Vietnam+-+The+Path+to+War

=VIETNAM - THE PATH TO WAR =

You all know that the United States was involved in a major military conflict in Vietnam during the Cold War ... but why? What was America's "path to war"? Using the resources below and __Creating America__, your task this evening is to write a description in YOUR OWN WORDS of the causes of American involvement in Southeast Asia. Pretend you are writing it as a summary for on online encyclopedia or textbook. Your description should ...
 * be between ** two and four complete, well written paragraphs **
 * ** contain the following terms ** - France, Ho Chi Minh, communism, Ngo Dinh Diem, military advisors, Gulf of Tonkin, Truman, Kennedy, Johnson, Rolling Thunder
 * be** IN YOUR OWN WORDS ** (remember, it's easy to check this online)
 * ** contain two images ** THAT RELATE TO YOUR WRITING
 * Should **end with the first Marines landing in Vietnam** in 1965


 * NOTES:**
 * Late 1800s - WWII - France ruled Vietnam as part of French Indochina, along with other nations like Laos/Cambodias
 * France got rubber and rice but peasants lost land and grew poor
 * Staged revolts to show their disapproval of French rule and their desire to become an independent nation
 * Ho Chi Minh, a revolutionary leader gathered 3 communist groups to form ICP and called for an independent Vietnam, led by peasants and other workers
 * Protested against the French gov’t
 * French arrested suspected Communists and executed leaders, including Ho Chi Minh, who wasn’t there
 * Japan took control of Indochina during WWII
 * ICP joined with nationalist to form the Viet Minh, who the U.S. aided to fight against the Japanese
 * Vietnam declared independence when Japan surrendered in WWII
 * French tried to takeover again but Vietnam sought after a peaceful resolution
 * War broke out between Viet Minh and France in 1946


 * U.S. supported the French while meanwhile fighting the Cold War
 * Truman decided to support the French after Communism began to spread in Asia because U.S. leaders needed assistance to fight Soviets and wanted to make sure Vietnam didn’t become a communist nation
 * Entered conflict in 1950, giving 10 mil. to French
 * When Eisenhower was elected, he continued aiding the French
 * Both Truman and Eisenhower used the domino theory to get support - If Vietnam became Communist, so would the rest of SE Asia
 * France couldn’t defeat Viet Minh even with the U.S. help and after peace talks in Switzerland (Geneva Accords), the sides agreed to divide Vietnam into North and South regions
 * Surrounded by DMZ - split meant to be temporary because the sides would hold an election to pick a leader to reunify the country


 * Ho Chi Minh controlled North Vietnam and Ngo Dinh Diem, an anti-Communist became prime minister and then president of S. Vietnam - led to Northerners fleeing to the South
 * Minh had great support in the North but Diem didn’t have much support in the South, so he didn’t have elections in 1956, which Eisenhower supported and sent aids to the Diem gov’t
 * Diem didn’t establish a democracy but rather led a corrupt gov’t
 * Called his non-supporters the Viet Cong, who fought to overthrew Diem and reunite the country under Communism
 * N. Vietnam sent supplies to the Viet Cong along the Ho Chi Minh trail
 * Close to victory when JFK takes office
 * Amongst other communist threats, the U.S. tried to contain communism by sending money and military advisors to S. Vietnam
 * After going against their wishes to make various reforms, Diem lost the support of the U.S. and a military coup overthrew him
 * The leader killed Diem and JFK was assassinated 3 weeks later - left Johnson as President


 * Deepened involvement in Vietnam
 * Gov’t in S. Vietnam was weak while N. Vietnam kept sending aid to the Viet Cong, who controlled most of the S. Vietnam countryside
 * Johnson supported containing communism too and his military advisors devised a plan to bomb North Vietnam to pressure H.C.M to not support the Viet Cong
 * Congress approved, but Vietnamese fired at the Maddox (U.S. destroyer) and then reported a second attack - both in the Gulf of Tonkin - not confirmed but still confident
 * Johnson asked Congress to pass Gulf of Tonkin Resolution - gave power to Johnson to use military force in Vietnam - practically unanimous “yes”
 * 1965 - began to bomb N. Vietnam and sent troops on the ground, beginning the war

