The Vietnam War and its Four

Stages of Conflict
 Overview

 Pretest
 Timeline
 BIO’S: Ho Chi Minh & Ngo Dinh Diem
 The Language of War
 The First Vietnam War
 Reasons for US Involvement
 Exploring The Four Stages
 Why did America lose?
 Pictures
 Works Cited
 Pre-Test
Let’s see how much you know before
we start!!! Write down your answers
to the following 10 questions and find
out how you did during the
presentation.
 1. Which country fought a war in
Vietnam just before the United States?

A. England
B. Germany
C. Japan
D. France
2. Which of the following countries IS
NOT located in Southeast Asia?

A. Cambodia
B. China
C. Laos
D. Vietnam
 3. Who was the Vietnamese nationalist that
became the leader of North Vietnam and the
Vietcong during the Vietnam War?

A. Mao Tse-Tung
B. Tu Thong
C. Ho Chi Minh
D. Ngo Dinh Diem
4. Who was president in 1955 when the US
began acting as an advisor to the government
and military of South Vietnam?

A. Harry S. Truman
B. Dwight D. Eisenhower
C. John F. Kennedy
D. Richard M. Nixon
 5. The 1954 Geneva Conference ended the first
Vietnam war and temporarily divided Vietnam at
what location?

A. The 17th parallel

B. The 38th parallel
C. The Yalu River
D. The Gulf of Tonkin
 6. What Cold War theory was used by
leaders of the US government to justify our
involvement in Vietnam?

A. Red Menace Theory

B. Iron Curtain Theory
C. House of Cards Theory
D. Domino Theory
7. What type of warfare did the Vietcong use
against US forces during the Vietnam War?

A. Germ
B. Chemical
C. Guerilla
D. Tank
8. How best would you describe the climate
and geography of Vietnam?

A. Cold, dry and flat

B. Dry, barren and desert like
C. Wet, humid and mountainous
9. Which part of Vietnam was controlled by
the US and used as its military base of
operations?

A. North Vietnam
B. East Vietnam
C. West Vietnam
D. South Vietnam
10. The US reached its peak troop strength in the
spring of 1968. How many troops do you think
were in Vietnam at this high point?

A. 543,400
B. 385, 600
C. 687,500
D. 290,900
 TIMELINE
• 1946 The first Vietnam War begins
– France attempts to reassert its imperial
control over Vietnam
– Vietnamese nationalists led by Ho Chi Minh
• 1955-1960 STAGE 1
– US begins advisory role in Vietnam
– Thousands of US military advisors
sent to train South Vietnamese army
– Vietcong Guerilla attacks begin in south
• 1965-1968 STAGE 3
– US begins combat role in Vietnam
– First official combat troops arrive leading to
dramatic escalation of the war
– January 30, 1968 “Tet Offensive”
– March 16, 1968 “My Lai Massacre”
• 1954 Geneva Conference
– Ends first Vietnam war and “temporarily”
divides the country at the 17th parallel
– North Vietnam controlled by Ho Chi Minh and
communist supporters
– South Vietnam controlled by Ngo Kinh Diem
and democratic supporters (US)
• 1961-1964 STAGE 2
– US begins counterinsurgency role in Vietnam
– Green Berets sent in and secrete military
operations begin
– November 1, 1963 Diem assassinated in US
supported military coup
– November 22, 1963 JFK assassinated
– August, 1964 Gulf of Tonkin
• 1968-1975 STAGE 4
– Vietnamization
– US troop strength decreases slowly
– Bombing raids stepped up secretely (cambodia
% Laos)
– Anti war protests increase
• Woodstock
• Kent State
 Southeast Asia’s Colonial History

• France gained control of Vietnam by 1883 despite fierce resistance from

the Vietnamese.
• The French combined Vietnam with Laos and Cambodia to form French
Indochina.
• Ho Chi Minh led a growing nationalist movement in Vietnam.
• During World War II, the Japanese army occupied French Indochina.
• A group called the League for the Independence of Vietnam, or the
Vietminh, fought the Japanese.
• After World War II, the Vietminh declared independence, but the French
quickly moved in to reclaim Vietnam.
• Born Nguyen Sinh Cung, and known as "Uncle Ho," he led the
Democratic Republic of Vietnam from 1945-69. Ho embraced
communism while living abroad in England and France from
1915-23; in 1919, he petitioned the powers at the Versailles
peace talks for equal rights in Indochina. He later moved to
Hong Kong, where he founded the Indochinese Communist
Party. After adopting the name Ho Chi Minh, or "He Who
Enlightens," he returned to Vietnam in 1941 and declared the
nation's independence from France. Ho led a nearly
continuous war against the French and, later, the Americans
until his death in 1969.
 Colonial Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh
• Real name is Nguyen That
Thanh; Ho Chi Minh means “He
Who Enlightens.”
• Participated in tax revolts against
the French.
• Joined the French Communist
Party.
• Believed that a Communist
revolution was a way Vietnam
could be free of foreign rulers.
World War II
• Japan occupied French Indochina.
• Ho Chi Minh organized the
Vietminh to fight the Japanese.
• Japan surrendered to the Allies in
1945, and the Vietminh declared
Vietnam to be independent.
• Ho Chi Minh hoped for U.S.
support of their independence.
• The French reclaimed Vietnam
after World War II.
 The First Vietnam War (1946-1954)
• Also known as the First French-
Indochina War
• Since the 1860’s Vietnam had been
considered a colony of France
• During WW II Vietnam was
invaded by Japan
– During this time Ho Chi Minh was
actually an ally of the US
• After WW II Ho Chi Minh
declared Vietnamese independence
(Sept 2, 1945
• At this time France made plans to
reestablish its imperial control.
• The US, needing France’s help in
fighting the Cold War in Europe,
agreed to ally itself (financially)
with France, along with Great
Britain and China, in Vietnam
 What policies did Presidents Truman and Eisenhower pursue in
Vietnam after WW II?
• Saw Vietnam in terms of the Cold War struggle against
communism
Truman • Supported France; unwilling to back the Vietminh
because many were Communists

