Causes of the War
The Vietnam War was caused from the Americans thinking that communism was threatening to expand all over south-east Asia. "The causes of the Vietnam War trace their roots back to the end of World War II. A French colony, Indochina (Vietnam, Laos, & Cambodia) had been occupied by the Japanese during the war. In 1941, a Vietnamese nationalist movement, the Viet Minh, was formed by Ho Chi Minh to resist the occupiers. A communist, Ho Chi Minh waged a guerilla war against the Japanese with the support of the United States. Near the end of the war, the Japanese began to promote Vietnamese nationalism and ultimately granted the country nominal independence.
Following the Japanese defeat, the French returned to take possession of their colony. Their entrance into Vietnam was only permitted by the Viet Minh after assurances had been given that the country would gain independence as part of the French Union. Discussions broke down between the two parties and in December 1946, the French shelled the city of Haiphong and forcibly reentered the capital, Hanoi.
These actions began a conflict between the French and the Viet Minh known as the First Indochina War. Fought mainly in North Vietnam, this conflict ended when the French were decisively defeated at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. The war was ultimately settled by the Geneva Accords of 1954, which temporarily partitioned the country at the 17th parallel, with the Viet Minh in control of the north and a non-communist state to be formed in the south under Prime Minister Ngo Dinh Diem. This division was to last until 1956, when national elections would be held to decide the future of the nation."
US Involvement
Thw main reason the US was involved was because the capitalist south Vietnamese were losing the fight against the communist north Vietnamese and Americans feared the communists would take over.
Watch this video to learn more!
Following the Japanese defeat, the French returned to take possession of their colony. Their entrance into Vietnam was only permitted by the Viet Minh after assurances had been given that the country would gain independence as part of the French Union. Discussions broke down between the two parties and in December 1946, the French shelled the city of Haiphong and forcibly reentered the capital, Hanoi.
These actions began a conflict between the French and the Viet Minh known as the First Indochina War. Fought mainly in North Vietnam, this conflict ended when the French were decisively defeated at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. The war was ultimately settled by the Geneva Accords of 1954, which temporarily partitioned the country at the 17th parallel, with the Viet Minh in control of the north and a non-communist state to be formed in the south under Prime Minister Ngo Dinh Diem. This division was to last until 1956, when national elections would be held to decide the future of the nation."
US Involvement
Thw main reason the US was involved was because the capitalist south Vietnamese were losing the fight against the communist north Vietnamese and Americans feared the communists would take over.
Watch this video to learn more!
The TET Offensive
The TET Offensive was a military campaign during the Vietnam War that was launched on January 30th 1968 by forces of the Viet Cong and North Vietnam against South Vietnam, The United States and their allies. It was a campaign of surprising attacks that were launched against military and civilian commands and control centers throughout South Vietnam, during a period when no attacks were supposed to take place.
The operations are referred to as the TET Offensive because there was a prior agreement to cease fire during the TET Lunar New Year celebrations. Both North and SOuth Vietnam announced on national radio broadcasts that there would be a two-day cease-fire during the holiday. Nonetheless, the communists launched an attack that began during the early morning hours of January 1968, the first day of TET.
The TET Offensive was a military campaign during the Vietnam War that was launched on January 30th 1968 by forces of the Viet Cong and North Vietnam against South Vietnam, The United States and their allies. It was a campaign of surprising attacks that were launched against military and civilian commands and control centers throughout South Vietnam, during a period when no attacks were supposed to take place.
The operations are referred to as the TET Offensive because there was a prior agreement to cease fire during the TET Lunar New Year celebrations. Both North and SOuth Vietnam announced on national radio broadcasts that there would be a two-day cease-fire during the holiday. Nonetheless, the communists launched an attack that began during the early morning hours of January 1968, the first day of TET.
The Fall of Saigon
The Fall of Saigon marked the end of the Vietnam War on April 30th, 1975, and was renamed Ho Chin Minh City. This is when South Vietnam fell to North Vietnam forces. After the introduction of Vietnamisation by President Nixon, US forces in South Vietnam had been reduced leaving the South Vietnam mility to defend their country against the North. Vietnamisation was a term President Nixon used to describe US policy towards South Vietnam in the later stages of the vietnam war. He wanted South Vietnam to take more responsibility in the war while America planned to withdraw.
In 1969, the first reduction of troops began. Then America met with North Vietnam in Paris to discuss a peace settlement. Nixon used the Madman Theory to scare the Hanoi government into accepting peace terms with due speed. This theory attempted to convince the Hanoi government that Nixon hated communism and wanted to use nuclear weapons against North Vietnamese if the war continued. This did NOT upset North Vietnamese.
In 1975, Us forces had left South Vietnam and the North became unstoppable. Then in April, the first rockets landed on Saigon. The US Ambassador, Graham Martin, pledged on live television he would not run in the middle of the night. On April 28th, forces were three miles from Saigon, so American helicopters came in and successfully took out all the Americans. By April 30th, South Vietnam was under the control of North Vietnam and renamed.
Page done by:Megan N
The Fall of Saigon marked the end of the Vietnam War on April 30th, 1975, and was renamed Ho Chin Minh City. This is when South Vietnam fell to North Vietnam forces. After the introduction of Vietnamisation by President Nixon, US forces in South Vietnam had been reduced leaving the South Vietnam mility to defend their country against the North. Vietnamisation was a term President Nixon used to describe US policy towards South Vietnam in the later stages of the vietnam war. He wanted South Vietnam to take more responsibility in the war while America planned to withdraw.
In 1969, the first reduction of troops began. Then America met with North Vietnam in Paris to discuss a peace settlement. Nixon used the Madman Theory to scare the Hanoi government into accepting peace terms with due speed. This theory attempted to convince the Hanoi government that Nixon hated communism and wanted to use nuclear weapons against North Vietnamese if the war continued. This did NOT upset North Vietnamese.
In 1975, Us forces had left South Vietnam and the North became unstoppable. Then in April, the first rockets landed on Saigon. The US Ambassador, Graham Martin, pledged on live television he would not run in the middle of the night. On April 28th, forces were three miles from Saigon, so American helicopters came in and successfully took out all the Americans. By April 30th, South Vietnam was under the control of North Vietnam and renamed.
Page done by:Megan N