2.  In the early 1900’s the French controlled a section of Southeast Asia known as French Indochina.  Nationalist movements began in a section of French Indochina known as Vietnam.

3.  Ho Chi Minh was a Vietnamese Nationalist leader. He wanted independence from the French.  In the 1930’s Ho Chi Minh turned to the Communists for help.  The French threatened Ho Chi Minh with death so he left the country.

4.  During World War II the Japanese took over Indochina (1941 – 1945).  Ho Chi Minh returned and began reuniting his party. He founded the Vietminh League to promote independence.  He felt for sure when the war was over and the Japanese had lost that Vietnam would become independent.

5.  After World War II Vietnam didn’t become independent. Instead the French returned.  The Communists and Nationalists joined forces to fight the French and become independent.  The French had a good hold in the cities, but in the countryside they had little to no power. The movement had spread to the peasants.

6.  The French people began to think it wasn’t worth the fight to keep Vietnam as a colony.  In 1954 the French suffered a humiliating defeat at Dien Bien Phu against the Vietminh, and they surrendered.

7.  The US had supported France in the fight to maintain control.  With France defeated we felt there was a threat of communism spreading throughout Asia.  Eisenhower feared domino theory – once one country in Southeast Asia fell to communism there would be more countries falling.  This is how we justified getting involved in Vietnam.

8.  In an attempt to prevent Vietnam from becoming communist the US and France back Ngo Dinh Diem an unpopular leader of South Vietnam who rules like a dictator.  Communist guerilla fighters called the Vietcong begin to become popular in the south of Vietnam as well as the north.

9.  As the US and France begin to realize how unpopular Diem is they arrange to have him overthrown and a new leader put into power.  Even after this is done the Vietnamese people are mostly supporting Ho Chi Minh and the communist party.  The US fears Vietnam may become communist.