Vietnam Fact Sheet
After World War II, the United States was struggling to maintain communism from spreading, and were making their best effort to help the spread of Democracy; The Cold War. With the increasing spread of communism on various countries, Vietnam was soon to fall to its order. The United States created the Domino Theory: the belief that a major political event in one country will in turn cause similar events in neighboring countries. The French had occupied Indochina since the 1890s, used for the building of an overseas colonial empire. The Vietnamese made it their mission to throw out the French and reclaim their land. President Harry Truman sent $160M in aid to the French at this time, which is considered the first phase of
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The Southwest Asia Treaty Organization is established to attempt to prevent Communist expansion. President Dwight Eisenhower sent about 700 military personnel in aid of South Vietnam. When John F. Kennedy was elected for office, he followed suit by sending military advisors to assist in battle. Due to the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, Lyndon B. Johnson was granted war powers without the need of a formal war declaration; U.S involvement in the Vietnam War escalated. Johnson’s administrations were met with public skepticism, introducing the credibility gap, with a large number of people questioning his statements and methods. It was described as the American no longer just assisting war matters, they took over; U.S troop count reaches 400,000. Come 1968, Viet Cong forces executed the Tet Offensive, a coordinated attack against forces in South Vietnam, with both sides suffering heavy losses. This event significantly weakened support for the war. With American troops reporting heavy casualties, anti-war movements began to speak up in full force, with protests against the losses and cost of the war. Another popular protest topic was the drafting, with 400,000 or so young men being drafted into military. This brought to light the 26th Amendment, which prevented the voting rights of citizen who are 18 or older to vote, due to young men being denied that right and being forced to fight in the