presidents continued.

[7thBrook]

Watergate-

• -Five men were caught breaking into Democratic Party HQ at Watergate hotel in Washington. June 17, 1972 to find dirt on Democratic Party.
• Two Washington post reporters Carl and Bob investigated story
• FBI format “deep throat” was used to link the men to the Nixon white house
• It was one of a series of scandalous acts involving the committee to re-elect president
• Nixon down played the scandal and denounced the story as misleading
• FBI eventually confirmed that Nixon aids had attempted to sabotage the democrats-many resigned and faced prosecution
• Nixon was involved in it by trying to cover up the break in and eventually resigned from presidency.
• “People have got to know whether or not their president is a crook. Well I’m not a crook; I’ve earned everything I’ve got.” –Nixon

Gerald Ford-

• Nixon’s vice president
• Took over when Nixon resigned-first to ever not be elected
• Had two assassination attempts in 3 weeks as president
• Accomplishments- pardoned Nixon, offered conditional amnesty program for Vietnam war draft dodgers who fled countries like Canada, Whip inflation now” called for Americans to reduce their spending and consumption in an attempt to stop inflation, and education for all handicapped children act established special education in school throughout the US
• Also, continued détente with USSR. He wanted to help South Vietnam when the north invaded but congress refused.  By April of &% all f Vietnam became communist. Indochina migration and refugee assistance act was passed to allow refugees to immigrate to US

Vietnam-

• The french connection- France gained control of Indochina in a series of colonial wars in mid/late 1800s-vietnam is part of Indochina. During WWII, France worked with Japanese forces controlling Indochina . After Japanese surrendered, the french fought to retain control of former colony against viet Mihn independence movement, led by communist leader Ho Chi Minh.  After Viet Minh defeated french army at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, the french withdrew and the colony was granted independence
• Geneva conference-Vietnam was partitioned temporarily into a northern and southern zone of viet Nam at the 17th parallel. North was to be ruled bu Ho Chi minh, and south by Emperor Bao Dai.  in 55 Ngo Dinh Diem became president of a new south Vietnamese republic. It set up elections to unify the country by july of 56. Elections were never held because neither side wanted to lose.  It was the US armed forces and the army of the republic of Viet Nam VS NLF and PAVN, Vietcong  Escalatons- president Truman began US involvement by sending money to help the french. president Eisenhower continued US support to Diem's Gov. in the south. Kennedy continued sending advisers as well as special operation forces (green barrets) President Johnson sent more and more combat forces. Kennedy in vietnam- strongly believeed tjay iif south Vietnam was a stable and democratic country , it would keep communism out. Aid to the south was often made on the condition that the gov, would undertake certain political reforms. South Vietnamese president Diem didn't work well with US. He often embarrassed the US. With CIA backing Diem was overthrown  by the SV military and killed due to his actions and beliefs.
• -Tibetan Buddhists were burning themselves alive in China as a plea for freedom. As she burned, she shouted, "I want the Dalai Lama to return to China, I want freedom for Tibet! The Dalai Lama didn't support the burnings, but he said that China's rigid political control of Tibet has forced conditions of "cultural genocide" onto his country, and emphasized that these actions need to be understood in light of what Tibetans have gone through. Diem incriminated Buddhists because he was catholic.
• Gulf of tonkin resolution- several US ships were supposedly attacked by north Vietnamese torpedoes in the gulf of Tonkin- most experts today don't think they were attacked.   in 64 congress passed gulf of tonkin resolution giving president Johnson the power to protect the country. congress supported Johnson during the war. Johnson was nominated for presidency. Johnson defeated Barry Goldwater in the election of 64. Johnson said that with more troops we will win the war. Americans public faith was shattered, on Jan. 30th when the enemy mounted the Tet offensive in which near every major city  in south Vietnam was attacked. named after lunar new year festival which is the most important Vietnamese holiday in south Vietnam. Although we crushed the army in military, but Americans were not convinced a victory was possible.

General William Westmoreland-

• There was an increasing sense among many people that the government was misleading the American people about war  without a clear beginning or end. When general westmoreland called for still more troops to be sent after Tet offensive, more and more people started protesting The support of gov. and war effort suffered even more when the new york times published pentagon papers. It was a top secret historical study about war that showed how the government was misleading the US people in all stages of the war.
• Operation rolling thunder- was the code name for non stop bombing in North Vietnam conducted by the US armed forces. its purpose was to destroy the will of the north Vietnamese to fight , to destroy industrial bases and air defense and top the flow of men and supplies down the Ho Chi Mihn Trail.  It was not successful in destroying the will of the north.
• Anti-war- 1. Tet offensive 2. Pentagon papers 3. injuring/killing innocent people 4. supporting  a bad government 5. power of the press.
• My Lai Massacre march- US soldiers killed 504 Vietnamese civilians. many dead civilians were young children. Women were raped and bodies were mutilated. People got out of serving (draft dodgers) by going to Canada or Sweden, go to college, get married, medically unfit for service, join peace corps or national guard, and if you claimed to be homosexual, and being rich.
• Peace- peace agreement didn't last long. North invaded south, the south wasn't strong and fell quickly, the south's capital fell, US didn't live up to its promise to come to their aid if the north was attacked, north Vietnam united both north and south to form the socialist republic of Vietnam.