how wouldyou describe the changes in the vietnam war from the early 1960s to early 70s?

Answer 1

The War Begins

Gulf of Tonkin Incident

a. August 1964, two US destroyers were attacked in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of North Vietnam
aa. President Johnson claimed that the North Vietnamese had fired on American ships in international waters
ab. asked Congress to authorize the use of force in Vietnam
b. Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
ba. it said that the US could repel and prevent attacks
bb. it was NOT a declaration of war, but widened the scope of US involvement
bba. like “Grandma’s nightshirt - it covers everything”
bc. it was revealed years later that US destroyers were not innocent - they had been helping South Vietnamese commandos raid North Vietnamese islands
d. a US base at Pleiku was attacked

The Air War

a. early 1965, the U.S. began strategic bombing of North Vietnam, primarily using B-52 aircraft
aa. called Operation Rolling Thunder
b. US relied primarily on air power
ba. bombing cost fewer American lives than ground combat
c. US used saturation bombing (dropping a large concentration of bombs over an area)
d. seve million tons of bombs dropped in Vietnam (4 times the number dropped in WWII)
e. bombed military targets and supply routes at first
ea. eventually bombed roads, homes, factories
f. the air raids destroyed the landscape and killed thousands of civilians
g. in addition to bombs, US planes dropped Agent Orange and napalm
ga. Agent Orange was a herbicide used to expose Viet Cong hiding places
gb. napalm was a highly flammable chemical used in firebombing attacks
gba. used for the same purpose as Agent Orange and for ant-personnel reasons
h. these tactics did not have the effect U.S. expected
ha. strengthened the resolve of the North Vietnamese
haa. they responded with ingenuity - underground tunnels (some with shops and factories)

The Ground War Begins

a. Johnson started a military escalation in 1964 after winning the election
b. US troops entered combat
ba. the first American combat troops, the 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, arrived in Vietnam to defend the US airfield at Danang March 8-9, 1965
bb. the first conventional battle of the Vietnam war took place as American forces clashed with North Vietnamese units in the Ia Drang Valley November 14-16, 1965
dda. US 1st Air Cavalry Division employed its newly enhanced technique of aerial reconnaissance to finally defeat the NVA, although heavy casualties are reported on both sides
ddb. led by Lt. Col. Hal Moore
c. by the end of 1965 there were 184,000 soldiers in Vietnam
ca. by 1967, 500,000 American troops were in Vietnam
cb. reached a peak of 542,000 in January 1969
d. General William Westmoreland was the senior commander of American troops in Vietnam from 1964 to1968
da. he devised and pursued an unsuccessful strategy of attrition
e. Tet Offensive - 1968
ea. in the early morning hours of January 31st, the first day of the Vietnamese New Year (Tet), North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and Viet Cong (VC) troops and commandos began a major offensive
eaa. attacked virtually every major town and city in South Vietnam, including the capital of Saigon
eab. also attacked most of the important American bases and airfields
eac. violated the temporary truce they had pledged to observe around the lunar new year celebrations
eb. the offensive was planned by planned by North Vietnamese General Vo Nguyen Giap
ec. shifted the war for the first time from its rural base into the new arena of South Vietnam's urban areas
ed. nineteen VC commandos blew their way through the outer walls of the US Embassy in Saigon
eda. tried and failed to blast their way through the main Embassy doors with anti-tank rockets
edb. all nineteen VC were killed
ee. the biggest battle, however occurred at Hue
eea. ten NVA/VC battalions had overrun all of the city except for the headquarters of the South Vietnamese Army
eeb. Hue was a sacred city to the Vietnamese and had many historical buildings
eec. the main NVA/VC goal was the Citadel, an ancient imperial palace covering some two square miles with high walls several feet thick
eed. the NVA/VC over ran the city and freed thousands of prisoners and thousands of "enemies of the state" - government officials, sympathizers, and Catholics were rounded up and many were shot
eeda. after Hue was recaptured at the end of February South Vietnamese officials found mass graves with over 2500
eedb. the number of civilians estimated as missing after the Hue battle was nearly 6000
eee. US Marines and South Vietnamese Army pushed into the city
eef. the battle for Hue reminded many of the street-by-street fighting that occurred during World War lI
eeg. the fight for Hue ended by February 25th at a cost of 119 Americans and 363 South Vietnamese dead compared to about sixteen times that number of NVA/VC dead
ef. another large battle occurred at an American base at Khe Sanh
efa. Khe Sanh was in the northwest corner of South Vietnam just below the DMZ and close to the Laotian border
efb. Khe Sanh had been garrisoned by the French during the first Indochina war
efba. became an important US because of its proximity to the Ho Chi Minh Trail
efbb. from Khe Sanh US artillery could shell the trail and observers could keep an eye on NVA traffic moving south
efc. first attack began shortly before dawn on January 21st, when the NVA attempted to cross the river running past the base
efd. siege at Khe Sanh, lasted from January until April
eg. Tet Offensive ultimately failed for the NVA/VC militarily
efa. NVA/VC dead totaled some 45,000 and the number of prisoners nearly 7000
efb. VC was severely crippled by Tet and, from then on, the North took on the main burden of the war
f. effects of Tet
fa. the attack was demoralizing to the U.S. and South Vietnamese troops
fb. the shockwave of the battle finished Johnson's willingness to carry on
fc. led to the belief in the United States that the Vietnam War was un-winnable
fd. Westmoreland asked Washington for 206,000 troops to carry on the campaign in the South and to make a limited invasion of North Vietnam
fe. Westmoreland was replaced by General Creighton Abrams, his deputy commander
fea. Westmoreland came home to become Army Chief of Staff
ff. Johnson went on TV and announced a bombing halt of the North and America's willingness to meet with the North Vietnamese to seek a peace settlement
ffa. Johnson then said that he was not a candidate for reelection under any circumstances and spent the rest of his term in a search for peace in Indochina
fg. Tet was a major turning point

