Transcript The Vietnam War power point

The Vietnam Era
Why did America Become
Involved in Vietnam?
• Domino Theory – the
belief that if one nation
in Asia fell to
communism,
neighboring nations
would follow.
• The United States
wanted to prevent the
spread of communism
in Southeast Asia.
American Involvement in
Vietnam after 1964
Gulf of Tonkin
Resolution
napalm
Bombing of North
Vietnam
Agent Orange
Search and destroy
missions
Guerrilla warfare
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
• Congress passed this
resolution which
allowed the president
to “take all necessary
measures to repel any
armed attack against
the forces of the
United states”.
• This gave Johnson
broad authority to
use American forces
in Vietnam.
Bombing of North Vietnam
• The United States
unleashed an intense
bombing campaign called
Operation Rolling
Thunder. Many planes
attacked the Ho Chi
Minh Trail which was a
North Vietnamese supply
route.
• The bombing increased in
intensity from 1965
through 1968.
Search and Destroy Missions
• Our United States
troops sought out
the Vietcong or
North Vietnamese
units and destroyed
them.
• Ground troops
coordinated their
moves with air
support.
Agent Orange
•
• A chemical herbicide
sprayed in Vietnam
to clear out jungles
and tall grasses.
• Believed to have
contaminated many
American and
Vietcong soldiers
causing serious
health problems.
Guerrilla Warfare
• A hit and run
technique used in
fighting a war
• Used tactics such as
sudden ambushes
• An explosive that
burned intensely used
to destroy jungle
growth.
• Both the North
Vietnamese and
Vietcong forces used
napalm in
flamethrowers, devices
that expel fuel or a
burning stream of
liquids
• Both sides also used
planes to drop the
napalm.
Napalm
Why is 1968 considered a turning point
in American History?
Because of ……
Johnson’s
Tet Offensive Credibility gap refusal to seek
another term as
president
Assassination Assassination of
Election of
of Martin
Robert
Richard M.
Luther King, Jr.
Kennedy
Nixon
Beginning of
Paris Peace talks
Tet Offensive
• On January 31, 1968 (The Vietnamese New
Year) the North Vietnamese and the
Vietcong launched a series of attacks
throughout South Vietnam. These attacks
became known as the Tet Offensive and they
marked a turning point in the war.
Credibility Gap
• President Johnson’s Administration
developed a credibility gap. This means very
few Americans trusted the administration’s
statements about the war.
Johnson refuses to run
for a second term
• Events in Vietnam and
the growing antiwar
movement disturbed
President Johnson. On
March 31, 1968,
Johnson appeared on
television and
announced “I shall not
seek and I will not
accept the nomination
of my party for another
term as your president”.
Assassination of Martin Luther
King, Jr.
• On April 4, 1968, an assassin, James Earl Ray,
shot and killed Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in
Memphis, Tennessee.
• King died committed to a moral battle of nonviolent protests,, but his death sparked off violence
in 125 U.S. cities.
Assassination of Robert Kennedy
• On June 5, 1968, After
winning the California
primary election for
the Democratic
nomination for
President of the
United States, Robert
F. Kennedy was
assassinated by a
Palestinian immigrant.
Richard Nixon wins the presidency
of 1968
• Nixon tapped into
voters’ conservative
sentiment.
• He pledged to represent
the “quiet majority” of
Americans - the nonshouters, non
demonstrators.
• He called these people
the “silent majority”.
Beginning of the Paris Peace talks
• On March 31, 1968, after
consulting advisors,
President Johnson
appeared on television to
announce “a new step
toward peace” – he would
halt the bombing of
North Vietnamese cities.
• He asked the North
Vietnamese for a
comparable action so that
peace negotiations
could begin.
“Peace with Honor”
• Nixon pledged “peace with honor” . He wanted to
pull American forces out of Vietnam but he did
not want American withdrawal to be seen as a
sign of defeat. Nixon’s strategy had 3 parts:
– Reform of the selective service system (draft)
– Giving the South Vietnamese more
responsibility in fighting the war
(Vietnamization)
– Intense bombing
Paris Peace Talks
• President Nixon and his
administration continued to
negotiate with representatives
of the North Vietnamese
government.
• Nixon sent Henry Kissinger,
his national security advisor,
to meet in private with the
North Vietnamese foreign
minister. In the fall of 1972
they reached a tentative
agreement.
• This agreement collapsed
because the South Vietnamese
president objected to allowing
the North Vietnamese forces
to remain in South Vietnam.
• Nixon stood firm and the
North Vietnamese returned to
the peace talks. The South
Vietnamese accepted the peace
terms and signed a peace
agreement on January 27,
1973.
Vietnam
Withdrawal of American Forces
from Vietnam in 1973
• In 1973, the United
States agreed to pull its
remaining troops out of
Vietnam. The North
Vietnamese agreed to
return all American
prisoners of war.
• The Paris Peace Accords
ended American
involvement in
Vietnam, but did not
end the conflict.
White Christmas
• Americans still living in
Saigon were told that when
they heard the song “White
Christmas” on the radio the
were to report immediately
to the American embassy
for evacuation.
• On April 30, 1975 “White
Christmas” played on the
radio.
Doves and Hawks
• Students and other
opponents of the
war became
known as doves.
Supporters of the war
became known as hawks.
Kent State
• The Cambodian invasion provoked a
storm of anti-war protests on campuses
across the nation.
• At Kent State University in Ohio, students
burned a military building on campus.
• The governor ordered 3000 National
Guard troops to Kent State.
• The National Guard told protesting students
to evacuate the area. Some students started
throwing stones.
•Tear gas was shot toward
students and they began to run.
•One National Guard unit chased
some students and for reasons
that are unclear, opened fire.
•4 students were dead and 13
more were wounded….
Protest Songs
• Many popular songwriters
and singers expressed their
opinions through popular
protest songs during the
1960s and 1970s.
• Example – Bob Dylan’s
songs
The Times They are a
Changin
Blowin’ In The Wind
Counterculture
• A social movement
whose values go
against those of
established society
• Some common
symbols of the
counterculture are:
– Torn blue jeans
– Long hair for men
What were the immediate and long term
effects of the Vietnam War?
• Saigon fell to the communists in 1975.
• American groups scoured the Vietnamese countryside for
our MIAs (Missing in Action).
• The Vietnam War cost the United States over 150 billion
dollars. Our federal deficit expanded because of this.
• The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was constructed in
Washington, D.C. and dedicated in 1982.
• War Powers Act was signed requiring the
President to notify Congress when troops
are being sent abroad that may see
combat.
Vietnam Veterans’
Memorial
• The construction of the
Vietnam Veterans’
Memorial in Washington,
D.C. provided a step
toward healing the
country’s wounds.
• It is made of polished
black granite and takes on
the shape of a private’s
wings. It bears the name
of all the Americans who
died or were missing in
action in the conflict.