1. The Vietnam War

2. Who France-Tried to colonize Vietnam in the 1800’s The United States
Split into two parts (north and south) by the Geneva Accords
North Vietnam is communist (Led by Ho Chi Minh)
Ho Chi Minh’s Supporters are called Vietminh
Viet Cong-Southern Vietnamese who supported Ho Chi Minh
South Vietnam is capitalist and supported by the U.S. It’s leader is Ngo Dinh Diem

3. What Military conflict in Vietnam
France tries to colonize Vietnam starting in 1800
Vietnam resists, led by Ho Chi Minh
Vietnam kicks out the French in 1954
Geneva Accords-Agree to split Vietnam in two parts.
Vietnam War
War between the Capitalist South Vietnamese(Supported by the U.S.) and the Communist North Vietnamese(Supported secretley by the Chinese and the U.S.S.R)

4. Where

5. Where

6. Where

7. Where

8. When 1862-France captures Saigon
1950-U.S starts giving money to the French to help them fight the communist Vietminh
1951-U.S. Institutes the Draft
1954/May- Ho Chi Minh and the Vietminh defeat the French. The French leave.
1954/April- Geneva Accords split Vietnam in two
Military advisors are in South Vietnam to try and help the Capitalists(sent by Eisenhower)

9. When 1961-1963-JFK sends 16,000 more troops to South Vietnam
1963- South Vietnamese military leaders overthrow Diem (Coup d'état)
1963/Nov-JFK assasinated
1964-August-LBJ claims that N. Vietnam attacked the U.S. Navy in the gulf of Tonkin
1964-August 7-Congress passes the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution that authorizes the president authority to “take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the U.S. and to prevent further aggression.”

10. When
1964-November-LBJ starts to escalate the war by sending in more U.S. troops (this time they weren’t sent to advise)
1966- U.S. starts bombing N. Vietnam by airplane
1967-Troop levels in S. Vietnam reach almost 500,000
1968-Jan 30- Tet Offensive (Surprise attack on the Vietnamese new year by the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese)

11. When 1968-May-Paris Peace Talks begin to try to end the conflict
1968-Nov-Nixon is elected president
1969-June-Vietnamization begins (U.S. troops slowly replaced by S. Vietnamese troops)
1970-Nixon announces that troops had entered Cambodia to root out the communists
1970-May 4-Kent State Shooting (4 student protesters are shot by Ohio National Guardsmen)
1973-Jan-U.S., S. Vietnam, N. Vietnam, and the Vietcong sign a peace treaty
1973-U.S. removes combat troops from Vietnam
1975- North Vietnam attacks and defeats the South.

12. When
1975- Cambodia falls to the communists (led by dictator Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge) (Kill 1.5 Million Cambodians)
1982-Vietnam Veterans Memorial opens

13. Why did the U.S. fight in Vietnam?
To stop communism!
The war in Vietnam was an extension of the Cold War
Truman believed in the Containment Policy (the belief that we should try to stop communism from spreading)
Eisenhower talked about the Domino Theory (the belief that if one country fell to communism, it would cause its neighbors to fall)

14. How
The war escalated over time, first we sent money, then advisors, then actual troops
Guerilla war- Hit and run and hide fighting technique
Allows an inferior force to inflict serious damage
Very effective when defending your homeland against a uniformed enemy
Ambush-Sneak attack on an enemy (lying in wait for the enemy to come to you)

15. How
Jungle warfare-fighting in the jungle (very hot, humid and generally miserable
Tunnel Systems-Used by the enemy to evade capture and to attack U.S. Troops
Saturation bombing- Bombing by the U.S. that hit every inch of a given area
Agent Orange-Herbicide used to kill all the plants in a given area
Napalm-Jelly like flammable substance used to burn jungle flora