Transcript Andrew South - Wright State University

Vietnam
By
Andrew South
Start of U.S Involvement
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World War II
French wanted Vietnam back after WWII.
United States pay for the French.
French lose and United States Steps in.
United States wants to stop
Communism
• Believes that if
Vietnam falls rest of
Asia will fall
• So United States most
support any one that is
anti-communist
Why did North Vietnam want
South Vietnam
• North Vietnam wanted foreign powers out
• Had not been free since 1664
• With French lose to Viet Minh in 1954
– Battle of Dien Bien Phu
– French leave Vietnam
• Saw United States as no different
– wanted to free South from U.S.
Map of Dien Bien Phu
Dien Bien Phu
• Located in Valley of Nam Yum River
• General Navarre’s Idea
• Based was divided into 5 sections
– Named after French Commanders ex-girl
friends
• Based was not protected against Artillery
Dien Bien Phu
• Viet Minh were able to bring in Artillery
• French could not stop the Viet Minh
Artillery
• The French were slowly blown apart.
– Fell on May 7 1954
President of the United States
that really gets United States in to
the War
LBJ
United States real involvement
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U.S. after 1954 supports Diem
1963 JFK and Diem assassinated
LBJ becomes president
1964 Gulf of Tonkin Incident
1965 first marines arrive in Da Nang
– Reach 100,000 soldiers in country by the end
of the year
Who is the Leader of North
Vietnam?
Ho Chi Minh
Viet Cong
• Led by Giap
• Trained by Unites States in WWII
• Started out as the Viet Minh
– fought against French and Japanese
• Guerilla Army
Viet Cong Soldier
Viet Cong
• These soldiers tended to be peasants
• Would farm during the day and fight at
night
• This was a problem for French and America
– Could not tell the differences between enemy
and friend
NVA
• Also led by Giap
• Not true that all of North Vietnamese were
Guerilla soldiers
• NVA were regular soldiers trained in NV
– did most of the fighting after 1968
The U.S. wins everything,but
nothing
• 1968 over 500,000 troops in South Vietnam
– Army wants more
• Wins all battles
– but cannot control the countryside
• Tet Offensive
– Public loses faith
– more protests in the United States
Who promised to get the United
States out of the War
Nixon
Nixon starts and ends
• Starts war in Laos and
Cambodia
• Starts secret Peace
Talks
• Starts to turn over War
to South Vietnamese
• Stops build up in S.V.
• Ends troop
involvement in
Vietnam
• Ends Support of South
Vietnam
The End of the War
• 1975 South Vietnam falls to North Vietnam
– due to the fact the U.S. does not support S.V.
• Vietnam rule their whole country for the
first time since 1664.