Vietnam+The+Path+To+War

The Vietnam conflict began to start during the 1800’s when it became a French colony. Then in 1945 Vietnam made its own declaration of Independence based off of the U.S.’s. And that started a war that lasted ten years between the French and Vietnam led by Ho Chi Minh on the Vietnam side. Then the French were beaten (no surprise there) at Dien Bien Phu and they withdrew. Then the U.N. had a conference in Geneva, Switzerland they drew a temporary line on the 17th parallel to divide the country in half North Vietnam and South Vietnam. Then they were supposed to have held a democratic election but overwhelming support for the Communist’s led to the U.S. putting a democratic leader in office he was very unpopular the U.S. sent over economic aid and military advisors. After the U.S. knowingly let some radicals assassinate the democratic leader. Then the U.S. fearing Communist uprising started patrolling then a U.S. ship was fired upon supposedly in the Gulf of Tonkin.