The Vietnam War U S Involvement in Vietnam

The Vietnam War

U. S. Involvement in Vietnam • Began sending money and weapons to South Vietnam Eisenhower • Military advisors sent to train South Vietnamese army • Believed in the Domino Theory Kennedy • Increased the number of military advisors and army special forces, or Green Berets • Advisors were not to take part in combat, but many did

Vietnam and ho chi minh • Vietnam was divided into 2 countries • Ho Chi Minh was the communist leader of North Vietnam • Wanted to reunite all of Vietnam under communist rule

Diem is Unpopular n. South Vietnam leader: Ngo Dinh Diem n. Anti-communist n. Used oppressive rule; very unpopular n. Outlawed Buddhism, leading to selfimmolation protests by Buddhist monks

Diem Killed • JFK used CIA “advisors” to overthrow and execute Diem • South Vietnam became unstable and vulnerable to communism

Starting the war • Sec. of State, Robert Mc. Namara was in charge of US policy in Vietnam • LBJ and Mc. Namara would orchestrate events to trick the US into going to war

Starting the war • 1964 - the USS Maddox maneuvered into N. Vietnamese waters in the Gulf of Tonkin • The Maddox was fired upon by NV boats, but the US was unsure of what to do

Starting the war • Gulf of Tonkin Resolution • Authorized the President “to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against…the US” • LBJ used this to start the Vietnam war w/o Congressional approval

Fighting The War

Fighting the war • Operation Rolling Thunder: Massive bombing campaign of Vietnam (19651968)

Fighting the war • The US used napalm bombs as well • Highly flammable gasoline that would burn anything in touched • Very controversial

Fighting the war • Agent Orange was used to defoliate the dense vegetation in the jungles • These chemicals caused serious defects for those in came in contact with

Fighting the war • US Commander- William Westmoreland • Ordered “search and destroy” missions on the ground in Vietnam • Also used “body count” as a measure of success • Poor choice

Vietcong Tactics n n n Fighting took place in dense jungle, which the Vietcong knew well Used guerilla attacks, booby traps against Americans Vietcong could blend in with civilians, and fighting became very frustrating for Americans

Tet offensive • January 1968 -the Vietcong launched a surprise attack on 36 south Vietnamese cities • Supposed to be a cease-fire for the Vietnamese new year (Tet)

Tet offensive • US forces were able to repel the attack • BUT: This offensive simply proved to Americans that the communists were not giving up; contrary to military reports