• Communists seized China in 1949.

• Communist North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950.
Events • Communist-led revolts in Indonesia, Malaya, and the
Philippines

• Believed in the domino theory

Eisenhower
• Sent arms, ammunition, supplies, and money to the
French forces in Vietnam.
 Vietnam after World War II
The Domino Theory
• Domino theory—the belief that
communism would spread to
neighboring countries if Vietnam fell
to communism
• To avoid this, the United States
supported the French during the
Vietnam War.
• By 1954 the United States was
paying more than 75 percent of the
cost of the war.
• The French continued to lose battle
after battle.
• Vietminh used guerrilla tactics
effectively.
France Defeated
• French soldiers made a last stand at
Dien Bien Phu.
• French forces hoped for a U.S.
rescue, but Eisenhower did not want
to send U.S. soldiers to Asia so soon
after Korea.
• The French surrendered on May 7,
1954.
• After eight years of fighting, the two
sides had lost nearly 300,000
soldiers.
• The Vietminh had learned how to
fight a guerilla war against an enemy
with superior weapons and
technology.
 The Geneva Peace Accords
• The Geneva Peace Accords, signed
by France and Vietnam in the
summer of 1954, provided for the
temporary partition of Vietnam at
the 17th parallel, with national
elections in 1956 to reunify the
country.
• In the North, a communist regime,
supported by the Soviet Union and
the People's Republic of China, set
up its headquarters in Hanoi under
the leadership of Ho Chi Minh.
Opposition to Geneva Accords
• The United States prevented the elections that were
promised under the Geneva conference because it knew that
the Communists would win.
– Secretary of State John Foster Dulles thought the Geneva
Accords granted too much power to the Communist
Party of Vietnam.

– He and President Dwight D.

Eisenhower supported the creation of
a counter-revolutionary alternative
south of the 17th parallel.
• This was accomplished through
formation of the Southeast Asia Treaty
Organization (SEATO).
• After refusing Ho Chi Minh's invitation to join the Communist
movement, Ngo Dinh Diem led South Vietnam from 1954 to 1963,
when he was killed by his generals in a coup. His autocratic rule,
exemplified by the imprisonment and execution of hundreds of
Buddhists, and his refusal to institute land reforms probably
contributed to increasing popular support for Ho Chi Minh.
• (OBVIOUS & IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES!!) A rich, Catholic
landowning president in a predominantly poor, peasant, Buddhist
country who ruled like a dictator and refused to give land to the
peasants (who were promised land by “Uncle Ho” – who looked and
acted like a peasant and promised economic equality.)
 The Language of War: Important
terms to keep in mind!!
• RVN: Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam)
• ARVN: Army of the Republic of Vietnam (Army of South Vietnam)
• VIETCONG: Communist forces fighting the South Vietnamese
government
• VIETMINH: Viet Nam Doc Lap Dong Minh Hoi, or the Vietnamese
Independence League
• CHARLIE, CHARLES, CHUCK: Vietcong--short for the phonetic
representation Victor Charlie
• SEARCH AND DESTROY: offensive operations designed to find and
destroy enemy forces rather than establish permanent government
control; also, called "Zippo missions"
• FRIENDLY FIRE: euphemism used during the war in Vietnam to
describe air, artillery, or small-arms fire from American forces
mistakenly directed at American positions
• FRAGGING: assassination of an officer by his own troops, usually by
means of a grenade
 Opposition to Diem
• The outcry against Diem's harsh and oppressive actions
was immediate.
– Buddhist monks and nuns were joined by students,
business people, intellectuals, and peasants in
opposition to Diem’s corrupt rule.
– The more these forces attacked Diem's troops and
secret police, the more Diem complained that the
Communists were trying to take South Vietnam by
force. This was "a hostile act of aggression by North
Vietnam against peace-loving and democratic South
Vietnam."
 The National Liberation Front
• The Communists supported
the creation of a broad-
based united front to help
mobilize southerners in
opposition to the
government in South
Vietnam.

