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Vietnam War Origin
In the 1800s, the French Military forces established control over Indochina (a Peninsula in SE Asia with the modern countries of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos) Indochina included almost 27,000,000 people by the end of WWII. French colonial officials ruled Vietnam with an Iron Fist transplanting french laws into Vietnam with higher taxes. Some Vietnamese, especially the wealthy, benefited from this. Many others, however, were impoverished by colonialism. -
Keeping Communism out of Vietnam
Vietnam became a pawn in Cold War politics. To ensure French support in the Cold War, Truman agreed to aid France's efforts to regain control over Vietnam. When communist forces won won the civil war in china in 1949, America increased aid to the French in Vietnam to avoid another communist victory in Asia. Between 1950-1954, the U.S contributed $2.6 billion to France's war efforts. This contained Ho Chi Minh's communist Vietminh and became a national priority. -
N. Vietnam and US Forces Clash
President Johnson faced his first crisis in Vietnam. North Vietnamese torpedo boats fired on the American destroyer USS Maddox as it patrolled the Gulf of Tonkin. It was not hit and returned fire on North Vietnamese boats. Johnson, troubled by increasing strikes against an American ally, ordered an airstrike against North Vietnam -
"Americanizing" the War
In February of 1965, President Johnson altered the U.S. role in the Vietnam War. When a Vietcong attack killed American troops, Johnson ordered the start of Operation Rolling Thunder, which was the first sustained bombing against North Vietnam. He hoped this new strategy of intensive bombing would convince North Vietnam to stop reinforcing Vietcong in South Vietnam. -
Hawks vs Doves
Beginning in 1967, Congress (and eventually most of America) divided into two groups; hawks and doves. Conservative "hawks" supported Johnson's war policy. They believed in containing communism and the domino theory. For them, Vietnam was a crucial front in the Cold War. Doves, a diverse group of liberal politicians, pacifists, student radicals, and civil rights leaders, didn't agree with Johnson's war policy. For them, the conflict was a localized civil war, not a vital Cold War battleground. -
The Tet Offensive
In early 1968, U.S officials anticipated a communist offensive and on January 21st, the North Vietnamese Army hit Khe Sanh in northwest South Vietnam. Nine days later, the communists expanded their attack by hitting the U.S and ARVN positions through South Vietnam. The Tet Offensive, was a coordinated assault on 36 provincial capitals and 5 major cities. In the end, American and South Vietnamese forces repelled the offensive. The Tet Offensive proved communists hadnt lost their will to fight. -
My Lai Massacre
American forces were searching for enemy troops in an area with a strong vietcong presence and came upon the village of My Lai. By this point in the war, many American troops had been injured or killed by Vietcong fighters posing as civilians. Lieutenant William Calley's unit began shooting and killing unarmed civilians. Between four and five hundred Vietnamese were killed. -
Johnson Steps Down
Two months after the Tet Offensive, March 31, 1968, the President addressed the nation on TV. He announced that America would limit its bombing of North Vietnam and seek a negotiated settlement to the war. Johnson then announced he would not be running for another term, this shocked the nation. The speech had marked another turning point in the war. The fight for victory was over and peace was now the official government policy. -
American Troops in Cambodia
Nixon grew impatient with the slow pace of the peace negotiations. On the evening of April 30, Nixon addressed America of his decision to carry the war into Cambodia. He stated that the war had become a measure of how committed the U.S is to preserving freedom. The next morning, U.S and ARVN went to Cambodia. These soldiers captured large stockpiles of weapons and supplies, but they didn't break the stalemate. North Vietnam remained determined to have peace on its terms or none at all. -
American Troops Leave Vietnam
The U.S and North Vietnam came to terms on a peace settlement. One month later, with peace almost at hand, Nixon defeated antiwar Democrat George McGovern for reelection. Nixon's triumph was short lived, the Vietnamese peace fell apart when North Vietnam refused to sign the agreement. Talks broke off, but renewed American bombing in North Vietnam finally caused the North Vietnamese to resume negotiations.
