The Vietnam War Years

Moving towards conflict

I. French Rule in VietnamA) From the late 1800s

until WWII France ruled over Vietnam

B) They encountered growing unrest from Vietnamese peasants

C) Many Vietnamese nationalist fled to China under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh

II. Japanese take controlA) In 1940 the Japanese take control of

Vietnam.

B) The next year, Ho Chi Minh returns and forms the Vietminh, an to win independence from foreign rule.

C) When Japan is forced to leave in 1945 Ho Chi Minh declares Vietnam an independent nation.

III. Not so Fast! The French Return

A) French troops move back in to the country regaining control of the southern half

B) Ho Chi Minh vowed to fight from the North and rid the South of French control

C)The U.S. sends $15 million in aide to France

• Why did the U.S. support France???

D)During a news conference in 1954 Eisenhower explained the domino theory in which he compared the countries on the brink of communism to a row of dominoes waiting.

IV. Geneva AccordsA) Temporarily divided Vietnam at the 17th

parallel. B) The Communist and their leader Ho Chi

Minh controlled North Vietnam from their capital of Hanoi.

C) The anti-communist controlled South Vietnam from their capital and southern port city of Saigon.

V. Diem Cancels ElectionsA) Ho Chi Minh won popular support in the

North

B) Recognizing Ho Chi Minh’s popularity, South Vietnam’s president Diem refused to take part in the country wide elections.

C) The US promised military aide to Diem in return for a stable government in the South

D) Instability in the South1) Diem becomes very

unpopular because he did not support land reform, along with attacks on Buddhism

2) A communist opposition group in the south, known as the Vietcong begins attacks on the Diem government

E. Ho Chi Minh supported the Vietcong via a network of paths that became known as the Ho Chi Minh trail

VI. The U.S. Steps up

A) Because Diem couldn’t maintain stability the US supported a military coup that toppled Diem’s regime

B. Tonkin Gulf Resolution1) A North Vietnamese patrol boat fired a

torpedo at an American destroyer,

2) 2) President Johnson asked congress to adopt the Tonkin Gulf Resolution which gave Johnson “ all necessary powers to take all necessary measures to repel an armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggressions”.

• Look at the poster on pager 732

• How might this poster have generated support for the Vietcong?

• Do you think the use of propaganda is acceptable?

• When have we seen propaganda used before?

What time period is this poster from?

What is the message of this poster?

1) What event is depicted in these images?

2) How is propaganda being used?

3)How was this event similar to the events that occurred in the Tonkin gulf?

• Do you think congress was justified in passing the Tonkin Gulf resolution?

• Use details from your text and notes to support your response