Events that Led to US withdrawal from Vietnam
1968 Democratic Convention
Chicago, Decision to nominate a democratic party presidential candidate, tens of thousands protests begin in the streets of Chicago
War Powers Act
This act restricts the President's war making powers by requiring a consult with congress within 48 hours of committing American Forces to a foreign conflict!
What is Napalm?
a highly flammable sticky jelly used in incendiary bombs and flamethrowers, consisting of gasolinethickened with special soaps.
-rebelled against French exploitative rule
-embraced communism, Soviet communists rallied his cause
French Colonialism
-1800's French control Indochina
-they ruled in law, taxes, controlled the wealth
Kent State University
May 4, 1970- Ohio National Guard fired into a crowd of demonstrators, killing 4 and wounding 9 students.
Protests began as a direct result of Nixon increasing military force in Cambodia
-Nixon's plan to withdraw US Troops from Vietnam
-building up South Vietnam to defeat North Vietnam
What is agent orange?
-chemical called dioxin
-herbicidal warfare; toxic to plants and animals (humans)
-destroys ecosystems, leads to cancer, physical problems
Dien Bien Phu
-Vietminh trapped a large French garrison
-destroyed French airstrip, cut French supply lines, dug trenches to attack key French positions
-May 7, 1965- French surrendered
Ngo Dinh Diem
-leader of South Vietnam Government
-granted American support by refusing to attend the 1965 elections promised in Geneva Accords
-Roman Catholic in overwhelmingly Buddhist nation
-due to US support- the only reason he stayed in power
Pentagon Papers & what did they reveal?
the Pentagon Papers are a study of the origins and development of the Vietnam Wa, revealed the United States Government withheld information about the reasons for fighting
Credibility Gap
American's growing distrust of statements made by the government
-Johnson Administration
What was the Tet Offensive?
1. US anticipates attack on Khe San in NW S Vietnam
2. 9 days later, communists attack on Vietnamese Lunar New Year, attacking 36 provincial capitals and 5 major cities, as well as U.S. Embassy in Saigon
Effect: US held them off- tactical victory- however this demonstrates that the communists were not done fighting like Westmoreland had claimed
Geneva Accords
-French grant independence to Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia
-divided Vietnam at the 17th Parallel: (communist) North Vietnam and South Vietnam (democracy)
-free elections were to be in 1956
USS Maddox
North Vietnamese Torpedo boats fired on American Destroyer, USS Maddox. The Maddox was not hit, and returned fire on the North Vietnamese, essentially entering the US into the war
"Television War"
Vietnam was known as the first television war, thanks to the wide media and television coverage of the events both in Asia as well as in the United States.
Domino Theory
The idea that if Vietnam fell to communism, its closest neighbors would follow, threatening Japan, Philippines, and Australia
-refuse to honor cease fire from Paris Peace Accords
-USSR continues to help North Vietnam
-Vietnam unified under communism
communist rebel group in the south, National Liberation Front, undermining Diem government and unifying communist Vietnam. NLF Guerrilla fighters
-assassinate government officials, destroyed roads & villages
Golf of Tonkin Resolution
"to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States to prevent further aggression, allowed him to commit U.S. Troops to South Vietnam and fight a war against North Vietnam without going back to congress for a declaration of war
Attack on My Lai
First Lieutenant William L. “Rusty” Calley, Jr., and his platoon murdered at least 300 Vietnamese civilians (and perhaps as many as 500) at a small South Vietnamese sub-hamlet called My Lai.
Doves v. Hawks
Beginning in 1967, congress and eventually all of the United States, divided into two camps:
Hawks- Supported Johnson, containment of communism,, domino theory= accepted war costs, Vietnam was crucial for the Cold War
Doves- broke with Johnson's war policies, liberal politicians, pacifists, students, civil rights leaders- the war was a civil war not a vital Cold War Background
Paris Peace Accords
Jan 1973- US, South Vietnam, North Vietnam and Viet Gong agreed to cease- fire and US troops would withdraw from Vietnam
-POW's would be exchanged, North Vietnamese troops would remain in South Vietnam
Tiger v. Elephant
Ho Chi Minh's war ideology, his troops were like a tiger, US like an elephant. If the tiger stands still, the elephant will crush it. But if the tiger keeps moving and occasionally jumps on the elephant to take a bit- the elephant will slowly bleed to death
Operation Rolling Thunder
Bombing against North Vietnam
-in counsel with Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara and General William Westmoreland, American Commander in South Vietnam *more fighting was necessary to win the war