1. Cold War Roots of the Conflict
The Vietnam War Years:
( )
Chapter 30, Section 1

2. Essential Question:
What justifies a country going to war?

3. Edward Lansdale U.S. Military Officer in South Vietnam in June 1954
Mission: Stop the Spread of Communism into South Vietnam (from North Vietnam)
Believed U.S. Could Stop the Spread of Communism by:
“Winning the Hearts and Minds of the People”
Giving Generous Economic and Military Aid

4. Ngo Dinh Diem Leader of South Vietnam Opposed Communism
U.S. Supported Ngo Dinh Diem
The South Vietnamese Citizens HATED Ngo Dinh Diem

5. Where is Vietnam?

6. French Indo-China
France Owned French Indo-China Since the Late 1800’s:
Vietnam
Laos
Cambodia
(Imperialism) (Colonies)
France Wanted Vietnam for Rice and Rubber (Economic)
The Vietnamese People Hated the French

7. Ho Chi Minh Leader of North Vietnam
In 1930, Ho Chi Minh Formed the Indochinese Communist Party
Wanted Freedom from France:
Wanted Communism
Wanted the Peasants and Workers to Run the Country (Majority of the People)

8. France’s Reaction
Ho Chi Minh & the Indochinese Communist Party (ICP) Organized Protests for Independence
France Reacted by Arresting Leaders of the ICP & Executions
Ho Chi Minh was Sentenced to Death (Escaped Out of the Country)
What is this Very Similar Too?

9. World War II During WWII, France Got it’s Butt Kicked by Germany
Japan Took Over French Indo-China
Ho Chi Minh Returned to Vietnam During WWII:
Formed the Viet Minh
Fought for Independence from Japan
U.S. Supported Ho Chi Minh Against Japan (U.S. Enemy)

10. Japan’s Empire 1942

11. World War II Ends Japan Loses WWII
Ho Chi Minh Declares Independence for French Indo-China
France was Angry: France Wants Their Colonies Back!
France & Vietnam Go to War in Vietnam ( )

12. France Struggles to Win
France Struggled to Win the War in Vietnam – Asks the U.S. for Help
U.S. Agreed to Help France:
Cold War was Going On (Containment)
Fear of the Spread of Communism in Asia (China & North Korea Turned)
Wanted France to Help U.S. Against the Soviet Union in Europe
Did NOT Want Vietnam to Become Communist
Gave France $10 Million Dollars in Military Aid (Weapons) to Help France

13. The Domino Theory
U.S. Belief That if a Country Became Communist, Nearby Neighboring Countries Would Then Also Become Communist
Cold War Theory
U.S. Feared if Vietnam Became Communist, So Would Other South Eastern Asian Countries

16. The Geneva Accords (1954) France Could NOT Defeat the Viet Minh
Both France & Vietnam Agreed to a Peace Agreement to End the War in 1954
Geneva Accords:
Vietnam Would Be Divided into North & South Vietnam by the 17th North Parallel Line TEMPORARILY
Both Sides Agreed to Hold an Election in 1956 to Reunify the Country
North Vietnam: Communism
South Vietnam: Democracy

17. Ngo Dinh Diem
Leader of South Vietnam Refused to Have an Election in 1956 (Violation of the Geneva Accords)
U.S. Supported Diem
Diem Would Have Lost to Ho Chi Minh
South Vietnamese People Hated Diem:
Did Not Establish a Democracy in S. Vietnam
Ran a Corrupt Government
Jailed, Tortured & Killed Opponents Against Him

18. Viet Cong South Vietnamese Who Believed in Communism & Hated Diem
Fought to Overthrow Diem’s Government in South Vietnam and Reunite Vietnam to be Communist
North Vietnam Supported the Viet Cong with War Supplies and Soldiers
U.S. Would Struggle Fighting the Viet Cong

19. The Ho Chi Minh Trail
Secret Underground Tunnel System Used by the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese to Attack South Vietnam
Used to Move Supplies and Troops Secretly
Built Through Laos & Cambodia
Why?

21. Fidel Castro Leader of Cuba Story of Cuban Revolution
U.S. Supported Castro to Overthrow Cuban Government
Castro Betrayed U.S. by Making Cuba Communist

22. Bay of Pigs Invasion (1961)
U.S. Trained Cuban Exiles Who Fled Cuba to Invade Cuba & Overthrow Castro
Why Doesn’t the U.S. Just Attack Cuba with it’s Own Army?
There was a Spy! Cuba Was Waiting for the Invasion
Attack Failed! U.S. Looks Really Bad!

25. The Berlin Wall The Soviets Built the Berlin Wall in 1961
East Germans (Berlin) Were Escaping into West Germany
Soviets Built the Berlin Wall to Prevent East Germans Living in East Berlin Escaping West
Cold War Tensions Increased Between the U.S. & the U.S.S.R.

28. The Berlin Wall

30. Hypothesize
Why Do YOU Think the Berlin Wall Symbolized Communist Oppression?

32. Fidel Castro’s Fears
After the Bay of Pigs Invasion, Fidel Castro Feared a U.S. Invasion
Asked the Soviet Union for Military Aid
The Soviet Union Secretly Placed Nuclear Missiles in Cuba
Could Attack the U.S. in Minutes

33. The Cuban Missile Crisis
U.S. Found Out About the Soviet Missiles in Cuba:
Cuba is Located 90 Miles Away From Florida
Could Strike the U.S. in Minutes
Could Start WWIII
JFK Told Cuba They Must Remove the Missiles or Else
Cuba Refused
“The Greatest Danger of All Would be to do Nothing”
If YOU Were JFK, What Would YOU Have Done?

35. JFK Orders a Naval Blockade
John F. Kennedy Decides to Order a Naval Blockade of Cuba
No Soviet Ships Allowed In or Out of Cuba Until Cuba Agrees to Remove the Missiles
Peaceful Tactic/ Avoids War for Now
YouTube JFK Speaking to the Country!

41. Thirteen Days
For 13 Days, the U.S. & the Soviet Union Waited for the Other Side to Blink
The World Waited for World War III to Break Out
Nuclear War!
Thirteen Days is a Great Movie About the Cuban Missile Crisis

46. World War III?
Ask Your Grandparents What Schools Did in Case of a Nuclear Attack
I Call it the, “Bend Over and Kiss Your Butt Good-Bye” Policy

53. The 13th Day
On the 13th Day, After the U.N. Meeting, the Soviet Union Turned Their Ships Around
Soviet Union Agreed to Remove Missiles From Cuba
U.S. Agreed to Remove Nuclear Missiles from Turkey (Close to the U.S.S.R.) 6 Months Later
WWIII Was Avoided

54. Back to Vietnam… In South Vietnam, More and More Citizens Hated Diem
U.S. Told Diem to Make Political, Economic & Political Changes
Diem Refused
U.S. Supported a Military Coup to Overthrew Diem

55. JFK Assassinated Diem Was Assassinated Despite JFK’s Wishes
3 Weeks Later, JFK Was Assassinated
LBJ Took Over as President
LBJ Wished to Fight in Vietnam to Stop the Spread of Communism

56. Hypothesize
Why do YOU think many Americans disagreed with the United States’ involvement in Vietnam?

57. Essential Question:
What justifies a country going to war?