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American aids the French
France had no intent of losing Indochina again, so France sent troops back into Vietnam and caused the Vietminh to fight back. The fighting escalated and France turned to the USA for help. America was in a difficult spot and didn't want to join the conflict but they did not want Vietnam to become communist. -
Eisenhower's Domino Theory Speech
At the beginning of the war, America had very little involvement and only helped when they were needed. In a speech U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower said he was worried about the domino affect in Southeast Asia. As the war grew America became more involved to help prevent the spread of communism. The so-called domino theory guided American decisions in Vietnam. -
Geneva Accords
Negotiation in Geneva, Switzerland ruled that Ho Chi Minh and the Vietminh controlled North Vietnam and Ngo Dinh Diem controlled the south. The US became the protector of the government in the south. The accords called for an election to try and reunite the country but Diem refused which caused the US to increase aid to South Vietnam. -
Defeat at Dien Bien Phu
Despite the aid from the US the French struggled against Vietminh, on May 7, 1954 the French fell to the Vietminh and the defeat convinced the French to withdraw out of Indochina. -
Operation Ranch Hand
The U.S. Air Force's code name for the spraying of Agent Orange in Vietnam by plane, from 1962 to 1971. Agent Orange is a chemical herbicide used to destroy vegetation. Americans used Agent Orange to destroy forest and food resources used by the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong. -
The Overthrow of Diem
Diem was the controller of South Vietnam. The US aided the south because they were fighting against communism. Diem got overthrown by several Vietnamese generals. American officials blamed Diem because he was very hard to like and made himself very unpopular. -
Ngo Dinh Diem's Death
Ngo Dinh Diem was overthrown and then the next day Diem was assassinated. Due to Diem's death Vietnam's government began to weaken. -
Gulf of Tonkin
North Vietnamese torpedo boats had attacked 2 US destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkins. These attacks were completely unprovoked, President Johnson ordered US aircrafts to attack North Vietnamese ships and naval bases. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
Johnson aided the war by ordering a sustained Bombing campaign against North Vietnam. The bombing campaign was aimed to weaken North Vietnam and support the South Vietnamese government. The purpose was to boost South Vietnam's morale, and interfere with North Vietnam's infrastructure and supply lines. -
Battle of La Drang
The Battle of La Drang was the first major battle between U.S. and North Vietnamese Army during the Vietnam War. The battle was significant because it showed America how resilient the North Vietnam army was and how they were willing to fight tough battles. The battle showed America that the war was not going to be as easy as everyone made it seem.