united states involvement in vietnam. the roots of american involvement u.s. involvement began in...
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United States Involvement in Vietnam
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The Roots of American Involvement
• U.S. involvement began in Vietnam in 1950 by financially supporting the French who were at war with the Vietminh.
• The Vietminh was the nationalist fighting force in Indochina
• From the late 1800’s until WWII, the French colonized Indochina (Vietnam).
• The Vietminh fought off the Japanese during WWII.
• After WWII, the French wanted to recolonize Indochina, but were fought off by the Vietminh.
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Vietnam is Divided• When the Vietminh drove
out the French in 1954, the major powers forged a peace agreement.
• Vietnam was divided along the 17th parallel.
• The north was Communist and the South was non Communist.
• The Communist leader in the north was Ho Chi Minh
• The non-Communist leader in the south was Diem.
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The Growth of the Vietcong• The Geneva Peace accords
called for an election in 1956 to reunite Vietnam.
• The president of South Vietnam, Diem, called off the elections because of growing support for Ho Chi Minh and the Communists.
• Diem was oppressive to peasants which lead to a revolutionary movement in the South.
• The revolutionaries were the Vietcong
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The Ho Chi Minh Trail• Communist North
Vietnam began supplying the Viet Cong in the South via the Ho Chi Minh Trail.• This was a supply
route that went from the north to the south through Laos and Cambodia.
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President Kennedy and Vietnam
• In 1961, Kennedy increased support for South Vietnam because people were saying that Democrats were being soft on Communism.
• President Diem increased his persecution of peasants and Buddhists which increased unrest in the South.
• The Vietcong stepped up their attacks and Buddhists protested being persecuted.
• Diem was toppled and executed by the CIA.
• Kennedy was assassinated a few weeks later.
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Johnson Escalates• Lyndon Johnson (LBJ)
expanded the conflict.• He wanted to show that he was
tough on communism
• In 1964, Johnson implemented “Rolling Thunder”• U.S. Bombing campaign of
North Vietnam.
• Johnson also sent tens of thousand of U.S. military advisors to South Vietnam.
• By the end of 1965, there were over 180,000 Americans in Vietnam.