Vietnam War

Role of France

France rules Vietnam since late 19th century. Vietnam wanted independence from the French

Ho Chi Minh

A strong anti-Japanese movement formed under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh . They were called the Viet Minh

Japan took control of Vietnam's main resources

The Viet Minh fought the Japanese and began the war in 1946

President Eisenhower

He supplied South Vietnam with resources and money
and sent military troop advisers to help train the Vietnamese

Diem

Diem was a catholic which was a downside since most people in Vietnam were Buddhists so he wasn't well respected

Diem had support from the US government

Kennedy Strategic Hamlets

This was a plan to move peasant villagers into new villages which were under the control of South Vietnamese soldier

Kennedy did this to try isolate the influence of the rural population by the Viet Cong

This program failed and increased influnce towards Viet Cong

Gulf of Tonkin

Why did the US become more involved?

President Johnson was afraid of the domino theory. He thought that if Vietnam became a communist country then neighbouring countries would also become communist

August 1964 the US Maddox fired at a North Vietnamese
boat which came too close

In the 7th of August President Johnson has a congress meeting to escalate the US involvement