Moving towards conflict Vietnam War Moving towards conflict

I. French Rule in Vietnam A) From the late 1800s until WWII France ruled over Vietnam B) They encountered growing unrest from Vietnamese peasants

C) Many Vietnamese nationalists fled to China under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh

II. Japanese take control A) In 1940 the Japanese take control of Vietnam. B) The next year, Ho Chi Minh returns and forms the Vietminh, an to win independence from foreign rule. C) When Japan is forced to leave in 1945 Ho Chi Minh declares Vietnam an independent nation.

III. Not so Fast! The French Return A) French troops move back in to the country regaining control of the southern half B) Ho Chi Minh vowed to fight from the North and rid the South of French control C)The U.S. sends $15 million in aide to France Why did the U.S. support France???

D) In 1954 Eisenhower explained the domino theory which compared the countries on the brink of communism to a row of dominoes waiting.

IV. Geneva Accords Temporarily divided Vietnam at the 17th parallel. (Communist control the North ) A election was to be held between Ho Chi Minh and Diem the anti-communist leader.

V. Diem Cancels Elections A) Recognizing Ho Chi Minhs popularity, South Vietnam’s president Diem refused to take part in the country wide elections. C) The US promised military aide to Diem in return for a stable government in the South

D) Instability in the South 1) Diem becomes very unpopular because he did not support land reform, along with attacks on Buddhism 2) A communist opposition group in the south, known as the Vietcong begins attacks on the Diem government

E. Ho Chi Minh supported the Vietcong via a network of paths that became known as the Ho Chi Minh trail

VI. The U.S. Steps up A) Because Diem couldn’t maintain stability the US supported a military coup that toppled Diem’s regime

B. Tonkin Gulf Resolution North Vietnamese patrol boat was believed to have fired a torpedo at an American destroyer. President Johnson asked congress to adopt the Tonkin Gulf Resolution which gave Johnson “ all necessary powers to take all necessary measures to repel an armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggressions.”

Do you think congress was justified in passing the Tonkin Gulf resolution? Use details from your text and notes to support your response