1. Vietnam

2. I. Vietnam under foreign rule
Vietnam was controlled by Japan during WWII, China and France before that
Vietnamese began to push for independence, led by Ho Chi Minh, an advocate of communism
Minh worked against the French, was forced to flee temporarily
Founded Vietminh to fight the Japanese

3. II. Driving out the French
After driving out the Japanese, Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam independent. French attempted to stop that.
French asked for US assistance. US began to pay ¾ of French war costs.
Eisenhower warned of domino theory which would lose Asia to communism
France had difficulty fighting Vietnamese guerrillas
The French fell when Dien Bien Phu fell

4. III. Geneva The French-Vietnamese conflict was settled in Geneva
Vietnam was divided at the 17th parallel, a western regime in the south and a communist regime in the north
Ngo Dinh Diem controlled the south, refused Geneva-promised free elections
United States stepped in to protect the south

5. IV. American Involvement Deepens
Ho Chi Minh raised an army to combat the south, called the Vietcong
The United States sent advisors to train the Vietnamese, eventually ground troops
JFK wanted to be tough on communism, raised troop levels
Diem’s government was corrupt
Diem created strategic hamlets, which uprooted citizens

6. V. Diem Overthrown Diem persecuted Buddhism
Many Buddhist monks immolated themselves in protest
The United States realized that Vietnamese generals were opposed to Diem, opened the door for his overthrow and assassination

7. VI. Lyndon Johnson and Vietnam
JFK was assassinated shortly after Diem, making Vietnam LBJ’s responsibility
LBJ was hard on communism
LBJ announced that two American destroyers had been fired on in the Gulf of Tonkin
Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, granting war powers to the president

8. VII. The Conflict Worsens
Vietcong attacked American bases, LBJ responded with sustained strategic bombing known as Operation Rolling Thunder
By 1965, 180,000 American troops were in Vietnam
Vietcong used ambushes, booby traps, guerilla warfare, could blend in to the population
American forces used napalm and Agent Orange to kill the jungle

9. VIII. Stalemate
American troops were sent on “search and destroy” missions
Americans fought a war of body counts to wear the enemy down, but they did not surrender
An invasion of North Vietnam was not authorized for fear of China’s involvement

10. Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
1. According to this document, what did the North Vietnamese do?
2. Why did the United States feel compelled to respond to this point?