vietnam

• What was the USA's focus during the Korean War?

  The USA was turning its attention to Vietnam.
• Why did the USA want to contain communism in Vietnam by 1950?

  There was a strong communist presence in Vietnam.
• Who controlled Vietnam before 1950?

  France controlled Vietnam.
• What was the significance of French control in Southeast Asia during the eighteenth century?

  It was a way for France to extend its empire and open a market for goods.
• What was the area known as that France controlled in Southeast Asia?

  French Indochina.
• What valuable raw materials did France exploit in French Indochina?

  Rubber, tin, zinc, and coal.
• What led to the weakening of French control in the 1940s?

  It was a period of conflict known as the First Indochina War.
• What were the main outcomes of the First Indochina War for France?

  • Weakened French control in Southeast Asia
  • Increased nationalist movements in Vietnam
  • Set the stage for future conflicts in the region
• How did the USA's involvement in Vietnam relate to its actions during the Korean War?

  • Both were part of the USA's strategy to contain communism
  • The Korean War heightened US focus on Asia
  • Vietnam's communist presence was a concern for US policymakers
• The First Indochina War, 1946-54:

  • Japan invaded Vietnam during the Second World War
  • Vietnam declared itself an independent country in 1945 with Ho Chi Minh as President
  • The French re-invaded in 1946, backing a non-communist government in the southern part of Vietnam
  • The French were supported by the USA who by 1954 had given them $3 billion to fight the Vietminh
  • The Vietminh (Vietnam independence league) led by communists Ho Chi Minh and Nguyen Vo Giap fought back
  • When communists took over in China in 1949 they helped the Vietminh in northern Vietnam with training and supplies
• • French control of Hanoi in November 1946 pushed the Vietminh into the jungle, where they used guerrilla 'hit and run' tactics to harass the well-equipped French troops.
  • The French retaliated by attacking peasant villages; this only increased support for the Vietminh.
  • A key turning point in the war was the Battle of Dien Bien Phu.
• • In the spring of 1954, a small French air force base in Dien Bien Phu was surrounded by 50,000 Vietminh soldiers
  • The Vietminh bombed the runway and trapped the French troops, bombarding them with rockets and shells
  • The French ran out of supplies, causing them to surrender on 7 May 1954
  • The French survivors were made to walk hundreds of kilometres to prisoner of war camps; many died on the way
  • France's prime minister resigned and after a vote in parliament the new prime minister withdrew France from Vietnam; the war was over
• • Vietnam would be divided at the 17th parallel
  • Ho Chi Minh would rule North Vietnam
  • Ngo Dinh Diem would rule South Vietnam
  • The French would leave Vietnam
  • The Vietminh would leave South Vietnam
  • Vietnamese citizens could live in whichever part of Vietnam they choseA general election would be held before July 1956Laos and Cambodia would be independent countries
• After the First Indochina War, leaders representing all sides of the Vietnam conflict, along with leaders from Britain, China, the USSR and the USA, met in Geneva, Switzerland in 1954.

  The aim of the conference was to find a peaceful solution. Western powers were keen to delay elections in Vietnam as they were worried about the high level of support for the communist leader Ho Chi Minh.
• Ngo Dinh Diem was chosen as South Vietnam's leader by the Americans as he was anti-communist. The USA believed it could control and influence him. However, Diem had his own ideas of how Vietnam should be run. He created tension by:

  • pushing peasants off their land
  • giving key jobs to his family and friends
  • punishing (sometimes by death) any people who opposed him
  • calling an election in South Vietnam in October 1955 - a year earlier than agreed. This angered Ho Chi Minh and other leaders in North Vietnam.
• • The Americans suggested that the voting paper should have two coloured halves: one side green and the other side red
  • Diem's name would be on the red side as this was a colour linked to good luck in Vietnam
  • Diem claimed he won the election, with 98.2% of the vote, and that he was now the elected President of South Vietnam
  • The Americans were worried as this huge percentage clearly showed that Diem had made up the results
• National Liberation Front (NLF)

  Who: Political organisation in South Vietnam led by Ho Chi Minh. Initially the NLF wanted to get rid of Catholic influence in Vietnam, but it was quickly dominated by communists

  Why: Nationalists who wanted land to be given back to peasants, and wanted to unite North and South Vietnam. The NLF wanted an administration that represented everyone

