The Cold War

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The Cold War

• U.S. History

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Politics of ContainmentJohnson and Nixon

• 1963-1974

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Notes Part 1The Vietnam Years
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Vietnam War

• US History

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I. Why America Got Involved

• A. Domino Theory Southeast Asia
• 1. D-theory One country goes commie, then rest
  
• fall like dominos.
• 2. China in 49. Now Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia?
• 3. Ho Chih Minh Wants Vietnam to go Commie

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II. Who Was the Enemy?

• A. Vietminh (NVA)
• North Vietnamese Army
• B. Vietcong (VC)
• South Vietnamese residents who were communist and
  were fighting as insurgents. Didnt wear
  uniforms.

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III. A Bloody Stalemate

• A. Frustrating Warfare A hidden enemy
• 1. Guerrilla tacticsblend in
• 2. US tries to counter, bring enemy into open
• A. Agent Orange (defolliate)
• B. napalm (burn everything)

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• 3. Ho Chi Minh Trail
• A. Cambodia and Laos
• 4. Difficult to win
• A. China aiding N.V., so we stayed limited.
• B. Limitations made hard to win
• 5. IEDs
• A. Bouncing Betty
• 6. Tunnels (30k miles)

You can kill 10 of my men to every one I kill of
yours, but even at those odds, you will lose and
I will win. -- Ho Chi Minh
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TUNNEL SYSTEM
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1968 A Year of Tragedy

• US History

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U.S. Troop Levels in Vietnam
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I. Credibility Gap emerges

• A. US people begin to distrust govt account of
  how war is going
• B. William Westmoreland head US General
• 1. Said everything great, end is near
• 2. Media/TV said different
• a. known as credibility gap
• C. TET Offensive
• 1. Jan. 68 North attacks EVERY U.S. base in
• South on same day. NVA huge loss of
  life.
• 2. But was PR victory for N.V. ? US
  citizens shocked

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• What the hell is going on? I thought we were
  winning the war!
• -- Walter Cronkite, CBS News
• If Ive lost Walter, then its over. Ive lost
  Mr. Average Citizen.
• -- President Lyndon B. Johson

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Nixon Years 1969-1974

• US History

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I. Nixon Moves to End the War

• A. Detente
• 1. Peace talks w/ China
• and Soviets
• B. Vietnamization
• 1. gradual withdrawal
• 2. hand over to S. Vietnamese

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II. Turmoil at Home Continues

• A. Invasion of Cambodia (April 70)
• 1. Public saw this as widening war
• 2. 4 Dead in Ohio (Kent State)
• 3. 2 killed at Jackson State

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• C. The Pentagon Papers
• 1. Showed officials privately questioned war
• 2. Congress and people deceived

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• D. Draft and deferments
• 1. students dodge draft
• a. Leave country
• b. Enter college to get deferments
• c. conscientious objectors
• d. refused to register/burned draft cards
• 2. 50,000 per month drafted in 67
• 3. burden falls on poor/minorities

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III. The US Pulls Out of Vietnam

• A. 2/3 of Americans want to end ASAP (71)
• B. Paris Peace Accords (Dec. 72 Jan. 73)
• 1. January 1973 peace agreement reached
• 3. NV troops remain in the South

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• C. South Vietnam Falls
• 1. March 1975 North breaks agreement, invades
• 2. Congress refuses Fords request to aid
• 3. April 30th Saigon falls, Vietnam united under
  communism

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IV. The Legacy of Vietnam

• A. The Wars Human Toll
• 1. 58,000 dead
• 2. 1,000,000 Vietnamese soldiers
• 3. Soldiers not honored upon return
• 4. 1982 memorial
• B. The Wars Impact on the Nation
• 1. War Powers Act

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Nixon and Foreign Policy
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I. A New World

• 5 superpowers
• US, USSR, China, Japan, Euro Econ Community
• USSR China not getting along (69)
• Realpolitik
• Alliance basis ? national interests
• Not world views/politics
• Benefit regardless of views

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II. Improved Relations

• Nixon visits China (Feb. 72)
• Makes USSR jealous, worried
• May 72 Nixon in Moscow
• 1. Soviet reasons 2 be nice
• a. Costly arms race
• b. US tech grain
• SALT (arms limitation treaty)
• Nuke limit
• More symbolic than anything