Homework: 

In your Cold War file folder in your Google Docs account, read pages 353 to 355 of Vietnam War.

Answer the following questions and post them to your blog.

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.
After WWI the US was worried about the spred of communism. In 1946 the US government gave hundreds on millions of dollars to the French war effort in Vietnam in order to contain communist control of south east asia. In 1954 the war was over and Vietnam was devided into north and south countries. The US supported leaders that were anti communist, regardless of there motives (many of these leaders were corrupt). This lead to an increase in communist support.

2.  Explain how US politicians would have defended their policies.
Americans valued highly a poloticians ability to lessen the threat of communism. American politicians could get away with bad policies simply because americans were so fearfull of the spread of communism that they would support anything that would contain it.

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. 

(1962) Assassination of JFK - Johnson becomes president: no direct involvement
( 1954  ) Formation of South Vietnam:
the US interfeared with the elections because it didn't want communism to spread even more.
( 1964  ) Gulf of Tonkin Incident: political, military
( 1962 ) Number of 'advisers' reaches over 11,500: political, military
( 1962 ) JFK sends military advisers: political, military
( 1965  ) U.S. Marines land at Da Nang: political, military
( 1955  ) U.S. stops elections in Vietnam: political
( 1963  ) U.S. supports South Vietnam government after army overthrow Diem: political
( 1960  ) Viet Cong attacks on U.S. and South Vietnam bases: political, military
( 1960  ) Viet Cong formed: political

4. Choose two events that you think were critical in getting the U.S. involved in a war in Vietnam. Explain
your choice.
Kennedy's assasination was a huge event that affected all americans. It also brought into affice a new president Lynden B Johnson. Johnson had a very different view when it came to conflct in Vietnam and was much more willing for the US to be directly involved in the war.