Presidential Roles In Vietnam

Harry Truman He refuses Ho Chi Minh’s pleas at the end of WWII to keep the French out of Vietnam Aids the French in their fight against Vietnam Sends 35 military advisors to Vietnam in May of 1950

Dwight Eisenhower Increases support to France Supports Diem and encourages him to cancel the elections in 1954 Sends soldiers to train the ARVN –About 1,400 to 2000 troops in Vietnam when he leaves office

John F. Kennedy Increases involvement –Sends technology and more advisors –Navy patrols rivers and coasts to stop supplies going to the Vietcong –Air Force used to locate VC and drop Agent Orange –14,000-20,000 non combat advisors in Vietnam when he is assassinated

Lyndon Johnson Johnson takes a strong anti- communist stance but needs a reason for further involvement Gulf of Tonkin Resolution – gave the President all power to take all necessary measures to repel any attack Launches first bombings Sends first combat troops Operation Rolling Thunder – bombing raids on bases, roads, railways, and the Ho Chi Minh Trail

Lyndon Johnson U.S. troops land at Da Nang in % of U.S. Disapproves of Johnson and his handling of the war Johnson doesn’t run for a second term Turns Vietnam into a full scale war –500,000 combat troops

Richard Nixon Plans on ending U.S. involvement Expands war to Laos and Cambodia Begins Vietnamization – train S. Vietnamese to fight their own war and take the place of U.S. troops Nixon Doctrine – U.S. would give money and weapons to countries, but wouldn’t fight wars for them

Richard Nixon Orders the bombing of N. Vietnamese cities to force them to negotiate peace March 1973 – He pulls all U.S. troops Promises continued support of S. Vietnam

Gerald Ford Urges Congress to give aid to S. Vietnam, but Congress refuses 1975 North Vietnam captures Saigon and unifies Vietnam under a communist government Official announces the end of the Vietnam conflict