Who fought in the war?
North Vietnam: Communist and had southern allies known as Viet Cong
South Vietnam:French, allies with the United states
South Vietnam:French, allies with the United states
Why was the war fought?
North Vietnam and the Viet Cong were fighting to reunify Vietnam. In 1946 when the French announced they were intending to reclaim North Vietnam.
When and Why did the US get involved?
- The United States was very fearful of the spread of communism following the Cold War.
- The U.S got involved when the French appealed to them to aid in the war, the U.S viewed Vietnam as another Korea.
- Since the US was so fearful of communism spreading they helped to equip South Vietnam with low altitude bombing missions.
- B-52 bomber and smaller fighter planes like F-4 phantom helped South Vietnam to dominant the skies during the war.
- The U.S got involved when the French appealed to them to aid in the war, the U.S viewed Vietnam as another Korea.
- Since the US was so fearful of communism spreading they helped to equip South Vietnam with low altitude bombing missions.
- B-52 bomber and smaller fighter planes like F-4 phantom helped South Vietnam to dominant the skies during the war.
Key people
Terms and ID's
- Marshall Plan: Introduced by secretary of state George G. Marshall in 1947, he proposed massive and systematic American economic aid to Europe to revitalize European economics after WWII to help prevent the spread of communism. Didi much to rebuild Western Europe. Paved the way for the policy of containment.
-Truman Doctrine: Stated that the U.S would support any nation threatened by communism. Played a large role in the developing cold war with the Soviet Union. Helped set the stage for the Marshal Plan.
-Eisenhower Doctrine: Eisenhower proposed and obtained a joint resolution from Congress authorizing the use of U.S. military forces to intervene in any country that appeared likely to fall to communism. Used in the Middle East.
- Vietnam, ho chi Minh: North Vietnamese leader who had led the resistance against the Japanese during WWII and at the end of the war had led the uprising against the French Colonial
- 17th Parallel: the dividing line between North and South Vietnam established by Geneva Conference.
- Viet Cong: Akin to the American slang word “Commies,” an originally mildly derisive term for Communist forces in South Vietnam who opposed the U.S.-backed government in Saigon. “Viet Cong” grew to lose its negative connotation and came into common use as the war progressed. By the time of U.S. involvement, the Viet Cong was a sizable guerrilla force hidden among South Vietnam’s population, making its members extremely difficult to find or target.
-NLF: National liberation Front
-Truman Doctrine: Stated that the U.S would support any nation threatened by communism. Played a large role in the developing cold war with the Soviet Union. Helped set the stage for the Marshal Plan.
-Eisenhower Doctrine: Eisenhower proposed and obtained a joint resolution from Congress authorizing the use of U.S. military forces to intervene in any country that appeared likely to fall to communism. Used in the Middle East.
- Vietnam, ho chi Minh: North Vietnamese leader who had led the resistance against the Japanese during WWII and at the end of the war had led the uprising against the French Colonial
- 17th Parallel: the dividing line between North and South Vietnam established by Geneva Conference.
- Viet Cong: Akin to the American slang word “Commies,” an originally mildly derisive term for Communist forces in South Vietnam who opposed the U.S.-backed government in Saigon. “Viet Cong” grew to lose its negative connotation and came into common use as the war progressed. By the time of U.S. involvement, the Viet Cong was a sizable guerrilla force hidden among South Vietnam’s population, making its members extremely difficult to find or target.
-NLF: National liberation Front
Key Dates
Basically because the Vietnamese wanted to win more than the Americans did. There were a couple of reasons for this. First, the Americans were an invading force, and the Vietnamese were fighting on their own soil. Second, the Americans were not willing to make an all-out commitment to win."The second item is interesting to me. I was in the U.S. Air Force in Thailand in 1971. I was talking with a forward air controller who was disgusted that the U.S. was not using nuclear weapons on Laos to stop the flow of supplies from North Vietnam to South Vietnam. I was incredulous and asked him why. His very matter-of-fact reply was that war is denying the enemy the use of the land and nothing did that better than nuclear weapons."The irony is that had that pilot had his way America would have lost so much more that just the Vietnam War.
- Tony Morse
- Tony Morse