9.5 The Vietnam War

Notes

The U.S. fought in Vietnam to stop communist North Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh) from taking over South Vietnam.

• Domino theory: if one nation fell to communism, its neighbors would follow.
• Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964): after reported attacks on U.S. ships, Congress gave LBJ broad power to use force. By 1968 over 500,000 U.S. troops were in Vietnam.
• The Viet Cong used guerrilla warfare. The U.S. used heavy bombing and chemicals like Agent Orange.
• The Tet Offensive (1968) was a military defeat for the communists but convinced many Americans the war could not be won soon. A credibility gap grew between official claims and what people saw on TV.
• The antiwar movement grew, especially on college campuses. At Kent State (1970), National Guard troops killed four students. Many other Americans supported the war.
• Richard Nixon used Vietnamization (shifting fighting to South Vietnamese troops). The Paris Peace Accords (1973) withdrew U.S. forces. Saigon fell to North Vietnam in 1975.
• About 58,000 Americans and millions of Vietnamese died. Congress passed the War Powers Act (1973) to limit a president's ability to send troops without approval. The 26th Amendment (1971) lowered the voting age to 18.