1. Vietnam War 1954-1975

2. Background  Vietnam colony of France  WW II ended and returned to France  Communist & Vietnamese nationalist revolutionary Ho Chi Minh wants independence

3. Frances Exits  Ho Chi Minh defeats France  Vietnam divided along the 17 th parallel  North backed by Minh and communist  South backed by Ngo Dinh Diem and western democracies

4. Growing Tension  North Vietnam wants to unite all of Vietnam under communism  USA organizes South East Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) to protect independence of South Vietnam  Maintain policy of containment SEATO Flag

5. Domino Theory  USA is afraid of the domino theory that if one country falls to communism the rest will also fall

6. USA Enters War  Gulf of Tonkin Incident  August 1964 President Johnson claimed that North Vietnam attacked US ships in the Gulf of Tonkin  Congress passes the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and sends troops

7. Turning Point 1968  Tet (lunar new year) Offensive  Communist attack 30 South Vietnamese cities  http://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/tet-offensive http://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/tet-offensive

8. USA Withdraws  Vietnam War very unpopular in the US  Kent State  Dodging the mandatory draft  Length of war  Cost of war approximately $140 billion  January 1973 cease fire http://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/vietnam-war-history/videos/vietnam

9. Victory of North Vietnam  April 1975 South Vietnamese troops retreat without consulting US  South Vietnamese President Thieu resigns and communist take over  Vietnam united under communism