The Vietnam War, 1954-1975

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The Vietnam War 1954 - 1975
Mr. Brink United States History 20.1
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Southeast Asia
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Background to the War

• France controlled Indochina since the late 19th
  century
• Japan took control during World War II
• With U.S. aid, France attempted re-colonization
  in the postwar period

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The Pleas of Ho Chi Minh

• Rebuked by Wilson after WWI
• Rebuked by US after WWII
• French serve as bulwark against communism

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The Domino Theory
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Background to the War

• The French lost control to Ho Chi Minhs Viet
  Minh forces in 1954 at Dien Bien Phu
• President Eisenhower declined to intervene on
  behalf of France.

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Background to the War

• International Conference at Geneva
• Vietnam was divided at 17th parallel
• Ho Chi Minhs nationalist forces controlled the
  North
• Ngo Dinh Diem, a French-educated, Roman Catholic
  claimed control of the South

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Ngo Dinh Diem

• Corrupt US-Backed Dictator of South Vietnam
• Persecutes Buddhist majority
• Ho has support of peasants, so Ngo blocks
  election
• Causes civil war in 1955

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Background to the War

• A date was set for democratic elections to
  reunify Vietnam
• Diem backed out of the elections, leading to
  military conflict between North and South(US
  Doesnt Want Them)

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Civil War

• North Vietnamese Army (NVA or Vietminh)
• VietCong (VC) guerrilla groups in South Vietnam

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U.S. Military Involvement Begins

• Repressive dictatorial rule by Diem
• Diems family holds all power
• Wealth is hoarded by the elite
• Buddhist majority persecuted
• Torture, lack of political freedom prevail
• The U.S. aided Diems government
• Ike sent financial and military aid
• 900 U.S. Army advisors sent by 1960.

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U.S. Military Involvement Begins

• Kennedy elected 1960
• Increases military advisors to 16,000
• 1963 JFK supports a Vietnamese military coup
  detat Diem and his brother are murdered (Nov.
  2)
• Kennedy was assassinated just weeks later (Nov.
  22)

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Early Protests of Diems Government
Self-Emolation by a Buddhist Monk
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Johnson Sends Ground Forces

• Remembers Trumans loss of China ? Domino
  Theory revived

Im not going to be the president who saw
Southeast Asia go the way China went.
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Johnson Sends Ground Forces

• Advised to rout the communists by Secretary of
  State, Robert S. McNamara
• Tonkin Gulf Incident ? 1964(acc. to Johnson, the
  attacks were unprovoked)
• Tonkin Gulf Resolution
• The Blank Check

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U.S. Troop Deployments in Vietnam