Origins of the Vietnam War

Chapter 16 Section 1

Kennedy and NixonO Shared a vision for a

better America in the 1960’s

O Still against Communism!!!

O Wanted new defense against Communism in Vietnam.

Vietnam

O Never attracted too much attention until the 1960’s

O Located in SE Asia

1800’sO France ruled

IndochinaO 27 million peopleO High taxesO Tough rulersO French controlled

everything!

Ho Chi MinhO Some rebelledO One who wanted

independence! O Very anti-French!O Embraced the idea

of CommunismO Vietminh – Ho Chi

Minh’s Communist party

Domino TheoryO The idea if one country falls to

Communism, the next will. O US felt the need to protect the region

Geneva Accords

O French and the Vietminh fight for 8 years.

O French finally fall (1954)O 15,000 casualtiesO France granted

independenceO Vietnam, Laos and

Cambodia

Geneva AccordsO Divided N. Vietnam

and S. Vietnam at 17th parallel

O Ho Chi Minh – North –communist

O Anti-communist government supported by US in south

SEATOO Southeast Asia Treaty Organization O Goal was to stop the spread of

communism in SE Asia

O Ngo Dinh Diem – Ran S. Vietnam. Anti-communist

VietcongO Rebel group created

in 1957in the south.O Guerilla warfareO Bombed out roadsO Killed government

officials

JFKO Elected in 1960O 1961 – Special forces

sent inO 1963- 15,000 AmericansO Diem assassinated –

1963O Two weeks later JFK

killedO Johnson sworn in

August 2, 1964O US was fired up for the first time in

Gulf of TonkinO Gulf of Tonkin Resolution –

“Take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression”Officially committed now to Vietnam

O http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSCN4RcfW_I&safe=active