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America Aids the French
Japan surrendered to the Allies in 1945, it gave up control of Indochina. Ho Chi Minh quickly declared Vietnam’s independence. France had no intention of losing its former colony, however. French troops returned to Vietnam in 1946 and drove the Vietminh into hiding. -
The Ho Chi Minh Trail
Vietcong included many South Vietnamese, North Vietnam provided arms, advisers, and leadership. North Vietnam began sending North Vietnamese Army units to fight. Johnson feared that directly attacking North Vietnam would bring China into the war, Instead of conquering territory. American troops had to fight a war defeating enemy forces by wearing them down. This strategy led troops to conduct grisly body counts after battles to determine how many enemy soldiers had been killed. -
Defeat at Dien Bien Phu
The turning point came in the mountain town of Dien Bien Phu. By seizing the town, the French planned to cut supply lines from vietnam and force them into open battle. Soon afterward, a huge Vietminh force surrounded Dien Bien Phu and began bombarding the town. -
The Geneva Accords
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Kennedy Takes Over
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The Overthrow of Diem
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Johnson and Vietnam
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A Bloody Stalemate
About 180,000 U.S. combat troops were fighting in Vietnam. In 1966, that number doubled. The U.S. military entered Vietnam with great confidence. Lacking the firepower of the American forces the Vietcong used ambushes, booby traps, and other guerrilla tactics. -
Napalm and Agent Orange
American troops tried to find enemy troops, bomb their positions, destroy their supply lines, and force them out into the open for combat. American planes dropped napalm, a jellied gasoline that explodes on contact. They also used Agent Orange, a chemical that strips leaves from trees and shrubs, turning farmland and forest into wasteland.