Vietnam War: Causes and Key Events

• The Vietnam War spanned from 1954 to 1975.

Early Years

• Vietnam was once a French colony.
• In 1954, Ho Chi Minh, a Vietnamese nationalist, led his forces to victory over the French.
• The Geneva Conference divided Vietnam into North and South.
• Ho Chi Minh and the Communists controlled North Vietnam.
• South Vietnam, a pro-Western nation, was supported by the United States.

Vietnam and JFK (1960-1963)

• JFK and the government supported the Domino Theory.
• The Domino Theory stated that if one nation falls to communism, surrounding nations will also fall.
• The U.S. government believed that if South Vietnam became communist, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand would follow.
• JFK believed the Domino Theory could spread democracy in Southeast Asia.

Vietnam and LBJ (1963-1968)

• When LBJ became President, the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War increased.
• The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution in 1964 was significant.
• LBJ announced that North Vietnam attacked a U.S. ship in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of North Vietnam.
• Congress gave Pres. LBJ powers to stop North Vietnamese aggression.
• It was later revealed that the U.S. ship was actually in North Vietnamese waters with a South Vietnamese ship bombing North Vietnam.
• Under the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, LBJ used the powers given to him by Congress to escalate the U.S.'s involvement in the war.
• Johnson ordered massive bombing raids and increased the number of troops sent to Vietnam.
• By 1968, over 500,000 men were stationed in South Vietnam.
• New weapons like Napalm, a sticky, highly flammable gasoline-based jelly that burned at 3,000 degrees, were used.
• Agent Orange, a chemical defoliant cleared the jungle for better visibility.

The TET Offensive

• TET is a holiday celebrating the Vietnamese New Year.
• In previous years, a cease-fire was called so both sides of the war could celebrate the holiday.
• In 1968, the North Vietnamese used the TET holiday to launch a surprise attack.
• North Viet Cong successfully captured several major cities in South Vietnam.
• The TET Offensive became a turning point in the war, demonstrating to the American public that victory was not imminent, despite government claims.

A Growing Discontent: The Anti-War Movement

• Vietnam was the first war shown daily on American TV.
• The media greatly influenced public opinion, as America saw the war's destructiveness.
• Pres. Johnson told Americans they were winning, but journalists reported otherwise.
• A credibility gap was created, and many Americans lost faith in their government's reliability.
• The Anti-War Movement had the highest support among young Americans who opposed U.S. involvement in Vietnam.
• Young people burned draft cards, marched on the Pentagon, held rallies, and staged demonstrations across America's college campuses.
• Supporters of the war were called 'hawks,' while opponents were called 'doves.'

The Vietnam War Under Richard Nixon (1969-1973)

• Richard Nixon (Republican) was elected president in 1968.
• Nixon, an anti-Communist, promised "peace with honor" in ending the war.
• Nixon was strongly influenced by his Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger.

Nixon's Vietnam Policy

• Vietnamization involved Nixon gradually withdrawing American troops and helping train the South Vietnamese Army to take over the fighting.
• An Invasion of Cambodia occurred.
• The Viet Cong used the Ho Chi Minh Trail through neighboring Laos.
• Nixon bombed Cambodia to stop the North Vietnamese Army/Viet Cong flow of supplies.
• Diplomacy involved Nixon starting negotiations with China and Russia to pressure South Vietnam into a peace agreement.
• Anti-war protesters were shocked that Nixon secretly bombed Cambodia, leading to increased anti-war sentiments.
• College campuses across the USA shut down as students staged sit-ins and demonstrations.
• National Guardsmen shot and killed four college students at Kent State University in 1969.
• The government was killing more then the enemy.
• Pres. Nixon insisted Americans supported the war effort, though journalists pointed out a different story.
• Nixon called these supporters the Silent Majority.
• In 1971, the Pentagon Papers leaked to the public.
• They showed that Nixon had been lying about the war.

The Fall of Saigon

• Nixon's Vietnamization reduced American troops.
• In 1973, Henry Kissinger worked out a cease-fire with North Vietnam.
• Nixon pulled out remaining troops.
• North Vietnam released its POWs.
• By 1975, the South Vietnamese army could not stop the North's invasion.
• Saigon, the South’s capital city, fell as the Communists took over.
• The last Americans left.

Legacy of the Vietnam War

• 58,000+ Americans died and over 1 million Vietnamese.
• War expenses stopped domestic aide programs like the Great Society.
• Confidence in the government had been destroyed.
• The War Powers Resolution restricts a president's ability to send troops to fight overseas without Congress's approval.

26th Amendment

• In the 1960s, most states set the voting age at 21.
• During the Vietnam War, 18-year-olds were considered old enough to be drafted into military service but not old enough to vote.
• Many Americans believed this was unfair.
• In 1971, The 26th Amendment lowered the voting age to 18 years.
• Increased participation for 18 to 20-year-olds in the government.