HIST 115 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Ngô Đình Nhu, Operation Rolling Thunder, Army Of The Republic Of Vietnam
Document Summary
In december 1960, diem"s many critics inside south vietnam both communist and non-communist formed the national liberation front (nlf) to mobilize opposition to the government. While the nlf claimed to be independent, and most of its members were not communists, many in washington believed it was a front for hanoi. In 1961, a team sent to report on conditions in south vietnam by president john: kennedy proposed building up american military, economic, and technical assistance to help diem combat the viet cong threat. Operating under the "domino theory," which held that if one southeast asian country came down to communism, many other countries would follow, kennedy increased u. s. assistance, but he stopped short of committing to large-scale military intervention. In 1962, some 9,000 troops had joined the u. s. military base in south vietnam, compared to less than 800 in the 1950s.
