2. French Indochina War After WWII France attempts to reestablish it's rule in Vietnam U.S. provides France with Strengthen massive economic assistance and military support beginning in 1950ies with France Fight the spread of communism

3. French Rule in Vietnam From the late 1800s until WWII France ruled most of Indochina The French built plantations for their own profit Growing unrest amongst the Vietnamese peasants French rulers tried to restrict freedom speech and assembly by jailing dissenters

4. Ho Chi Minh Many Vietnamese revolutionaries fled to China in the 1930s Ho Chi Minh organized the revolutionaries to create the Indochinese Communist Party 1940: Japan takes control of Vietnam Ho Chi Minh forms the Vietminh Goal: Win independence from foreign rule August 1945: Vietminh forces Japan out. Independence Won!

5. France Battles The Vietminh By the end of 1945 France takes control of Southern Vietnam Ho Chi Minh vows to liberate the South 1950: President Truman sends $15 million in economic aid to France 1950-54: U.S. sends nearly $1 billion

6. The Domino Theory President Eisenhower continued to send aid Domino Theory: Countries on the brink of communism are lined up like dominos waiting to fall one after the other May of 1954: France forced to surrender in Vietnam - U.S. aid does not prevail

7. Geneva Accords Geneva Accords: A peace agreement held in Geneva Switzerland Divided Vietnam along the 17th parallel Ho Chi Minh and the communists control North Vietnam from Hanoi, the Capitol Anticommunist nationalists control South Vietnam from the Capitol city of Saigon

8. The U.S. Steps In South Vietnam President Ngo Dinh Diem refused to take part in elections Feared Ho Chi Minh's popularity Eisenhower sends military training in return for a stable government President Diem unable to rally support and becomes corrupt

9. Vietcong and Ho Chi Minh Trail Vietcong: A communist group in the South Attacked the Diem government and assassinated thousands of officials Ho Chi Minh supported the Vietcong Used a network of paths called the Ho Chi Minh Trail to supply the Vietcong with arms

10. Kennedy and Vietnam Kennedy did not want to look soft on Communism Increased financial aid to South Vietnam Sent thousands of military advisers Diem became more corrupt and unpopular especially with the Buddhist population 1963: U.S. supports a military coup to assassinate Diem

11. Johnson Escalates the Conflict After Diems death the South becomes even more unstable Johnson does not want to lose South Vietnam to communism without a fight Fear of being thought of as an appeaser Leads to the Tonkin Gulf Resolution....