Vietnam

Vietnam Late 1800's until WWII France ruled Vietnam as a colony 1930- Ho Chi Minh (revolutionary leader) united 3 Communist groups - called for an independent Vietnam organized protests against the French govt. 1940 - Japan took over Indochina (including Vietnam) 1945 - Japanese surrendered to the Allies. Ho Chi Minh declares Vietnam's independence France tries to regain control of Vietnam 1946 - war between Viet Minh (Vietnamese nationalists under Ho Chi Minh) and France U.S. has a policy of containment (working to prevent the spread of communism) 1950 - U.S. gives $10 million in military aid to the French Domino Theory - if a country fell to communism, nearby countries would also topple 1954 - Viet Minh overrun French forces. Vietnam is divided on the 17th parallel (N and S) N - controlled by Ho Chi Minh and the Communists S - Diem and anti-communists Diem failed to establish a democratic govt. His govt was corrupt. Viet Cong (Vietnamese Communists) in S oppose Diem. N. Vietnam supports the Viet Cong by sending supplies and troops from N to S along the Ho Chi Minh Trail Late 1963 U.S. has more than 16,000 military personnel in Vietnam.

__Communist Threats__ Bay of Pigs - Cuban exiles trained by the U.S. invade Cuba to overthrow Fidel Castro. Troops are crushed in the invasion Berlin Wall - 1961 Soviet Union threatened to close off Western access to W. Berlin because so many E. Germans were fleeing to escape communism - Soviets and E. Germans built the Berlin Wall Cuban Missile Crisis - Oct. 1962 U.S. learned that the Soviets had put nuclear missiles in Cuba. - The Soviets eventually agreed to remove the missiles

1963 Diem is killed in a military coup 1964 President Johnson's military advisers make plans to bomb N. Vietnam Gulf of Tonkin Resolution - gave the president the power to use military force in Vietnam 1965 - Johnson began bombing N. Vietnam Sent combat ground troops to Vietnam By 1968 there were more than 546,000 American military personnel in S. Vietnam

__Troubles for soldiers in Vietnam__ guerrilla warfare - surprise attacks by small bands of fighters suffocating heat constant rain difficulty figuring out who the enemy was

U.S. drops bombs of napalm (jellied gasoline that burns violently) planes sprayed Agent Orange - a chemical that kills plants

Tet Offensive A surprise attack on U.S. military bases and more than 100 cities and towns in S. Vietnam

1968 - Johnson said he would stop bombing most of N. Vietnam and seek to bargain for peace.

My Lai massacre - 1969 A U.S. platoon rounded up and shot between 175 and 500 unarmed civilians, mostly women, children and old men To Americans this represented a horrifying break down in morality and discipline in the armed forces.

Back home - Kent state University in Ohio - 4 students killed during an antiwar demonstration doves - those who opposed the war hawks - those who supported the war

Jan 1973 - U.S. agreed to withdraw all its troops N. Vietnam agreed not to invade S. Vietnam

1975 N. Vietnam invades S. Vietnam. Communist forces capture Saigon and rename it Ho Chi Minh City.

26th Amendment - lowered voting age from 21 to 18 War Powers Act - Limits the president's war-making powers