Vietnam

Vernon Turner

Background

1857: French colonization of Vietnam

1890: Ho Chi Minh born

1919: Ho Chi Minh reached out to Wilson

during the Treaty of Versailles
No response

Ho Chi Minh

Vietnam during WWII

1940: Germany defeated France

1941: Japan takes control of Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh works with the Allies as Special

Agent 19 for the Office of Strategic Service

Fall of Japan, Rise of Viet

Minh

Aug. 1945: Japan falls

Sept. 2, 1945: Viet Minh declare

independence from France
France wanted to reestablish colony in Vietnam

Post WWII

Pres. Truman pressured by France & Britain

to support French colonization of Vietnam

France argued that without Vietnam as a

market, the French economy would crash

Why would America and Britain have

wanted a prosperous France?

Kennans Long Telegram

1946
George Kennan sends a telegram stating the
importance of preventing the spread of
communism
Frames capitalism and communism as being in
battle of Good vs. Evil
Sets American Policy of Containment & Domino
Theory

The First Indochinese War

1946: France begins war against Ho Chi Minh &

the Viet Minh of Vietnam

USA paying up to 80% of war cost

War still took a great toll on the French economy

1953: Viet Minh pushed the French Army to Dien

Bien Phu
French surrounded, forced to surrender

Geneva Conference - 1954

Cambodia, China, France, Laos, UK, USA,

USSR, Viet Minh (Northern Vietnam), & the
State of Vietnam (South Vietnam)

Designed to secure peace within Southeast

Asia

Result: a divided Vietnam - 2 military zones

at the 17th Parallel

Geneva Conference (cont.)

Ceasefire signed, elections would be held in

2 years & the country would be rejoined

All present countries signed except the

French government of South Vietnam & USA

USA pledged to uphold the Geneva Accords

Vietnam at the 17th Parallel

South Vietnam and Diem

1955: Ngo Dinh Diem took control of South

Vietnam with support of USA

Diem was Roman Catholic, Vietnamese

Nationalist

Diem

South Vietnam and Diem (cont.)

Diem kept order in South Vietnam by

keeping the different religious groups in
check

1955: Diem won the referendum against

Bao Dai
Rigged?

Recommended to USA not to hold an

election in 1956
USA supported Diems recommendation

South Vietnam and Diem (cont.)

1956: Vietnam was the 2nd largest recipient of

military aid in the world

1959: Diem started rooting out supporters of the

Viet Minh

Northern Vietnam allies itself with National

Liberation Front (NLF) or Viet Cong

1960: Northern Vietnam & NLF begin military

operations in Southern Vietnam

Kennedy and Vietnam

Believer in Containment & Domino Theory

Pay any price, bear any burden, meet any

hardship, support any friendto assure the
survival and success of liberty. JFK

Believed USA was more prepared & better

equipped than France

Kennedy and Vietnam

(cont.)

1961: Kennedy agreed USA should finance

an increase in the South Vietnamese Army
from 150,000 to 170,000

Increased Military Advisors by 1,000

Introduced the Strategic Hamlet

1961-1963

Strategic Hamlet

Destabilizing South
Vietnam

1961: NLF forces successfully destabilize

South Vietnam by replacing government
officials
NLF forces increased up to 300% since Strategic
Hamlet introduced

Diem starts losing support from locals &

military

1963: Diem attempts to repress Buddhist

antigovernment protests

Diem Protest Cartoon

South Vietnam Coup

USA pressured Diem to reform government,

but no success

1963: Kennedy approved military coup &

assassination of Diem
Brother and Principal Advisor also killed

Military Generals took Diems place

Kennedy assassinated 3 weeks later

Lyndon B. Johnson and

Vietnam

Took over the presidency in Nov. 1963

Strong believer in Containment & Domino

Theory

Did not think that the South Vietnam Army

could withstand NLF
Did not think public would support a full-scale war

Sent 5,000 more Military Advisors

Gulf of Tonkin

USS Maddox sent to examine naval

defenses of Viet Minh

USS Maddox sunk in Gulf of Tonkin

Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin

Resolution
Gave LBJ authority to take all necessary
measures to protect American forces and prevent
further aggression

Escalation

Feb. 1965: 7 marines died when communist

forces attacked American base at Pleiku

Feb. 24, 1965: Operation Rolling Thunder

began
Started use of Agent Orange and Napalm

By end of 1965: 189,000 troops stationed in

Vietnam

Escalation (cont.)