United States Involvement in Vietnam

The Roots of American Involvement

• U.S. involvement began in Vietnam in 1950 by financially supporting the French who were at war with the Vietminh.

• The Vietminh was the nationalist fighting force in Indochina

• From the late 1800’s until WWII, the French colonized Indochina (Vietnam).

• The Vietminh fought off the Japanese during WWII.

• After WWII, the French wanted to recolonize Indochina, but were fought off by the Vietminh.

Vietnam is Divided• When the Vietminh drove

out the French in 1954, the major powers forged a peace agreement.

• Vietnam was divided along the 17th parallel.

• The north was Communist and the South was non Communist.

• The Communist leader in the north was Ho Chi Minh

• The non-Communist leader in the south was Diem.

The Growth of the Vietcong• The Geneva Peace accords

called for an election in 1956 to reunite Vietnam.

• The president of South Vietnam, Diem, called off the elections because of growing support for Ho Chi Minh and the Communists.

• Diem was oppressive to peasants which lead to a revolutionary movement in the South.

• The revolutionaries were the Vietcong

The Ho Chi Minh Trail• Communist North

Vietnam began supplying the Viet Cong in the South via the Ho Chi Minh Trail.• This was a supply

route that went from the north to the south through Laos and Cambodia.

President Kennedy and Vietnam

• In 1961, Kennedy increased support for South Vietnam because people were saying that Democrats were being soft on Communism.

• President Diem increased his persecution of peasants and Buddhists which increased unrest in the South.

• The Vietcong stepped up their attacks and Buddhists protested being persecuted.

• Diem was toppled and executed by the CIA.

• Kennedy was assassinated a few weeks later.

Johnson Escalates• Lyndon Johnson (LBJ)

expanded the conflict.• He wanted to show that he was

tough on communism

• In 1964, Johnson implemented “Rolling Thunder”• U.S. Bombing campaign of

North Vietnam.

• Johnson also sent tens of thousand of U.S. military advisors to South Vietnam.

• By the end of 1965, there were over 180,000 Americans in Vietnam.