1. Origins of the Vietnam Conflict

2. Abbreviations of the War
ARVN = Army of the Republic of Vietnam (South)
NVA = North Vietnamese Army
Viet Minh = Communist Govt. / Organization (North)
Viet Cong (VC) = Southern Insurgents
NLF = National Liberation Front (Leadership of VC)
CINCPAC = Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Command

3. Vietnamese History French Colony (1885)
Indochina: Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam
Occupied by Japanese in WWII (1941)
Viet Minh founded by Ho Chi Minh (1941)
Communist, nationalist organization
Oppose Japanese, remove French
Ho Chi Minh declares Vietnam’s independence (1945)
France refuses, declares war on Viet Minh
U.S. refuses to recognize this because he is a Communist

4. First Indochinese War (1946-1954)
Ho Chi Minh: leader of Viet Minh, communist/nationalist group in Vietnam
French vs. Vietnamese Independence Movement (U.S. supports French)
Vietnamese outnumbered and under-equipped
Guerrilla Warfare: hit and run tactics, usually used by small force against large
Both sides sustain heavy losses (Viet Minh: 800,000; French: 200,000)

5. Battle of Dien Bien Phu (March-May 1954)
20,000 French trapped by 100,000 Viet Minh
French cannot re-supply or relieve, siege begins
French run out of food and ammunition
17,000 French captured; leads to peace settlement

6. Geneva Peace Accords (1954)
Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, France, U.S., USSR, China, and Britain
Terms of the peace:
Divided Vietnam into North (communist) and South (democratic)
North Leader = Ho Chi Minh, South Leader = Bao Dai and Ngo Dinh Diem
Elections to held in 1956 to unify the country
1955 rolls around: Diem deposes Bao and becomes president

7. “Sink or swim with No Dinh Diem”
U.S. Begins Involvement
Domino Theory: if Vietnam falls to communists, other Asian nations will follow
1956: Elections never happen, Diem would have lost badly
North declares war on South
Eisenhower sends 675 military advisors to help (1956)
Kennedy: increases aid, sends 15,000 more advisors (1963)
Eisenhower and Diem, 1955
“Sink or swim with No Dinh Diem”

8. Over 75% of Vietnamese were Buddhists
The End of Diem
Diem lacks support because he is a tyrant:
Corrupt officials, family members in power
Declares other political parties illegal
Secret police terrorizes people
Forces the nation to obey Catholic laws
Kennedy decides the war cannot be won with Diem.
Nov. 1963: Overthrow and assassination of Diem
Kennedy assassinated on Nov. 22
Over 75% of Vietnamese were Buddhists

9. Escalation: Gulf of Tonkin Incident (Aug. 1964)
Aug. 2-4: “peaceful” U.S. vessels attacked by North PT Boats in Gulf of Tonkin
The Truth?
U.S. was spying on North
U.S. Navy was covering ARVN operations
Pres. Johnson launches retaliatory strikes on North Vietnam

10. Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (Aug. 7, 1964)
President may take necessary steps to ensure freedom of SE Asian nations
Expires when the President says so, or by act of Congress
“Blank Check” for Johnson and Nixon
LBJ and Nixon: justification for escalation

11. U.S. Troop Levels in Vietnam