Reason:
Vietnam is a French colony
Stage 1: 1946-1954
1946 - 1954 communist Vietnamnese liberation movement lead by Ho Chi Minh fought for independence from France
1954
Geneva Accords (Peace talks): -Vietnam divided on 17th parallel
-North under control of Ho Chi Minh (China, Soviet Union), communist
-South controlled by Nao Kinh Diem (supported by US) anti-communist,
anti-democratic, capitalist
-Accords called for free elections for unification
US support South b/c of domino
theory / containment:
If one country falls to communism it
will lead to the fall of neighboring
countires
Course::
Stage 2: 1954-1964
1956 South Vietnam cancelled elections b/c they were too afraid to lose
1954-1964 civil war in South Vietnam between government forces and the communist Vietcong (officially: "National
Liberation Front") followed
Vietcong wantend to overthrow the
gov. and reunify
US stepped in and began advisory role in Vietnam
-thousands of US military advisors sent to train South Vieatnamnese army
help to fight communist troops + to
stay independent (eventhough they
have their differences i.e. anti-
democratic)
May 1961 Kennedy elected for President (before Dwight D. Eisenhower)
Nov. 1963 Kennedy assasinated + Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson became President
Stage 3: 1965-1975
1964 advisors prooved to be unsuccessful against Vietcong Guerillia warfare (Vietcong were winning) Vietcong won control of Mekong
delta with help of N. Vietnamnese
army
1965 Lyndon B. Johnson ordered masive aerial bombings + send ground troops (US begins combat role in
Vietnam)
arial bombing = safe for soldiers
ground = put them in danger
+ b/c of guerilla warfare it did not
go so well for the US
1968
troops numbered to 536,000 + US uses (terrible) chemical weapons i.e. Agent Orange (defoliant) or napalm
-> still did not win(although had higher numbers, better weapons/ material) in a jungle war
-US not seen as protectors but rather as foreign occupiers (b/c damage by bombing and chemical
weapons)
agent orange and napalm to get
Vietcong out of hiding
agent orange -gets rid of leaves
1968 peace talks began (Paris peace talks)
Jan. 1969 Nixon elected (Lyndon B. Johnson withdrew from presidential election)
Jan. 1973 US withdrew troops
1974 Nixon resigned after watergate scandal (1972-1974) b/c he wished not to be impeached)
1975 fighting continues for 2 more years and N. Vitenam wins (South surrendered)
2. July 1976 Vietnam reunited as the Socialist Rupublic of Vietnam (under communist rule)
Aftermath: -longest war in US history
-first war that US could not win
-spent total of US $150 billion
-dropped more bombs than in all of WW2
-total of 58,000 US soldiers died + 300,000 wounded
-between 1,5 and 3 million Vietnamnese died
-effects of chemical weapons still seen today
Guerilla warfare Guerrilla combat often involves surprise attacks such as ambushes and raids, or
sabotage of a vulnerable target. Many times, guerrilla warriors are fighting in their
homeland or they have the support of the local population. Therefore, guerrillas are
usually familiar with the terrain and landscape, and they use this to their advantage in
their attacks: the enemy has no idea what's happening until the guerilla attack is
underway.
Proxy war Is a war in which opposite sides use third parties as substitues for fighting each other directly. States have
sometimes used less powerful states as proxies
