Ruled by foreign powers Independence led by Ho Chi Minh › communist › Followers: Vietminh French back in 1946 Bo Dai emperor Ho Chi Minh wants Truman’s help; ignored Begin war against French (U.S. weapons & money) 1954 › Domino theory › Dien Bien Phu › GENEVA ACCORDS Split Vietnam Communist North (Ho Chi Minh) Non-communist South (Ngo Dinh Diem) Reunification (1956) › Elections cancelled; why? Vietcong (South Vietnamese communists) begin attacking Diem very unpopular › Catholic › Anti-Buddhist laws Coup (November, 1963) Gulf of Tonkin Incident (Aug. 1964) › U.S.S. Maddox “fired” upon › Aug. 4 – second “attack” Gulf of Tonkin Resolution Congress: full authority to retaliate › House 416-0, Senate 98-2 “Blank Check” Find out later –no attack Operation Rolling Thunder › Heavy bombing › Goal: bomb North Vietnam to give up › Focus on Ho Chi Minh trail Why isn’t it working? Ground commander Tells Johnson › Win by 1967 › Need 180,000 troops Troops in Vietnam 600,000 543,000 500,000 486,000 389,000 400,000 300,000 Troops in Vietnam 200,000 184,000 100,000 15,000 23,000 0 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 Civil War Guerilla War › Enemy blends in › Ambush › Hit and run attacks › Use of tunnels Vietcong supported by Chinese & Soviets Eliminate hiding places › Napalm (burn down jungle) › Agent orange (defoliate jungle) Pacification › Remove loyal villagers › Eliminate the Viet Cong › Allow the villagers to return Most apathetic war since 1941 Corruption War of attrition › Don’t have to win, just outlast Americans Who is eligible? › 18-25 year old men deferments? › College › Medical › National Guard › Conscientious objectors avoid the draft? › Flee › Burn draft card › Have “connections” Who is left? Average age of draftees = 19 Many unsure of purpose Westmoreland: victory is close! credibility gap First televised war 1967 Sec. of Defense Robert McNamara resigns Clark Clifford: new Sec. of Defense war is unwinnable February 28, 1968 anti- Vietnam editorial Expensive › no tax increase, deficits grow Anti-war movement intensifies (doves) Criticized by hawks (pro- war) for not doing enough Who is protesting? › Students for a Democratic Society › College aged How? › Marches › Music 1965 › Anti-war protests: University of Michigan › “teach-ins” Bay Area (Berkeley, Stanford) “hotbed” of movement Universities received government $ for research Some anti-ROTC October 21, 1967 › 100,000+ march at Pentagon Opposed to “conformist” culture Clothing › Unisex clothes › Jeans › Tie-dye › Beads › “hippie” Long hair, beards Music Folk music › Bob Dylan › Joan Baez Rock › Beatles › Rolling Stones › Jefferson Airplane › Jimi Hendrix › Janis Joplin › Grateful Dead Woodstock Festival › August 1969 › Three day festival › Celebration of youth culture › Woodstock Role of drugs › marijuana › Psychedelics LSD, acid › Timothy Leary “Turn on, tune in , drop out” › Looking for “new consciousness” Free love › Break restraints of marriage “Sex, drugs, and rock and roll” Utopian lifestyle How similar or different from 1840’s? Is there a difference between anti-war and counter culture? President Nguyen Van Thieu re-elected › New constitution › Democratic reforms › Still corrupt Johnson up for re-election December 1967 Westmoreland › war is almost won › Enemy: no strength left Tet: Vietnamese New Year January 30, 1968 (Tet) › Massive attack by Vietcong › Attack on every major city and installation in South Vietnam simultaneously Tet Offensive Peace talks begin(go nowhere) "New agreement of sorts from the Paris peace talks. After a six hour talk, both sides finally agreed on corned beef on rye for lunch!