1. Chapter 30: Vietnam Era Section 2: War in Vietnam
April 8

2. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer.
Daily Focus Skills 2 2

3. Causes of the Vietnam War
Vietnam was a French colony
The Vietnamese wanted independence
Vietnamese forces, led by Communist Ho Chi Minh, fought France for independence.
The French were defeated in 1954
Ho Chi Minh

4. Causes of the Vietnam War
Geneva Accords—temporarily divided Vietnam
North Vietnam=Communist
South Vietnam=non-Communists
U.S. supported South Vietnam
Vietnam would reunify in 1956, after national elections
With U.S. support, South Vietnamese leader, Ngo Dinh Diem, refused to hold the elections

5. Causes of the Vietnam War
Communist in South Vietnam disapproved of Diem’s policies and brutal tactics
When Diem tried to destroy the forces working against him, they formed the National Liberation Front, or the VIETCONG.
In 1959 the Vietcong started a war to defeat the Diem regime.
Ngo Dinh Diem

6. U.S. Involvement
The U.S. supported South Vietnam because of the Domino Theory.
Eisenhower sent South Vietnam billions of dollars and military advisors.

7. The U.S. and Vietnam (cont.)
Kennedy continued the support.
He sent more military advisers and pressured the Diem regime to make reforms that would eliminate conditions that had spurred Communism—Diem refused
Aid continued to flowed from North Vietnam to the South to fuel the guerrilla war against Diem.
JFK

8. The U.S. and Vietnam (cont.)
The Kennedy administration found it hard to continue to support Diem.
In Nov. 1963, the South Vietnamese military overthrew the government and assassinated Diem.
Kennedy supported the COUP, but not the assassination.
Buddhist’s monks protested Diem’s Rule by setting themselves on fire on busy streets.

9. The Conflict Deepens After JFK’s death Johnson became president
In 1964, the North Vietnamese navy attacked U.S. ships in the Gulf of Tonkin.
Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
The resolution allowed the president to take “all necessary measures” to repel armed attacks on U.S. forces. AKA send more troops.
Johnson used the resolution to ESCALATE, or gradually increase, U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

10. The Conflict Deepens (cont.)
The U.S. military began a bombing campaign against North Vietnam in the mid-1960s
One target of the bombing was the Ho Chi Minh Trail, a network of roads, paths, and bridges connecting North and South Vietnam.
Bridges, docks, factories, and military bases in the North were also bombed.

11. The Conflict Deepens (cont.)
U.S. forces found fighting a ground war in Vietnam difficult:
Dense jungles, muddy trails, and swampy areas made troop movements difficult.
Vietcong blended in with the rest of the population; it was hard to tell friends and enemies apart.
South Vietnamese military didn’t fight effectively.

14. The Conflict Deepens (cont.)
Besides bombs, planes dropped napalm, an explosive that burned intensely.
Agent Orange, a toxic herbicide, was used to destroy jungle vegetation
Agent Orange contaminated many Americans and Vietnamese, causing severe health issues and death.
The American forces conducted search-and-destroy missions—find North Vietnamese or Vietcong and destroy them

15. The Conflict Deepens (cont.)
U.S. caused enormous Vietcong losses-wasn’t enough
The Johnson administration began to believe the U.S. could not win the war.
The war was taking too long—Public opposition to the war began to grow

16. Assignment Quadrant Cards Draw a picture representing the word
Vocabulary Term
Draw a picture representing the word
Definition-in your own words
So What?-tell me why it is important