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US Military Aid to French Indochina
The First Indochina War was the war between the Viet Minh and the French, which spanned from 1946 to 1954. When the Viet Minh declared their country the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, France refused to accept Vietnamese independence. President was determined to block the advancement of communism in Asia, and called for an increase in military aid to French Indochina. Said aid grew from $10 million in 1950, to more than $100 million in 1951. -
Battle of Dien Bien Phu
In the March of 1954, the Viet Minh launched a surprise attack on a French military base located at Dien Bien Phu. This was when the decisive battle began. By April, the French forces were on the brink of surrender, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Truman’s successor, wanted Britain and the nation’s other allies to perform unified military action to halt communist expansion in Vietnam. The domino theory dictated that, if Vietnam fell to the communists, the rest of Southeast Asia would topple. -
Geneva Accords
July 1954 the French and Viet Minh signed the Geneva Accords.
Representatives of France and the Viet Minh began talks in Geneva the day after the French loss at Dien Bien Phu. France wanted to maintain some control over southern Vietnam.
The Viet Minh demanded that France leave the country completely and that the Democratic Republic of Vietnam be recognized as an independent nation. In 1960, the Viet Minh formed a group called the National Liberation Front and invited all opponents of Diem to -
Vietnam Declares Independence
After Vietnam declared independence, Ho Chi Minh gave a speech that stirred the hearts of the original American patriots. First they fought France when it tried to reestablish colonial rule. Later they would fight the United States, which saw them as a communist enemy. -
Gulf of Tonkin Incident
On 4 August 1964, American sailors traveled through the Gulf of Tonkin. Due to stormy weather, they were under the assumption that the North Vietnamese Army patrol boats were firing machine guns and torpedoes at US vessels, like they had done so on August 2. No attack had taken place, but the president concluded that his people were, in fact, attacked, and demanded air strikes against naval bases in North Vietnam. Congress granted him permission, passing the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
August 5, 1964.This resolution allowed the president “to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression.” -
“Doves” Argue Against Involvement
While the hawks stressed American credibility, needed the leader of the free world to support worldwide battles against communism, the doves were advocates of a peaceful solution in Vietnam through negotiation and compromise. They were against the further escalation of the conflict and opposed to deployment of US combat troops.
The doves did not believe that the US would be victorious, and did not agree with the idea of fighting a guerilla war in the unfamiliar jungle terrain of Vietnam.
They fe -
“Hawks” Argue for Involvement
President Johnson thought a limited war could secure the independence of South Vietnam. Many of his political advisers were hawks, people intent on expanding US military involvement in Vietnam. They wanted to contain communism in every way possible. One of their arguments was the domino theory, which means that the fall of Vietnam would trigger the fall of many other Southeast Asian countries.
Hawks also opposed the policy of appeasement. -
Americanization of the War
Starting in 1965
The U.S took over the main responsibility for fighting the war.
Two-pronged
First, U.S. marines would take key cities and other vital sites along the coast and transform them into modern military bases.
They would then use those bases to launch search-and-destroy missions against the Viet Cong. From that time forward, the South Vietnamese would play only a supporting role.
This was a change of strategy that represented the Americanization of the VIetnam War.
LBJ, Pres. Johns -
Operation Rolling Thunder
On February 7, 1965, Pres. Johnson responded to the attack of Viet Cong by bombing the staging areas north of the 17th parallel. The February bombing raids led to a series of air strikes called Operation Rolling Thunder. Many of the president’s advisers thought this action gave a boost to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) and prevented the collapse of South Vietnam. -
US Troops Arrive in Vietnam
Under the influence of all the advice he received, President Johnson sent troops to South Vietnam. On March 8, 1965, US combat troops set foot in Vietnam for the first time; 3,500 US marines arrived near Da Nang. The marines were welcomed by the locals. The marines completed the necessary preparation for defense against Viet Cong attacks. This was kept secret from the American people. -
Operation Starlite
As the air war intensified, the pace of the ground war increased dramatically. Operation Starlite was the first major assault by US ground troops. It took place in the August of 1965, and the troops were against 1,500 Viet Cong who were preparing to attack a US airbase. With the help of tanks and fighter planes, the marines were successful: more than 600 Viet Cong were killed while 45 US soldiers died.