Path+to+War

=**VIETNAM - THE PATH TO WAR **= = =

You all know that the United States was involved in a major military conflict during the Cold War ... but why? What was America's "path to war"? Using the resources below and Creating America, your task this evening is to write a description in YOUR OWN WORDS of the causes of American involvement in Southeast Asia. Pretend you are writing it as a summary for on online encyclopedia or textbook. Your description should ...


 * be between two and four paragraphs
 * continue the following terms - __France, Ho Chi Minh, communism, Ngo Dinh Diem, military advisors,__ Gulf of Tonkin
 * be IN YOUR OWN WORDS (remeber, it's easy to check this online)
 * contain two images THAT RELATE TO YOUR WRITING
 * Should end with the first Marines landing in Vietnam in 1965

Need some help? How about ... [|Into Vietnam (Overview)] from ABC-CLIO [|**Vietnam War** - the **Causes**] [|Timeline of the Vietnam War] [|Vietnam Online Timeline]

go to http://turningpoints09.wikispaces.com/pathtowar to see some videos.

-- Many Americans nowadays believe the Vietnam war was the most tragic and hardest of all wars. Many people also ask the same question, how did it start? Why did we suddenly send men over to Vietnam? Well in truth, the US had been involved with vietnam ever since World War 2. Back in World War 2, the Japanese had gained control of many South Eastern Asian countries, including Vietnam. The United States wanted to end the Japanese occupation there. The government helped a group of Vietnamese Guerilla fighters called Vietminh. These fighters were led by Ho Chi Minh. He was a communist who looked up to United States. The Vietminh won control of large areas in North Vietnam. Because of American help, Japanese troops left. Ho saw this victory as an oopurtunity to break free from the French. France had ruled over Vietnam for a long, long time as a colonial power. Taking this chance, Ho Chi Minh declared Independence from France.

-- At the end of World War 2, President Harry S. Truman was worried about the growing power of communism throughout the Soviet Union. The Soviets were trying fiercly to spread communism. Truman believed it was the US' responsibility to stop the spread, and do anything to make just that happen. Truman believed France was an ally considering how it was positive to the world now more than ever, that France was a democracy. Because Vietnam declared independence, the French wanted to take them back under French control. Because of this want, the French were at war witht the vietnamese. Vietnam needed help, so Ho, who admired the US, asked for their help. The US, now allies with France, gave them the cold shoulder due to France's want to regain Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh really needed the help so he turned to fellow communist leaders. At that time, communism had spread to China and the US started to really focus their attention on Asia. The Soviet Union was supporting the Vietnamese. To prevent the spread of communism, United States told France they would help //them// with the war.

-- Dwight D. Eisenhower had become President by this point, and he and his advisors had a strong belief in the Domino Effect. This Domino theory stated that once one country fell into communism, the ones next to, or near to, would fall as well. Back in Vietnam, the French were losing the war. French was ready to withdraw from war. An agreement was set up that split the country along the 17th parallel. Ho controlled the Northern half, and anti-commmunists controled the Southern half. There was to be an election to reunite the Nation, and there was no doubt Ho would win. With Ho, came communism. Because of this, the anti-communists continued putting off the elections until there was no longer one in sight. The US soon began helping Southern Vietnam economically as well with the military. Ngo Dinh Diem was selected to lead the Southern half of Vietnam. He however was not very popular. Communists in the south formed a group called the National Liberation Front. The wanted to overthrow Diem. There were many violent attacks opposing the current government. It was chaotic in Vietnam. In the US, John F. Kenedy was elected president and under him, the US got more involved in Vietnam. He sent 400 military advisors to teach the South Vietnamese army how to fight more effectively. North Vietnam was concerned about the american reenforcements. Diem's little support was almost now non-existent. People started to realize, in order to stop communism, they must replace Diem. Diem was removed and assasinated, followed by the assasination of JFK a mere three weeks later. Lyndon B. Johnson was now president. A new leader was selected in Southern Vietnam, and the US supported him, hoping to build a strong government in the South. It was going to be a difficult task, and as it turns out, this new leader failed to manage it.

-- On July 30, 1964, two Southern Viatnamese commandos attacked two Northern Islands. These islands were located in the Gulf of Tonkin. A US destroyer called Maddox, was ordered to steer the Northern Viatnamese's attention away from the commandos with an electronic air attack. A couple of days later, the captain of the american destroyer reports an attack of torpedoes on the ship. President Johnson orders a bombing of northern vietnam. Two naval bases and a major oil facility was destroyed. congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin resulution which gave permission to the President to do whatever he wanted as long as it stopped the attacks. even though this act was passed, the attacks did not falter. By this point, there was a new leader in South vietnam, he was not a great addition considering they did not get any stronger. President Johnson agrred to Operation Rolling Thunder, which was an air raid bombing of Northern Vietnam. This ensued with the hopes the North would decide to peace talks. This was not the result. President Johnson sent troops to reboost the failing Southern army. As more attacks ensued, more troops were sent. Soon, most of the Southen Vietnamese forces, were American.