.S troops in order for the South Vietnamese to take on more active combat role in the war. B. Peace with Honor Nixon wanted to face the with drawal with dignity 2. Trouble Continues on the Home Front A. The My Lai Messacre My Lai-March 16th, 1968 a U.S platoon under the command of Leutenant William Calley, had massacred innocent cilivians in the small village of My Lai. Calley was imprisoned B. The invasion of Cambodia April 30th,1970 Nixon announced that U.S troops invaided Cambodia to destroy North Vietnamese and Vietcong supply centers College students burst into rallys. C. Violence on Campus Kent Sate University- massive student protest led to the burning of ROTC building. Local Mayor called Nation Guard. D. Pentagon Papers Pentagon Papers- 7,000 page document written for Defense of Secretaru Robert McNamara in 1967-1968, revealed among other things that the gov.

had drawn up plans to entering wat even as President Johnson promised otherwised. War Powers Act- stipulated that a president must inform congress within 48 hours of sending forces into a hostile area without declaration of war.