How the US got involved in the Vietnam war notes

How the US got involved

During the Second World War Southeast Asia had been under Japanese control, but in 1945 the French re-occupied Indo-China. A nationalist group, the Vietminh, eventually surrounded and wiped out the French occupying army and America was dragged into fighting a costly and disastrous war in Vietnam.

At the Treaty of Geneva in 1954, Indo-China was divided into Laos, Cambodia, North Vietnam and South Vietnam, although it was agreed to hold elections in 1956 to unify the two parts of Vietnam.Ngo Dinh Diem, the ruler of South Vietnam, refused to hold elections.

Ho Chi Minh was a communist, who was supported by China. In 1960, he set up the National Liberation Front (NLF) in South Vietnam, which started a guerilla warfare to take over South Vietnam from Diem and his American backers.

The Americans called the NLF guerrillas the Vietcong, and supported Diem with military advisers and money.

Diem's government was made up of rich Christian landowners. It was corrupt and unpopular and persecuted the poor Buddhist peasants. By 1963, most of South Vietnam's rural areas were under Vietcong control - the ARVN (South Vietnamese army) could not defeat them.In 1963, the US supported a military coup, which murdered Diem and put a military government in South Vietnam.

In August 1964, sailors on the American warship USS Maddox in the Gulf of Tonkin claimed they had been attacked by North Vietnamese torpedo boats. The US Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin resolution, allowing the American President Lyndon B. Johnson to take direct military action in retaliation.

In February 1965, the Vietcong attacked American air bases and killed American soldiers. President Johnson declared war against North Vietnam.

During the 19th century Vietnam was ruled by France and known as Indo-China.               Vietnam became very profitable for the French, due to it’s rich supplies of coal, tin, zinc and rubber. To transport all these goods, the French built a network of railways, roads and canals.

Why did the US get involved?•Containment •Domino Theory •American Politics •The military/Industrial Complex

Containment-  China had fallen to communism in 1949, and America had fought in Korea in 1950-53 to contain the spread of communism. The US president, Lyndon B. Johnson, said: "I am not going to be the president who saw South-East Asia go the way China went." Domino Theory-  Americans believed that, if South Vietnam fell, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand - and then Burma and India - would follow. President Johnson said: "If you let a bully come into your garden, the next day he'll be in your porch, and the day after that he'll rape your wife." American Politics-  Americans believed that, if South Vietnam fell, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand - and then Burma and India - would follow. President Johnson said: "If you let a bully come into your garden, the next day he'll be in your porch, and the day after that he'll rape your wife." The military/Industrial Complex-  The North Vietnamese had attacked the USS Maddox in August 1964, and then killed US soldiers in February 1965. Johnson became convinced that action in South Vietnam alone would never win the war: "We are swatting flies when we should be going after the manure pile."

Guerilla Warfare•Retreat when the enemy attacks •Raid when the enemy camps •Attack when the enemy tires •Pursue when the enemy retreats

reaty of Geneva 1954 - Indo-China was divided into Laos, Cambodia, North and South Vietnam. Ngo Dinh Diem was the ruler of South Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh was the ruler of North Vietnam. He was a communist. 1956 - there were meant to be elections to unite Vietnam, but Diem refused to hold them. 1960 - Ho Chi Minh set up a communist army in South Vietnam, called the National Liberation Front (NLF). They started a guerrilla war. The Americans called the NLF the Vietcong and supported Diem. By 1963 most of South Vietnam was under Vietcong control. 1965 - President Johnson declared was on North Vietnam. The Americans ended up at war for 4 main reasons: containment, domino theory, the weakness of South Vietnam and as retaliation for being attacked.

New Page