Chapter 17- Vietnam – Flashcards

Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia

-founded the Indochinese Community Party in 1930 (pushed for independence/reform of French colonial rule in SE Asia) -His activities forced him to flee Indochina and spend several years in exile in the Soviet Union/China -1941: returned to Vietnam -organized a nationalist group called the Vietminh

A nationalist group (began by Ho Chi Minh) which united communists and non-communists in the effort to expel the Japanese, who had seized control of the country in the early 1940s

After Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnams independence from Japan in 1945, French troops returned to Vietnam in hopes of reclaiming its former colony. As the fighting escalated between the Vietminh (Vietnamese) and French, France asked the US for aid. Although the US opposed colonialism, they decided to aid the French so that Vietnam did not fall to communism like the rest of Asia.

Chinas fall to communism and the outbreak of the Korean war helped convince Truman to aid France. President Eisenhower continued Truman's policy and defended his "domino theory'

the idea that if Vietnam fell to communism, the rest of SE Asia would follow, like a line of dominos falling over

-French and Vietminh forces continued to fight (hit and run/ambush/guerilla tactics used by the Vietminh led to a rise in casualties; lack of victories made the war unpopular with the French public) - The French seized the mountain town of Dien Bien Phu -French planned to cut the Vietminh's supply lines and force them into open battle - A huge Vietminh force surrounded and began bombarding the town - May 7, 1954: French forces fell to Vietminh -Frances defeat convinced them to make peace and withdraw from Indochina

Negotiation to end the conflict were held in Geneva, Switzerland -provided for a temporary division of Vietnam along the 17th parallel -North Vietnam was controlled by Ho Chi Minh and the Vietminh (pro-communist); South Vietnam was controlled by Ngo Dinh Diem (anti-communist), and the US became principal protector of the new government and increased aid in South Vietnam - the accords called for elections to be held to reunite the country under a single government; Diem refused to permit elections (Eisenhower approved), fearing Ho Chi Minh would win

Ho Chi Minh and the communists began an armed struggle to reunify the nation; they organized VIETCONG (a new guerrilla army made up of south vietnamese communists), built up a powerful army of Vietnamese who opposed Diem's government

-Kennedy supported South Vietnam, believing the country was vital in the battle against communism -the number of US military personnel in South Vietnam jumped from 2,000 to 15,000 (1961-1963), yet they failed to help the floundering Diem regime -the south vietnamese's strategic hamlets (fortified villages) were extremely unpopular among villagers

- He discriminated against Buddhism, one of the country's most widely practiced religions - He banned the traditional religious flags for the Buddhas birthday; when buddhists protested in the streets, Diem's police killed 9 people, a buddhist monk pure gasoline on himself and lit himself on fire -Several Vietnamese general were plotting to overthrow Diem; they launched a military coup, seized power, and executed Diem South Vietnams government weakened

Johnson asked Congress for the authority to defend American forces and allies in SE Asia, Congress agreed and passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution on Aug 7,1964. It authorized the president to "take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the US and to prevent further aggression." -Johnson expanded American involvement in Vietnam by ordering a sustained bombing campaign against N Vietnam and sending US combat troops into Vietnam

After the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was passed, the Vietcong began to attack bases where American advisers were stationed in S Vietnam. After one particularly damaging attack, Johnson sent American aircraft to bomb North Vietnam

The Vietcong used ambushes, booby traps, guerrilla tactics and other destructive techniques; to frustrate american troops, they would blend in with the general population and then would quickly vanish

to counter the Vietcong's tactics, american troops tried to find enemy troops, bomb their positions, destroy their supply lines, and force them out into the open for combat. American planes dropped napalm (gasoline) and agent orange (chemical)

North Vietnam aided in Vietcong's war effort. North Vietnam sent arms and supplies that they received from China and the Soviet Union south by way of a network of jungle paths known as the Ho Chi Minh trail (wound through Cambodia and Laos, bypassing the border between N Vietnam and S Vietnam0

Instead of conquering territory, american troops had to fight a war of attrition- defeating enemy forces by wearing them down; this strategy led troops to conduct many body counts as a way of measuring their "progress"

public support waned because many believed that the media accounts contradicted government reports on the war. Americans believed a credibility gap existed because of the inconsistencies between what was being told on the media and what the Johnson administration said about the war (not telling truth about what what occurring in Vietnam)

Teach-ins were held by students and teachers at universities to discuss the issues surrounding the war and reaffirming their reasons for opposing it ( seen as a civil war in which the US should not interfere and believed defending South Vietnam's corrupt dictatorship was immoral)

Protestors focused on what they saw as an unfair draft system -college student could often deter military service until after they graduated while young people from working class families/ minorities who were unable to afford college were more likely to be drafted -unfair draft for african americans (constituted 10% of military personnel, assigned to combat units=higher death rates) -as the war escalated, many young men burned their draft cards while an estimated 500,000 draftees refused to serve (lottery systems were instituted)

Many draftees argued that if they were old enough to fight, they were old enough to vote. In 1971 the 26th amendment was ratified, giving all citizens age 18 and above the right to vote in all state and federal elections

By 1968, the nation was divided into two camps: Hawks: wanted the nation to stay and fight in Vietnam Doves: wanted the uS to leave Vietnam (constantly debated over US involvement in Vietnam)

On Jan 30, 1968, during Tet (the Vietnamese New Year), the Vietcong and North Vietnamese launched a massive surprise attack on most american airbases in S Vietnam and South Vietnams major cities. After a month of fighting, US and S Vietnamese soldiers repelled the enemy troops. Americans were stunned that an enemy nearly defeated could launch such a large-scale attack

Johnson became increasingly unpopular due to the damage of the war. Americans who were opposed to the war opposed Johnson and his decisions. The country and his own party was deeply divided

Martin Luther King Jr Robert Kennedy- who appeared to be in the lead for the democratic nomination for president

Richard Nixon- he promised to unify the uS and restore law and order to the country. He planned to bring "peace with honor" in Vietnam

linkage-improving relation with the Soviet Union and China, to try to persuade them to reduce their aid to North Vietnam

This process involved the gradual withdrawal of US troops while the South Vietnamese assumed more of the fighting

In the spring of 1968 an American platoon under the command of Lieutenant William Calley had massacred unarmed South Vietnamese civilians in the hamlet of My Lai. Victims included old men, women, and children

-The US invasion of Cambodia led to mass protests and to the tragic killing of four students by National Guard troops at Kent State University; police killed 2 student demonstrators at Jackson State College -Congress began to work to end the presidents control of the war. In December 1970, it repealed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

To force North Vietnam to resume negotiations, the Nixon administration began the most destructive air raid of the war- "The Christmas Bombings": American B-52s dropped thousands of bombs on North Vietnamese targets for 11 days straight. Then negotiations resumed - The warring sides signed an agreement to end the war on January 27, 1973 and american troops were withdrawn from Vietnam

-Cambodia fell under the communist control -North Vietnamese army invaded South Vietnam -North Vietnamese captured South Vietnam's capital, Saigon, and renamed it Ho Chi Minh City -Laos fell to communism -domino effect played out

It was hard for many Vietnam veterans to readjust to civilian life because many considered the war a defeat. The war remained unresolved for families with relatives who were prisoners of war (POWs) or missing in action (MIA)

In 1973 Congress passed the War Powers Act as a way to reestablish some limits on executive power. The act required the president to inform Congress of any commitment of troops abroad within 48hrs, and to withdraw them in 60-90 days, unless Congress explicitly approved the troop commitment.