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During the Bolshevik revolution the country of Russia went red and became the first major country to go communist. When the USSR was formed there was military hostility between the two military super powers. This lead to an escalation of hostilities between the US and the communists that was only put on hold due to WW2. -
After the second world the hostilities between the US and the USSR continued. This placed 1000's of US troops all around the world due to the notion that we need to stop the spread of communism. -
H.S. Truman allocated over 15 million dollars to the french government to fund over 80% of there war. This was the first time the U.S. was backing a military effort against the Communist. -
The president's authorized putting 400 U.S. special green berets in vietnam. These were the first official U.S. troops to set foot on Vietnam soil for the war. -
The Geneva Accords was the document that was put forth at the end of the 1954 Geneva Convention which dealt with what was going to happen to Vietnam. The U.S. and South Vietnam did not sign the accords and that started the Hostilities between the North and the South. -
Telegram 243 was a cable sent by the Kennedy administration but not actually from the president. The cable said that Diem need to remove his brother Nhu from power or he would be removed from power. This started the mobilization of more U.S. Special forces to go into south vietnam to train soldiers. -
After Cable 243 was sent to the U.S. embassy in South Vietnam the army of South Vietnam decided that it meant they could lead a Coup d'Etat and the killed both Diem and Nhu. This along with cable 243 started kennedy to consider putting even more special forces in vietnam. -
North Vietnamese missile boats attack the USS Maddox in the gulf of Tonkin. The president said that the attacks were provoked but in reality the us was encroaching on Vietnam water. -
The USS Maddox in Gulf of Tonkin claimed that it was attacked a second time by DRV but they were not and then then the started an air campaign against the. -
The day after the second "attack" of the USS Maddox the congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. This basically said that the president could do whatever he thought was necessary. -
Operation Rolling Thunder was the military air strike that was passed after the gulf of tonkin resolution. This was a strategic bombing raid that was meant to take out DNV industry. They used air becasue they thought we would have lass casualties. -
The battle of Ia drang was the first US offensive in the Vietnam war. It implemented a new tactic called search and destroy. While it was a victory for the united states it was only a victory becasue the U.S. had to call all of the there air plains to bomb the war zone.