• On December 20, 1960, the National Liberation Front (NLF) was born.
– It brought together Communists and non-Communists in an umbrella
organization that had limited, but important goals
– Anyone could join as long as they opposed Ngo Dinh Diem and
wanted to unify Vietnam.
 December 1961 White Paper
• In 1961, President Kennedy
sent a team to Vietnam to report
on conditions in the South and
to assess future American aid
requirements.
• The report, known as the
"December 1961 White Paper,"
argued for:
– An increase in military, technical, and economic aid
– The introduction of large-scale American "advisers" to help
stabilize the Diem regime and crush the NLF.
 Washington White Papers
• In a series of government
"White Papers," Washington
insiders denounced the NLF,
claiming that it was merely a
puppet of Hanoi. They called it
the "Viet Cong," a derogatory
and slang term meaning
Vietnamese Communist.
• The NLF, on the other hand,
argued that it was autonomous
and independent of the
Communists in Hanoi and that it
was made up mostly of non-
Communists. Many anti-war
activists supported the NLF's
claims.
 The Kennedy Response
• As Kennedy weighed the merits of
these recommendations, some of his
other advisers urged the president to
withdraw from Vietnam altogether.
• In typical Kennedy fashion, the
president chose a middle route.
– Instead of a large-scale military
buildup or a negotiated settlement,
the United States would increase the
level of its military involvement in
South Vietnam through more
machinery and advisers, but no
military troops.
 Growing Conflict in Vietnam
Vietnam’s Leaders
• Ngo Dinh Diem became the president
of South Vietnam in 1954.
• Diem’s government was corrupt,
brutal, and unpopular from the start.
• He favored Catholics and the
wealthy.
• Diem cancelled the 1956 election that
would unify Vietnam under one
government.
• Ho Chi Minh’s leadership in North
Vietnam was totalitarian and
repressive.
• He gave land to peasants, which
made him popular.
A Civil War
• Diem’s opponents in South Vietnam
began to revolt.
• North Vietnam supplied weapons to
Vietminh rebels in South Vietnam.
• The Vietminh in South Vietnam
formed the National Liberation Front
and called their military forces the
Vietcong.
• The Vietcong assassinated many
South Vietnamese leaders and soon
controlled much of the countryside.
• In 1960 Ho Chi Minh sent the North
Vietnamese Army into the country to
fight with the Vietcong.
 Escalation of the Conflict
• At the time of the Kennedy and Diem
assassinations, there were 16,000 military
advisers in Vietnam.
– The Kennedy administration had
managed to run the war from
Washington without the large-scale
introduction of American combat
troops.
– The continuing political problems in
Saigon, however, convinced the new
president, Lyndon Baines Johnson, that
more aggressive action was needed.

• After a dubious North Vietnamese raid on two U.S. ships in the Gulf of
Tonkin, the Johnson administration argued for expansive war powers for the
president.
 Attack on American Ships
• In August 1964, in response to American
and South Vietnamese espionage along its
coast, North Vietnam launched an attack
against the C. Turner Joy and the U.S.S.
Maddox, two American ships on call in
the Gulf of Tonkin.
– The first attack occurred on
August 2, 1964.
– A second attack was supposed to have
taken place on August 4, but
authorities have recently concluded
that no second attack ever took place.
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
• The Johnson
administration used the
August 4 attack to obtain
a Congressional
resolution, now known as
the Gulf of Tonkin
Resolution, that gave the
president broad war
powers.
• The Resolution was
followed by limited
reprisal air attacks against
North Vietnam.
 Reasons for US Involvement
• There were both public and private reasons for US involvement in Vietnam.
• PUBLIC REASON
– The establishment of the 'Iron Curtain' in Europe after the second World War, the
communist take-over of China, the Korean War and the communist victory over
the French in Vietnam - all led many Americans to fear that the communists were
taking over the world and must be stopped. Many people believed in the 'Domino
Theory', suggesting that if one Asian country fell to the Communists the others
would quickly follow. (REASON) The US government believed that by
helping the South Vietnamese government resist the attacks of the
communist North they were helping to prevent the spread of communism
throughout the world.
 Reasons for US Involvement
• PRIVATE REASONS: Privately,
there were several reasons to
support war:
– It was believed that
communist control of all of
Southeast Asia would
seriously jeopardize US
security interests in this area
– A communist victory would
make it extremely difficult
to prevent Japans eventual
fall to communism because
of its dependence on rice
from this area
– Southeast Asia was (and is)
immensely wealthy in raw
materials desirable to the
US (rice, rubber, coal, iron
ore, tin, & petroleum)
 STAGE 1: Advisory Role (1955-1960)
• IMPORTANT
• GOALS: DEVELOPMENTS:
– Make the ARVN – Ho seen by US as an
(South Vietnamese international leader of
communism(Soviet ally)
Army) a model of our – 1956: Free elections denied
military by Diem (decision supported
by US)
– Stabilize the Diem
– 1957-58: The first
government and gain Vietcong(VC) guerrilla
support in south attacks begin in South
Vietnam
– Combat increasing
– About 2,000 so called
guerrilla attacks “military advisors” are sent to
against Diem and his Vietnam (although
supporters “officially” only 675)
– 1960: US drops first bombs
of war on VC strongholds in
South
STAGE 2: Counterinsurgency Role (1961-1964)

