What Events Precipitated United States Indentation in the Vietnam Conflict
Many countries ruled Vietnam throughout its history. ... 939 China ended its rule and the Vietnamese set up an independent state and expanded their territory, calling it Vietnam and ruled for the next 900 years. Between 1858 and 1883 France took control of Vietnam. The French governed Vietnam until Japan took control of it during World War II (1940 - 1945). ... The Vietminh was a group controlled by Communists and headed by Ho Chi Minh and who had power in northern Vietnam. ... They decided to divide Vietnam into two zones, North Vietnam and South Vietnam. The Communist received control of the northern zone called North Vietnam. Non-Communist Vietnamese received control of the southern zone called South Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh became president of North Vietnam and South Vietnam chose Ngo Dinh Diem as their president. Diem established the Republic of Vietnam and he refused to go along with the elections planned for 1956; claiming the Communist would not permit fair elections. ... Thus this rebel was the start of the Vietnam War. ... Although North and South Vietnam’s military methods were very much alike, the United States saw Diem, South Vietnam, as the lesser evil. With American help South Vietnam had a chance to become a democracy. However, under the Communist rule, North Vietnam could never become a democracy. United States aid to France and later to Non-Communist South Vietnam was based on a policy of President Harry S. ... # He had declared that the United States must help any nation threatened by Communists. ... # Kennedy raised the stakes in Vietnam. He sent in United States Army Special Forces called Green Berets. ... # By the end of 1963 there were 16,263 Americans serving in South Vietnam. ... The results were: 5 helipcopters were shot down, and 3 United States military advisors were killed, 10 were wounded. ... # In November 1963, President Diem and his brother was ousted and killed with tacit United States approval, resulting from the Buddhist protesting against the government.# The junta which replaced him lasted only three months and the government of South Vietnam remained unstable for the next two years as regime after regime took office until Marshal Ky and General Thieu brought some semblance of stability to the country’s government. ... After Kennedy’s assassination Secretary General of the United Nations, U. ... Ho Chi Minh wanted a neutralization of South Vietnam. Any doubts regarding the United States rejection of compromise and determination to prosecute the war were stated in President Johnson’s New Year’s message: “Neutralizaton of South Vietnam would only be another name for a Communist take-over. ... The United State will continue to furnish you and your people with the fullest measure of support in the bitter fight. ... We shall maintain in Vietnam, American personnel and material as needed to assist you in acheiving victory.”# In 1964, President Johnson approved secret South Vietnamese naval raids against North Vietnam. ... Johnson ordered immediate air strikes on North Vietnam.