7+Vietnam+War

Causes- A. Americans feared the "domino theory" of expanding communist empires. The Truman doctrine stated that America would assist governments resisting communism. B. French rule was harsh: only the government was allowed to produce/sell alcohol & salt; rice was exported from huge French-owned plantations while many Vietnamese did not have enough to eat; workers in mines and rubber plantations could be jailed if they tried to leave their jobs; and taxes of every kind multiplied. Then during WW2, the French shared control of Vietnam with the Japanese. C. In 1945, Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam a free and independent country. However, the British and Chinese helped the French to return and the USA did nothing to stop them. D. In 1954, after a massive Viet Minh victory over the French at Dien Bien Phu, peace talks were held in Geneva and Vietnam was divided at the 38th parallel. Elections were planned for 1956 but the South Vietnamese leader, Ngo Dinh Diem, refused to hold these. E. The USA was worried about the spread of Communist power in Asia.

Major Players-

USA, South Vietnam, North Vietnam, Viet Cong McGeorge Bundy William Calley Dwight D. Eisenhower J. William Fulbright Ho Chi Minh Lyndon B. Johnson George F. Kennan John F. Kennedy Henry A. Kissinger Edward Lansdale Le Duan Robert S. McNamara Ngo Dinh Diem Ngo Dinh Nhu Richard M. Nixon Vo Nguyen Giap William C. Westmoreland

Major Events:

September 2, 1945 - Ho Chi Minh declares an independent Vietnam, called the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. July 1950 - The United States pledges $15 million worth of military aid to France to help them fight in Vietnam. October 26, 1955 - South Vietnam declares itself the Republic of Vietnam, with newly elected Ngo Dinh Diem as president. December 20, 1960 - The National Liberation Front (NLF), also called the Viet Cong, is established in South Vietnam. November 2, 1963 - South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem is executed during a coup. August 2 and 4, 1964 - North Vietnamese attack two U.S. destroyers sitting in international waters (the Gulf of Tonkin Incident). August 7, 1964 - In response to the Gulf of Tonkin Incident, the U.S. Congress passes the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. March 2, 1965 - A sustained U.S. aerial bombing campaign of North Vietnam begins (Operation Rolling Thunder). January 30, 1968 - The North Vietnamese join forces with the Viet Cong to launch the Tet Offensive, attacking approximately one hundred South Vietnamese cities and towns. March 16, 1968 - U.S. soldiers kill hundreds of Vietnamese civilians in the town of Mai Lai. July 1968 - General William Westmoreland, who had been in charge of the U.S. troops in Vietnam, is replaced by General Creighton Abrams. July 1969 - President Nixon orders the first of many U.S. troop withdrawals from Vietnam. September 3, 1969 - Communist revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh dies at age 79. November 13, 1969 - The American public learns of the Mai Lai massacre. April 30, 1970 - President Nixon announces that U.S. troops will attack enemy locations in Cambodia. This news sparks nationwide protests, especially on college campuses. January 27, 1973 - The Paris Peace Accords are signed that provide a cease-fire. March 29, 1973 - The last U.S. troops are withdrawn from Vietnam. March 1975 - North Vietnam launches a massive assault on South Vietnam. April 30, 1975 - South Vietnam surrenders to the communists. July 2, 1976 - Vietnam is unified as a communist country, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

End of war:

Fighting between South Vietnamese and Communists continued despite the peace agreement until North Vietnam launched an offensive in early 1975. The U.S. Congress denied South Vietnam’s requests for aid, and after Thieu abandoned the northern half of the country to the advancing Communists, a panic ensued. South Vietnamese resistance collapsed, and North Vietnamese troops marched into Saigon Apr. 30, 1975. Vietnam was formally reunified in July, 1976, and Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City

Outcome- Communist North Vietnam was successfully re-united with it's southern half, creating one communist Vietnam country. But between 1965 and 1973, the Vietnam War cost American taxpayers about $150 billion. This resulted in a large federal budget deficit. The war demonstrated that no power, not even a superpower, has unlimited strength and resources.

Over 2 million men and women served during the war and about 58,000 were killed as a result of the war. Many soldiers came home disabled for life; some lost limbs and chemicals like Agent Orange poisoned others. Others returned from the war addicted to drugs and many suffered mental problems as a result of their participation in the war.

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http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_were_the_causes_of_the_Vietnam_War http://www.historycentral.com/Vietnam/ http://www.uen.org/themepark/liberty/vietnamwar.shtml http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_was_the_end_result_of_the_vietnam_war http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/vietnam/ http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/modules/vietnam/index.cfm

SEMI TIMELINE- http://www.xtimeline.com/timeline/Vietnam-War1 Wesley's Timeline ANGELO'S Timeline http://www.xtimeline.com/timeline/vietnamwar

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