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The impact of the war on civilians and attitudes in the USA
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The Vietnam War devastated Vietnamese civilians and split American society.
Winning 'hearts and minds'
The USA tried to win the 'hearts and minds' of South Vietnamese peasants with aid, medicine and building projects.
But bombing, search and destroy missions and burned villages turned many against the USA.
But bombing, search and destroy missions and burned villages turned many against the USA.
Civilians in Vietnam
My Lai (1968): US soldiers killed hundreds of unarmed villagers.
The Phoenix Programme targeted the Vietcong's hidden network; thousands of suspects were killed, some of them innocent.
Defoliation with chemicals such as Agent Orange destroyed crops and forests and caused long-term health problems.
Millions became refugees.
The Phoenix Programme targeted the Vietcong's hidden network; thousands of suspects were killed, some of them innocent.
Defoliation with chemicals such as Agent Orange destroyed crops and forests and caused long-term health problems.
Millions became refugees.
Attitudes in the USA
University protests grew, especially against the draft and the invasion of Cambodia (Kent State, 1970).
The media showed the brutality of war.
In 1971 the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, chaired by Senator Fulbright, heard from veterans who had turned against the war.
Others supported the war and resented the protesters.
The media showed the brutality of war.
In 1971 the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, chaired by Senator Fulbright, heard from veterans who had turned against the war.
Others supported the war and resented the protesters.
Why did the 'hearts and minds' policy often fail?
- The USA offered aid to win peasant support.
- But its bombing and search and destroy missions killed civilians and destroyed villages.
- So many peasants turned to the Vietcong instead.
Answer: US military tactics harmed the very people the policy was meant to win over.
Hearts and minds aimed to win peasants but was undermined by violence. Civilians suffered from My Lai (1968), the Phoenix Programme, defoliation and becoming refugees. In the USA, university protests, media coverage and the Fulbright Hearings (1971) increased opposition, while others still supported the war.
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