The US involvement in the Vietnam War

The USA entered Vietnam civil war to support The North Vietnamese used anti-aircraft guns, surface-to-air Vietnam war was the first television war- night after night Americans
governments which were ‘threatened’ by missiles and fighter planes. Over 1,400 US planes were shot down were confronted with the horrors of war. As the number of casualties
Communists. It also believed in the "domino between 1965 and 1968. The Vietcong used guerrilla war fare grew, many people began to doubt the wisdom of the war. This badly
theory", that if Vietnam became Communist tactics in small units avoiding face-to-face fights with their enemy affected American military morale. In March 1968 US troops
neighbouring countries such as Laos, Cambodia, ambushes. They also planted mines and booby traps, panji traps massacred 300 civilians, mainly women and children in what became
Thailand, Indonesia would follow. The South targeting isolated US army base. They were experts at camouflage, known as the My Lai massacre. They were accused of sheltering
Vietnam was under the leadership of Ngo Di blending into the countryside. They did not wear a uniform. They members of the Vietcong. Many Americans became convinced that
Diem, who was a corrupt, brutal leader and very dug 250 km of tunnels which contained kitchens, weapons stores, USA was losing the war and there was increased media pressure on
unpopular. The North Vietnam was led by hospitals and living quarters. They were helped by local people, but the USA government to withdraw. This led to anti-war protests:
ardent nationalist and communist leader, Ho Chi most of their supplies came down through the Ho Chi Minh Trail. students and hippies denounced the war
Minh They also carried out sabotage, usually bombs, in South Vietnamese The two incidents played a large part in Johnson's decision not to
cities. stand as president again. In 1969 Richard Nixon won the election with
At first, US military advisers were sent to train a promise to end the war. He began the policy of Vietnamization.
the South Vietnamese army. The US also gave a The US fought a "high-tech" war relying on the latest technology, Leaving the South Vietnamese troops of the South Vietnamese to do
lot of money and modern weapons to South including B52 bomber planes and helicopters. They also used the fighting but still help by giving arms, money and advice at the
Vietnam. By November 1963, when Johnson "search and destroy" operations. In February 1965 the US launched same time. He continued peace talks as well as continuing to bomb
took over as President, there were 16,000 the aerial bombardment known as Operation Rolling Thunder. The North Vietnam heavily to try to persuade them to give up.
military "advisers". The Americans encouraged aim was to end the North Vietnamese support for the Vietcong,
Diem to force the peasants in areas dominated targeting North Vietnamese bridges, army barracks, railway lines, In 1970 Nixon ordered the invasion of Cambodia then Laos in 1971.
by the Vietcong to live in "strategic hamlets" roads and arms depots. The Operation was later replaced by The aim was to disrupt the Ho Chi Minh Trail and to destroy Vietcong
villages that were heavily defended against saturation bombing - meaning dropping bombs on everything. They bases in these countries. The South Vietnamese failed in their
attack. This policy did not work. By 1963, the also engaged in chemical warfare, using chemical weapons such as attempts. This seemed to prove that they could not cope without US
Vietcong controlled about 40% of the rural areas napalm and Agent Orange to burn off leaves and vegetation. troops. The invasions also led to more protests against the war back
of South Vietnam in the USA. They felt that Nixon was escalating the war, not trying to
In January 1968 the Vietcong launched surprise attack known as the bring about peace.
In August 1964 at The Gulf of Tonkin, the US Tet Offensive. Attacking more than 100 cities, towns and US military Eventually, in October 1972, a peace agreement was reached. The
ships were allegedly attacked by North bases. Over 100,000 people were killed during the battle. The Tet South Vietnamese President, Thieu, was angry about the peace
Vietnamese ships which gave Pres Johnson an Offensive could be seen as a huge turning point and major reason agreement. In 1973, the last American troops left Vietnam, leaving
excuse to attack the North. He also persuaded why more and more Americans turned against the war. They felt the South Vietnam to fight the communists on their own. The USA
the US Congress to give him a free hand in that they had been deceived by the army. Vietcong troops were had promised to keep providing aid to South Vietnam, but started to
Vietnam. In 1965, he ordered the bombing of shown inside the US embassy in Saigon, which seemed to show that decrease the amount they sent. North Vietnam then invaded the
North Vietnam, increasing the marine from the war could not be won. General South and, by July 1976, Vietnam was one country again – ruled by
3,500 marines to well over 500,000 US in 1968. Westmoreland, who saw Tet as a victory, was refused more troops the communists.