• IMPORTANT
• GOALS:
– JFK takes office and vows
to continue Eisenhower’s
Vietnam policies
– Fix the Diem “problem” as
his autocratic rule leads to
increased demonstrations
and opposition in the South
– Use covert operations in
North Vietnam to engage
in sabotage and light
harassment of NVA
DEVELOPMENTS:
– VC widen their attacks against
ARVN soldiers and raid villages
sympathetic to Diem and the US
• GUERRILLA TACTICS:
http://www.pbs.org/battlefieldvie
tnam/guerrilla/index.html
– The # of “military advisors”
(now including Green Beret’s)
increases dramatically to over
16,000. Although there officially
to advise and train the ARVN,
many participate in combat
missions with the ARVN.
– Military aid increases, including
American-piloted armed
helicopters, to combat VC attacks
STAGE 2: Counterinsurgency Role (1961-1964)

• IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS:
– Spring, 1963: Buddhist monks demonstrate opposition to Diem
by self-immolation (ignoring US demands, he burned their
temples and imprisoned those who opposed his rule)
– Nov 1, 1963: Diem, after losing confidence of Americans and
his own people, is assassinated by his own military (supported
by US)
– 11 days later JFK is assassinated in Dallas and LBJ is sworn in
as president (NEWS CLIPS ……
.http://www.authentichistory.com/audio/1960s/1960s_news_01
.html
– http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-
6772585564431596301&q=JFK+assassination
 Gulf of Tonkin
– August 7, 1964: After N.Vietnam gunboats
attacked American warships in the Gulf of
Tonkin, Congress passes the Gulf of Tonkin
Resolution giving the president broad war
making powers in Vietnam (a so called “blank
check” to escalate the war)
 Change in Strategy
• Sec. of Defense Robert McNamara and American
commander in South Vietnam General William
Westmoreland advised Johnson to step up American
presence
• Wanted American troops to do most of fighting
• March 8. 1965- first U.S. Marines deployed in South
Vietnam
 “Americanization” of the War
• IMPORTANT
• GOALS: DEVELOPMENTS:
– August, 1965: After the VC
– Continually bomb North attacked two US Army bases
Vietnam to pressure VC to LBJ orders the start of
stop attacks Operation Rolling Thunder
(lasts 3 yrs.)
– N.Vietnam (Ho) adopts
– March 8, 1965: The first
new “protracted war official US combat troops
strategy” intended to bog arrive- Marines
down and frustrate US – As a result, VC target
military, intended to force American civilian and
a negotiated peace military personnel
– March-April: The first NVA
combat troops arrive in the
south & play limited role
helping VC
 Operation Rolling Thunder
• In early 1965, the NLF attacked two U.S. army
installations in South Vietnam, and as a result,
Johnson ordered sustained bombing missions
over North Vietnam.
• The bombing missions, known as “Operation
Rolling Thunder,” caused the Communist Party
to reassess its own war strategy
Operation Rolling Thunder
 Phosphorous & Napalm Bombs
• “Operation Rolling
Thunder” was backed
up by phosphorous and
napalm bombs – the
latter causing dreadful
burns to thousand of
innocent civilians.
NVA Troops
 Difficult Ground War in Vietnam

• The number of U.S. ground forces in Vietnam continued to grow.

• U.S. strategy called for ground forces to go on search-and-destroy
missions.
– General William Westmoreland commanded the U.S. ground troops in
South Vietnam.
– Ground troops located the enemy and called for air strikes.
– Areas that were “cleared” rarely remained that way for long.
• U.S. forces implemented a program of pacification to “win the hearts and
minds” of the South Vietnamese people.
– Nonmilitary pacification involved construction projects.
– Military pacification involved moving people out of their villages when
Vietcong were nearby.
 Search & Destroy Tactics
• The United States countered with
“Search and Destroy” tactics. In
areas where the NLF were thought
to be operating, troops went in and
checked for weapons. If they
found them, they rounded up the
villagers and burned the villages
down.
• This often alienated the peasants from the American/South
Vietnamese cause.
– As one marine said – “If they weren’t Vietcong before we got there, they sure as
hell were by the time we left”.
– The NFL often helped the villager’s re-build their homes and bury their dead.
 How did the North Vietnamese
Fight Back Against the U.S. Invaders?
• The North Vietnamese used classic Maoist
guerrilla tactics. “Guerrillas must move
through the peasants like fish through sea,” i.e.,
the peasants will support them as much as they
can with shelter, food, weapons, storage,
intelligence, recruits.
 North Vietnamese Tactics
• In areas held by the NLF, the
Communists distributed the
land to the peasants. (By 1973,
the NLF held about half of
South Vietnam.)
• Their weapons were cheap
and reliable.

– The AK47 assault rifle out-performed the American M16

– The portable rocket launcher took out many US vehicles & aircraft.
– They recycled dud bombs dropped by the Americans. Deadly booby-traps
could inflict huge damage on young American conscripts!
 Tunnel Complexes
• The Vietnamese built large tunnel complexes such as
the ones at Cu Chi near Saigon. This protected them
from the bombing raids by the Americans and gave
them cover for attacking the invaders.
 Heroism in Vietnam
• Despite trials of war,
soldiers fought with
same intensity as in
previous wars
• Many fought for the
villagers to win their
trust and respect
• Many fought out of
sense of duty
• Women displayed
courage and valor as
nurses close to the front
 Declining Troop Morale
• American forces in Vietnam faced many challenges.
– Vietcong struck and then melted back into the jungle
– Vietnamese peasants seemed peaceful during the day, but at night aided or
became Vietcong.
– Vietcong knew the local geography.
– Nearly impossible to tell the difference between a Vietcong fighter and a
civilian.

