1. How the U.S. got involved in Vietnam

2. Unit Objectives To understand the background of conflict in Vietnam
To analyze why America chose to get involved

3. Background Vietnam had a long history of fighting foreign control
-Had been dominated by the Chinese for
hundreds of years
-Became a French colony in the late 1800’s
-Invaded by Japan during WWII

4. After WWII Vietnam wanted independence but France reasserted its control
-Ho Chi Minh (Vietminh):

5. France asked for U.S. assistance putting down the rebellion
-Arguments against helping France:
-Arguments for helping France:

6. Which way do you think America went and why?

7. Despite U.S. aide, the Vietminh won the decisive Battle of Dien Bien Phu (1954) and declared its independence
Geneva Accords: Settlement terms that ended French control of Vietnam; Elections to determine who would rule the new country of Vietnam (Communists or non-communists) would be held no later than 1956

8. Ngo Dinh Diem:

9. Why did the U.S. care? Containment Policy (Domino Theory):
Protect U.S. credibility:
U.S. duty as superpower to stop an aggressive power

10. Diem of South Vietnam (supported by the U. S
Diem of South Vietnam (supported by the U.S.) refused to allow the promised elections in 1956 because he knew he would lose
Vietcong:
Difference between North Vietnamese Army and the Vietcong: The Vietcong were rebels, some from South Vietnam

11. Advisors only
Eisenhower and then JFK committed aide and sent “advisors” to train the Vietnamese—no U.S. troops participated in fighting

12. Diem government became harsh and corrupt and began discriminating
against Buddhists—led to many Buddhist monks “immoliating”
themselves in protest

13. Strategic Hamlets
Diem, urged by the U.S. advisors, created special fortified villages protected by machine guns, bunkers, and trenches for South Vietnamese to live in
Unpopular because many peasants resented being uprooted from their homes and farms

14. Assassination of Diem
-Actually made things worse—Diem was a bad leader but a good
Administrator, the country fell apart without his rule making
more U.S. involvement in Vietnam necessary; Three weeks later
JFK was assassinated

15. Lyndon Johnson increased U.S. involvement in
Vietnam more than anyone else (did not want
to be the president that
lost Vietnam to Communism
as Truman had lost China)
LBJ did not allow bombing
of the Ho Chi Minh Trail
outside of Vietnam

16. Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964)
A North Vietnamese ship fired on an American ship, possibly by accident or not at all (made up???)
President Lyndon Johnson exaggerated the incident to Congress and asked for complete authority to do whatever was necessary to fight the Communists in Vietnam

17. Impact of the Resolution