1. Into the Jungle America’s War in Vietnam Movies: Good Morning, Vietnam
Forest Gump Apocalypse Now

2. War Breaks Out in Vietnam (1955-1975)
The Road to War
Ho Chi Minh—Vietnamese nationalist, later Communist leader
The Fighting Begins
In 1954, French surrender to Vietnamese after major defeat
Domino theory—U.S. theory of Communist expansion in Southeast Asia

3. Domino Theory
Fear that if one country in Southeast Asia fell to autocracy and communism, they would all fall like dominoes.

4. War Breaks Out in Vietnam
Vietnam—A Divided Country
International peace conference at Geneva agrees on a divided Vietnam
Vietnam divided at the 17th parallel
North Vietnam under communist Ho Chi Minh
Ngo Dinh Diem—leads anti-Communist government in South Vietnam (set up by the U.S. & France)
Vietcong—South Vietnamese Communist guerillas fighting against Diem

5. Ho Chi Minh Leader of Communist North Vietnam’s:
North Vietnamese Army (NVA)
Viet Minh (VM)
Viet Cong (VC)

6. Viet Minh
Ho Chi Minh’s communist political party.

7. Viet Cong
Communist guerilla warrior group led by Ho Chi Minh.

8. Lyndon B. Johnson
US president who escalated America’s involvement in Vietnam’s civil war.

9. The United States Gets Involved
U.S. Troops Enter the Fight
In 1964, U.S. sends troops to fight Viet Cong, North Vietnamese
U.S. fights guerilla war defending increasingly unpopular government
Vietcong gains support from Ho Chi Minh, China, Soviet Union
U.S turns to bombing forest and farms to destroy enemies
U.S. loses peasant support

10. Rolling Thunder Nickname for the “strategic bombing” of North Vietnam.
The US dropped more bombs on Vietnam than Germany in WWII

11. Ho Chi Minh Trail
Path through Laos and Cambodia to smuggle supplies from Russia and China to Viet Cong in South Vietnam.
Bombed and attacked by US forces to no avail.

12. Search & Destroy
American strategy of finding and killing NVA, VM and VC.

13. Agent Orange
Toxic defoliant (poison) America sprayed on Vietnamese jungles.
Causes cancer, diabetes and birth defects.

14. Napalm
Jellied gasoline used in firebombs America dropped on Vietnamese villages.

15. Tet Offensive
Massive attack by NVA, VM and VC forces on the Vietnamese New Year in 1968.
Showed that America was not and could not win the war.

16. Vietnam After the War
Saigon renamed Ho Chi Minh City; Vietnam united as Communist nation
About 1.5 million people flee Vietnam, some settling in U.S., Canada
In 1995, United States normalizes relations with Vietnam

17. The United States Withdraws
War grows unpopular in U.S.; in 1969, Nixon starts withdrawing troops
Vietnamization—Nixon’s plan to withdraw U.S. from war gradually
Last U.S. troops leave in 1973; South Vietnam overrun in 1975
Vietnam is still a Communist nation but are looking for other countries to invest in their country (like China)

18. Postwar Southeast Asia
Cambodia in Turmoil
Khmer Rouge—Communist rebels who take control of Cambodia in 1975 (Led by Pol Pot)
They slaughter 2 million people; overthrown by Vietnamese invaders in 1978
Vietnamese leave in 1989
In 1993, Cambodia adopts democracy, holds elections with UN help