Thursday, April 16, 2015
Vietnam War Causes
The Vietnam war derived from a fear that Communism was spreading throughout Europe and China and would continue to expand until the world was Communist. Before World War II, Vietnam among Laos, and Cambodia were the French Indochina. A man named Ho Chi Minh was an advocate for Vietnamese independence and traveled around the world seeking allies to escape from French control. Ho Chi Minh Came to the United States asking for our support but was denied only because Cold War tensions were in full effect. The United States did not want to lose French support so they denied Vietnams request for help. When Ho asked the Soviet Union for support they agreed on one condition; Vietnam had to convert to Communism. Ho agreed to this and soon the Soviet Union was aiding an Independence revolt. China and other Communist countries supported Ho in his movement. The French feared the Communist support and turned to the United States for support. The U.S. saw this as an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone; Retain French support, and contain Communism.
Ho Chi Minh
This is a photograph of Ho Chi Minh. Ho Chi Minh was the man who appealed to the United States for help gaining Vietnamese independence. A city, and a trail were named in his honor.
Communist Nations
This is a map of all of the Communist nations. There are a few missing such as China but for the most part this map gives you a good idea as to which parts of the world were Communist. The U.S. was afraid that the Communists would take over all of Asia and Europe.
My Lai
This picture is from the My Lai massacre. You can see dead women and children, all of which were un-armed. This massacre was ordered by Captain Medina who was found not guilty during his war crime trial.
War Setting
The Vietnam War mostly took place in Vietnam but their were also a few battles in Laos and Cambodia. Vietnam was split into two nations by the 17th Parallel, and became North and South Vietnam. Aerial bombings forced the fighting to spill into other parts of Indochina. The U.S. Government claimed that an American ship was attacked in the Gulf of Tonkin by the Vietnamese. This attack was used as an excuse to declare war on Vietnam. In a village called My Lai, American soldiers brutally murdered innocent Vietnamese citizens, this included women and children. The Vietnamese government retaliated in revenge. A trail known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail supplied the South with supplies from the North.
Ho Chi Minh Trail
This is a map of Vietnam and it shows where the Ho Chi Minh Trail was. This trail supplied Communist armies in the South with the supplies they needed. Tunnels were used to transport the goods.
U.S. Involvement
The United States got involved after the attack on an American ship in the Tonkin Golf. The United States believed in a theory called the Domino Theory which states that if Vietnam falls to Communism, then it will start a chain reactions in other countries. In 1965 the United States began dropping bombs on North Vietnam, and Communist controlled areas in South Vietnam. But by 1966 there were approximately 190,000 U.S. troops in South Vietnam. The U.S. began teaching the South Vietnamese war methods and training their military. By 1969 the amount of U.S. soldiers had grown to 550,000. Even with the enormous amount of soldiers in Vietnam, the U.S. was having problems defeating the Viet Cong (Communist Guerrilla Movement). With support from the Communist nations around them, the North was backed by a constant supply of ammo and other medical, and food necessities.
Political Cartoon
This is a political cartoon that displays the Domino Theory. Communism is seen as a fierce snake devouring innocent countries shown by the rabbits. This was post Vietnam because Communism has already gotten Indochina.
Gulf Of Tonkin Attack
The United States joined because of a supposed attack on an American ship in the Gulf of Tonkin. The President wasn't even sure that the attack happened. This quote shows that The United States had an alterior motive for entering the war with the Vietnamese.
Domino Theory
This photo shows how the Domino Theory works. If Vietnam fell to Communism then next would be Laos and so on. The United States fought to end this chain reaction, but failed to stop Communism from taking Vietnam.
Guerrilla Warefare
In Guerrilla warefare, soldiers would hide in trees, or holes such as this one. They would wait until they heard the enemy coming and then quietly attack them. This tactic was used by the Communists and North Vietnamese during the Vietnam War.
Homefront
The United States during the Vietnam War was full of chaos and disapproval. Students, countercultural hippies, and even average citizens flooded the streets to protest the war. Many held signs saying things like "END THE VIETNAM WAR" and "BRING OUR TROOPS HOME" or "DROP ACID NOT BOMBS". Anti-draft protests became violent in 1968 outside of the Democratic National Convention, when Nation Guardsmen open fired on a crowd. This incident resulted in the death of four students, and angered the U.S. citizens further. Richard Nixon claimed that although much of the nation disapproved of the war, a "silent majority" supported it.
Peace Rally
This photograph shows just how enormous the peace movement was. The protestors are seen all the way in the back of the photograph too, there were hundreds of thousands of people ther. The sign is the main focus of the photograph and it shows just how personal this war was for everyone in the United States.
American Protestors
Men, Women, and even some children all came together during the war and protested for peace. These women are protesting for the end of the war and the social crisis in front of the capital building hoping to promote not only other people to join the anti war effort, but also to convince the President to end the war. Many of their husbands, or children were drafted into the war so it was important for them to bring them home.
The End Of The Vietnam War
Nixon declared that the war would end because of a program called "Vietnamization". This program ruled that the South Vietnamese military would be built up until they could support themselves in the war, once this was done then the American troops would pull out of the war. Although Nixon announced this, he ordered American and Vietnamese troops to attack Communist sanctuaries in Cambodia. Eventually, Nixon began decreasing the number of soldiers in South Vietnam. After numerous bombings of North Vietnam they finally signed the Paris Peace Accords and the U.S. troops were brought home. The war did not end for the Vietnamese until 1975 when Saigon fell to the Communists.
Sources Used
http://www.sparknotes.com/history/american/vietnamwar/summary.html
Sources Used
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