How The War Was Fought

a. ground forces would go on search and destroy missions
b. jungle warfare
ba. natural problems: heat, thick vegetation, hard to see the enemy, marshy, wet, humidity, disease, insects, leeches, jungle rot (fungus that effects the skin)
bb. manmade problems: guerrilla warfare (ambush, hit and run, sabotage), land mines, carrying 60 pound packs
c. the enemy was difficult to determine because your ally and your enemy were both Vietnamese
ca. American soldiers were confused to discover that many South Vietnamese people did not appreciate their efforts
d. advantages of the Viet Cong (VC) and North Vietnamese
da. could blend into the population
daa. had the support of many South Vietnamese peasants who wanted communism
db. knew the land
dc. had an elaborate tunnel systems
e. the Viet Cong received aid from North Vietnam via the Ho Chi Minh Trial
ea. North Vietnamese supply line that passed through Laos and Cambodia
f. the US moved South Vietnamese peasants into cities or refugee camps to keep them from helping the VC
fa. called Pacification Program
fb. made many South Vietnamese peasants mad at the US


The War at Home

The Media and the War

a. Vietnam was called the "living room war"
b. due to new satellite technology, the war was broadcast almost instantly on television
c. 60 million people watched brutal, shocking images nightly
d. the press was uncensored by the military (800 reporters were practically side by side with
soldiers in battle)
da. images of fighting on U.S. TV began to turn tide of opinion against war
e. the press was generally supportive of the war until the Tet offensive
f. after Tet, newscasters and reporters began openly questioning government policies
fa. support for the war went from 60% to 40% in a matter of a few months
fb. CBS Anchor Walter Cronkite, one of the most respected men in America, said the US
was "mired in a stalemate"
fc. President Johnson said, “If we have lost Walter, we have lost the country.”

