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American Intervention. Vietnam 1950s-60s. 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. “Propping Up the Domino”.
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American Intervention Vietnam 1950s-60s
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
“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
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
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
What was the US advisors Role? • Improve the Training of the South Vietnamese forces to counter the growing threat from the Viet Cong
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
Full Scale involvement Assistance