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American Intervention

The American intervention in Vietnam during the 1950s and 60s was fueled by the Domino Theory, a belief that if one country fell to communism, others would follow. President Eisenhower's concerns about communism led to financial and military aid to South Vietnam. The failure of promised elections and the oppressive Diem regime sparked unrest. Despite initial limited involvement, escalating advisors and the Viet Cong threat drew the US deeper. Kennedy's cautious approach shifted under LBJ, who feared losing Vietnam would weaken the US. Ultimately, full-scale involvement was driven by the Domino Theory, leading to the longest and most divisive war in American history.

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American Intervention

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  1. American Intervention Vietnam 1950s-60s

  2. Why go to Vietnam? • Domino Theory!!! • “You have a row of dominoes set up. You knock the first one, and what will happen to the last one is a certainty, that it will go over very quickly” • President Eisenhower 1954 • USA were worried by the growth of communism in South East Asia especially the growing influence of China.

  3. “Propping Up the Domino” • US leader of the Free World? • The popular view of the time that if the US did not intervene then Communism would spread. • Therefore the US had no alternative to support South Vietnam? • Financial Aid • Military Aid • Military Advisors

  4. Elections • Under the Geneva agreements of 1954, a general election would be held before July 1956 • Why did this not happen? • Ho Chi Minh was sure he could win the Election • The USA knew how popular Ho Chi Minh was and knew he was likely to win

  5. Problems in The South • Active Communist guerrilla movements • Very Strong nationalist side to these movements • Strong opposition to the regimes like that of President Diem • Vietnam was a domino on the verge of being knocked over

  6. Why was the Diem Regime unpopular? Diem was a rich catholic, unlike most who were poor and Buddhist Diem supported rich landowners and persecuted Buddhists Diem hunted down Vietminh supporters and executed them if they did not support him While Ho Chi Minh gave out land to poor farmers, Diem let landlords raise rent for peasants Diem did not represent the majority of Vietnamese people

  7. Why did USA support Diem • Eisenhower was determined not to let communism spread into South Vietnam • Diem was strongly anti-communist • USA started a propaganda campaign against North Vietnam. • It claimed the Vietminh and the Chinese were killing innocent civilians • North Vietnamese were accused of killing thousands of Vietnamese living in the North who were political opponents of Communism • The USA had started a ‘psychological war’ against communism in Vietnam

  8. Limited Intervention • Increased during the Kennedy administration • US Military advisors • 1961 – 3,000 Military advisors • 1962 – 11,000 Military advisors • Slowly these advisors were drawn into conflict with the Viet Cong

  9. What was the US advisors Role? • Improve the Training of the South Vietnamese forces (ARVN) to counter the growing threat from the Viet Cong (US term for Vietnamese Communist)

  10. What was the Vietcong's aim? • Overthrow the corrupt and unfair Diem Government • Reunite Vietnam under communism • The Vietcong thought communism was the best solution for all of Vietnam

  11. JFK and Vietnam • Kennedy was not keen to send US combat troops to Vietnam (too heavily involved) • Kennedy inherited a very unpopular policy called ‘strategic hamlets’ • Kennedy wanted to win ‘the hearts and minds’ of the Vietnamese people • “We are not going to bungle into war” • Kennedy was heavily influenced by “The Guns of August” book about the mistakes made by European leaders and Generals in WW1 Why would this be important for the US in Vietnam?

  12. Strategic Hamlets • Relocating villagers into fortified camps with enclosed ditches, barbed wire fences or sharp bamboo fences • Guarded against Vietcong by local non-communists • Villagers in theory would be helping and defending themselves • Relocated peasants were forced to pay for the relocation and rebuilding of their homes • Many South Vietnamese peasants seen it as no different from living in a form of prison

  13. End of Diem • Diem was not effective at ruling South Vietnam or dealing with the increasing problem of the Viet Cong. • Diem could not unite Vietnam against Communism (he was not even succeeding in the South) • Kennedy removed US protection for Diem in 1963 and South Vietnamese generals overthrew the Diem Regime – a Coup • Diem and his brother were executed

  14. Kennedy-LBJ • After Kennedy was assassinated in November 1963 his Vice-president Lyndon B Johnson (LBJ) was sworn in as President • Johnson was convinced the Soviets and the Chinese were behind the growing problems in Vietnam. • He believed the Domino Theory was correct and losing Vietnam and the area would weaken the international position of USA

  15. Full Scale involvement Assistance

  16. Robert McNamara • “The longest and the most divisive war in American history might never have happened had Kennedy not been assassinated in Dallas on 22 November 1963”

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