The+Path+To+The+Vietnam+War

Vietnam The Path to War

The Vietnam War was a violent war fought during the Cold War. There are multiple causes to the war. Since the late 1800s __France__ruled Vietnam and it was a part of the colony of French Indochina. Vietnam had always disliked the French rule and never really accepted it. So in 1930, Ho Chi Minh, a revolutionary leader, formed the Indochinese Communist Party. The ICP organized protests against the French government. The French responded by arresting these communist leaders. Ho Chi Minh flees to the USSR. Japan takes over Indochina in WW2 and they fight against Japan. Ho Chi Minh forms the Viet Minh Party and declares Vietnam's independence in 1945. France wanted help from the US in defeating Viet Minh and the US agrees because it wanted French support in opposing the Soviets and it wanted to stop the spread of communism in Vietnam. Truman sent supplies and military aid to France so they would be able to keep their colonies in Indochina.

Vietnam defeats the French and communism is established in North Vietnam. In 1954 Vietnam is temporarily split and in 1956 free elections would be held to re-unite the nation. Ngo Dinh Diem is the leader of South Vietnam and he is an anti-communist leader. His government, although it is Democracy is very corrupt. In the 1950's there is a civil war in Vietnam. The South is supported by the United States and this will help to carve the path to war. Eisenhower increased military because he had a "Domino Theory" that if one country fell to communism the rest would follow. He also sent military advisors to South Vietnam to help. Kennedy and the US supports an overthrow of Ngo Dinh Diem in 1963. Ngo Dinh Diem is assasssinated and JFK continues to send military advisors to Vietnam. Johnson will be the first to get the US very involved int he war. Supposedly, at the Gulf of Tonkin there were North Vietnamese torpedo boats that attacked a US ship on it's patrol. Here Johnson asks congress to protect Americans and prevent further aggression by going to war. Operation Rolling Thunder was to drop bombs all over Vietnam. Johnson's plan was to have a war of attrition, pacification, and finally relocation. In 1965 marines official marched into Vietnam.