Vietnam+-+The+Path+To+War

=**VIETNAM - THE PATH TO WAR **=

You all know that the United States was involved in a major military conflict in Vietnam during the Cold War ... but why? What was America's "path to war"? Using the resources below and __Creating America__, your task this evening is to write a description in YOUR OWN WORDS of the causes of American involvement in Southeast Asia. Pretend you are writing it as a summary for on online encyclopedia or textbook. Your description should ...
 * be between two and four complete, well written paragraphs
 * contain the following terms - France, Ho Chi Minh, communism, Ngo Dinh Diem, military advisors, Gulf of Tonkin, Truman, Kennedy, Johnson, Rolling Thunder
 * be IN YOUR OWN WORDS (remember, it's easy to check this online)
 * contain two images THAT RELATE TO YOUR WRITING
 * Should end with the first Marines landing in Vietnam in 1965

Need some help? How about ... //Creating America// [|This cool animation] [|Into Vietnam (Overview)] from ABC-CLIO [|Timeline of the Vietnam War] [|Vietnam Online Timeline]

In the 1930s Ho Chi Minh led a communist revolt against the French government. France arrested him and so he fled to China and then to the Soviet Union. Wants independence, In the 1940s, Indochina is taken over by the Japanese in WWII. He then leads a guerilla war against Japan. After WWI, French returned. Ho then formed vietminh party in order to liberate Vietnam- declare independence in 1945. In 1954, Vietminh successfully defeat French in North Vietnam and establish communist government in North. In 1954, Vietnam is split temporarily by the Geneva Accords, with free elections to be held in 1956 to unite the nation. In the late 1950s, civil war in Vietnam arises and is between communist North and American supported South. Five presidents that are important are, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Linden Johnson, Richard Nixon.

Truman sent economic and military aid to France to help them keep their colonies in Indochina, including Vietnam. Eisenhower felt that if one country fails to communism then others would follow- the domino theory. He also helped established a puppet state in South Vietnam and sent military advisors to help in the South. Ngo Dinh Diem leads South Vietnam and won't hold free elections. Kennedy, the U.S. supports an overthrow of Ngo Dinh Diem in 1963. Kennedy doesn't wants to be soft on Communism. He continued to send advisors and at his death, there were 16000 Americans in Vietnam. Johnson commits the US more fully to the war in Vietnam. Originally sends a few more advisors. At Gulf of Tonkin, the ships there, fire. A Blank Check was declared after. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution passes unanimously in the House and only has 2 opposing votes in the Senate. First plan was Operation Rolling Thunder were the US would drop a lot of boms. In 1965, the first Marines were sent to Vietnam. The Goal was to fight a limited war.

Ngo Dinh Diem  Ho Chi Minh  Gulf of Tonkin 