Wednesday, May 8

we finished up Vietnam and then started blog disscussion

The Vietnam Conflict (1950-1975)

The French Connection

France had gained control of Indochina in a series of colonial wars in the mid-late 1800's
During World War II, Vichy France worked with Japanese forces in controlling Indochina during WWII
After the Japanese surrender, the French fought to retain control of their former colony against the Viet Minh independence movement, led by communist party leader Ho Chi Minh
After the Viet Minh defeated the French colonial army at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954, The French withdrew, and the colony was granted independence

Geneva Conference-1954

Vietnam was partitioned temporarily into a Northern and a Southern zone of Vietnam at the 17th parallel
set up elections to unify the country by July, 1956
Such elections were never held because neither side wanted to lose.

Who fought?

The untied states armed forces
The army of the republic of Viet Nam
vs.
The NLF, a group of South Vietnamese guerrilla fighters(Vietcong)
The peoples army of Viet Nam (PAVN- the North Vietnamese Army, pronounced Pahvin)

escalation-Truman through Johnson

President Truman began US involvement by sending money to help the French
President Eisenhower continued US support by sending military advisers to give temporary support to Diem's government in the South
President Kennedy continued sending advisers as well as special operation forces (green berets)
President Johnson sent more and more combat forces

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

Several US Ships were supposedly attacked by North Vietnamese torpedoes in the Gulf of Tonkin
On August 26, 1964, President Johnson was nominated as the Democratic candidate for the presidency of the US
During his campaign he promise that " We are not abou to sen American boys nine or ten thousand miles away from home to do what Asian boys ought to be doing for themselves"
Johnson easily defeated Goldwater
Pres. Johnson and General William Westmoreland kept saying that with more troops we will win the war
Most Americans tended to believe this at first
The Americans public's faith was shattered, on January 30, 1968, when the enemy, supposedly on the verge of collapse, mounted the Tet Offensive in which nearly every major city in South Vietnam was attacked
Named after the lunar new year festival which is the most important Vietnamese holiday in South Vietnamese
Although we crushed the enemy militarily, the surprising huge offensive attack from an enemy that was supposedly almost defeated convinced many Americans that victory was impossible

Nixon and Vietnam

Nixon called for the "Vietnamization" of the war
"Peace with Honor"
Gradually pull US troops out and train the ARVN to take our place in fighting the North.
Expanded the war into Laos and Cambodia leading to college protests (Kent ST.)
On January 15, 1973 Pres. Nixon announced the suspension of offensive action in North Vietnam
The Paris Peace Accords were later signed on January 27, 1973 which officially ended US involvement in the Vietnam Conflict

Peace??

The peace agreement did not last
In March 1975, the North invaded the South.
The south was not strong enough and fell quickly
Saigon, the South's capital, fell in April 1975
US did not live up to it's promise to come to their aid if the North attacked
North Vietnam united both North and South Vietnam to form the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Saigon was re-named Ho Chi Minh City in honor of the former pres. of north Vietnam
Vietnam is still communist today.

Jimmy Carter

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