• Enormous casualties inflicted upon the Communist forces did not lead to
victory.
– With the aid of the Soviet Union and China, North Vietnam sent a steady stream
of supplies and soldiers to the South.
– Vietcong continued to refill their ranks with civilians.
– U.S. air strikes and the pacification program turned many peasants into
Vietcong fighters.
 Public Opinion Regarding the Vietnam War

Media’s Hawks and Antiwar

Impact Doves Movement
• Reporters and • Doves—people • Movement attracted a
television crews went opposed to the war broad range of
on patrol with the • Hawks—people who participants
soldiers. supported the war’s • Much antiwar activity
• Television brought goals took place on college
scenes of firefights • Both criticized the campuses.
and burning villages war effort.
• Most vocal group—
into America’s living • Hawks wanted more Students for a
rooms. troops and bombing. Democratic Society.
• Criticized the • Doves opposed the
government’s reports • Antiwar protesters made
war for many
about the war up a small percentage of
reasons.
the U.S. population.
 STAGE 3: Combat Role (1965-1968)
• GOALS:
– Dramatic escalation of war
intended to combat
increased VC/NVA attacks
– Difficulty in determining
who the enemy was led the
US to begin several
“pacification” tactics,
including the use of “free-
fire zones” and “search and
destroy missions”
– Bombing halted in north –
not south (March 31, 1968)
by LBJ in order to “seek
peace” before the end of
his term
– 1968: Peace talks begin in
Hanoi
• IMPORTANT
DEVELOPMENTS:
– US winning major battles but
losing war (public being told
the US winning the war-
almost over)
– Jan 30, 1968: NVA, with help
from VC, launch surprise Tet
Offensive. Together they
attack every southern city at
once, including the US
Embassy in Saigon (capital of
South Vietnam)
– NVA/VC: Lost overall battle
but won a psychological
victory as TV coverage proves
US not really winning the war
(credibility gap created)
– March, 1968: My Lai
Massacre
 Reasons that Doves Opposed the War

• Argued that Vietnam was not crucial to American national security (Ex.
George Kennan)
• Argued that the United States was fighting against the wishes of a majority
of Vietnamese (Ex. Dr. Benjamin Spock)
• Argued that the war was draining needed resources from Great Society
programs (Ex. Martin Luther King Jr.)
• Argued that it was unfair for African Americans to fight for democracy in a
foreign land when discrimination continued at home (Ex. Civil rights
activists)
• Argued that Johnson’s policies were too extreme (Ex. J. William
Fulbright)
Saigon during the war
 My Lai
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/mylai/mylai.htm
 The Tet Offensive

Tet • A series of massive coordinated attacks

throughout South Vietnam
Offensive
• In January 1968 thousands of NVA and Vietcong
troops attacked a U.S. military base in Khe Sanh.
Khe Sanh • This and other rural attacks were diversions to
draw U.S. and ARVN forces away from urban
areas.

• Main Communist offensive began on January 30,

1968, at the start of Tet, the Vietnamese New
The Main Year.
Attacks • Some 84,000 Communist soldiers attacked 12
U.S. military bases and more than 100 cities
across South Vietnam.
 Effects of the Tet Offensive
Growing Doubts
• Walter Cronkite broadcast a television
report in which he gave his personal
assessment of the situation in Vietnam.
• Major national magazines such as Time
and Newsweek also expressed doubts
about the war and began to call for its
end.
• Public criticism of the government’s
policies grew louder and more intense.
• Leaders within Johnson’s
administration began to criticize
Johnson’s policies.
• Robert S. McNamara began to seek
ways to end the war.
Democratic Challengers
• Roughly 3 out of 4 Americans
opposed his policies in Vietnam.
• Minnesota senator Eugene
McCarthy challenged Johnson for
the Democratic Party’s nomination.
• New York senator Robert Kennedy
entered the race.
• Shaken by the divisions within his
party, Johnson announced that he
would not seek nor accept the office
of the presidency.
 Searching for Solutions

President Johnson denied General Westmoreland’s request

for 206,000 more ground soldiers.

Johnson’s advisors could not come up with the best course

for the war strategy.
Robert McNamara suggested limiting the air strikes and
reversing the escalation of the war.
Johnson decided to negotiate with the North Vietnamese.
The Paris peace talks stalled over two issues: the United
States wanted all NVA troops out of South Vietnam, and
North Vietnam would not accept a temporary South
Vietnam government that included a U.S.-backed president.
 How did President Nixon’s policies widen U.S. involvement in
the war?

