This deck explains why the United States became involved in the Vietnam War, a conflict that would define a generation. We will trace the journey from sending a few military advisors to a full-scale war involving over half a million American troops, and finally, a difficult withdrawal. We'll look at the key decisions made by four US presidents: Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon.

US involvement began in the 1950s, after Vietnam was divided into a communist North and a non-communist South. President Eisenhower feared that if South Vietnam fell to communism, other countries in Southeast Asia would follow. This idea was central to US foreign policy during the Cold War.

Under this 'domino theory', the US decided to support the government of South Vietnam. This government was led by Ngo Dinh Diem, a fierce anti-communist. However, Diem's government was also corrupt, brutal, and unpopular with the Vietnamese people, especially the Buddhist majority, making it very unstable.

When John F. Kennedy became president, he increased US involvement by sending more money, equipment, and thousands of military 'advisors'. He also approved the Strategic Hamlet Program, which aimed to isolate peasants from communist influence by moving them into fortified villages. The program was a disaster, as peasants hated being forced to leave their ancestral homes.