Vietnam-Path+to+War

Vietnam-The Path to War


 * A BRIEF HISTORY OF VIETNAM [[image:turningpoints/vietnamsill.gif align="right"]]**

Pre 1800s – **Vietnam has** Dynastic **rulers, influenced by** China

LATE 1800s – **Vietnam is a** French **colony, called** Indochina

1930s – **communist revolts led by** Ho Chi Minh **flees to China and USSR**

1940s – **Ho Chi Minh forms** Vietminh **party in order to liberate Vietnam – declare independence in 1945**

1954 – **Vietminh successfully** defeats French **in north Vietnam and establish communist government in north**

1954 – **Vietnam is split** temporarily **by the Geneva Accords, with free elections to be held in 1956 to unite the nation**

LATE 1950s – Civil War **in Vietnam between Communist North and American-supported South**


 * PRESIDENTIAL INVOLVEMENT **
 * [[image:turningpoints/hst.gif align="left"]] || [[image:turningpoints/dde.gif width="157" height="169" align="left"]] || [[image:turningpoints/lfk.gif align="left"]] || [[image:turningpoints/lbj.gif align="left"]] ||
 * **TRUMAN**
 * notes**


 * Sent Military and**
 * Economic Aid to**
 * France to help them**
 * keep their colonies**
 * in Indochina, including**
 * Vietnam** || **EISENHOWER**
 * notes**


 * Felt that if one country**
 * falls to Communism, then**
 * others would follow, -- the**
 * domino effect. Helped establish**
 * a puppet state in South**
 * Vietnam and sent military**
 * advisers to help in the South.**
 * Ngo Dinh Diem leads**
 * South Vietnam**
 * -won't hold free elections.** || **KENNEDY**
 * notes**


 * U.S. supports an overthrow**
 * of Ngo Dinh Diem in 1963.**
 * US doesn't want to be soft on**
 * Communism. Continued to**
 * send advisers -- at his death,**
 * there were 16,000 Americans**
 * in Vietnam.** || **JOHNSON**
 * notes**


 * Commits to the US more full to the war**
 * in Vietnam.**
 * Originally sends a few more**
 * advisers. "We aren't going to send American**
 * boys 10,000 miles away, to do what**
 * Vietnamese boys should do."**
 * Gulf of Tonkin Incident- USA boats attacked.** ||


 * =** The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution **=

notes

to protect American forces and "prevent further aggression." A BLANK CHECK
 * President can "take all necessary measures"

2 opposing in the Senate.
 * Passes unanimously in the House and only has


 * LBJ states that "we will seek no wider war". ||  || [[image:http://www.findingdulcinea.com/docroot/dulcinea/fd_images/news/on-this-day/July-August-08/On-this-Day--False-Claims-of-Attack-Lead-Congress-to-Authorize-Vietnam-War/news/0/image.jpg]] ||
 * Sec. of Defense Robert McNamera ||  ||


 * [[image:http://cdn.dipity.com/uploads/events/0bbab3dff8455159bcacb94c240ceb82_1M.png]] || =** Operation Rolling Thunder **=

notes

Operation Rolling Thunder-USA dropped a lot of bombs, (more than they dropped on Germany in WWII) on Vietnam ||

= =
 * = American ground troops enter Vietnam =

notes

3,500 Marines join 20,000+ military advisers are sent to Vietnam || ||