The Vietnam Years Cold War Roots of Conflict

The Vietnam Years Cold War Roots of Conflict Chapter 29 – 1

Vietnamese Fight for Independence • How did the Vietnamese organize against foreign rule? • France – part of colony of French Indochina. • Included Laos and Cambodia. • Exported rice and rubber. • Vietnamese

Vietnamese Revolt • Ho Chi Minh united 3 communist groups to revolt against the French. • 1940 Japan took over Indochina. • Ho Chi Minh created the Viet Minh – trained soldiers to make Vietnam free from foreign rulers. • U. S. aided fight against Japan. • After WWII the French tried to regain Vietnam.

America Enters the Confilct • How did United States become involved in Vietnam? • Truman – policy of containment. • 1949 – Communists took over China. • U. S. entered with 15 million in military aid to the French. • Eisenhower – domino theory – if a country falls to Communism they will all topple.

Vietnam Divides into North and South • France and Viet. Minh met for peace talks – Geneva Accords. • Divided North and South Vietnam at the 17 th parallel. • Communists controlled North. • Ngo Dinh Diem became prime minister in the South – anti-Communist. • Refused to hold elections.

Fear of Communism Shapes U. S. Policy • Key ? – What world events influenced U. S. policy in Vietnam? • Kennedy ordered the Bay of Pigs – invaded Cuba to overthrow Castro. (Failed) • August 1961 – Berlin Wall built. • Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) – Soviet Union removed the missiles and U. S. promised not to invade Cuba.

Diem Receives More U. S. Aid • Diem was corrupt even though not a Communist. • Viet Cong – South Vietnamese joined with Communists (National Liberation Front) • Ho Chi Minh Trail. - supply line wove through the jungles and mountains. • Diem government falls with U. S. help.