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Nationalism grew throughout the 1900s, many political parties pushed for independence from France. Ho Chi Minh was one of the leaders of this push and helped form the Indochinese Communist Party in 1930. He spent several years exiled from the country and when he came back in 1941, Japan had taken control over the country. So he organized a nationalist group called Vietminh which united communists and non communists to expel Japan. This is when the United states began providing aid to Vietminh.
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After Japan surrendered to the Allies in 1945 it gave up control of Indochina and France wanted control over its former territory so the country sent troops to Vietnam in 1946 and sent the Vietminh into hiding. Vietminh fought back and France asked the USA for help. The United States did not want Vietnam to be Communism so it aided the French. The domino theory was in the presidents mind when he aided the French because he belived if Vietnam fell to communism so would the rest of Southeast Asia.
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Although the USA helped France the Vietminh still battled strongly against the allies. They used guerilla tactics, hit and run ambush attacks. France general population became unhappy about the war. The turning point was at Dien Bien Phu where France tried to cut the Vietminh supply line but was surrounded by them and defeated the French and made them remove troops from Indochina. According to History.net the French lost around 18000 soldiers. 2,293 killed, 5,195 wounded and 10,998 captured
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There was negotiations that were held to end the conflict in Switzerland. These accords were known as the Geneva Accords and created a temporary division of Vietnam along the 17th parallel. The pro-communist led by Ho Chi Minh controlled Northern Vietnam and pro-western regime led by Dinh Diem controlled southern vietnam. The accords called for elections to be held in 1956 to reunite the country however Diem refused to permit the election. President Eisenhower approved of this and sent more aid. -
John F Kennedy took over the white house in 1961. As he took office he followed Eisenhowers support of South Vietnam. From when Kennedy took over in 1961 there was 2000 troops in South Vietnam and by 1963 there was 15000 troops, The troops failed to shore up the Diem regime. The South Vietnamese created special fortified villages known as strategic hamlets.
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High ranking officials in the US government blamed Diem and made himself even more unpopular when he discriminated against Buddhism. On Buddhas birthday he ordered to take down the flags and when the followers protested his police killed 9 people. In response a monk poured gasoline over his robes and set himself on fire. US ambassador Henry Lodge and learned that Vietnameese generals wanted to overthrow Diem and they succeeded on November 1 of 1963. After his death the government weakened, -
Two US destroyers had been fired at by Northern Vietnameese torpedo boats, two days later he reported that another attack had happened and he asked Congress to defend American forces and its allies in Southeast Asia. Congress then agreed to the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, this authorized the president to "take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression." He then expanded the amount of US involvement in Vietnam.
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In 1965 more than 180000 troops were fighting in Vietnam in 1966 the number doubled. The USA had great confidence that they would win the war when they first started. However, as time went on the Vietcong used ambushes, booby traps, and just hiding in plain sight with the rest of the population. This gave all the troops difficulty defeating the Vietcong.
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To counter the Vietcongs tactics the US army tried to find enemy troops, bomb their position and destroy their supply lines and force them to fight actual combat. The US planes dropped chemicals on the Vietcong such as napalm and Agent Orange. The United States underestimated the Vietcong and belived they would surrender if bombing and killing many of their soldiers happened.
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The Vietcong was made of much of South Vietnameese soldiers however, weapons, advisers, and leadership was provided by Northern Vietnam. They provided these things through Ho Chi Minh Trail that went through Cambodia and Laos. The USA feared that attacking North Vietnam would make the Soviet Union and China join the war. To avoid this the US troops had to fight a war of attrition instead of conquering territory they would just fight to wear down the other side, this led to high casualties.