Escalation 1963-1968
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Escalation 1963-1968
The 1960s marked a new chapter in Vietnamese history and American involvement in the conflict. Following the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963, a new American leader, Lyndon B Johnson, sent US marines to Vietnam to fight the forces of communist North Vietnam, who were led by Ho Chi Minh. US involvement escalated, and by 1967 there were over 400,000 US marines fighting in Vietnam. Surprisingly, the North Vietnamese forces succeeded in dragging the war out and inflicting heavy casualties on the American forces. America responded by increasing troop numbers and using new aerial and chemical weapons. People became outraged by America's escalation of the conflict and the subsequent destruction of a poor nation. In 1969, there were 500,000 troops in Vietnam. The American government was no closer to defeating the North Vietnam forces and stopping the spread of communism.
YouTube | February 27, 2009
