Standard 8.0- Demonstrate an understanding of social,
economic and political issues in contemporary America.
Opening:
Great Society Chart
Work Period:
• Vietnam War Notes
• Political Cartoon
• Double Flow Map
Closing:
Quiz
VIETNAM WAR
• The Vietnam War split conservatives and liberals in
the post WWII era
• Developed as a result of Cold War fears and the
containment policy
STRUGGLE FOR VIETNAM
• After WWII the French
attempted to restore control
of Southeast Asia
• Met with resistance from
Viet Minh (nationalists
forces)
• Leader was Ho Chi Minh
• French were defeated (even
with help from Americans
during Truman and
Eisenhower administration)
GENEVA ACCORDS
• Geneva Accords was a
peace conference in
Switzerland that attempted
to unify Vietnam and restore
the peace in Indochina
• Divided Vietnam at the 17th
parallel until elections were
held
US SUPPORT
• US backed unpopular and corrupt governments in
South Vietnam. Why?
• Thought Ho Chi Minh was a communist directed by
Moscow and Bejing
• Domino theory
• Governments refused to hold elections and were
supported by Eisenhower. Why?
• Ho Chi Minh would have won
• Viet Cong were a resistance
movement that was formed in
response to the South Vietnamese
government
• US supplied aid and military
advisers to the government of
South Vietnam
• North Vietnam supplied help to the
Viet Cong
• South Vietnamese people supported
the government less and less
• A CIA-supported coup overthrew the
corrupt president of South Vietnam
• He was assassinated
• Shortly after JFK was assassinated
JOHNSON’S PRESIDENCY
• Gulf of Tonkin Incident: 1964
• US ship engaged three
Vietnamese submarines while
collecting intelligence
• No American causalities, only
mild damages to one aircraft
carrier
• Led Congress to pass the Gulf
of Tonkin Resolution which
allowed the buildup of American
troops to help the South Vietnam
without specific authorization of
Congress (gave Johnson
power)
• Congress never officially
declared war
INCREASED AMERICAN FORCES IN
VIETNAM
• Later Tonkin Gulf incident was shown to be exaggerated
• Not wanting to lose the war Johnson started a bombing
campaign against North Vietnam and sent more troops
• Did not want to be called “soft on communism” by his
opponents
• By 1967, there were 500,000 American troops in Vietnam
OPPOSITION
• Seen as the “poor man’s fight”
• Draft was seen as unfair
• Some young men were granted medical exemptions
and college deferments
• Some enlisted in the National Guard to avoid having
to go to war
• Organizations that had
started in response to
McCarthyism and civil
rights turned their
attention to the Vietnam
War
• Protests became more
provocative and lost
public support
• Ex: Burning draft cards
TET OFFENSIVE
• Extensive television coverage of the
war and protests divided the nation
into hawks and doves
• Media coverage of the Tet Offensive
in 1968 showed that forces could
attack at anytime or anywhere
• Tet Offensive was a series of
surprise attacks at a time when
there were not supposed to be
any attacks
• Led to a shift in public opinion
against war
Activity
ELECTION OF 1968
• Johnson withdrew his name
from consideration for the
Democratic presidential
nomination in 1968. Why?
• Public opposition
• Split within the Democratic
Party over the war
• Began negotiations to end
the conflict
NIXON’S WAR
• Nixon was elected and voters understood that he would
end the war
• Nixon was unable to admit that the war could not be won
• Extended the war with a secret, massive bombing campaign of Laos
and Cambodia (hoping to cut off N. Vietnamese supply lines)
• Started Vietnamization which was supposed to take troops out
• Protest movement
continued with a massive
peace march on
Washington
• Nixon administration
ended the draft and started
the lottery system
• Protests were calmed
until American forces
invaded Cambodia to
close the Ho Chi Minh
trail
KENT STATE SHOOTING
• Resulting protests led to the Kent State Massacre
• Took place at Kent State University in Ohio
• Four students were killed and nine were wounded when
Ohio National Guard fired into the crowd during a protest
• Some who were shot were protesting the American
invasion of Cambodia
• Others were walking by or observing the protest from a
distance
NIXON’S FOREIGN AFFAIRS
• Nixon opened a dialogue
with China in hopes of
undermining Chinese
support of North Vietnam
• Followed a policy of détente
(easing of strained
relations) with the Soviet
Union in hopes of dividing
them and China
END OF THE WAR
• 1972: US reached an agreement with the North Vietnamese
• Troops were withdrawn
• American POWs were returned home in 1973
• 1975: Saigon fell to the North Vietnamese and the war was
over
• Containment policy failed in Southeast Asia
VIETNAM AS A CULTURAL
PHENOMENON
• Called into question American values on:
1. My Lai Massacre
2. Use of Agent Orange and Napalm
3. “Fragging” and heavy use of drugs among
the troops
4. Mistreatment of returning veterans
MY LAI MASSACRE
• Mass murder of hundred of
unarmed Vietnamese civilians
during the war
• Most of the victims were
women, children, and the
elderly
• Many of the women were
allegedly raped before they
were killed
AGENT ORANGE
• Herbicidal warfare
• US sprayed chemicals on
forests and rural lands to try to
kill some of the foliage so
guerilla fighters would not
have cover to hide behind
• Also targeted food crops with
Agent Blue (similar)
• 400,000 people were killed or
maimed
• 500,000 children were born with
birth defects
Napalm
PENTAGON PAPERS
• New York Times revealed the
Pentagon Papers which gave
information about politicalmilitary involvement for
Vietnam
• Proof of false information
being provided to the public
• Increased “credibility gap”
It was the situation in Vietnam
that led to Watergate, Nixon’s
resignation and further
mistrust of government
The Watergate Scandal
• Break in at the Democratic National Committee
headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington,
D.C.
• Nixon and his administration attempted to cover up the
questionable actions and led to his impeachment
hearings.
• Nixon resigned the presidency on August 9, 1974 and
Gerald Ford became his successor.
VIETNAM SYNDROME
• Congress passed the War Powers Act to try to curb the
President’s war-making powers
• Fear of the “Vietnam syndrome”:
• Fear that we will become involved in a long unpopular war
• Influenced US’ foreign policy for the next several decades
Activity
Cause
Cause
Cause
Effect
Vietnam War
Effect
Effect
Assessment
Quiz time!
Activity