Eisenhower and Kennedy's involvement

• The cold war was an ongoing conflict between the USSR and USA. (communism vs capitalism).
• Communism seemed to thrive in poorer countries
• The Domino theory


  If one country falls to communism so will the ones around it
• The USA believed domino theory was supported by the fall of China and North Korea to communism
• Red Scare

  • In the 1950s Senator Joseph McCarthy launched investigations and accused people of communism.
  • People's lives were ruined by these accusations
  • He began to lose support when he accused army officers of being communists
• Eisenhower gave financial and military aid to south Vietnam, but did not send any troops, only advisors.
• Eisenhower invited South Vietnam to join SEATO.
• Eisenhower was president was 1954 to 1961.
• JFK was president from 1961 to 1963
• JFK was the youngest and first catholic president elected
• JFK also wanted to avoid getting directly involved
• • JFK increased the number of advisors sent to 16000
  • He supported the coup to remove Diem
  • He increased financial aid
• Strategic Hamlets - 1962

  • Invented by Diem and supported by Kennedy
  • Win the 'hearts and minds' of the South Vietnamese
  • Promoted to protect citizens from the Vietcong
  • In reality, cut off support peasants gave to the Vietcong and stopped the Vietcong from influencing them
  • They were moved to specific villages many miles away from their land
  • Surrounded by ditches and barbed wire
  • 2/3 moved to camps
  • Peasants resisted and support for Vietcong rose by 300%