The Tonkin Gulf Incident and the Domino Theory.

 
   The Tonkin Gulf Incident was what began the true entrance of U.S ground troops into the jungles of Vietnam.
   In the years following the end of World War Two, Vietnam had gone back to the control of France.  With a new political leader rising, Ho Chi Minh, had decided to rebel against the French and claim Vietnam as their own under a communistic government.  France had then decided to split the country in half, South and North Vietnam.  In the U.S, President Dwight D. Eisenhower supported the French and South Vietnam against the communist rebels.  The U.S had supplied them with guns, ammunition, and generals to help train soldiers.  The U.S had also sent over navy cruisers to help aid the South with electronic espionage.  With the cruisers near North Vietnam's coast line they had opened fire on two NV islands.  The cruiser name the Maddox had then entered into the gulf.  It was then intercepted by three Russian supplied NV boats.
    According to the U.S, the Maddox issued "warning shots" to which the NV boats opened fire striking the Maddox.  The only thing that struck the Maddox however was a single bullet, and the Maddox had severely damaged one of the NV's boats.  The U.S then sent a destroyer, The Turner Joy, to back up the Maddox.  Upon arrival there was report from both ships that they were under an ambush.  There was a total of 22 torpedoes fired from enemy ships on August 4th.  After the ships were ambushed, the now President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered airstrikes on NV oil tanks and boat docks.  This then led to the Tonkin Gulf Resolution, which stated that the U.S will enter Vietnam with the end goal of stopping the spread of communism.
   The Tonkin Gulf Incident was very important in the history of the Vietnam War because It was what started the war for the U.S.  After this the U.S sent waves of troops into the jungles to end communism.  However the Tonkin Gulf Incident might have been faked.  In 2005 the U.S government had released formally classified documents to the public.  These documents show that the Maddox and Turner Joy where not fired upon first, and the two U.S ships might have accidentally shot at each other out of radar confusion.
   The Domino Theory by definition from Dictionary.com is "The idea that if one key nation in a region fell to control of communists, others would follow like toppling dominoes."  This idea was used to get the U.S involved in the war.  The idea was that if other countries see what Vietnam is doing what is stopping them.  Why do they not just become a communist country as well.  The U.S tried and stop all of this by entering the war.   

Word Count: 476

The USS Maddoc on the left and the Gulf of Tonkin on the right

Greenspan, Jessie. “The Gulf of Tonkin Incident, 50 Years Ago.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 1 Aug. 2014, www.history.com/news/the-gulf-of-tonkin-incident-50-years-ago.History.com Editors. “The Gulf of Tonkin Incident.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/gulf-of-tonkin-resolution-1.