Why did the USA become increasingly
involved in Vietnam?
Learning objective – to understand the reasons
why the USA increased its commitment in
Vietnam between 1948 and 1964.
I can describe the
different reasons
why
the
USA
increased
its
commitment
in
Vietnam
Grade D
I can explain the
different reasons
why
the
USA
increased
its
commitment
in
Vietnam.
Grade B/C
I can explain the links
between
and
the
importance of the different
reasons why the USA
increased its commitment
in Vietnam.
Grade A*/A
What was Indo China?

Indo-China was an area in
South-East Asia which covered
modern Vietnam, Laos and
Cambodia and had been under
French control since 1893.
 Indo-China was taken by the
Japanese in 1941.
 The Indo-China War with
France broke out in November
1946 when the French
launched a major attack on
Haiphong and, later, Hanoi.
There was little fighting up to
1950.
Why did the French lose the Indo China
War in 1954?
The French, supported by USA loans, fought
Communists who wanted independence in Indo
China.
These Communists were called the Viet Minh
[who were originally anti-Japanese fighters] and
were led by Ho Chi Minh. They were supported
by money and supplies from China.
After fighting a long guerrilla campaign, they
defeated the French at Dien Bien Phu in 1954.
What was agreed at the Geneva
Conference in 1954?
The Americans called a conference in
Geneva to draw up how Indo China was
going to governed. The following points
were agreed –
• Vietnam
would
be
divided
temporarily along the 17th parallel –
the North controlled by Ho Chi Minh
and the South by Ngo Dinh Diem.
• The Vietnminh forces to withdraw
from the South and the French from
the North.
• A date for free election was fixed for
July 1956.
How did America get involved in South
Vietnam during the late 1950s?
Fearing the Communists would win the
election in Vietnam in 1956, America
prevented the elections and supported
the South Vietnamese regime of Ngo
Dinh Diem.
Diem was a corrupt leader who
suppressed the Buddhist majority and
was bitterly anti- Communist.
He persecuted peasants and Buddhists
and was hugely unpopular. The
American knew this but gave $1.6
billion worth of aid to support his
government until he was overthrown in
1963.
What was the impact of Diem’s regime on
the South Vietnamese?
Peasants
and
Buddhists
felt
increasingly
oppressed
and
in
December 1960 former members of
the Vietminh in South Vietnam formed
the National Liberation Front [NLF] to
oppose Diem’s regime.
The NLF was made up of all forms of
opposition to the South Vietnamese
government as well as Communists
from North Vietnam.
The NLF were called Viet Cong by the
USA, a term of abuse that categorised
all
opponents
as
Vietnamese
communists.
How did the NLF protest against Diem’s
regime in South Vietnam?
Supported by North Vietnam’s Viet Minh, the NLF launched a
terror campaign against South Vietnamese officials - killing 4,000
between 1959 and 1964.
Buddhist monks launched a campaign of peaceful protest, which
included self-immolation in public places. This was caused by
increasing suppression which included the prohibition to
celebrate traditional Buddhist holidays.
The Viet Cong launched a guerrilla campaign against the South
Vietnamese government which later extended to US bases and
troops.
How did the Americans get increasingly involved
in Vietnam during the early 1960s?
Between 1961 and 1963, Kennedy
sent 16,000 military advisors to
train the South Vietnamese Army –
known as ARVN.
Kennedy increased aid and money $270 million in 1962 alone.
Land campaign began with the
Strategic Hamlet policy in 1962.
President Johnson was more willing
to take more direct action in
Vietnam than President Kennedy.
Why was the Gulf of Tonkin incident a
turning point?
 On 2nd and 3rd August, two US ships
reported that they were under torpedo
attack in the Gulf of Tonkin but could not
see or locate the enemy.
 With an imminent election at the end of
the year, Johnson wanted to prove his
critics wrong who said he was soft on
communists. Johnson ordered US jets to
attack North Vietnamese torpedo bases
and destroyed 25 bases.
 Johnson used this incident to push through
‘The Gulf of Tonkin’ resolution on 7th
August 1964. This gave the President the
power to take any military measures he
thought necessary to defend ‘freedom’ in
South East Asia.
 The next day, the first US combat troops
landed in Vietnam.
Tasks
Draw a timeline of the period 1945 to 1964.
Using a copy of these slides, mark on it the increasing US involvement in
South East Asia using the following headings –
 No direct US involvement.
 Financial support.
 Political involvement.
 Military involvement.
Choose two events that you think were critical in increasing the USA’s
involvement in the war in Vietnam? Explain your decisions.
Stick a copy of the why did the USA become involved in Vietnam cartoon into
your book. Annotate around each section an explanation of each area.
Plenary – a touch of Scrabble
What are the three key words
from this lesson that sums up
your learning?
Which word has the highest
value if you used in a game of
Scrabble?
Compare with the person
next to you. Which word has
the highest value?