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THE ROAD TO WAR IN VIETNAM

THE ROAD TO WAR IN VIETNAM. MAIN IDEA: In Asia, the Cold War flared into actual wars supported mainly by the superpowers. FRANCE. By early 1900s France controlled most of resource rich SE Asia Nationalist independence movements began to develop in the part of Indochina that is now Vietnam.

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THE ROAD TO WAR IN VIETNAM

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  1. THE ROAD TO WAR IN VIETNAM MAIN IDEA: In Asia, the Cold War flared into actual wars supported mainly by the superpowers

  2. FRANCE • By early 1900s France controlled most of resource rich SE Asia • Nationalist independence movements began to develop in the part of Indochina that is now Vietnam French Indochina

  3. HO CHI MINH • His Indochinese Communist Party led revolts and strikes against the French during the 1930s • Protesters were jailed, and Ho sentenced to death (he fled into exile) • Japanese took control in 1940 • Ho Chi Minh returned in 1941 and founded the Vietminh League to fight for independence

  4. War for Independence • After the Japanese left in 1945, Ho thought independence would follow • But France wanted its colony back • Vietnamese nationalists and communists join to fight France • Vietminh have wide support of peasantry in countryside • They use hit-and-run tactics to keep the French confined to the cities • France leaves after defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954

  5. Dien Bien Phu

  6. The Domino Theory • USA sees a rising Communist threat to the rest of Asia • Pres. Eisenhower said that the SE Asian nations were like a row of dominos • The fall of one would lead to the fall of its neighbors, and so on • This theory became justification for US foreign policy during the Cold War

  7. The Geneva Accords • After France’s defeat a conference held in Geneva, Switzerland to discuss future of Indochina • Vietnam was temporarily divided at the 17th // • Communists ruled north of the line • South of it France and the USA set up an anti-communist govt. headed by Ngo Dinh Diem • Elections were planned for 1956 to decide what the people wanted

  8. Elections Cancelled • Diem turned out to be an unpopular dictator in the south (Catholic vs. Buddhist majority) • In the north, Ho Chi Minh began a popular program of land redistribution • Sensing that they might result in a win for the communists, the USA supported Diem’s cancellation of the elections

  9. The Vietcong • Opposition to Diem’s corrupt govt. grew, coming mostly from communist guerillas called Viet Cong • Some Vietcong were trained North Vietnamese soldiers, but most were South Vietnamese who hated Diem • The Vietcong won control of large areas of the countryside

  10. Diem Assassinated • In 1963 the USA supported a coup against Diem by a group of South Vietnamese generals • The new leaders were no more popular than Diem, and just as corrupt • It seemed inevitable that the communist Vietcong, backed by North Vietnam would take over the south • The USA was not going to let that happen

  11. The USA Gets Involved in Vietnam • In the 1950s US President Eisenhower had begun sending “military advisors” to South Vietnam • Their job was to train South Vietnamese soldiers • By 1963 there were 16,000 US troops in South Vietnam • After the Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964, Congress gave LBJ power “to take all necessary measures” in Vietnam • In 1965 LBJ began sending combat troops to South Vietnam (bombing of North Vietnam began also) Operation Rolling Thunder Marines landing at Da Nang

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