Vietnam War - Lecture notes parkerson PDF

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Vietnam War -

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French heritage since 1850 Japanese occupation during WW1 o The Japanese Army invaded and occupied Vietnam during WW2. The Viet Minh Nationals fought a guerilla war against the Japanese and supported the Allies. Ho Chi Minh’s plea for independence o Ho Chi Minh wrote a declaration of independence for Vietnam. The U.S. did not recognize Vietnam’s rights to Independence and assisted the French in the reoccupation of the country. Independence rejected – French/US alliance Battle of Dien Bien Phu – 1954 o In this important battle the Viet Minh defeated the French. The U.S. involvement grows after 1954. Geneva Accords divides country o The Democratic Republic of Vietnam with Hanoi as its capital and the Republic of Vietnam with Saigon as its capital. A reunification vote was scheduled for 1956, it never happened. Rise of the Viet Kong o The Viet Kong grew in size and power after 1956. Early American Involvement – Advisors o Between 1960-66 the US sent advisors to train the South Vietnamese Army to fight the Viet Kong and North Vietnamese Regulars. 1963 Turning Point – two assassinations o President Diem of South Vietnam who was assassinated in early November 1969. o JFK was also assassinated in Texas Gulf of Tonkin Incident and Resolution – 1964 o This incident in August of 1964, was the basis of the decision to enter the Vietnam War and begin the bombing of North Vietnam. o North Vietnamese gunboats “supposedly” attacked American destroyers. o The bombing of the North began immediately, and the land war would escalate during the next year. The War escalates o Air War – Massive bombing of the north (massive bombing campaign of North Vietnam by the United States) o Land war – 550,000 troops by 1968 (in the South) The War at Home o College students took the lead in the anti-war movement. It was their generation that was being drafted into the conflict. o Opposition to the war grew. War Ends in 1975 – as many as 58,000 American troops killed – well over a million Vietnamese o The U.S. withdraws from the last of its troops from Saigon. Within days North Vietnamese troops enter the city and retake the capital.

Richard M. Nixon and Watergate

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In November 1968 Richard Nixon was elected President of the United States Nixon had promised to end the war in Vietnam and achieve “peace with honor” The War would last another seven years

The Watergate Hotel -

Despite successes during his first term, Nixon was determined to ensure his victory in 1972 Through secret dealings, members of his reelection committee (CREEP – Committee to reelect the President) broke into the Democratic Headquarters at the Watergate Hotel The purpose of the break-in was to get information on his opponent, George McGovern

The Watergate Burglars -

Caught red handed in the democratic party headquarters At first, the White House denied all knowledge of the incident As the evidence mounted, however, the illegal nature of the break-in became clear Also evident was the connection of the Burglary to the White House and President Richard Nixon

Nixon’s Secret Tapes -

Nixon was obsessed with maintaining a historical record of his presidency He taped every phone conversation he had in the White House, including, presumably, the details of the Watergate break in These critical tapes were shredded by his staff

The Cover-up -

Not only was the Watergate break in an illegal act, there was a massive cover up by the White House led by president Nixon It was this cover-up that led to the impeachment and eventual resignation of President Nixon

President Nixon Resigns -

As a result of the Watergate scandal and the cover-up, President Nixon resigned from office His vice president, Gerald Ford became president

Gerald Ford becomes President of the United States -

Ford had become president as a result of the resignation of then Vice President Ford pardoned Richard Nixon when he entered the oval office

Jimmy Carter becomes President -

In 1976, Jimmy Carter defeated Gerald Ford to become president of the United States Carter’s victory was a resounding success for the Democratic Party and suggested that the Republican Party was politically in decline Within four years, however, conversation would make a strong comeback under Ronald Reagan

The New Conservatism – Six Causes -

Progressive Legislation of the 1960’s

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The Warren Court Decisions, especially Roe v Wade The “Defeat” in Vietnam Fear of Large Government Apparent powerlessness – Iranian Hostage Crisis Oil Embargos of 1973 and 1978

The New Conservatism – Energized by Two Groups -

Neo-Conservatives – blamed America’s problems on 1960 liberals Christian Coalition – saw the US in Moral Decline

Jimmy Carter – The Catalyst of the New Conservatism -

Very popular for most of his tenure Saw himself as the first post Cold War president Argued that our Involvement in Vietnam was morally wrong

Six Crises that brought down Jimmy Carter -

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Camp David Accords – Carter supports a Palestinian State o To end the war between Egypt and Israel Panama Canal – Favors return of Canal to Panama o Under the control of the US since its construction in the early 20th century. The Panama Canal zone was leased to the US and under treaty was guaranteed to be retuned o Carter signed a treaty with Panama to return the canal. Conservatives argued that Carter was giving away American property. Sandinistas – Tacit support for Sandinistas and rejection of Dictator Samosa o Brutal dictator was overthrown by Sandinistas. Carter gave support to the new Government. The Iran Hostage Crisis o On November 4th, 1979, students from Teheran University seized the American Embassy and help 66 hostages for 444 days. Americans felt helpless over this situation and blamed Jimmy Carter. Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan o In December 1979, the Soviets invade Afghanistan. This aggression provoked an outrage throughout the world and triggered a resurgence of the Cold War. It also strengthened the Republican Party who blamed Carter for not properly founding the military. Stagflation o Partially caused by the Oil Embargo of 1978 which doubled gas prices overnight. o Because of the high oil prices, Americans turned to fuel efficient Japanese made automobiles. The effect of high oil prices (inflation) and loss of jobs in the American auto industry (stagnation) caused stagflation. Conservatives blamed Carter for this problem.

