The Vietnam War
Vietnam Invasions
1. Chinese
208 BC – 142 AD
2. French
1627 - 1941
3. Japanese
1941 - 1945
4. French
1945 - 1954
5. Americans
1954 - 1975
Ho Chi Minh
Wanted to bring communism to Vietnam
Vietminh (communist group he started)
1941 - __________________________________________________________________________________
Axis Powers – Japan
/
French – Allied Powers
________________________________
________________________________
__________________________________
___________________________________
__________________________________
Ho Chi Minh has a decision to make - WHO to fight with? - French or Japan
Decides - Fight with Allies - in return Vietnam will get their independence
Cold War
 Shapes the decisions that the presidents will make for the next 30 years
US vs Russia
 Space Race - Russia beat US into space, but US beat Russia to the Moon
 Atomic (nuclear arms race) - built distrust between US and Russia, Russia
could not believe we had used it (Japan)
 Competition for Countries - Capitalist or Communist market
_________________________________ - one country falls to communism, neighboring
nations would also become communist (Americans fear)
After WW II
French return to Vietnam
_________________ - French leave because Vietnam continues to fight, French get sick of it
and leave
To keep capitalism and communism equal in the world, Vietnam is split in half
HCM - Communist (North)
Ngo Dinh Diem - Capitalist (South) – elected to rule South Vietnam
Corrupt, brutal, not liked - supported by US
_______________________________________________ - Communist still in the South - wrong side
of the border
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964) - Gave President Lyndon Johnson the power to take
all necessary step including the use of force" to help South Vietnam