Vietnam-+Path+to+war




 * A BRIEF HISTORY OF VIETNAM [[image:turningpoints/vietnamsill.gif align="right" caption="vietnamsill.gif"]] **

Pre 1800s – ** Vietnam has DYNASTIC rulers, influenced by CHINA **

LATE 1800s – ** Vietnam is a FRENCH colony **

1930s – ** communist revolts led by HO CHI MINH – Ho Chi Minh flees to China and USSR **

1940s – ** Ho Chi Minh forms VIETMINH party in order to liberate Vietnam – declare independence in 1945 **

1954 – ** Vietminh successfully DEFEAT French in north Vietnam and establish communist government in north **

1954 – ** Vietnam is split TEMPORARILY by the Geneva Accords, with free elections to be held in 1956 to unite the nation **

LATE 1950s – **CIVIL WAR** ** in Vietnam between Communist North and American-supported South **


 * PRESIDENTIAL INVOLVEMENT **
 * [[image:turningpoints/hst.gif align="left" caption="hst.gif"]] || [[image:turningpoints/dde.gif align="left" caption="dde.gif"]] || [[image:turningpoints/lfk.gif align="left" caption="lfk.gif"]] || [[image:turningpoints/lbj.gif align="left" caption="lbj.gif"]] ||
 * **TRUMAN**
 * Sent economic and military** **aid to**
 * help France** **keep their**
 * colonies in** **Indochina (Vietnam)** || **EISENHOWER**
 * Feels that if one country** **falls**
 * to** **communism,****then others**
 * would** **follow-****the domino theory.** || **KENNEDY**
 * U.S supports an overthrow of Ngo**
 * Dinh Diem. Doesn't want to be soft**
 * on communism. Continued to send**
 * advisors- at his death, there were**
 * 16,000 Americans in Vietnam** || **JOHNSON**
 * Commits the U.S. more fully to the war**
 * in Vietnam. Asks Congress to take all**
 * necessary measures to protect American**
 * forces and prevent further aggression.**
 * Asks Congress for a blank check.** ||


 * =** The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution **=

U.S. Ship Maddox was fired upon. Turner Joy was also fired upom. Johnson asks congress for a blank check to send troops to Vietnam. passes almost unanimously. NOT A DECLARATION OF WAR ||  ||  ||
 * Sec. of Defense Robert McNamera ||  ||


 * [[image:http://cdn.dipity.com/uploads/events/0bbab3dff8455159bcacb94c240ceb82_1M.png caption="external image 0bbab3dff8455159bcacb94c240ceb82_1M.png"]] || =** Operation Rolling Thunder **=

Lots of bombs were dropped in Vietnam- more than total it WWII ||

= =
 * = American ground troops enter Vietnam =

notes || ||