The journey to the Vietnam War was extremely lengthy and strenuous. Beginning in the late 1800s through World War II, France ruled Vietnam as part of French Indochina, a colony formed along with other nations such as Laos and Cambodia. From this settlement, France obtained much desired commodities such as rubber and rice, but peasants in Vietnam lost both money and land, growing very poor. Therefore, the Vietnamese population organized revolts to show their disapprobation of French rule and Vietnam’s desire to become an independent nation. Ho Chi Minh, an insurgent leader assembled a group of three communist leagues and formed the ICP, the Indochinese Communist Party. Together, they demanded Vietnam to obtain their independence in a movement to be led by commoners. After rebellions against the French left many arrested and executed, Japan gained control of Indochina during World War II. The Viet Minh was formed by the ICP and different nationalists, and was aided by the U.S. to fight against the Japanese. Vietnam declared their independence when Japan relented in World War II. After this, the French tried to takeover the nation again, but Vietnam desired to resolve the issues peacefully. Unfortunately, these wishes were not met, and a war between Viet Minh and France started in 1946; this led to much more violence and controversy to come.

The Vietnamese - French dispute caused more American involvement in foreign affairs. Harry Truman decided to support the French after Communism began to spread in Asia, considering U.S. leaders needed assistance to fight the Soviets during the ever-strong Cold War and wanted to ensure Vietnam didn’t become a communist nation, reinforcing ideals of containment. So, the United States gave 10 million dollars to the French. After the Truman Presidency came to a close, Eisenhower was elected, and he continued aiding the French. President Eisenhower used the “domino theory”, much like Harry Truman, to get support, stating that if Vietnam became a communist nation, so would the rest of Southeast Asia. Despite American assistance, France was unable to conquer the Viet Minh. Following diplomatic talks in Switzerland at the Geneva Accords, the sides agreed to temporarily divide Vietnam into Northern and Southern regions. Soon, the sides would hold an election together to pick a leader to merge the nation once more. However, it was the present leaders that continue to cause issues as this conflict roars on.

Ho Chi Minh continued to hold power in North Vietnam and Ngo Dinh Diem, an anti-Communist, was chosen as prime minister of South Vietnam. This decision led to the fleeing of many Northerners coming to the South. However, Diem didn’t have much support in the South, so chose to forego elections in 1956, which Eisenhower supported by continuing to send relief to Diem and all of Southern Vietnam. Diem’s government was extraordinarily dishonorable and caused much disapproval. Diem deemed his non-supporters the Viet Cong; these rebels fought to put an end to the Diem administration and longed to rejoin Vietnam as a nation of Communism once more. When Kennedy took office in 1963, the Viet Cong was near achieving their goals. Amongst other communist threats, the U.S. tried minimizing communism, sending military advisors South Vietnam. After going against encouragement to make various reforms in the Vietnamese economy and military, Diem lost American support and he was finally overthrown and subsequently assassinated. Not even a month following Diem’s assassination, JFK was killed and Lyndon B. Johnson became president. It is his actions that bring America to the point of war with Vietnam.

As soon as Johnson became president, he increased American participation in Vietnamese affairs. The government in South Vietnam was weak while North Vietnam continued to send aid to the Viet Cong, who controlled most of the South Vietnam countryside Johnson supported containing communism to, and his military advisors devised a plan to bomb North Vietnam to pressure Ho Chi Minh to not support the Viet Cong. Congress approved of the strategy, known as the but Vietnamese fired at the Maddox, a U.S. destroyer, and then another destroyer publicized a second attack, both of which occurred in the Gulf of Tonkin. These events had not been confirmed, but most were fairly certain they had. Johnson asked Congress to pass Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which gave power to Johnson to use military force in Vietnam. The decision was a nearly unanimous “yes”, and in March of 1965, America began to bomb Northern Vietnam, known as Operation Rolling Thunder, and sent troops on the ground, thus beginning the Vietnam War.