Why did America fail to stop the spread of Communism in Vietnam?

French Indochina

(DDE) a French colony that included Vietnam , Laos, and Cambodia, but Vietminh captured the fRench fortress of Dien Bien Phy, North was a Communist State, south independent, they wanted to resist of Communism

My Lai Massacre

1968, in which American troops had brutally massacred innocent women and children in the village of My Lai, also led to more opposition to the war.

Tet Offensive

1968; National Liberation Front and North Vietnamese forces launched a huge attack on the Vietnamese New Year (Tet), which was defeated after a month of fighting and many thousands of casualties; major defeat for communism, but Americans reacted sharply, with declining approval of LBJ and more anti-war sentiment

Operation Rolling Thunder

A bombing campaign began in 1965 and authorized by President Johnson. This tactical movement relentlessly bombed Viet Cong-occupied land, decimating the landscape of hundreds of miles of land. However, the intricate and enormously large network of tunnels the guerrilla soldiers had built were largely unharmed, and it failed to stop the Viet Cong from continuing to press on.

Ho Chi Minh Trail

A network of jungle paths winding from North Vietnam through Laos and Cambodia into South Vietnam, used as a military route by North Vietnam to supply the Vietcong during the Vietnam War. However, it was never proved to exist.

Peace with Honor

A phrase U.S. President Richard M. Nixon used in a speech , to describe the Paris Peace Accord to end the Vietnam War.

Ngo Dinh Diem

American ally in South Vietnam from 1954 to 1963; his repressive regime caused the Communist Viet Cong to thrive in the South and required increasing American military aid to stop a Communist takeover. he was killed in a coup in 1963. He was catholic and strongly opposed communism. His poor leadership and corrupt government spelled doom

General William Westmoreland

Commander of all US troops in Vietnam during Johnson administration, consistently argued for larger numbers of grounded troops as a means of winning the war

Dien Bien Phu

In 1954, Vietminh rebels besieged a French garrison at Dien Bien Phu, deep in the interior of northern Vietnam. In May, after the United States refused to intervene, Dien Bien Phu fell to the communists.

Ia Drang

In 1965, battle between U.S. forces and the North Vietnames took place here. Helicopters played a crucial role in the battle. Americans had worst casualties to date with 300 dead, but claimed victory because they killed 3000 North Vietnames. This reinforced the belief that killing large numbers of enemy forces would result in victory.

Kent State Massacre

The Kent State shootings, also known as the May 4 massacre or Kent State massacre, occurred at Kent State University in the city of Kent, Ohio, and involved the shooting of students by members of the Ohio National Guard on Monday, May 4, 1970. Four students were killed and nine others were wounded, one of whom suffered permanent paralysis.

Students for a Democratic Society

a campus-based political organization founded in 1961 by Tom Hayden that became an iconic representation of the New Left. Originally geared toward the intellectual promise of "participatory democracy," SDS emerged at the forefront of the civil rights, antipoverty, and anitwar movements during the 1960s

Gulf of Tonkin 1964

an authorization by Congress empowering President Johnson "to take all necessary measures" to protect U.S. forces in Vietnam; it was issued following reported attacks on U.S. destroyers off the Vietnam coast. Congress later regretted this action as the Vietnam War escalated, and questions emerged about the legitimacy of the attacks.

Tom Hayden

leader of Students for a Democratic Society