1. Historical Background of
Vietnam
• Vietnam has been
fighting for its
independence since 208
B.C.
• 1862-Asked Lincoln for
help against the French
• 1918-Asked Wilson for
help against French
• 1940-Vietnam fell to the
Japanese during WWII

2. Why not help the
Vietnamese?
• 1949-Asia became
important
• France was an ally during
the war (NATO)
• Anti-communist FoPo
• Stay consistent-Korea,
Eastern Europe
• USSR Detonates the A-
bomb
• 1st American killed-Sept.
1945
• Ho sent apology in letter

3. Truman cont.
• June 27, 1950
• US gave 3 billion + 300
Advisors to South
Vietnam
• President of SV was
Buddhist Monk (Bao
Dai)

4. B. Ike
• US supplied 80% of the
French War
• 500,000 total troops in
Vietnam
• US paying to keep
Vietnam in French
Hands
• A Tiger vs. An Elephant?

5. Dien Bien Phu
• March 13- May 7, 1954
• French took the low ground
& had no aircraft!
• Ike would not use nukes!
• Congress would not
authorize strike without
UK.
• Ridgway- to win in
Vietnam, draft almost 1
million men
• French Forces leave
October 9, 1954

6. Election of 1956
• US Support-Ngo Dinh Diem
• Lived in New Jersey
• Election of 1956
• Diem (Red-Good Luck)
• Bao Dai (Green-Bad Luck)
• If vote red, receive a treat
• If still voted green, followed,
beaten, pepper spray, water
down throat
• Diem 98%, Bao Dai 2%

7. End of Ike
• Aid - $7 Billion
• Advisors - 700

8. JFK cont.
• Can we win in Vietnam?
• Yes, 150,000 troops +
nuclear weapons
• “We failed & so will you”-
Charles De Gaulle
• Can-do-ism-Americans can
do anything
• Panama Canal

9. Quiet Escalation of the War
• Ike- 700 advisors
• JFK- 16,000 advisors
• Quang Duc-Buddhist
monk that self-
immolates
• June 11, 1963
• JFK- “They hate us,
they’re going to kick our
----- out there.

10. Assassination of Diem
• November 1, 1963
• Diem captured and murdered
• US knew and supported it!
• JFK did not know
assassination was coming.
• “In the final analysis it is
their war. They are the
ones who have to win it or
lose it.
• Thought about troop
withdrawal, did bring home
1000