The Vietnam War Era

French Indochina The French ruled

Vietnam since late 1800’s

French made lots of $$ in Indochina exporting rubber and rice

Area included Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos

Ho Chi Minh (Communist) wanted an independent country

Asia French Indochina

World War II in Indochina

Japan invaded Indochina – Ho Chi Minh and other revolutionaries fought the Japanese

U.S. gov’t supported Ho Chi Minh

After WWII: France wanted colony back; Ho Chi Minh & others want independence

Communism Spreads

China fell to the Communists in 1949

U.S. concerned about Communism spreading elsewhere

French fought the Viet Minh Communists in Indochina

The French fight the Vietnamese Vietnam wants independence U.S. aids the French – giving them

money and supplies U.S. wants to stop the spread of

Communism U.S. also expects France’s support

against Soviets in Europe

The “Domino” Theory

The U.S. believes that if one country fell to Communism, other nearby countries would become Communist also – like dominoes

French are Defeated French army loses to

Viet Minh forces at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu

French are forced to leave Vietnam

Geneva Accords made division of Vietnam at 17°N latitude Ho Chi Minh rules

the North Ngo Dinh Diem rules

the South

Ngo Dinh Diem rules South Vietnam Anti-Communist /

anti-Ho Chi Minh Didn’t establish

democracy like he had promised

Corrupt government Never wins the

support of the people Opposed by South

Vietnamese Communists (The Viet Cong)

The Viet Cong Oppose Diem- Diem’s govt. in South

Vietnam wasn’t democratic, but was corrupt, oppressive, and unpopular

- Viet Cong – nickname for South Vietnamese Communists who opposed Diem

Buddhist monk sets himself on fire in protest against South

Vietnam’s government

Viet Cong use the “Ho Chi Minh Trail”

Viet Cong fought to overthrow Diem’s govt. and reunite the nation all of Vietnam under communist rule

- Ho Chi Minh Trail – supply line that started in North Vietnam and went through neighbor nations Laos and Cambodia used to supply the Viet Cong

Diem Government Fails

U.S. Gov’t told Diem to make political, economic, and military reforms – he refused to do so

Military coup overthrew Diem in November 1963

Leaders of the coup had Diem killed U.S. now doesn’t have a stable ally in South

Vietnam Only days later, President John F. Kennedy

was assassinated in Dallas – meaning the problem of Vietnam was passed to the new President - Lyndon Johnson