The Vietnam War began as a conflict between North Vietnam and South Vietnam following the end of French colonial rule. The United States initially provided support to France in its war against Ho Chi Minh and later directly intervened in the war under the Eisenhower and Johnson administrations due to fears that communism would spread across Southeast Asia if North Vietnam prevailed. Despite massive U.S. military escalation and bombing campaigns, the Vietnam War became increasingly unpopular at home due to rising casualties and anti-war protests. The Tet Offensive of 1968 marked a major turning point that turned U.S. public opinion against the war, and the Nixon administration pursued a policy of Vietnamization to gradually withdraw U.S. troops while turning over more responsibility

1. The Vietnam WarCold War Policies Pushes the United States to the Far East

2. Origins of the Conflict Ho Chi Mihn & The VietminhWorld War II forces Japan to Leave Vietnam -1940Mihn Declares Vietnam an Independent CountrySeptember 2nd, 1945 Vietnam used to be a French Colony

3. Opportunity: FranceFrance Makes a Move1945 - French troops move back to Vietnam Regain Control of S. VietnamHo Chi Mihn Vows to fight from the North and regain control in South VietnamGoal to knock France out of South Vietnam

4. U.S. InvolvementWarning Signs1940s / 1950s – U.S. Military Advisors Warn Government to stay away from conflictPresident Truman sends $15 Million to France to aid their attempt to regain controlTotal financial aid = $1BillionIronic????U.S. supported Ho Chi Minh during WWII to keep Japan out of VietnamOnce WWII over, views him as a Communist aggressor

5. President Eisenhower and the “Domino Theory”Ike on Vietnam1954 Eisenhower declares:“You have a row of dominoes set up…You knock over the first one, and what will happen to the last one is the certainty that it will go over quickly”He believes Ho Chi Minh is too close to Communism* If Vietnam falls to Minh and Communism, Eisenhower believes more countries in the far east will also fall.

8. Chance at DiplomacyGeneva AccordsFrance, Great Britain, Soviet Union, U.S., China, Laos, Cambodia meet the Vietnihmn and South Vietnamese in Geneva, Switzerland Discuss diplomatic solution to problemsGeneva AccordsDivides Vietnam at 17th ParallelNorth Capitol – Hanoi / South Capitol – SaigonUnify with Democratic Style Election in 1956

10. Early U.S. InvolvementEconomic Support to South VietnamNgo Dinh Diem Promises clean, stable, democratic governmentIn exchange he gets funding from the U.S.Diem drops the ballDoes not redistribute land to peasantsPersecutes BuddhistsCatholic Beliefs / No room for Buddhist thought

12. Viet Cong and Ho Chi MinhVietcongSouthern Liberation group with Communist rootsHo Chi Minh Supports with aid / weaponsHo Chi Minh Trail / Guerilla Warfare – Supply lineJKF and Vietnam1963: 16,000 U.S. Army Personnel in VietnamDiem’s popularity plummetsDiem is Assassinated by U.S. ForcesU.S. feels South Vietnam could not remain stable

14. President Johnson’s VietnamBefore JFK’s Death: “In the final analysis, it’s their war.”Johnson’s EscalationDoes not want to be “soft” on communismBelieves a South Vietnam takeover = appeasementJohnson’s policies now lean towards long conflict

15. Gulf of TonkinSituation1964- North Vietnamese patrol boat fires a torpedo at a United States’ destroyer – USS MaddoxMaddox returns fire and inflicts heavy damageDays later Maddox returns – Bad Visibility and WeatherCrew Reports that Vietnamese ships fired another torpedoLater report that they neither saw nor heard any fireJohnson Orders Air Strikes on North VietnamCongress approves “Gulf of Tonkin Resolution” Not a declaration of War but gives Johnson a lot of military power in Vietnam

16. Results of Tonkin ResolutionHidden from American PublicJohnson did not tell the American Public he was secretly launching raids on the N. Vietnam The Maddox was in Tonkin to obtain informationJohnson had prepared for the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution months beforehandWaiting for an opportunity to push through CongressFebruary 1965 – Johnson Uses Powers“Operation Rolling Thunder” – First sustained bombing missionJune, 1965 – 50,000 U.S. Soldiers in Vietnam – Now America’s War

18. Johnson Fully Commits the United States1964 Presidential Campaign Johnson wins election claiming he was: “not about to send American boys 9 or 10 thousand miles away from home to do what Asian boys ought to be doing for themselves”Early in term beings sending thousands of U.S. troops to fight along side S. Vietnamese troopsMany Americans support Johnson because they believe that he is attempting to stop the spread of communism worldwide

19. War TacticsVietcong Tactics: Guerilla WarfareTunnel Systems / Easy “hit and run” opportunitiesMines / Punji Sticks / Traps Hidden EnemyUnited States Tactics: IntimidationDestroy Moral – OutnumberBody CountsWin Hearts and mindsNapalm / Agent Orange

21. Troop MoraleTroop Morale DecreasesFrustrationsBrutal Conditions Jungle / HeatRice Patties Invisible Enemies Search and DestroyDrugsLack of Support from Government / American Public

22. Problems At HomeGreat SocietyWar grows costly as more troops are committedJohnson asks for tax increaseResult is a cut in funding for social programsJohnson's early views of domestic reform now fading away

23. War Looses PopularityWar Looses RatingsCombat footage shown on nightly newsBody bags and battle scenes shown on T.V.16,000 Americans Killed from 1961- 1967Pictures begin to contradict administrations optimistic war views.Johnson looses credibility – Message not matching news reportsAmerican Public Opinion Beginning to Shift

26. Nation DividedVietnam War Draft:All men age 18 must registerPre-Draft Screening / Medical Conditions18-26 eligible for military serviceEasily Manipulated DraftMedical exemptions / Enroll – Enlist Low Class War

27. Minorities in VietnamAfrican AmericansServe in disproportionate numbers of combat troops20% of Deaths / 10% of U.S. PopulationMartin Luther King Jr.Racism within platoons

28. Females In VietnamWomen in War1960s  Women not allowed in Vietnam – combat10,000 Women served as military nurses

29. The War Intensifies1968  Tet OffensiveSimultaneous attacks throughout S. VietnamAmerican Troops had dominated war to this pointFunerals for victims served as supply lines100 Cities AttackedCostly Push32,000 Vietcong Soldiers Killed 3,000 American Troops

31. Effects of the Tet OffensivePsychological / Social ProblemsWilliam WestmorelandCalls Tet “well-laid” plans afoul”. Greatly Shook the American Public Close to DefeatSupport for War Pre – Tet  56 % Support for War Post Tet  40%Walter Cronkite:“more certain than ever that the bloody experience of Vietnam is to end in a stalemate.”Johnsons Support for War is Plummeting

32. 1968Events of 1968Tet OffensiveLyndon Johnson does not seek nominationAssassination of Martin Luther King Jr.Robert Kennedy Assassinated - L.A. Victory Speech - Sirhan Sirhan 5) Protests Begin6) Richard Nixon Elected

33. Assassination of Robert Kennedy

34. Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

35. Vietnam War Protest

36. Election of Richard Nixon

37. Nixon’s Vietnam PolicyHow to end Vietnam?Pull Troops Out of Vietnam1) 1969 Henry Kissinger Vietnamization 1969  25,000 Troops Return Home1972  500,000 to 25,0002) Peace with HonorGovernment – Bombing Campaign -