1. What European country controlled (ruled) Vietnam before, during and immediately following World War II?
Vietnam was ruled by France before World War II. During World War II Vietnam was conquered by the Japanese, and after World War II, France fand the Viet Minh fought each other, each hoping to gain control on the country.
2. Who led the Viet Minh (anti-Japanese resistance group)?
The Viet Minh, the anti-Japanese resistance group, were led by Ho Chi Minh, a communist.
3. Which country helped France keep Vietnam and why?
The United States helped France keep Vietnam in order to prevent Vietnam from becoming communist. The Viet Minh, who were communists backed by Mao Zedong, attempted to gain control of Vietnam in 1945. The United States considered the Viet Minh to be puppets of Mao and communist China, and so the United States aided France in thier war against the Viet Minh by giving France $500 million a year into the French war effort.
4. What is the Domino Theory?
The Domino Theory was the theory that, the USSR and China were planning on spreading communism in Asia, and that if Vietnam fell to communism then many other Asian countries would fall as well.
5. In 1955 the United States installed this man as the leader of the Republic of South Vietnam. Who was he and why was he placed into power?
The United States installed Ngo Dinh Diem as the leader of South Vietnam because he adamantly anti-communist, in fact he was prepared to imprison or exile any communist. This way the United States hope to stop the spread of communism.
6. What was the Ho Chi Minh Trail? How was it used?
The Ho Chi Minh Trail was a border at the 17th parallel that separated North and South Vietnam. This border was used by the Viet Cong ( the Communist-lead National Front for the Liberation of the South Vietnam ) to send reinforcements and to get supplies to guerrilla fighters.
7. What was the Tonkin Gulf Resolution? What powers did it give President Johnson?
The Tonkin Gulf Resolution was a resolution that effectively gave Lyndon Johnson the power to take the United Sates into a full fledged war against the communists of Vietnam if he felt that this was necessary.
8. Look at the timeline on page 256. Why is 1965 considered a "turning point" year for American involvement in Vietnam?
1956 is considered a "turning point" year for the American involvement in Vietnam because in this year the Americans stepped up there attack on the Vietnamese communists, the United States dedicated itself to defeating the communist Vietnamese.
9. Why, according to Source 3 on page 255, were U.S. troops put into a difficult position in Vietnam?
According to Source 3, the U.S troops were put into a difficult position in Vietnam because of the Vietnamese, the very people the U.S troops were fighting for, disliked the United States due to the fact that the United States forced the Vietnamese to " work with pay to dig moats,plant bamboo stakes and ercet fences against any enemy that didn't threaten them" (Source 3). Therefore, the U.S soldiers were fighting for a people that didn't support them.
