1. Origins of the Vietnam War Chapter 16 Section 1

2. Kennedy and Nixon O Shared a vision for a better America in the 1960’s O Still against Communism!!! O Wanted new defense against Communism in Vietnam.

3. Vietnam O Never attracted too much attention until the 1960’s O Located in SE Asia

4. 1800’s O France ruled Indochina O 27 million people O High taxes O Tough rulers O French controlled everything!

5. Ho Chi Minh O Some rebelled O One who wanted independence! O Very anti-French! O Embraced the idea of Communism O Vietminh – Ho Chi Minh’s Communist party

6. Domino Theory O The idea if one country falls to Communism, the next will. O US felt the need to protect the region

7. Geneva Accords O French and the Vietminh fight for 8 years. O French finally fall (1954) O 15,000 casualties O France granted independence O Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia

8. Geneva Accords O Divided N. Vietnam and S. Vietnam at 17 th parallel O Ho Chi Minh – North – communist O Anti-communist government supported by US in south

9. SEATO O Southeast Asia Treaty Organization O Goal was to stop the spread of communism in SE Asia O Ngo Dinh Diem – Ran S. Vietnam. Anti- communist

10. Vietcong O Rebel group created in 1957in the south. O Guerilla warfare O Bombed out roads O Killed government officials

11. JFK O Elected in 1960 O 1961 – Special forces sent in O 1963- 15,000 Americans O Diem assassinated – 1963 O Two weeks later JFK killed O Johnson sworn in

12. August 2, 1964 O US was fired up for the first time in Gulf of Tonkin O Gulf of Tonkin Resolution – “Take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression” Officially committed now to Vietnam

13. O http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSCN4R cfW_I&safe=active http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSCN4R cfW_I&safe=active