Vietnam+-+Path+to+war

**VIETNAM - THE PATH TO WAR**

You all know that the United States was involved in a major military conflict in Vietnam during the Cold War ... but why? What was America's "path to war"? Using the resources below and __Creating America__, your task this evening is to write a description in YOUR OWN WORDS of the causes of American involvement in Southeast Asia. Pretend you are writing it as a summary for on online encyclopedia or textbook. Your description should ...
 * be between ** two and four complete, well written paragraphs **
 * ** contain the following terms ** - France, Ho Chi Minh, communism, Ngo Dinh Diem, military advisors, Gulf of Tonkin, Truman, Kennedy, Johnson, Rolling Thunder
 * be** IN YOUR OWN WORDS ** (remember, it's easy to check this online)
 * ** contain two images ** THAT RELATE TO YOUR WRITING
 * Should **end with the first Marines landing in Vietnam** in 1965

Vietnam Path to War

Before the start of the Vietnam War, the country of Vietnam was split between northerners and southerners. The north was pro-__communist__ and wanted their leader to be __ Ho Chi Minh __. The South weren’t specific in their leading styles, but was scared that if Ho Chi Minh won, then Nam would be driven into a state of Communism. Their candidate was __Ngo Dinh Diem__. __France__ and the U.S., both in disapproval of communism, chose the side of the South. Once the election had been canceled, Vietnam decided to break the Peace Accord, by reverting back to war in order to reunite the country. The U.S. continued to back up Diem with military support, thus starting the war of Vietnam.

In 1960, 900 soldiers were sent into Vietnam by order from Dwight D. Eisenhower, and this number was further increased to 11,000 men once __Kennedy__ took over. After Diem’s assassination, many Southern believers traversed to the Northern battle. The American soldiers however were not allowed to take action, because they were to act as __military advisors__, or people to train and organize the southerners.

In August of 1963, when President Johnson had taken the presidential wheel, a U.S. ship, the USS Maddox, had undertaken northern Vietnamese fire in the __Golf of Tonkin__. The President took this opportunity to start bombing in various Northern Vietnam areas known as Operation: __Rolling Thunder__. Although the few attacks on the U.S. ship were never confirmed, it gave the U.S. the opportunity to get in a few blows in the Vietnam War.