“ Couldn’t agree on shape of table! Ancient capital (Hue) destroyed ARVN – (government army) retakes lost cities and towns Government loses support U.S. bombing intensifies in South Vietnam Vietcong everywhere Westmoreland wants more troops Johnson denies request Johnson criticized by Hawks and Doves Challenged in N. H. primary by Eugene McCarthy March 31, 1968: Johnson Announcement Democratic Party splinters – Hawk and Dove Democratic Party splits Three seek nomination › Hubert Humphrey › Eugene McCarthy › Robert Kennedy Robert Kennedy Hubert Humphrey Eugene New York Senator Johnson’s V-P McCarthy Opposed war Status Quo Minnesota Sen. Supported by youth and Opposed war doves support from “Old Supported by Won CA primary (6/4) Guard”/hawks Kennedy interview youth and doves Last best hope? Kennedy Funeral Democratic Convention Youth International Party (Yippies) protest › Abbie Hoffman/Jerry Rubin Violence between Doves and police Democratic Convention Humphrey gets nomination Abbie Hoffman’s Mayor Daley’s “opinion” of authority response Chicago Seven › Hoffman, Rubin, and five others on trial for inciting a riot Yippies disrupt trial Sentenced to five years in prison Sentence overturned Three candidate race for president in 1968 Hubert Humphrey Richard Nixon George Wallace Richard Nixon Hubert End war on our terms George Wallace Humphrey Restore “Law and Order” Anti-civil rights Hated anti-war protesters VP candidate: nukes end war on our Appealed to “silent majority” in Vietnam Average, hardworking “The only four letter terms Americans, not words hippies don’t “Peace with protesting generally white know are honor” w-o-r-k and s-o-a-p” If you are an anti-war activist who is your best choice? Nixon › 43.4% of popular vote › 301 Electoral Votes Humphrey › 42.7% of popular vote › 191 Electoral Votes Wallace › 13.5% of popular vote › 45 Electoral Votes VIETNAMIZATION › Turn war over to South Vietnamese › U.S. gradually draws down forces › As U.S. forces decrease, South Vietnam expected to take over Troops in Vietnam 600,000 543,000 1963 486,000 480,000 500,000 1964 389,000 1965 400,000 1966 300,000 280,000 1967 1968 200,000 184,000 140,000 1969 1970 100,000 23,000 1971 15,000 16,000 0 0 1972 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 • secret bombings on communist bases (Laos & Cambodia) • 1970 Nixon: “secret” invasion of Cambodia “You see these bums, Renews anti- you know, blowing up war protests campuses storming around about this Kent State – issue.” May 4, 1970 Richard M. Nixon › Four killed Jackson State – May 14, 1970 › Two killed • Story broke in 1969 • 1968: Lieutenant William Calley led platoon into My Lai • Ordered killing of 350+ elderly men, women, and children. • Village behavior: • daily routines • no gunfire • Calley trial • 1971: sentenced to life in prison (hard labor) • Nixon reduced to 4 ½ months at Fort Benning, Georgia • 1974: Nixon commuted entire sentence 1970: Congress repealed Gulf of Tonkin Resolution Some soldiers “fragging” Realpolitik › “realistic politics” › deal with country based on strength, not philosophy › Henry Kissenger’s idea Détente › Ease tensions of Cold War › Started with China then Soviet Union Nixon played USSR/China against each other Pressure North Vietnam to end war “linkage” policy End of Vietnam War SALT Treaty › Limited production of nuclear weapons Eased tension in Europe › U.S. recognizes East Germany › East Germany recognizes West Berlin Henry Kissinger for Le Duc Tho for the United States North Vietnam October, 1972: Kissinger – peace at hand › Remove all American troops › Coalition government in South Vietnam › North Vietnamese troops remain Thieu won’t sign Nixon promises support if broken › Broke off talks, renewed bombing of Hanoi December – Soviet/Chinese pressure January 27, 1973 – Treaty of Paris ENDS U.S. involvement › U.S. troops removed › American Prisoners of War (POW’s) returned › Coalition government in South Vietnam Fighting resumes Thieu asks Ford for help Congress refuses April 30, 1975 Communists surround Saigon Loyalists surround American embassy Fall of Saigon Single, independent, communist Vietnam 58,000 American soldiers killed Millions of Vietnamese killed Destruction of Vietnam Saigon = Ho Chi Minh City Loyalists flee to Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the U.S. Cambodia › Khmer Rouge in power (communists) › Kill 2 million Cambodians (genocide) › Let by Pol Pot Pentagon Papers – 1971 › Classified documents about Vietnam 26th Amendment – 1971 › Lowers voting age from 21 to 18 War Powers Act – 1973 › President: authority to use military; must notify Congress within 48 hours › must return troops within 60 days (if Congress doesn’t approve) “Vietnam Syndrome” Treatment of veterans › Ignored › Abused › Problems with recovery Vietnam Memorial (1982) .