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GOING TO WAR IN VIETNAM

GOING TO WAR IN VIETNAM. SETTING THE STAGE.

sarah-jacobs
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GOING TO WAR IN VIETNAM

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  1. GOING TO WAR IN VIETNAM

  2. SETTING THE STAGE • IN THE LATE 1940’S AND EARLY 1950’S, MOST AMERICANS KNEW LITTLE ABOUT INDOCHINA, FRANCE’S COLONY IN SOUTHEAST ASIA. DURING THE COLD WAR, HOWEVER, AMERICAN OFFICIALS BECAME CONCERNED THE REGION MIGHT FALL TO COMMUNISM. EVENTUALLY, AMERICAN TROOPS WERE SENT TO FIGHT IN VIETNAM.

  3. AMERICAN INVOLVEMENT IN VIETNAM • FROM THE LATE 1800’S, FRANCE RULED VIETNAM. BY THE EARLY 1900’S, SEVERAL PARTIES WANTED INDEPENDENCE. • ONE OF THE LEADERS OF THE MOVEMENT WAS HO CHI MINH • IN 1941, AFTER JAPAN HAD TAKEN CONTROL OF VIETNAM, HO CHI MINH ORGANIZED THE VIETMINH TO FIGHT JAPAN • WHEN JAPAN WAS DEFEATED IN WWII, FRANCE CONTROLLED VIETNAM AGAIN • PRESIDENT EISENHOWER CONTINUED TO SUPPORT FRANCE IN VIETNAM DUE TO DOMINOE THEORY

  4. DEFEAT AT DIEN BIEN PHU • IN FIGHTING THE FRENCH, THE VIETMINH USED GUERRILLAS, MAKING FIGHTING VERY DIFFICULT • IN 1954 THE FRENCH SUFFERED A MAJOR DEFEAT AT DIEN BIEN PHU = FRANCE LEAVES VIETNAM • GENEVA CONFERENCE SPLITS VIETNAM INTO NORTH AND SOUTH • HO CHI MINH CONTROLLED NORTH • A PRO-WESTERN REGIME CONTROLLED THE SOUTH

  5. AMERICA BECOMES INVOLVED • HO CHI MINH TRIED TO REUNITE VIETNAM BY FORCE. HE ORGANIZED A NEW GUERILLA UNIT CALLED VIET CONG= • SOUTH VIETNAMESE PEASANTS • IKE SENT MILITARY ADVISERS TO HELP SOUTH VIETNAM, BUT VIETCONG (CHARLIE) KEPT GETTING STRONGER

  6. JFK TAKES OVER • JFK CONTINUED TO SUPPORT SOUTH VIETNAM = CREATION OF SPECIAL FORCES AND BLACK OPS

  7. THE OVERTHROW OF DIEM • THE U.S. BELIEVED THE VIETCONG WERE POPULAR BECAUSE OF NGO DINH DIEM = CORRUPT / CATHOLIC • WITH OUR OK, S. VIETNAMESE GENERALS OVERTHREW DIEM AND EXECUTED HIM, LEADING TO MORE INSTABILITY • THE U.S. BECAME EVEN MORE INVOLVED TO PROP UP WEAK GOVERNMENT • WHEN JFK WAS ASSASSINATED, THE WAR FELL INTO LBJ’S HANDS

  8. JOHNSON AND VIETNAM • LBJ WAS DETERMINED TO STOP VIETNAM FROM BECOMING COMMUNIST • GULF OF TONKIN RESOLUTION GAVE LBJ AUTHORIZATION TO USE FORCE IN VIETNAM • SHORTLY AFTER INCIDENT, THE VIETCONG BEGAN ATTACKING AMERICAN BASES • IN MARCH 1965, LBJ LAUNCHED A MASSIVE BOMBING CAMPAIGN OF N. VIETNAM AND SENT IN GROUND TROOPS

  9. A BLOODY STALEMATE • THE VIETCONG USED AMBUSHES AND BOOBY TRAPS, THEY BLENDED IN W/ CIVILIANS AND VANISHED • TO PREVENT THE VIETCONG FROM HIDING IN JUNGLES, AIRFORCED USED NAPALM AND AGENT ORANGE

  10. STALEMATE - CONTINUED • AMERICAN MILITARY LEADERS BELIEVED THAT CONTINUOUS BOMBING AND THE KILLING OF VIETCONG = VICTORY • GUERILLAS WOULD NOT SURRENDER • NVA RECEIVED SUPPLIES FROM USSR AND CHINA, AND SENT SUPPLIES TO S. VIETNAM THROUGH LAOS AND CAMBODIA = • HO CHI MINH TRAIL • AS CASUALTIES ROSE ON BOTH SIDES THROUGH 1967, THE VIETCONG SHOWED NO SIGN OF SURRENDERING

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