The US became involved in Vietnam to prevent South Vietnam from falling to communism, fearing this could lead other Southeast Asian countries to also fall (domino theory). While initially sending advisors, the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution allowed greater US action after alleged attacks on US destroyers. However, the US struggled against an elusive Viet Cong enemy hidden in jungles, without clear targets. Growing anti-war sentiment at home was exacerbated by the surprising Tet Offensive, though US losses were much lower than Vietnamese casualties. The US then began withdrawing forces through the Vietnamization program while still supporting South Vietnam.
2. • The US didn’t want South
Vietnam to fall to the
Communists
3. • If South Vietnam fell to communism, would
cause a “domino theory”
• Other countries in southeast Asia would fall to
communism
4. • First American troops in were advisors to
teach the South Vietnamese to fight their own
war
5.
6.
7. Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
• North Vietnamese attacked two American
destroyers in international waters
• Johnson asked for authority to take action
• Not a declaration of war
8.
9.
10.
11. • Hawks – Americans who favored presence in
Vietnam
• Doves – Americans who wanted to pull out of
Vietnam
12.
13.
14. • US feared that if they declared war other
countries would join in and cause a world war
15. Trouble for the Americans in Vietnam
• Bombing was difficult because:
1. Jungles
2. No large industrial plants
3. Viet Cong was hard to identify
23. Tet Offensive
• Americans called a cease fire on Christmas
1967
• Vietnamese used it to their advantage and
smuggled in troops and weapons
• Surprise attacks on January 30, 1968, the
Chinese New Year (Tet)
24. • American losses: 3,845
• South vietnamese 4,954
• Civilians 14,300
• North Vietnamese and Viet Cong 92,000
25. Vietnamization
• US would gradually turn over responsibility for
the fighting to the South Vietnamese.
• US would still provide supplies and air support
Editor's Notes
55,000 americans killed and $150 billion cost
“gave president authority to take all necessary steps, including the use of armed forces
US was just “police action”
Used children to lob hand grenades at American soldiers
Weapons in coffins…
Nixon took office(1969) – 543,400 US troops in Vietnam
By 1972 only 24,000 left