Anti-war Protests

a. Resisting the Draft
aa. all men 18 and older had to register
ab. college students got deferments (put off going to war until done with school)
aba. Vietnam became a “poor man’s fight”
abb. 40% of all eligible draftees were in college
abc. many people thought this made the draft unfair
abd. 1966, the government announced that college students with low grades would not receive deferments
b. Conscientious Objectors
ba. claimed that war violated their religious or moral beliefs
baa. this was difficult to prove
c. many protested the draft
ca. burned draft cards
cb. refused to register
cc. thousands fled the country
cca. many went to Canada
d. The Draft Lottery
da. late 1969, the draft was modified with a lottery system
daa. the federal government said a lottery would make the draft more fair
dab. hoped it might stem the tide of young men who dodged the draft
db. the government also believed that making the draft less controversial would decrease opposition to the war
dc. men were assigned a number (1 to 366) based on their birth date
dca. each day of the year was given a number randomly
dcb. men in the lowest 3rd were most likely going to war, middle 3rd maybe going, last 3rd, not going
dcc. many men in the lowest 3rd enlisted in order to get better assignments (OCS, coast guard, etc.)
dd. this did not make the draft more fair because some people could still receive deferments; however, it made the draft appear to be fair
e. anti-war protests increased with the escalation in Vietnam
ea. most protesters were baby boomers between 18-25
eb. many anti-war protests were organized by college students and took place on college campuses
ebc. anti-war protesters were very vocal, but were the minority of college students
f. groups organized to oppose the war
fa. Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)
faa. formed at the University of Michigan in 1960
fab. became the core of the “New Left” movement
faba. wanted radical change
fac. one of the founders of SDS was Tom Hayden
fad. Hayden articulated the ideology of the SDS and New Left in the Port Huron Statement (1962)
fada. said that citizens should have more voice in the government and that the government should be more responsive to the people
fadb. called for power to be rooted in love, reflectiveness, reason, and creativity
fae. SDS organized chapters on college campuses all over the nation to protest the war
faf. one extremist faction of the SDS were called the weathermen
fafa. they advocated violencesit-ins
fafb. March 1970, three Weathermen were killed when a bomb they were building exploded
fb. Mobilization to End the War in Vietnam (MOBE)
fba. October 1967, a huge demonstration at the Pentagon organized by MOBE drew 100,000
fbb. late 1968, a MOBE-organized march drew 500,000 people to Washington, D.C., while 150,000 attended a march in San Francisco
g. Columbia University incident
ga. April 23, 1968
gb. war protesters and civil rights protesters joined together
gba. Columbia (in NYC) was doing military research which angered the anti-war protesters
gbb. Columbia was planning to build a gym on top of a Harlem park which angered civil rights protesters
gc. protesters took over 5 campus buildings (including the president’s office) and held them hostage for a week
gd. the incident was ended by the New York City police
h. Chicago Seven
ha. violence surrounded the 1968 Democratic National Convention
hb. seven men (Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Dave Dellinger, Rennie Davis, Tom Hayden, Lee Weiner, and John Froines) were arrested and charged with conspiracy to incite a riot
hc. February 18, 1970, a jury acquitted all seven defendants but found five of them guilty of crossing state boundaries with intent to incite a riot - a violation of a recently enacted federal statute
hd. Judge Julius Hoffman sentenced the five to five years in prison and all seven and their counsel, William Kunstler, to short terms for contempt of court
he. all convictions on the federal count were overturned on appeal
i. Election of 1968
ia. Democrats nominated Hubert H. Humphrey
ib. Republicans chose Richard M. Nixon
ic. Nixon was elected, partly because of conflict within the Democratic Party
j. My Lai Massacre
ja. November 1969, journalists discovered that in March 1968, US soldiers had massacred 350 South Vietnamese civilians
jb. massacre was at the village of My Lai
jc. led by Lt. William Calley
jca. Calley was charged in March 1970, and would be court-martialed in 1971
jcb. sentenced to life and later had the sentence reduced
jd. after the massacre became public knowledge, protests were held all over the nation
je. President Nixon asked for the support of the “silent majority” (the people not protesting)
k. Kent State incident
ka. the invasion of Cambodia by U. S. and South Vietnamese forces in the spring of 1970 revived the domestic antiwar movement in the United States and led to large demonstrations
kaa. since 1967, the government of Prince Norodom Sihanouk in Cambodia had been battling Khmer Rouge (literally “Red Cambodia”) forces under Pol Pot
kab. 1970, Right-wing General Lol Non seized control of Cambodia in a military coup, while Prince Sihanouk was out of the country
kb. May 3, 1970, students protesting at Kent State University in Ohio burned the ROTC building kc. May 4, the National Guard was called in to Kent State
kca. students taunted the guardsmen with insults and by throwing rocks and bottles
kcb. the Guard responded with tear gas
kcc. the Guard panicked and fired into the crowd
kcd. four students were killed - two were protesters (nine wounded)
kd. a similar incident occurred at Jackson State in Mississippi (two killed)
l. some entertainers got involved in protest against the war
la. Jane Fonda became known as “Hanoi Jane” because of a trip to North Vietnam in 1972
m. Counter Culture
ma. grew out of anti-war activism
maa. rejected most of conventional social customs
mab. questioned traditions and experimented with new ways of living
mac. promoted desires for greater self-fulfillment
mad. had permissive attitudes regarding sexual morality
mae. questioned government and other authority
maf. followed the example of the Beat Generation
mb. some Americans opposed the counterculture because they thought it threatened traditional values