• During his 1968 campaign, Nixon pledged to end the war in

Vietnam.
• Nixon and his National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger
devised plans to end the war.
• In 1969 Kissinger began secret peace negotiations in Paris
with North Vietnamese revolutionary Le Duc Tho.
• The U.S. strategy aimed at achieving “peace with honor.”
A Secret Plan to End the War
• In late March 1968, a disgraced Lyndon
Johnson announced that he would not
seek the Democratic Party's re-
nomination for president and hinted that
he would go to the bargaining table with
the Communists to end the war.
• Negotiations began in the spring of 1968,
but the Democratic Party could not rescue
the presidency from Republican
challenger Richard Nixon who claimed
he had a secret plan to end the war.
 STAGE 4: Vietnamization (1969-1975)
• Goals: • IMPORTANT
– Nov 3, 1969: President DEVELOPMENTS:
– By 1970, peak American
Nixon adopts the
troop levels of 543,400 fell to
“Vietnamization” program 334,600
• intended to gradually – Military suffering morale
transfer combat problems, including increased
operations in Vietnam drug abuse and racial tension
entirely to the South – US expansion of war into
Laos and Cambodia =
Vietnamese army
– Slowly (as a result of huge
• Intended to bring the VC casualty rates) the bulk of
fighting to an the fighting in the south
“honorable end” shifted from VC guerrilla
units to well trained NVA
troops between 1969-1970
The Silent Majority Speech
• Aware of the growing public
discontent with the war in Vietnam,
Nixon addressed the nation.
• The “Silent Majority" speech was
delivered on November 3, 1969.
• The President attempted to bolster
public support for his policy of
"Vietnamization".
• The speech was regarded highly, yet
skepticism continued to grow.
 From the Silent Majority Speech

Let historians not record that when America was the most powerful nation in
the world we … allowed the last hopes for peace and freedom of millions of
people to be suffocated by the forces of totalitarianism. And so tonight -- to
you, the great silent majority of my fellow Americans -- I ask for your support.

I pledged in my campaign for the presidency to end the war in a way that we
could win the peace. … The more support I can have from the American
people, the sooner that pledge can be redeemed; for the more divided we are at
home, the less likely the enemy is to negotiate at Paris.

Let us be united for peace. Let us also be united against defeat. Because let us
understand: North Vietnam cannot defeat or humiliate the United States. Only
Americans can do that.
Expansion to Laos & Cambodia
• The Nixon years also saw the expansion of the war
into neighboring Laos and Cambodia, violating the
international rights of these countries in secret
campaigns, as the White House tried desperately to
rout out Communist sanctuaries and supply routes.
 Campus Protests & Shootings

• The intense
bombing
campaigns and
intervention in
Cambodia in late
April 1970
sparked intense
campus protests all
across America.
 Kent State
• At Kent State in
Ohio, four students
were killed by
National
Guardsmen who
were called out to
preserve order on
campus after days
of anti-Nixon
protest.
Kent State
Kent State
 WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT UNANSWERED
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MAY 4 SHOOTINGS?

• Who was responsible for the violence in downtown Kent and

on the Kent State campus in the three days prior to May 4th?
As an important part of this question, were "outside agitators"
primarily responsible? Who was responsible for setting fire to
the ROTC building?
• Should the Guard have been called to Kent and Kent State
University? Could local law enforcement personnel have
handled any situations? Were the Guard properly trained for
this type of assignment?
• Would the shootings have been avoided if the rally had not
been banned? Did the banning of the rally violate First
Amendment rights?
• Who was ultimately responsible for the events of May 4, l970?
 Increasing Protests

Campus Antiwar Radical

Violence Movement Protests
• Kent State • Polls showed that fifty • Some antiwar
percent of Americans groups turned to
University in Ohio
opposed the war. violent measures.
• 4 students • Coalition of clergy, • The Weathermen
were killed trade unionists, and set off more than
and 9 injured veterans established a 5,000 bombs and
nationwide day of carried out the Days
• Jackson State protest called of Rage.
College in Moratorium Day.
Mississippi • Most antiwar
• 250,000 protesters protesters did not
made up the largest
• 2 students support extremist
antiwar demonstration groups or terrorist
were killed
and 9 in U.S. history. measures.
wounded
 The My Lai Massacre

• In March 1968 a massacre took place in the My Lai region at the hands of an American military
unit.
• This unit, angered by a Viet Cong attack that killed an American soldier, attacked the village,
raping and killing women and children before burning it down.
• Many soldiers were horrified, particularly due to the fact that it appeared to be sanctioned by the
unit's command. (Lt. William Calley)
• Became public in 1971
 Pentagon Papers
• Published in New York Times in 1971
• Secret document – history of America’s involvement in Vietnam
• Daniel Ellsberg (one of authors) leaked story
• Pres. Nixon tried to block publication
• Supreme Court ruled against administration
• Report showed that U.S. leaders involved America in Vietnam
without fully informing people or Congress
 U.S. Involvement in Vietnam Ends

• Senator from South Dakota who criticized war

George
McGovern • Insisted that the Vietnam War be brought to an
immediate end

• Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18

26th
Amendment • McGovern hoped the ratification of this amendment
would boost his election chances.

• Nixon stressed law and order at home and told

voters he would end the war.
1972
Election • Kissinger announced a breakthrough in the peace
talks just weeks before the election.
• The announcement helped Nixon win by a
landslide.
 The Christmas Bombings
• In December 1972, the Nixon administration unleashed a
series of deadly bombing raids against targets in North
Vietnam’s largest cities, Hanoi and Haiphong.
• These attacks, now known as the Christmas bombings,
brought immediate condemnation from the international
community and forced the Nixon administration to reconsider
its tactics and negotiation strategy.
 A Peace Agreement

Nixon tried to force North Vietnam to make peace

concessions by ordering the so-called Christmas
bombing. It failed to work.

