The+Vietnam+War

Vietnam - Path to War



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

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

1930s – **communist revolts led by Ho Chi Minh – 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 attacks 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**

notes Sent economic military aid to France to help them keep their colonies in Indochina (including Vietnam) || **EISENHOWER** Felt that if one country falls to Communism then others would follow- the domino theory. || **KENNEDY** U.S. supports an overthrow of Ngo Dinh Diem in 1966. Doesn't want to be soft on Communism. Continued to send advisors-at his death, there were 16,000 Americans in Vietnam || **JOHNSON** Comits the US more fully to the war in Vietnam. "We are not about to send American boys 10,000 miles away to do waht Asian boys  ought to do for themselves " ||
 * PRESIDENTIAL INVOLVEMENT **
 * [[image:turningpoints/hst.gif align="left" caption="hst.gif"]] || [[image:turningpoints/dde.gif align="left" caption="dde.gif"]] || [[image:turningpoints/lfk.gif align="left" caption="lfk.gif"]] || [[image:turningpoints/lbj.gif align="left" caption="lbj.gif"]] ||
 * **TRUMAN**
 * notes**
 * notes**
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 * =** The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution **=

notes President can "take all necessary measure" to protect American forces and "prevent further aggression".

HE'S ASKING FOR A BLANK CHECK

P asses unanimously in the House and only has 2 opposing votes in the Senate. "All Vietnam is not worth the life of a single American boy" || || ||
 * Sec. of Defense Robert McNamera || ||


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

notes

Bombs were dropped in Vietnam. A lot more than all the bombs dropped in Europe in World War 11. ||

= =
 * = American ground troops enter Vietnam =

notes 35000 Marines join 20,000 + military advisors. || ||

My questions about the Vietnam War: