20.+Vietnam-+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

Vietnam started off as a French colony in the late 1800s. Ho Chi Minh then lead communist revolts, but fled to China when the French arrested him. Next, when Japan took over Indochina during WWII, Ho Chi Minh lead a guerilla war against Japan, which is when he starts to get support from the US. When WWII is over, the French return, so Ho Chi Minh formed the Vietminh party in order to liberate vietnam. Vietminh then declares independence and makes a communist government in 1945 after defeating the French in the north. When Vietnam temporarily splits there was going to be free elections to unite the nation, but Ngo Dinh Diem refuses because he knows that Ho Chi Minh would win. Now Vietnam is split, so the communist north is controlled by Minh and the US supported south is controlled by Diem. Next in the late 1950s a war brakes out in Vietnam between north and south. But back in American there are important decisions of involvement made by the American presidents.

The American presidents had the control of how America would react and act in the war. First off, there is President Truman. Since Truman believed in containment, through the Truman doctrine/ the marshal plan he sent aid to France so France could keep their colonies in Indochina. This is a huge cause of America getting into the war because the Americans helped keep Vietnam controlled by France. The next president is Eisenhower, who sent military advisors to help the south. After Eisenhower is Kennedy, who supports an overthrow of Diem in which Diem is assassinated. In order for Kennedy not to be soft on communism, he sends more military advisors. When Kennedy dies, Johnson takes his place. Johnson then commits the US completely to the war and sends even more advisors. American ships are then sent to the Gulf of Tonkin, where they encounter shooting, so Johnson is now able to wage war on north Vietnam without war being declared. Next, when Johnson sends troops over, he states that we are only there to defend ourselves, but his words do not fit the actions. The first action was operation Rolling Thunder in which the American air force dropped tons and tons of bombs on North Vietnam. Johnson had also sent in millions of troops and in 1965 the marines were sent in. Generally, America had no idea what they were getting their selves into.

