Moving Toward Conflict

Lieutenant Colonel A. Peter Dewey

60,000 Americans would die1.5 million Vietnamese

Vietnam War

1950Post WWII FranceCommunism?

Why Vietnam?

Late 1800’s to WWIIFrance ruled Indochina

Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia

France in Vietnam

French ColonistsTook land from

peasantsRaided rubber and

riceJailed and restricted

freedom to Vietnamese

1930’suprisings

Ho Chi MinhIndochinese

Communist Party founded in 1930

Led uprisingsCondemned to death

by FrenchFled to Soviet Union

and China

Japanese take control of VietnamMinh returnsVietminh created

1941

Ho chi Minh declared independenceHanoi, Vietnam

September 2, 1945

1946 – Drove Vietminh out of the citiesGained control of the southern half

France

1950Began sending aid ($$) to FranceIrony

US formerly supplied Ho Chi Minh in efforts against the Japanese!

Why aid France now???!!???

United States

Communism

Continued to supply FrenchDomino Theory

Ike

Vietminh drive the French out of this northern city

France taps out

Dien Bien Phu

Geneva AccordsDivided Vietnam

along the 17th parallel

Hanoi – Northern capital

Saigon – Southern capital