Officials from North Vietnam, South Vietnam, and the

United States finally reached an agreement in January
1973.

The United States agreed to withdraw all of its troops and

help rebuild Vietnam. Both sides agreed to release all
prisoners of war.

The agreement did not settle the political future of South

Vietnam—the key issue behind the war from the start.
 The Paris Peace Agreement
• In early January 1973, the Nixon
White House convinced Saigon
that they would not abandon the
South Vietnamese army if they
signed the peace accord.
• On January 23, therefore, the
final draft was initialed, ending
open hostilities between the
United States and North
Vietnam.
• The Paris Peace Agreement did
not end the conflict in Vietnam,
however, as Saigon continued to
battle Communist forces.
 The Vietnam War’s Legacy

• Two years after U.S. troops were withdrawn, North Vietnamese troops
invaded South Vietnam.
• After a short amount of fighting, South Vietnam surrendered.
– The U.S. military rushed to evacuate Americans still working in Saigon.
– Some 130,000 South Vietnamese were also evacuated and flown to the United
States.
• After two decades of “temporary” division, Vietnam was reunited under a
Communist government.
• In 1975, Communist forces called the Khmer Rouge gained control of
Cambodia.
– Vietnam forces invaded Cambodia in 1979, overthrew the Khmer Rouge, and
occupied the country till 1989.
 The Legacy of the War

Southeast Veterans Political

Asia • 58,000 Americans Impact
• 635,000 South
were killed; 600 • United States failed to
Vietnamese died; were held as prevent Communists
Vietcong and NVA POWs; 2,500 from taking over
war dead equaled 1 soldiers reported South Vietnam.
million MIA; 300,000 • Spent more than $150
• Severe wounded billion on the war
environmental • Experienced a • Changed how many
damage from bombs negative reception Americans viewed
and defoliants upon return government
• More than 1.5
million South
• Trouble readjusting • Congress passed the
Vietnamese fled the to civilian life War Powers Act in
country after the fall (post-traumatic 1973.
of Saigon. stress disorder)
 Why Did America Lose?
America was the most powerful military nation
in the world, yet it lost the war in Vietnam to an
army of straw-hatted peasants. There are a
number of reasons for this:

•The South Vietnamese government was widely

unpopular because of its corruption and failure to
introduce land reforms. This meant the Vietcong had
widespread support amongst the ordinary peasants, and
the brutal methods used by the Americans to fight the war
actually increased that support - they lost the battle for the
'hearts and minds' of the Vietnamese people.
•The Americans severely under-estimated the
Vietcong. The derogatory names such as 'dink' and 'gook'
show this attitude. The Americans were over-confident and
didn't take the Vietcong seriously until it was too late.
 The Legacy of the War

Southeast Veterans Political

Asia • 58,000 Americans Impact
• 635,000 South
were killed; 600 • United States failed to
Vietnamese died; were held as prevent Communists
Vietcong and NVA POWs; 2,500 from taking over
war dead equaled 1 soldiers reported South Vietnam.
million MIA; 300,000 • Spent more than $150
• Severe wounded billion on the war
environmental • Experienced a • Changed how many
damage from bombs negative reception Americans viewed
and defoliants upon return government
• More than 1.5
million South
• Trouble readjusting • Congress passed the
Vietnamese fled the to civilian life War Powers Act in
country after the fall (post-traumatic 1973.
of Saigon. stress disorder)
 Why Did America Lose?
• The American army was trained to fight a conventional
war of 'set-piece' battles against large armies where it
could bring its superior fire-power to bear. It had
difficulty adapting to the low-scale guerrilla tactics adopted
by the Vietcong, which were perfectly suited to the difficult
jungle terrain in Vietnam.

• Vietnam was the first media war - widespread

television coverage showing the bloody reality of war
undermined support for the war in America, leading to
massive anti-war demonstrations and unrest at home.
Deaths of student protesters like those at Ohio University in
1970 sickened many Americans and eventually forced the
government to make peace.
 Why Did America Lose?
• The Vietnamese cleverly exploited
opposition to the war in America. The Tet
Offensive of 1968 was considered a victory
by the Vietnamese, even though they were
actually defeated in battle. The television
coverage of the massive American
casualties convinced many Americans that
the war could not be won, and Nixon was
elected President on the promise to end the
war
Kennedy and McNamara
 Interesting Sites to Explore
• Vietnam War
Myths:
http://www.rjsmith.com/war_myth
.html
• The Vietnam War
Photo Album
• http://www.geocities.com/~na
m_album/
 Works Cited
• The History Channel
http://www.thehistorychannel.co.uk/classroom/gcse/viet.htm
• Vietnam Online:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/whos/index.html
• History of the Vietnam War 101
http://vets.appliedphysics.swri.edu/vn101/vnfaq.htm
• “Vietnam: A Teachers Guide”. The Asia Society’s Focus on Asian
Studies, Special Issue, No 1. Fall, 1983.
• Pictures: http://www.google.com/imghp
Nixon Redefines Foreign Policy
• Before Nixon – policy of “containment”
– Us vs. Them mentality
– “The enemy of my enemy is my friend”
• Nixon and Kissinger employ “realpolitik”
– Don’t look at the world so inflexibly
– China and Soviet Union could be powerful
trading partners
– There was NO unified communist movement
(ex. Yugoslavia)
CHINA
 Two Chinas
Before Nixon’s
administration, the Republic
of China (Taiwan) had held
China’s seat on the UN
General Assembly, and the
United States had cut off
diplomatic relations with
the PRC.

