Transcript (The Vietnam War Era - The Tet Offensive).

Today’s Objective
We will analyze the major issues and
events of the Vietnam War, such as the Tet
Offensive and the escalation of forces.
U.S. gets involved in Vietnam
• SEATO (South East Asia Treaty Organization) created
U.S. joins an Asian alliance in 1954 to stop spread of communism
• Domino Theory
The belief that if one country falls to communism, others around will
• Gulf of Tonkin Incident
In Aug. 1964, North Vietnam accused of firing on two U.S. warships
• Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
Congress gives the President the power to use force without a
declaration of war to protect American interests
• Guerrilla Warfare
Type of warfare using sabotage and ambushes by armed civilians
• Vietcong
Civilian guerrilla army that used hit-and-run tactics against the U.S.
THE
VIETNAM
WAR
SEs: 2B, 8E, 8F, 20A, 21A
Today’s Objective
We will analyze the major issues and
events of the Vietnam War, such as the Tet
Offensive and the escalation of forces.
State Standards
8E (s)
Analyze the major issues and events of the Vietnam
War such as the Tet Offensive, the escalation of
forces, Vietnamization, and the fall of Saigon.
8F (r)
Describe the responses to the Vietnam War such as
the draft, the 26th Amendment, the role of the media,
the credibility gap, the silent majority, and the antiwar movement.
LBJ Escalates
U.S. Involvement
By 1965, LBJ began to greatly increase the U.S.
troop involvement in the Vietnam conflict.
From the beginning of 1965 to the beginning of
1968, the amount of U.S. troops in Vietnam
increased from 35,000 to 486,000.
A False Sense of Security
As the war escalated, U.S. leaders like General
William Westmoreland and Secretary of Defense
Robert McNamara gave Americans a false sense
that the U.S. was on the verge of winning the war.
Tet – The Lunar New Year
In January, Vietnamese celebrated Tet – the
Lunar New Year – which was supposed to be
marked by a cease fire.
Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive was the event during the Vietnam
War in Jan. 1968 when the North Vietnamese and the
Vietcong launched a surprise attack on the South.
Tet Offensive
During the Tet Offensive, the Vietcong struck at over
100 towns and cities in South Vietnam, including the
capital city of Saigon and the U.S. embassy there.
Tet Offensive
January 30 – June 8, 1968
The Tet Offensive was vital for three reasons:
•It showed Americans that the war was far from over
• It showed the Vietcong could attack anywhere
• It was a turning point in the Vietnam conflict
Tet Offensive
While the Vietcong suffered heavy losses, it was a
major political victory for the enemy.
Impact of the Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive was the turning point in the
war and turned many people in the United
States against the war in Vietnam.
Impact of the Tet Offensive
After the Tet Offensive, many Americans began to
question whether we should be in Vietnam and many
Americans felt the nation had been deceived by the
government, creating what was known as…
Typical Battles
A typical occurrence during the war was to take a
piece of land (often a hill) and then, once the enemy
had withdrawn, the U.S. would give up the hill.
Hamburger Hill
May 1969
Although the heavily fortified Hamburger Hill
was of little strategic value, U.S. command
ordered its capture, only to abandon it soon
thereafter. The action caused an outrage both in
the American military and public..
Napalm
One weapon that was used extensively
during the war was napalm, a gasoline gel
that explodes into flames on contact.
LBJ Drops Out of Race
President Johnson refuses to run for
re-election in the Election of 1968
"I shall not seek, nor will I accept, the nomination of my party
for another term as your President." March 31, 1968
RFK Assassinated
With LBJ dropping out of the race, many
considered Bobby Kennedy to be the frontrunner in the 1968 presidential election.
RFK Assassinated
But on June 6, 1968, Kennedy was assassinated
shortly after being declared the winner of the
California primary for the Democratic nomination.
Tet Offensive
shows that the
U.S. is nowhere
close to
winning the
war in Vietnam
Robert F.
Kennedy
assassinated in
June of
1968
Riots occurred
at the
Democratic
National
Convention in
August of 1968
Rev. Martin
Luther King ,
Jr. is
assassinated in April
of 1968
Small group purposeful talk
Compare and contrast the United
States’ involvement in Vietnam with
the conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan.
How were they alike? How were
they different? Record you answers
on a note card.
Independent Practice
Create a multi-flow map that analyzes the events
leading to and the impact of the Tet Offensive.