Explain why the United States sent troops to fight in Vietnam Going to War in Vietnam Explain why the United States sent troops to fight in Vietnam

American Involvement Deepens Vietcong – formed by Ho Chi Minh to help reunify Vietnam using armed struggle President Eisenhower increased American aid and sent military advisors to South Vietnam (Ngo Dinh Diem) Despite American assistance, Vietcong grew more powerful Diem looked more increasingly for American support

Kennedy Takes Over Kennedy’s administration increased military aid and sent more advisors to Vietnam. 1961-1963: military personnel increased from 2,000 to 15,000 American officials believed Vietcong continued to grow because Diem’s government was unpopular and corrupt. Diem introduced limited reforms that caused resentment from many peasants

The Overthrow of Diem Diem, a Catholic, banned traditional Buddhist practices In protest, a Buddhist monk set himself on fire Diem’s unpopularity led to several Vietnamese generals to overthrow him With American sympathies, they launched a coup and executed Diem in November 1963 South Vietnamese government grew weak and unstable

Johnson and Vietnam “The battle against communism must be joined with strength and determination.” – President Lyndon Johnson Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: August 7, 1964 – Johnson claimed that the North Vietnamese led 2 unprovoked attacks against American naval vessels Congress authorized the president to “take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression”. What does this mean?

The United States Sends in Troops Following an attack on a base at Pleiku, resulting in 7 Americans dead and 100+ wounded – Johnson orders an airstrike on North Vietnam Most military advisers believed that the U.S. had a duty to halt communism in Vietnam. March 1965: policy involved a sustained bombing campaign against North Vietnam Operation Rolling Thunder

A Bloody Stalemate Emerges End of 1965 – 180,000 American troops in Vietnam Vietcong used ambushes, booby traps, and guerrilla tactics – blended in with general population American troops went on “search and destroy” missions, dropped napalm to destroy the landscape, and Agent Orange to turn farmland into wasteland North Vietnam sent arms and supplies to the Vietcong using the Ho Chi Minh trail entering Cambodia and Laos North Vietnam received support from China and USSR Vietcong and North Vietnamese showed no sign of surrender.