The War Ends

Ending the War

a. Nixon developed a plan called "Vietnamization"
aa. build up South Vietnamese forces to replace American troops
ab. turned war over to the South Vietnamese
b. numbers of American troops in Vietnam began decreasing in 1969
ba. US resumed bombing raids on North Vietnam
c. Pentagon Papers
ca. June 1971 - secret defense documents leaked out
cb. revealed government officials had lied to Congress about the war
cbc. Presidents had made secret policy decisions, such as giving military aid to France and waging covert war against North Vietnam in the early 1960s
d. War Powers Act of 1973
da. was passed mainly in response to concern that presidents Johnson and Nixon had involved the military in combat without congressional approval
db. Nixon vetoed it - Congress overrode his veto
dc. it restrained the president's ability to commit U.S. forces overseas by requiring the executive branch to consult with and report to Congress before involving U.S. forces in foreign hostilities
dd. generally considered a measure to help prevent "future Vietnams"
e. Peace Talks
ea. attempted in 1968, but failed
eb. Nixon sent Henry Kissinger
ec. tried “carrot and stick” method
eca. tempted VC with negotiations and threatened escalation
f. The War Ends
fa. January 1973 formal agreement signed in Paris
faa. US would withdraw
fab. prisoners would be released
fb. US and North Vietnam agreed that North Vietnamese troops could remain in South Vietnam
fba. South Vietnam unhappy
fc. Vietnam War for the US ended when American troops began withdrawing
fca. the last US troops are out in March 1973
fcb. the cease-fire collapsed and North and South resumed fighting
fd. Vietnam War, ended in 1975 after the South Vietnamese troop withdrawal from the northern provinces turned into a disorganized retreat
fda. April 1975, North Vietnamese troops marched into Saigon
fda. South Vietnam surrendered
fdb. President Ford ordered an evacuation of American citizens and Vietnamese sympathizers
fdba. more than 100,000 Vietnamese refugees entered the United States and were resettled throughout the country

fe. North Vietnam completed its conquest of South Vietnam
fea. Vietnam was unified under communist rule
ff. Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City and became the new capital
fg. refugees had been escaping throughout the conflict but the number escalated greatly after the fall of Saigon
g. Costs of the War
ga. 58,000 Americans died
gb. 300,000 wounded
gc. 2 million Vietnamese died
gd. $150 billion spent by US
ge. many soldiers suffered long-term psychological damage
h. soldiers came home to an unwelcome home front
i. US pulled out before the war ended and American backed side eventually loses - many Americans see this as the first war loss in US history
j. 1.5 million Vietnamese fled the country
k. 1975,Cambodia fell to communist Khmer Rouge
ka. fanatical Pol Pot was the leader
kb. 1.5 million killed by communist regime
kba. "the killing fields"
kc. early May the new Cambodian government seized an American ship, the cargo vessel Mayaguez
kd. Ford ordered a limited Marine and air action to retrieve the ship and crew
kda. 41 lives were lost in the recovery of the 39-member crew
l. Laos also fell to communism

Answer 2

interior the early 1960's, it replaced into the U.S. sending "advisors" there. interior the previous due 1960's, there replaced into the Gulf of Tonkin decision of Congress, aurthorizing rigidity because of the fact of an alleged attack by way of North Vietnamese on a U.S. deliver. on the top of the 1960's, Lyndon Johnson stated that the war purpose in bombing North Vietnam replaced into, "to deliver them to the negotiating table." on the beginning up of the 1970's, the purpose of the Nixon administration replaced into to attempt greater rigidity one greater time. The war ended as all of us recognize.