Chapter 30 Vietnam Era Section 2 War in

Chapter 30: Vietnam Era Section 2: War in Vietnam April 8

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Causes of the Vietnam War • Vietnam was a French colony • The Vietnamese wanted independence • Vietnamese forces, led by Communist Ho Chi Minh, fought France for independence. • The French were defeated in 1954 Ho Chi Minh

Causes of the Vietnam War • Geneva Accords—temporarily divided Vietnam • North Vietnam=Communist • South Vietnam=non-Communists • U. S. supported South Vietnam • Vietnam would reunify in 1956, after national elections • With U. S. support, South Vietnamese leader, Ngo Dinh Diem, refused to hold the elections

Causes of the Vietnam War • Communist in South Vietnam disapproved of Diem’s policies and brutal tactics • When Diem tried to destroy the forces working against him, they formed the National Liberation Front, or the VIETCONG. • In 1959 the Vietcong started a Ngo Dinh Diem war to defeat the Diem regime.

U. S. Involvement • The U. S. supported South Vietnam because of the Domino Theory. • Eisenhower sent South Vietnam billions of dollars and military advisors.

The U. S. and Vietnam (cont. ) • Kennedy continued the support. • He sent more military advisers and pressured the Diem regime to make reforms that would eliminate conditions that had spurred Communism—Diem refused • Aid continued to flowed from North Vietnam to the South to fuel the guerrilla war against Diem. JFK

The U. S. and Vietnam (cont. ) • The Kennedy administration found it hard to continue to support Diem. • In Nov. 1963, the South Vietnamese military overthrew the government and assassinated Diem. • Kennedy supported the COUP, but not the assassination. Buddhist’s monks protested Diem’s Rule by setting themselves on fire on busy streets.

The Conflict Deepens • After JFK’s death Johnson became president • In 1964, the North Vietnamese navy attacked U. S. ships in the Gulf of Tonkin. • Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution • The resolution allowed the president to take “all necessary measures” to repel armed attacks on U. S. forces. AKA send more troops. • Johnson used the resolution to ESCALATE, or gradually increase, U. S. involvement in Vietnam.

The Conflict Deepens (cont. ) • The U. S. military began a bombing campaign against North Vietnam in the mid-1960 s • One target of the bombing was the Ho Chi Minh Trail, a network of roads, paths, and bridges connecting North and South Vietnam. • Bridges, docks, factories, and military bases in the North were also bombed.

The Conflict Deepens (cont. ) • U. S. forces found fighting a ground war in Vietnam difficult: - Dense jungles, muddy trails, and swampy areas made troop movements difficult. - Vietcong blended in with the rest of the population; it was hard to tell friends and enemies apart. - South Vietnamese military didn’t fight effectively.

The Conflict Deepens (cont. ) • Besides bombs, planes dropped napalm, an explosive that burned intensely. • Agent Orange, a toxic herbicide, was used to destroy jungle vegetation • Agent Orange contaminated many Americans and Vietnamese, causing severe health issues and death. • The American forces conducted search-and-destroy missions— find North Vietnamese or Vietcong and destroy them

The Conflict Deepens (cont. ) • U. S. caused enormous Vietcong losses-wasn’t enough • The Johnson administration began to believe the U. S. could not win the war. • The war was taking too long—Public opposition to the war began to grow

Assignment • Quadrant Cards Vocabulary Term Draw a picture representing the word Definition-in your own words So What? -tell me why it is important