Week of May 23-May 27

Monday- Finished Vietnam discussion and presentations.

The French Connection

France had gained control of Indochina in a series of colonial wars beginning in the 1840s and lasting until the 1880s
During WWII, Vichy France had collaborated with the occupying Imperial Japanese forces
Vietnam was under Japanese control during WWII, although the Vichy French continued to serve as the official administrators
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 teh 17th parallel
The North was to be ruled by Ho Chi Minh, while the South would be under the control of Emperor Bao Dai
In 1955, Prime Minister Ngo Dinh Diem became President of a new South Vietnamese republic
The Geneva Conference set up elections to unify the country by July, 1956
Such elections were never held because neither side wanted to lose

Who fought?

Escalation-

Under escalation, US involvement increased over a period of years. Started with the deployment of non-combatant military advisers to the South Vietnamese army
Then started using special forces for commando-style operations
Use of regular troops whose purpose was to be defensive only
Use of regular troops in offensive combat
Once US troops were in active combat, escalation shifted to the adding of more US troops

Kennedy and Vietnam

Kennedy strongly believed that if 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 government would undertake certain political reforms
Soon, US government advisers were playing a prominent role in every level of South Vietnam's government
South Vietnamese President Diem did not work well with the US
He would often go through the motions of these US-prescribed reforms, but ended up embarrassing the US
Diem did not believe that US ideas of democracy were suited for his government
With possible CIA backing, Diem was overthrown by the SV military and killed due to his actions and beliefs

Anti-War

My Lai Massacre March 1968

US soldiers killed 504 Vietnamese civilians
The dead civilians included fifty age 3 or younger, 69 between 4 and 7, and 27 in their 70s or 80s
Women were raped and bodies mutilated

How did people get out of serving?

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
On January 15, 1973, President 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
- Fighting stopped
- US would pull out of Vietnam
- North and South Vietnam would recognize each other's independence

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 on April 30, 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 on July 2, 1976 to form the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Saigon was re-named Ho Chi Minh City in honor of the former president of North Vietnam
Vietnam is still communist today

Tuesday- Continued discussion over presentations.

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