Reagan and Beyond – Reaganomics -

Tax cuts

Bill Clinton in Office

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Clinton was committed to diversity and appointed women, Hispanics, and African Americans to office Clinton reduced the national deficit through spending cuts and new taxes o By his second term, the deficit was eliminated

NAFTA -

Free trade agreement that stimulated economic growth and expansion

National Health Care -

Proposal dropped

Ruth Bader Ginsburg -

Supreme court justice

Republicans Challenge Clinton -

In 1994, the Republicans gained control of the House and appoint a Special Consul – Kenneth Starr to investigate allegations against the Clintons The Clintons were exonerated in any wrong doing in the White Water Land Deal Then came the charges of sexual misconduct

The Impeachment of Bill Clinton -

Monica Lewinsky told her friend that she had sex with Clinton Linda Tripp taped the conversation and turned the tape over to Starr Clinton denied it at first, and then admitted to it Republican controlled congress, impeached Clinton though he was never convicted Clinton remained very popular Most Americans felt that Clinton’s sexual habits were his own business

The Election of 2000 -

Fresh from the Impeachment, the Republicans were ready for a comeback They nominated George Bush – Al Gore became the democratic candidate A third-party candidate Ralph Nader successfully drew votes from Al Gore The issue of third-party candidates By midnight, election night, November 2000 the electoral vote was extremely close Gore le with 267 votes Bush trailed with 247 Florida was too close to call On December 12, 2000 the Court ruled 5-4 that the hand count should end, and George W. Bush was declared President of the United States Al Gore had won the popular vote by 537,179 votes but had lost the election

Prelude to 911 -

Most Americans assumed that George Bush was a one term president

Responsibility for the 911 Attacks -

Islamic fundamentalists were angry with the Spread of Western Values Al Qaida under the leadership of Bin Laden had orchestrated the attacks Bin Laden and Al Qaida had been strong allies of the US in Afghanistan

Osama Bin Laden -

Rejected Western values of maternalism, pluralism, women’s rights and religious freedom. These values were seen as a threat to their patriarchal world.

Creation of Israel -

On March 30th , 1947, the UN voted to partition Palestine and to create an independent state of Israel On May 14th, 1948 Israel becomes an independent nation

The Question of Israel -

Israel was able to defeat this coalition because of military support from western nations including the United States The trouble between mostly Islamic, Arab states and the United States began The Six Day War, 1967 The Yom Kippur War, 1973

The Six Day War -

Israel is growing in size, eventually takes over Egypt

Yom Kippur War -

Egyptian forces invaded the Golan Heights Israelis were victorious, but the war soured relations between Arab nations and the United States

The Oil Embargo of 1973 -

10% cut in oil production Refused to send the US oil

The Question of Israel -

Over the next decade the involvement of the US in this region grew because of strategic and economic interests – missile installations to contain the Soviet Union and oil Western nations including the United States pumped billions of dollars into oil exploration in the Middle East during the 1950s and 60s The American economy and culture was built around cheap oil from this region

Oil Exploration in the Middle East -

The US and other western nations invested heavily in oil exploration during the 1950s and 1960s

The Question of Israel -

We also developed an aggressive foreign policy to oppose Soviet expansion

The Great Recession of 2008 -

The worst economic collapse since the Great Depression of the 1930’s

Housing Bubble -

Governmental policies of deregulation allowed the real estate industry to sell homes at extremely low interest rates, sometimes called “sub prime mortgages.”

Wall Street enters the Real Estate Market -

Wall Street bankers often repackaged these sub prime mortgages and then traded them as commodities on the open market

The Bubble Bursts -

By 2006-2007 we had overbuilt homes and businesses throughout the country. Eventually, we reached the stage of overproduction and housing prices began to tumble.

Crisis in the Real Estate Market -

As home values collapsed, millions of Americans found themselves underwater with their mortgages.

The Stock Market Crisis of 2008 -

During the crash, the Dow fell from 14,000 to 8,000

Skyrocketing Unemployment -

By the end of 2008, 2.5 million Americans had lost their jobs. The image above is an unemployment line. Some of these Americans faced unemployment for the first time in their lives.

Presidential Election of 2008 -

By 2008 the Democratic party was poised for a major victory Two wars were dragged on in the Middle East and the economy had collapsed to near Great Depression levels Barak Obama became the first African American president in U.S. history defeating John McCain. Obamas campaign centered on change and a progressive political agenda Obama, however faced severe political opposition...