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After the surrender of Japan under the United States, Japans leader Ho Chi Minh saw this oppurtunity to declare independence.
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The French did not recognize Vietnam as a independent country so they invaded Vietnam. French troops forced the Vietnam citizens to hide in the countryside.
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After invading Vietnam the French set up a new government so Vietnam could not be independent. France asked for help from the United States.
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Eisenhower takes office after being elected in 1952. Eisenhower supports France after seeing China fall to communism.
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The United States was paying about three-fourths of France's war debts. Eisenhower's reasoning for this was his domino theory, or the belief that if Vietnam fell to communism, the other nations of Southeast Asia would too.
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President Eisenhower stepped up the aid from the United States by sending over hundreds of advisors to train South Vietnamese troops. This gave the Vietnamese troops a better chance of winning battles
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After taking office in 1961 John F Kennedy continued his war efforts in south Vietnam, the number of American troops in Vietnam increased by over 13,000.
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After being attacked by the Vietcong, Johnson came up with opperation Rolling Thunder to drop bombs.
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After the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was signed, President Johnson had control over the war. The number of American troops at that time was around 180,000.
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Nixon tried to make a deal with the president of South Vietnam. This did not work because the president of South Vietnam did not want North Vietnam troops in the South. Nixon ordered the dropping of 11 bombing runs by B-52's which is known as the christmas bombings.
