The U.S. Enters te Vietnam War

Title: The U.S. Enters the Vietnam War Labels: Vietnam_War, JFK, Cold_War, LBJ, Ho_Chi_Mihn, Gulf_of_Tonkin, Diem

The answers are due on Friday prior to class
1. Many neutral observers in Vietnam were critical of US policy. Explain why.

Much of the US policy in Vietnam was based of off ignorance and the fear that if Vietnam became Communist, all of South East Asia would follow. There were also many incidents where civilians, women, children and the elderly were massacred. The most famous incident was My Lai Massacre.


2. Explain how US politicians would have defended their policies.
They would have defended their policies by citing the defeat of communism as the goal. Calley, when on trial for the My Lai massacre said that they went to Vietnam to kill Communism not people. US politicians would have taken a similar stance to defend their policies, claiming that all actions taken were necessary to contain communism.

3. The following events are not listed in correct date order. Place them in the correct chronological order. (Write the year inside the parenthesis, i.e. (1965). Then note the reason for each U.S. action, and how it brought the U.S. into deeper involvement in Vietnam.
The reasons you can choose from are: No direct involvement; financial support; political involvement; military involvement. Also, note what events triggered the increased involvement.


Assassination of JFK - Johnson becomes president (1963)-political/military involvement
Formation of South Vietnam (1955)-political involvement/financial involvement
Gulf of Tonkin Incident (1964)-political involvement
Number of 'advisers' reaches over 11,500 (end of 1962)-military involvement
JFK sends military advisers (1962)-military involvement
U.S. Marines land at Da Nang (1965)-military involvement
U.S. stops elections in Vietnam (1954)-political involvement
U.S. supports South Vietnam government after army overthrow Diem (1963)-political involvement/financial involvement
Viet Cong attacks on U.S. and South Vietnam bases (1960)-military involvement
Viet Cong formed (1960)-no direct involvement here

4. Choose two events that you think were critical in getting the U.S. involved in a war in Vietnam. Explain
your choice.

Two events that were critical in getting et US involved in a war in Vietnam were, when the Viet conga attacked South Vietnam bases and the assassination of JFK. When JFK was assassination LBJ took his place. LBJ was much more ready and willing to become involved in the Vietnam War that JFK had been and after the Gulf go Tonkin incident, congress passed et gulf of tontine resolution giving him ugh amounts of power. When the Viet Cong first began to attack South Vietnamese bases, JFK began sending many military advisers over to help fight them.