Vietnam War

French Occupation of Vietnam Catholic missionaries were the first Frenchmen in Vietnam. Later trade between the two nations developed. Vietnamese began to feel threatened by the missionaries. French troops were sent to protect the missionaries. The battles between the French and Vietnamese spread. Around 1886, the French took control of Vietnam. Known as French Indochina.

Overview – Vietnam War Vietnam was under French control. The Vietnam War was started in 1954 when the Vietnamese took over a French command post located in Dien Bien Phu After the Vietnamese victory, President Kennedy led the U.S. into the war to prevent the spread of communism. There were two governments in Vietnam. –South, supported by the U.S. –North, communist

Vietnam War 1965 – Operation Rolling Thunder, U.S. troops were sent into combat. The U.S. advantage = technology and firepower North Vietnamese advantage = guerilla warfare, knowledge of the geography The Vietnam war ended shortly after the fall of Saigon on in 1975

Vietnam War Death Death and Destruction American soldiers killed = 58 thousand North Vietnamese = 1.1 million Vietnamese Civilians = 2 million Injured = 1.2 million

Vietnam War Protests The Vietnam War protest, or anti-war movement, initiated by college students in America, was instrumental in questioning the policies surrounding America's involvement in Indochina's affairs.

Vietnam War Landscape The landscape of Vietnam made the war difficult because of its thick jungle, wetland, water ways, and mountainous habitats.

Chemical Warfare Agent Orange is the code name for an herbicide and defoliant used by the U. S. military in its herbicidal warfare program during the Vietnam. The herbicide is known to have caused many various forms of birth defects for the children of those exposed to the agent.

End of the Vietnam War The Paris Peace Accords ending the conflict, were signed January 27, 1973, and were followed by the withdrawal of the remaining American troops. The terms of the accords called for a complete ceasefire in South Vietnam, allowed North Vietnamese forces to retain the territory they had captured, released US prisoners of war. Nixon offered US airpower to enforce political solution to the conflict.

Vietnam Memorial The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was founded by Jan Scruggs, who served in Vietnam from He wanted the memorial to acknowledge and recognize the service and sacrifice of all who served in Vietnam.