Moving Toward Conflict

US Supports France in Vietnam

• Nationalist Movements– Protest French colonial

rule – Protest Japanese rule

during WWII • Ho Chi Minh formed

Vietminh • Declared independence

when Japan was defeated

US Supports France in Vietnam

• French Indochina War (1946-1954) – France retook

control of South – Vietminh

controlled North – US Supported

France

• Domino Theory – Eisenhower’s justification to fight in

Vietnam– If one nation falls to Communism,

others will

US Supports France in Vietnam

US Supports France in Vietnam• Vietminh take

Dien Bien Phu in 1954

• Geneva Accords divide Vietnam

• Communist North and Nationalist South

• Call for elections in 1956

The US Steps In

• Ngo Dinh Diem (South) – Refused to hold elections– Supported by US – Corrupt regime

• Vietcong Form in Resistance to Diem– Communist opposition group – Supplied along Ho Chi Minh Trail – Make Southern Vietnam unstable

Ho Chi Minh

North

Ngo Dinh Diem

South

The US Steps In

• JFK and Vietnam – Supported Diem to fight Communism – Diem government unstable and

corrupt– US removed Diem in 1963

• South grows unstable• Increased influence of Vietcong

LBJ Expands the Conflict

• Tonkin Gulf Resolution – Response to

incident in Gulf of Tonkin

• North Vietnamese ships fired on US ship

• LBJ responded by bombing Vietnam

LBJ Expands the Conflict– Resolution

Provisions• Gave LBJ broad

military powers • Launched

Operation Rolling Thunder