1. Moving Toward Conflict in Vietnam
Chapter 30 Section 1

2. French Rule In Vietnam
French ruled most of Indochina from late 1800s to World War II.
Much Vietnamese opposition to French rule.

3. Ho Chi Minh
Vietnamese revolutionaries organize in China under Ho Chi Minh (1924)
Forms Indochinese Communist Party
Ho Chi Minh returns in 1940 and forms Vietminh

4. Vietminh
Organization who worked for Vietnam’s independence from foreign rule
These fought against the Americans

5. US aid to France French troops tried to take Vietnam again
U.S. gave $15 million in aid to France in 1950 – year that it entered the struggle

6. Continued Support
Eisenhower kept policy of supporting French war effort.
1954 – domino theory – countries all falling to Communism
French finally overran at Dien Bien Phu

7. US Presidents None wanted the label of having “lost Vietnam” LBJ 1964
“another Korea…don’t think it’s worth fighting for…don’t think we can get out…just the biggest damned mess that I ever saw”

8. By last troops leaving in ‘73
Cost taxpayers $150 billion
58,000 US deaths, 300,000 wounded
570,000 “draft dodgers”
563,000 less-than-honorable discharges
Most divisive American issue since Civil War

9. Geneva Accords
Temporarily divided Vietnam along 17th parallel

10. Ngo Dinh Diem South Vietnam’s president
Cancelled elections (w/ US support)
Sets up corrupt gov’t.
Restricted Buddhism
Eventually assassinated (with US knowledge)

11. Vietcong Communist opposition group in the South Fought against the US
Supported by Ho Chi Minh
Fought guerrilla warfare
Used network of paths called Ho Chi Minh trail

14. Kennedy increases aid
President Kennedy increased financial aid to Ngo Dinh Diem
By end of 1963, 16,000 US troops in S. Vietnam

15. Buddhism
Diem attacked Buddhism, imprisoning and killing Buddhist clerics
Many protested

17. Withdrawal? Kennedy had announced plans to withdraw from Vietnam
Johnson increases involvement

18. Gulf of Tonkin (N. Vietnamese Coast)
North Vietnamese patrol boat fires torpedo at American destroyer (missed)
USS Maddox fires back and inflicts heavy damage
USS Maddox allegedly fired on again
Johnson launches bombing strikes on N. Vietnam

19. Tonkin Gulf (continued)
Also C. Turner Joy
Destroyers had been monitoring S. Vietnamese attacking 2 N Vietnamese islands
LBJ asked Congress for more military powers in Vietnam

20. Tonkin Gulf Resolution
Congress approves and passes Tonkin Gulf Resolution
only 2 Senators voted against
By Feb 1965, LBJ orders sustained bombing of N. Vietnam
By June 1965, 50,000 US soldiers in Vietnam

22. Operation Rolling Thunder
Feb 1965 – VC kill 8 and wound 126 Americans at Pleiku
More attacks later in week
LBJ orders first sustained bombing of N. Vietnam

23. General William Westmoreland

24. 1988 – Charleston, SC’s most famous resident
And Gen. Westmoreland