Indochina

Question 1

France

Answer 1

Geneva conference 1954 - plan of no outside involvement in Vietnam
Division along 17th parallel with elections to follow 1956
U.S. Refused to hold elections - thought Ho Chi Minh would win 80% of votes
Two vietnams
Containment

Question 2

Eisenhower and Kennedy

Answer 2

Eisenhower 1953-60 escalated support for diem - $7 ban in 7 years - 800 advisers
1959 - Ho Chi Minh trail
1960 - Vietcong NLF
Kennedy 1961-63
1962 - 12,000 advisors
1953 - diem assassinated in coup - thieu lease 1967
U.S. Aid grows as Vietcong threat increases 40% countryside
1963 - Kennedy assassination - replaced by Johnson in 1964

Question 3

Johnson

Answer 3

1964 - gulf of Tonkin incident - 2 attacks on U.S. Ships
Gulf of Tonkin resolution August 1964 - giving president the power to escalate the Vietnam war
Feb 1965 - 3,500 troops land in Da Nang
1968 - 540,000 troops in Vietnam
1968 - TET offensive - led by General Giap - military fail - 50,000 dead - psychological victory - helps to turn US public opinion against war (My Lai) - credibility gap
Johnson decides not to run again
Nixon wins 1968 election on peace ticket - Vietnamization

Question 4

Down Bien Phu

Answer 4

Ground support - Laos
Air support - Hanoi + Haiphong
Vietminh supplied by China
49,000 Vietminh vs 10,000 French
March 13th 1954 heavy artillery attack from Vietminh 
3000 French dead 8000 injured
8000 Vietminh dead 12000 injured
1954 U.S. Paid for 80% of the French war effort