Do Now: Take out Notes HW: Vietnam HW Sheet 1 due next class

The Escalation of American Presence in Vietnam

Review of Terms

• Vietminh• Vietcong• Ho Chi Minh• Ngo Dinh Diem

Americanization of Vietnam• Geneva Accords mandated

election in 1956– Ho Chi Minh predicted to win

• Diem disliked greatly– Anti-Buddhism– Corrupt– Inefficient

• US supported S. Vietnamese leader’s decision to cancel election, but must attempt to reform

• Ngo Dinh Diem did not reform = uprising of Vietcong (communist group in South – later called National Liberation Front)

Vietcong vs. Ngo Dinh Diem

• Vietcong began attacks on Ngo Dinh Diem gov.

• Ho Chi Minh supported this group sent supplies through the Ho Chi Minh Trail

• S. Vietnam very unstable, but US took little action

KENNEDY AND VIETNAM

• Kennedy feared being called “soft on communism”

• Kennedy increased aid and thousands of military advisors to help Diem against Vietcong

– End of 1963 – 16,000 US personnel

• Diem – more and more unpopular

US feared Dinh Diem’s would cause communism to spreadUS feared Dinh Diem’s would cause communism to spread

US supported military coup to topple Dinh Diem. He was US supported military coup to topple Dinh Diem. He was executed against JFK’s wishes.executed against JFK’s wishes.

Before JFK died – announced his intent to withdraw forces

Execution of Ngo Dinh DiemExecution of Ngo Dinh Diem

JOHNSON AND VIETNAM

Vietnam Situation Worsens• Military leaders in S. Vietnam only more

unstable/inefficient than Diem

• Vietcong influence increasing

• Johnson did not want to be seen as an appeaser, did not want S. Vietnam to fall to Communism

Gulf of Tonkin• August ‘64 – N. Vietnamese

attacked U.S.S. Maddox– Vietnam Reason: U.S. was

conducting a naval raid, but denied the attack

• Second attack on U.S.S. C. Turner Joy

• Congress passed Gulf of Tonkin Resolution – allowed Johnson to conduct

military operations in the region without declaration of war.

• 1964 Election– Promised no escalation, opposed sending

troops, but was advised to send some.

• February ’65– Johnson launched bombing after 8 Americans

killed

• March ’65– US aircraft began bombing targets– combat troops began arriving, 50,000

troops went to battle

• By end of 1965– 180,000 troops sent– General William Westmoreland continued to

request more troops

• 1965 poll - 61% Americans supported Vietnam policy

Robert McNamara Secretary of Defense

Dean Rusk Secretary of State

1964 to 1965

By 1967 - more than 500,000 US troops in Vietnam