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Eisenhower Explains His Domino Theory
Eisenhower explained the necessity of supplying aid to the French in order to help them defeat the Vietminh. He believed that if the U.S. allowed Vietnam to fall into communist hands, other countries would also become communist countries. Thus, he thought that it was imperative to stop the spreading of communism to other nations like Vietnam. -
The Geneva Accords
The Geneva Accords temporarily divided Vietnam along the 17th parallel. Ho Chi Minh controlled North Vietnam while a democratic government controlled South Vietnam. An election in 1956 would have unified the country if the U.S. hadn't canceled that election out of fear of the possibility of a communist government winning it. -
The Tonkin Gulf Resolution
Because a North Vietnamese patrol boat attacked the USS Maddox that, in turn, retaliated, President Johnson asked Congress for the ability to retaliate against any other attacks by the North Vietnamese as well as to prevent further aggression. Therefore, the Tonkin Gulf Resolution was created, which allowed President Johnson to utilize military force in Southeast Asia without a declaration of war. -
Operation Rolling Thunder Begins
Operation Rolling Thunder was when the air strike began bombing North Vietnam in order to put military pressure on their leaders as well as to help protect South Vietnam. This was the first bombing of North Vietnam, and these bombings continued until October 1968. -
The Tet Offensive
The Tet offensive occured during a Vietnamese holiday, which took the U.S. and the South Vietnamese forces by surprise. Therefore, this allowed the Vietcong to attack nearly every major metropolitan center in South Vietnam. Consequently, the U.S. military retaliated by capturing all lost territory and inflicting twice as many casulties. Also, because of this, more and more Americans became doves, and the credibility gap of the Johnson administration widened. -
The My Lai Massacre
U.S. officers under the command of Lieutenant Calley massacred innocent civilians in the village of My Lai in search of Vietcong rebels. The troops gathered these civilians and shot more than 200 innocents who were mostly women, children, and elderly men. In the end, Lieutenant Calley was blamed for this massacre, and he was convicted and imprisoned because of this terrible crime. -
The War Powers Act
The War Powers Act declared that if a president wanted to send in military forces into a hostile area without a declaration of war, he or she must inform Congress within 48 hours. In addition, the troops may stay no longer than 90 days unless Congress approved the president's actions or a declaration of war has been made.
