2.  When HCM began to try to unify Vietnam US sent support to SV  money, supplies, “military advisors”  US advisors were not allowed to fight (wink, wink) Why would the US support SV when they clearly were not willing to live up to the internationally agreed upon elections?

3.  Diem was an unpopular leader  corrupt and opposed to HCM the hero who beat the French  Diem persecuted the Buddhists (largest religious group)  Nov. 1963 Diem is overthrown by SV military and executed How does the US relationship with Diem make the US look bad? What about how Diem’s rule comes to an end in South Vietnam?

4.  With unpopularity of Diem many in SV supported HCM  Vietcong was created as a civilian guerilla force to fight to unify Vietnam under HCM  they were South Vietnamese and they worked along with the North Vietnamese to oust the South Vietnamese government  they were often organized like a military but they were civilians What problems do the VC create for the US?

5.  Aug 2, 1964 USS Maddox is attacked in Gulf of Tonkin (international waters) while on patrol helping SV Navy  attacked by NV boat  no damage, no casualties  Aug 4, 1964 USS Maddox and USS Turner Joy allegedly attacked while on patrol in Gulf of Tonkin  there was no damage, no casualties  there is no evidence that this ever really happened  many believe this was made up to look like US was attacked

6.  Aug 7, 1964 Congress voted to give Pres. Johnson authority to use whatever he thought necessary to DEFEND SOUTH VIETNAM  this allowed US to use force  this did not really give Johnson authority to invade NV  only two votes were cast against this resolution (514-2) What does the vote in Congress tell you about the support for the war when it first began?

7.  The government continually told Americans that this would be a quick and easy conflict (not even a war but a “police action”)  The US had the worlds most powerful military and they were fighting a bunch of farmers with little to no training or weaponry  The US originally sent a small amount of soldiers to Vietnam to fight this war What would happen to support and or morale if it became known that the US would have such a hard time with the Vietnamese?

8.  As the war progressed the North Vietnamese were not as easy to defeat as the US had thought  More US soldiers were needed and sent in small amounts over time  the Johnson Administration would say this should do it and the NV would surely collapse with this pressure now  with more soldiers NV would not collapse so Johnson would decide to send in more troops  This entire time Johnson and the military were telling the American people that the war was going well and we were almost done  The American people mostly believed LBJ