USA Increasing Involvement In Vietnam Flashcards
What involvement did the USA have from 1949 - 54?
The USA gave the French $500 million per year to help the war effort.
1954 - Geneva Agreement saw the divide of Vietnam into the North and the South until elections could be held to decide its future.
Both China and the USSR helped to provide the Viet Minh with modern weapons which allowed them to defeat the French.
What involvement did the USA have from 1955 - 62?
The USA prevented the elections from taking place due to fear of communist victory.
1955 - USA helped set up the anti communist Republic of South Vietnam under Ngo Dinh Diem.
1960 - the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam (Viet Cong) was set up and started a guerilla war against South Vietnamese forces, officials, buildings and US supply bases.
What involvement did the USA have between 1962 - 65?
1962 - Kennedy sent military advisors to fight the Viet Cong
1963 - Kennedy was assassinated and his successor, Johnson, was prepared to start a war to prevent the spread of communism.
August 1964 - North Vietnamese gunboats opened fire of US ships in the p Gulf of Tonkin
What involvement did the USA have between 1965 - 73?
US troops attempted to remove the Viet Cong from South Vietnam by air attacks and on the ground (Operation Rolling Thunder).
By the end of 1965, there were 125 000 soldiers in Vietnam.
What was Containment?
[Eisenhower and continued by JFK]
Meant stopping the advance of communism wherever it looked like it was gaining ground
> the USA supported the French in Vietnam because they thought the Vietnamese were allied to communist China. Supported Ngo Ding Diem.
also supported the French in Vietnam because they wanted to keep the support of France against communism in Europe.
Why was American politics a reason for the US to get involved in Vietnam?
[Eisenhower and JFK]
Political issues in the USA played a role, particularly at election times.
America elects a new president every 4 years and it was a sure vote winner to talk about communism and anyone who didn’t was sure to lose votes.
John F. Kennedy promised to continue the tough policies of Eisenhower.
What was the Domino Theory?
[Eisenhower and continued by JFK]
Eisenhower and his Secretary of State, Dulles, were convinced that China and the USSR were planning to spread communism throughout Asia.
If Vietnam fell to communism, then Laos, Cambodia, Burma, Thailand and maybe India might fall as well.
Vietnam was the first domino and the USA were determined to stop it from falling.
