LECTURE GUIDE: Background on the Vietnam Conflict Name:Per:

Background on Vietnam

French Control:

  • Controlled Vietnam until World War II

Japanese Control:

American Involvement in Southeast Asia:

  • Colonies in Southeast Asia (i.e. ______)

French Indo-China War

1945 – 1954

Vietnamese are fighting for independence from the French

  • ______leads fight for ______.
  • Communist ______provides direct ______to the Vietnamese
  • ______decides he needs to extend ______to South East Asia
  • Results in ______aid to ______- ______and ______assistance ($133 million)
  • In 1950
  • ______solidifies American belief in ______.

1950 – 1952:

  • U.S. sent $50 ______worth of economic and ______assistance to French
  • By ______the U.S. was ______for _____ of cost of war
  • French attempt to ______Vietnamese to fight ______(shows a lack of Vietnamese ______for French/American effort.
  • French had lost 90,000 soldiers - ______

Dien Bien Phu:

  • Remote village in Northwest corner of Vietnam
  • Both ______and French has amassed ______there in 1954
  • General Giap of ______led an ______on the village in March ‘54
  • ______debates an ______strike, but decides ______it – without U.S. ______French are ______and ______on May 7th

Geneva Accords:

  • July 20th 1954
  • Nationwide ______set for ______to ______country
  • ______is in power in the ______
  • ______is in power in the ______

American Reaction to Accords:

  • Happy French colonization has ______, but ______states that it is now U.S. ______to defend South Vietnam from ______.
  • U.S. and South Vietnam do ______officially ______the ______.
  • Form ______(South East Asian Treaty Organization)
  • Goal: maintain a ______S. Vietnam and prevent a communist ______in 1956 ______.

U.S. is firmly committed to Diem government

Ngo Dinh Diem–South Vietnam

  • 10 million residents
  • ______devastated by 14 years of war and ______.
  • Diem is ______supported by the countryside
  • 10,000 – 15,000 ______Vietnamese ______living in the ______to incite problem

Ho Chi Minh - North Vietnam

  • 14 million resident
  • ______trained and ______army (thanks to the ______)
  • Organized and ______government

Insurgents in the South

Goal: build socialism in the North and carry out a communist revolution in South

  • ______aides insurgents by moving ______and ______South through ______(______)
  • Founded the ______(National Liberation Front) to ______insurgents – later called the ______.
  • JFK sent more ______but not ______- believed in aid for ______(Army of the Republic of Vietnam)

The CIA

  • ______continues with ______policies, including the ______of the ______.
  • ______lead a protest (______)
  • ______administration decided Diem has to ______

Lyndon B. Johnson

1964

  • Conditions in South Vietnam became ______after ______- chaos followed with ______.

Conditions Worsen:

Gulf of Tonkin

•Aug. 2, 1964- North Vietnamese attacked U.S.S. Maddox;

•Aug. 4. –another attack provided grounds for Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (second attack turned out to be fake—never happened).

•President Johnson asked Congress to pass Gulf of Tonkin Resolution which gave him authorization to use military force in Vietnam (not a declaration of war).

The United States Send Troops to Vietnam

The Ground War – 1965-68

The Air War – 1965-68

Who is the Enemy?

The Tet Offensive and its Impact: