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Diem - South Vietnam president
Diem declared himself president, and at first he was a good president; he helped the economy and build new schools. The whole government was corrupt though, Diem started throwing political opponents into prison camps where they were tortured and killed, he restricted Buddhists, and didn't return land to peasants. -
U.S. support
JFK continuedd support of South Vietnam to show that he had a "tough" stand on communism and on Nov. 1, 1963, U.S. support coup of Diem. After Diem was assasinated against Kennedy's wishes, Kennedy announcd his plan to withdraw. U.S. was deeply involved and helped overthrow and execute Diem because South Vietnam's government was very weak and unstable. -
Gulf on Tonkin Incident
President Johnson feared appearing "soft on communism". On August 2, North Vietnamese patrol boat fires on USS Maddox. On August 4, USS MMaddox fired on North Vietnam. -
Tonkin Gulf Resolution
Congress authorized President Johnson to take any meauseres he deemed necessary to retaliate, promote international peace, and security in South East Asia. Johnson was basically granted broad military powers without declaring war. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
This bombing camapign was to prohibit North Vietnamese transportation routes in the South part of North Vietnam. They wanted to slow the entry of personnel and supplies into South VIetnam. The first attack was on March 2, 1965. -
Tet Offensive
It was a Buddhist holiday when more than 80,000 Vietcong troops emerged from their tunnels and attacked nearly every major Mwtropolitan Center in South Vietnam. They were surprise strikes. -
My Lai Massacre
American soliders opened fire on several hundredwomen and children. Some women were gang rped and dead bodies were mutilated.
