The Vietnam War

The Key players

THE VIETNAMESE

Ho Chi Minh

• “Uncle Ho”• Leader of The Vietminh• Nationalist • Communist• Becomes leader of

North Vietnam after partition

• Dies before war ends

Vo Nguyen Giap

• “Giap” or General Giap• Former History Teacher• Military leader of the

Vietminh• Defeated French at Dien

Bien Phu• Leader of NVA during

war

Pham Van Dong

• Close comrade of Ho Chi Minh

• Helped found the Vietminh

• Leader of North Vietnam during the war

• Prime minister of the unified Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 1976

Ngo Din Diem

• Known as Diem• Ruler of South Vietnam

1954 to 1963• Ruled autocratically

with family members• Devout Catholic• Disliked by Bhuddists• Killed in Coup 1963

THE AMERICANS

Dwight D. Eisenhower

• US president 1953 – 1960

• Refused to commit troops to help French

• Authorized Aid• Supporter of Diem

John F. Kennedy

• JFK• Started sending

Advisors to Vietnam• Supported Diem at start• Tried to find alternative• Assassinated 3 weeks

after Diem

Lyndon Johnson

• LBJ• Firm believer in Domino

Theory• Did not want to appear

soft on Communism• Sent in 1st combat

troops• Forced out of 1968 pres

race by war

Richard Nixon

• “Tricky Dick”• Republican

Conservative• Anti – Communist• Vows to end war• Visits China and

Moscow as part of Push for “détente”

The Underlings

Robert McNamara• Secretary of Defense for

Kennedy and Johnson• Strong supporter of

intervention

Henry Kissinger• Nixon’s Secretary of State• Negotiated treaty to end

the war

THE COMMUNISTS

Nikita Khrushchev

• Leader of the Soviet Union

• Vows to help all wars of liberation

• Ousted as leader in 1964

Mao Zedong

• Leader of China• Takes Ho in to train his

men at the end of WW2• Backs Ho with arms and

money• Meets with Nixon in

1972