4. Growing Demnds For Peace Flashcards
How did anti-war feelings begin?
In 1965 the anti-war movement was growing much larger.
When the USA began to large-scale bombing campaign in North Vietnam these feelings grew.
In October 1965 they were anti-war demonstrations in more than 90 US cities
These protests were mainly university students who would hold debates and lectures with a strong message against war.
How did war on TV increase anti-war feelings?
The Vietnam war was the first major war in which TV cameras recorded much of the conflict.
This meant that the US public could immediately get reports of the fighting on the same day that it happened.
As well as this, people could get visual footage of bombings, burning villages, young US men being forced to fight and killing innocent civilians.
This made the public continue to question of being part of the war was in the USA‘s best interests.
How did the cost of war increase anti-war feelings?
By 1967 the war was costing the US $30 billion per year.
There were 500,000 US troops in Vietnam 40,000 were being called up each month.
There has been 15,000 killed and 110,000 wounded.
The Vietnam veterans against the war was set up which spread anti-war feelings in the USA.
What happened in 1969 towards the end of the war?
January – Nixon send Henry Cabot lodge to Paris to begin talks with North Vietnam.
March – US bombing is begin in Cambodia and the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
June – 25,000 US troops part from Vietnam as a result from Vietnamisation.
August – Kissinger met secretly in Paris with le duc tho (negotiator for North Vietnam) to negotiate.
December- Cabot resigned after having made no progress in the peace talks.
What happened in April 1970 towards the end of the war?
Nixon orders the invasion of Cambodia by US troops.
He calls 150,000 more US troops to fight which triggers more protests in the US
What happened in February 1971 towards the end of the war?
US troops attack North Vietnamese in Laos
What happened in 1972 towards the end of the war?
January – Nixon reveals the secret talks in Paris.
February – next visit to China to improve relations with them.
March – North Vietnam launches attack on South and Nixon orders bombing on Hanoi and Haiphong in North Vietnam.
April – the Paris peace talks continue that reach no settlement
May – Nixon visit USSR to improve relations with them.
What is negotiated in the peace talks in October 1972?
North Vietnam propose an “in place ceasefire“ which means they will stop fighting but troops will stay in their current position.
North and south will hold free elections and US gives $1 billion of military equipment to South to defend themselves.
What happened in 1973 towards the end of the war?
January 27 – Paris peace accord is agreed and signed.
March – last US forces leave Vietnam.
Why where the peace talks so hard?
Because the north, south and USA wanted different things
What did North Vietnam (Le Duc Tho) want from the peace talks?
US troops out of Vietnam
Stop bombing campaign
The South Vietnamese government replaced
Elections in south so public can vote for communism
What did South Vietnam (Nyugen Thieu) want from the peace talks?
Control over the south
Keep America protecting them
Keep the 17th parallel
Communists out of the south
What did The USA (Henry Kissing) want from the peace talks?
Prisoners released The south to remain capitalist Stop having to prevent Vietcong from attacking as it costs too much US troops out of Vietnam Stop bombing campaign Keep the 17th parallel Communists out of the south
How did South Vietnam fall?
With no US support, it did not take long for the Communist North Vietnam to attack despite the peace agreement between the two nations.
In December 1974 the attack began with the attack on Phuoc Long in south Vietnam
Over the next year a succession of cities were attacked and occupied
In April 1975 the capital city of South Vietnam (Saigon) had fallen into the communists.
It was renamed Ho Chi Minh City.
Vietnam is now a unified country, under communist control.
Why did the USA loose the war?
They could not use their advanced technology it often killed civilians and their own troops.
The guerilla tactics used by the Vietcong well suited to the jungle.
Many Americans questioned why the USA was supporting the South Vietnamese, which was corrupt.
South Vietnamese peasants supported the Vietcong.
The discipline and morale of US troops was poor (drugtaking and desertion was common.)
The Vietcong a very determined as they saw themselves as defending their own country.
The Vietcong knew their territory well.
The US troops were 12,000 km from the USA and there were issues with equipment and weaponry.
The Vietcong were fighting on home soil and was supplied locally with equipment from China and the USSR.
The continuous media coverage on TV spread an anti-war feeling in the USA.