• After the Chinese Civil • The Nationalists under Chiang

War of 1949, the
Communists under
Chairman Mao Zedong
had created the People’s
Republic of China (PRC)
on the mainland.
Kai-Shek had fled to Taiwan
(Formosa) and established the
non-Communist Republic of
China (ROC).
 Rapprochement
• Nixon began to consider a reopening of relations,
or “rapprochement,” with the PRC.
• Reasons for rapprochement:
– Trade with China— huge market
– Main reason: increase Sino-Soviet tension
• “Growing dissidence between the U.S.S.R. and China has
limited both countries in the pursuit of policies basically
antagonistic to U.S. interests.”
• “Beyond this, the dispute has, in a positive sense,
heightened Soviet interest in developing a less abrasive
relationship with the U.S. and it may at some point lead
China in the same direction.”
 Ping-Pong Diplomacy
• The American ping-pong team received a surprise invitation to
visit the PRC in April, 1971.
• Their acceptance made them the first Americans to be allowed into
communist mainland China since the Chinese Civil War of 1949.
• Ten journalists accompanied them; Americans eagerly followed
the team’s progress in the news media.

The trip was a diplomatic

success!
 The American public
became more willing to
open up relations with
the PRC.
 America lifted its 20-
year trade embargo on
mainland China.
NIXON GOES TO CHINA (1972)
 NIXON GOES TO CHINA
Kissinger had secretly
visited the People’s
Republic of China in July,
1971 to discuss a possible
Presidential visit.
• On November 29, 1971, he announced Nixon’s
intention to visit the mainland next February.
– For a Democrat, negotiating with the Communist nation
could have been a fatal political mistake.
– But the Republican Nixon was known as a hard-liner
anti-Communist, and thus could get away with it.
 NIXON GOES TO CHINA
• Nixon and Kissinger met with Chairman Mao
and Prime Minister Chou En-Lai several
times from February 21-28.
• Results:
– The leaders discussed policy and philosophy, and
made a favorable impression on each other.
– Immediately after the trip, Kissinger moved to
establish regular contact with the PRC.
– However, formal diplomatic relations were not
established until January 1, 1979, under the Carter
administration.
 SOVIET UNION
“The issue of war and peace cannot be solved unless
we in the United States and the Soviet Union
demonstrate both the will and the capacity to put
out relationship on a basis consistent with the
aspirations of mankind.”
-Richard Nixon’s Address to the U.N. General
Assembly, October 23, 1970
 Detente
• After years of hostility and tension between
the U.S.S.R and the U.S., Nixon instituted a
policy of détente.
– Détente focused on peaceful negotiations and
weapon limitations between the two nations.
• Unlike previous administrations, Nixon and
Kissinger hoped to negotiate for the mutual
benefit of both the U.S.S.R. and the U.S. as
opposed to demanding that the U.S.S.R. give
into U.S. demands.
 SALT I
• One of the major components of détente was
the creation of the Strategic Arms Limitation
Treaty (SALT I).
– Talks took place from Nov., 1969-May, 1972.
• These talks in Helsinki, which lasted about a month, helped each
nation understand the other nation’s desires for limitations of
weaponry.
• After Helsinki, talks moved to Vienna for serious negotiations.
– During this time two treaties were produced.
• One treaty limited anti-ballistic defensive missiles while the
other restricted the nations’ most critical offensive missiles.
• Nixon used his strategy of “linkage” to help
these talks succeed.
– Linkage was a foreign policy concept of
negotiations in one area dependent on those in
another was best for achieving a nation’s goals.
 SALT I (cont.)
• After minor disagreements, the US and USSR agreed to
focus on a permanent limit on anti-ballistic missiles with
temporary restrictions on offensive missiles.
• On May 26, 1972 at the Moscow Summit Meeting, Nixon
and Soviet General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev signed the
SALT I treaty.
– The Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty had permanent restrictions on
ABMs, but allowed for a country to pull out within the first 6
months if they deemed it too detrimental to their national security.
– The treaty on offensive missiles covered major issues with offensive
missiles for a five year period.
• The treaty was not as important for its missile limitations as
it was for the opening up of successful negotiations between
the two world superpowers.
NIXON GOES TO THE U.S.S.R.
• In 1972, Nixon made a trip to
Moscow to meet with Soviet
Premier Leonid Brezhnev. In
1973, Brezhnev visited the
White House.
• This was the first ever
meeting of these countries’
leaders not outside of
U.S.S.R. or U.S. borders,
showing the steps that détente
had taken to ease tensions.
• Gerald Ford continued this
policy by visiting Brezhnev in
1975.