Fighting the War TEKS 8(B), 20(C), 22(B) 2 Listen 3 Listen Thousands of American Soldiers in Vietnam Faced Hard Battlefield Conditions

Home , Agent Orange, Ho Chi Minh Trail

1 Fighting the War TEKS 8(B), 20(C), 22(B) 2 Listen 3 Listen Thousands of American soldiers in Vietnam faced hard battlefield conditions. The Viet Cong conducted guerrilla warfare, attacking from jungle hideouts . They had the advantage of knowing the land, and they often had the support of the local population. 4 Listen American soldiers could never be sure who was an enemy or a frie nd as they struggled with heavy weapons through swamps and rice paddies. Viet Cong bo oby traps were a constant danger. A soldier could be killed or mangled by steppin g on a land mine , an explosive device planted in the ground. 5 Listen 6 Listen 7 Listen Vietnamese civilians, both North and South, also suffered terrib ly from the war. An air war over the North included saturation bombing , as U.S. planes dropped thousands of tons of explosives over wide areas. Many of these bombs threw pieces of thick metal casings in all directions when they exploded. 8 Listen These fragmentation bombs were not only used in North Vietnam, but also killed countless civilians in South Vietnam. 9 Listen The United States also used chemical warfare, dropping Agent Orange , a herbicide, and napalm , a jellylike substance that burned uncontrollably, from planes. 10 Listen 11 Listen As the war intensified, the Viet Cong expanded within South Viet nam, using the Ho Chi Minh Trail , a supply route through Laos and Cambodia. In response, American soldiers and supplies were poured into South Vietnam, causing divisions to appear in the United States. Those called hawks supported the war, while doves criticized the escalation , or expansion, of the conflict. 12 Listen In 1968 the North Vietnamese army and the Viet Cong launched a m assive attack on cities and military bases across the South. Called the Tet Offensive , the campaign was a major turning point in the war. 13 Listen

1 North Vietnamese forces were turned back, but they had won a psy chological victory. They had shown unprecedented brutality toward civilians , causing similar reactions in the actions of the U.S. troops, culminating in events like the massacre at My Lai village. This caused dissent at home, and Pre sident Johnson’s popularity plunged. 14 Fighting the War Begin Taking Notes 1. How did battlefield conditions in Vietnam affect American soldie rs? 2. How would you describe the course of the war between 1965 and 19 68? 3. Why was the Tet Offensive a turning point in the war? 15 Battlefield Conditions 1 American Troops Had superior weapons Were unprepared for heat, terrain, or guerrilla tactics Lacked support of most South Vietnamese Most never saw the enemy but constantly faced the possibility of sudden danger. 2 Viet Cong Troops Fought as guerrillas; avoided head -on clashes Were familiar with terrain; had support of many South Vietnamese Built and hid in elaborate underground tunnels 16 The Air and Ground Wars Some Weapons Used in the Vietnam War Land Mines — Land mines, which can be set off by the pressure of a footstep, are explosiv e devices planted in the ground. Viet Cong landmines killed and wo unded both American GIs and Vietnamese civilians. Saturation Bombing — American B -52 bomber planes dropped thousands of tons of explosives, resulting in saturation bombing of North Vietnam. 17 The Air and Ground Wars Fragmentation Bombs — Fragmentation bombs, dropped by Americans over both North and South Vietnam, threw pieces of their thick metal casings in all directions when they exploded. In South Vietnam, fragmentation bombs killed and maimed countless civilians. Agent Orange — American pilots dropped an herbicide called Agent Orange over Vietnamese jungles, killing vegetation and exposing Viet Cong hiding places. Agent Orange wa s later discovered to cause health problems in livestock and humans. Napalm — Another chemical weapon used in Vietnam, napalm, was a jellylike substance which, when dropped from planes splattered, and burned uncontrollably. 18 19 Intensifying the War After the election of 1964, President Johnson began a gradual escalation , or expansion of the war. The number of American soldiers stationed in Vietnam rose from about 25,000 at the beginning of 1965 to nearly 536,000 by the end of 1968. Originally, American soldiers had been sent to advise the South Vietnamese; now their task was to prop up a failing South Vietnamese government led by Nguyen Cao Ky. 20 Intensifying the War Despite the large buildup of American troops, between 1965 and

2 1967 the war was at a stalemate. Within the United States, debate raged between hawks , those who supported the war, and doves , those who did not. 21 22 The Ho Chi Minh Trail North Vietnamese troops and supplies entered South Vietnam via t he Ho Chi Minh Trail, a route that passed through Laos and Cambodia.

23 The Tet Offensive: A Turning Point On January 30, 1960, the Viet Cong and North Vietnam launched a major offensive. This series of attacks was called the Tet Offensive since it occurred during Tet , the Vietnamese New Year. During and after the Tet Offensive, both sides were guilty of brutal atrocities. Communi sts slaughtered anyone they labeled an enemy; Americans massacred hundreds of civilians at M y Lai, a small village in South Vietnam. A helicopter crew that stopped the massacre was later rewarded, and the offic er who had ordered it was imprisoned. Because Americans now knew that the Viet Cong could launch massi ve attacks, and because no end to the war was in sight, the Tet Offensive proved to be a major psychological victory for the Vi et Cong and a turning point in the war. 24

25 26 Fighting the War —Assessment Which of the following proved to be an advantage for the Viet Co ng? (A) Familiarity with Vietnam’s weather and terrain (B) Possession of Agent Orange (C) American military support (D) Superior weapons technology

What made the Tet Offensive a turning point in the war? (A) It took place in South Vietnam. (B) It resulted in massive casualties. (C) It made Americans question their involvement in Vietnam. (D) It was unusually brutal. 27 Fighting the War —Assessment Which of the following proved to be an advantage for the Viet Co ng? (A) Familiarity with Vietnam’s weather and terrain (B) Possession of Agent Orange (C) American military support (D) Superior weapons technology

Make sure to title the quiz.

Complete the quiz.

3 QUIZ 29 Work Look over your notes from today. 1. Answer the 3 questions from today’s lecture. 2. In five sentences, write a brief summary of what we went over in class today. Use the highlighted key terms in your summary! Title the paper the same as the Lecture Notes. Make sure to put your Name , Date , and Period in the upper right hand corner of your page. Turn this in at the beginning of class tomorrow – put it in the hand -in/collection basket. Worth 25 out of 100 points for this week’s Daily grade.

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