This document provides historical background on Vietnam from the 1800s through the early 1960s. It summarizes that Vietnam had been fighting for independence for centuries, including asking the US for help against the French in the 1860s and 1910s. It then covers the US involvement in Vietnam through the presidencies of Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, including the rise of Diem, the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu, and the quiet escalation of US advisors and involvement despite doubts about whether the US could win.

1. Historical Background of
Vietnam
• Vietnam has been
fighting for its
independence since 208
B.C.
• 1862-Asked Lincoln for
help against the French
• 1918-Asked Wilson for
help against French
• 1940-Vietnam fell to the
Japanese during WWII

2. Why not help the
Vietnamese?
• 1949-Asia became
important
• France was an ally during
the war (NATO)
• Anti-communist FoPo
• Stay consistent-Korea,
Eastern Europe
• USSR Detonates the A-
bomb
• 1st American killed-Sept.
1945
• Ho sent apology in letter

3. Truman cont.
• June 27, 1950
• US gave 3 billion + 300
Advisors to South
Vietnam
• President of SV was
Buddhist Monk (Bao
Dai)

4. B. Ike
• US supplied 80% of the
French War
• 500,000 total troops in
Vietnam
• US paying to keep
Vietnam in French
Hands
• A Tiger vs. An Elephant?

5. Dien Bien Phu
• March 13- May 7, 1954
• French took the low ground
& had no aircraft!
• Ike would not use nukes!
• Congress would not
authorize strike without
UK.
• Ridgway- to win in
Vietnam, draft almost 1
million men
• French Forces leave
October 9, 1954

6. Election of 1956
• US Support-Ngo Dinh Diem
• Lived in New Jersey
• Election of 1956
• Diem (Red-Good Luck)
• Bao Dai (Green-Bad Luck)
• If vote red, receive a treat
• If still voted green, followed,
beaten, pepper spray, water
down throat
• Diem 98%, Bao Dai 2%

7. End of Ike
• Aid - $7 Billion
• Advisors - 700

8. JFK cont.
• Can we win in Vietnam?
• Yes, 150,000 troops +
nuclear weapons
• “We failed & so will you”-
Charles De Gaulle
• Can-do-ism-Americans can
do anything
• Panama Canal

9. Quiet Escalation of the War
• Ike- 700 advisors
• JFK- 16,000 advisors
• Quang Duc-Buddhist
monk that self-
immolates
• June 11, 1963
• JFK- “They hate us,
they’re going to kick our
----- out there.

10. Assassination of Diem
• November 1, 1963
• Diem captured and murdered
• US knew and supported it!
• JFK did not know
assassination was coming.
• “In the final analysis it is
their war. They are the
ones who have to win it or
lose it.
• Thought about troop
withdrawal, did bring home
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