  How: At first they targeted officials in Diem's government, murdering hundreds of them. Later they were encouraged by Ho Chi Minh to fight the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN)
• Buddhists

  Who: Members of the Buddhist religion that spread to Vietnam in the second century

  Why: Most people in Vietnam were Buddhists who felt victimised by Diem, who was a Catholic. Diem introduced anti-Buddhist policies; for example, stating that Buddhists needed to have permission to worship

  How: Buddhists went on hunger strikes and held mass rallies, and some set fire to themselves in an act known as self-immolation. This gained a lot of media coverage as the Buddhists would invite foreign press to cover events
• Several armed resistance groups developed under Diem's rule in South Vietnam because of his disregard for the 1954 Geneva Agreement and his extreme actions against those who opposed him. This tension eventually led to a civil war breaking out in 1957.
• Those against Diem

  • Moved into the jungle to form resistance groupsMany joined the NLF, which had the support of Ho Chi Minh in North Vietnam
  • They smuggled military equipment from North Vietnam down the Ho Chi Minh Trail
• Those in support of Diem

  • The South Vietnamese army (ARVN) had more money and weapons because they were supported by the USA
  • The USA gave the ARVN fighter jets and helicopters, and trained their soldiers
  • The USA launched a propaganda campaign, in North Vietnam, against communism
• In 1956, Ho Chi Minh sent one of his advisers to South Vietnam to assess the impact that various resistance groups were having in their fight against Diem's control. The adviser, Le Duan, told Ho Chi Minh that North Vietnam would need to send more support to help these groups resist Diem and pave the way for elections and a united Vietnam.

  Ho Chi Minh encouraged the different resistance groups to join together to become more powerful. This led to the creation of the National Liberation Front (NLF), which then became known as the Vietcong. They were led by Hua Tho.
• Vietcong: aims

  • A government that represented all people in society
  • Vietnam to be one, united country
  • More rights and land for peasants to bring them out of poverty
• Vietcong: support

  • Both peasants and middle-class professionals supported the Vietcong's nationalist aim of uniting Vietnam
  • Peasants wanted their land back so were prepared to feed and hide Vietcong soldiers
  • In villages where there was less support for the Vietcong, soldiers initially used intimidation; however to ensure continued support from the peasants the Vietcong then introduced a code requiring them to treat peasants well
• Vietcong: tactics

  • The idea was to wear the enemy down using guerrilla tactics
  • Attacked in small groups (cells) of no more than ten soldiers
  • Targeted small army patrols or government positions that were not guarded well
  • Did not wear a uniform, which meant they blended in with ordinary people
  • Used the Ho Chi Minh trail to get supplies from North to South Vietnam
• Diem was shot dead on 2 November 1963 after a coup by generals and soldiers of his own South Vietnamese army (the AVRN). The USA had withdrawn their support and protection from Diem when it became clear how much opposition there was to his actions and policies.
• As part of a commitment to stop the spread of communism the USA had supported Diem in South Vietnam. This support initially involved sending military supplies and training ARVN soldiers. Eventually, however, US soldiers became directly involved in the fighting in Vietnam.

  US involvement in Vietnam ultimately lasted from the early 1950s until 1975, under five different US Presidents. The fear of communism was the drive behind this involvement.
• The Domino Theory is a phrase that sums up US fears about communism and the threat it posed in Indochina. It was coined by President Eisenhower in 1954 and described the belief that the USSR and China wanted to spread communism around the world.
• Those who were believed to be communist spies were investigated by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). The investigations led to:

  • widespread fear, know as the Red Scare, about the communist threat in America
  • actors being questioned under suspicion of making communist propaganda
  • McCarran Act: communist organisations were registered and reduced job opportunities for communists
  • McCarthyism: Senator Joseph McCarthy said he had a list of over 200 communists working for the government. He accused anyone but took his allegations too far when he accused 45 army officers
• In the early years of the USA's involvement in Vietnam, the government sent weapons, planes, helicopters and advisers to train the ARVN soldiers. The aim was to stop the spread of communism in the region while keeping American troops out of battle. Neither President | Eisenhower (in office 1953-61) nor President Kennedy (in office 1961-63) wanted US troops fighting in Vietnam.
• Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969)

  • Served in the US army and became a general in the Second World War
  • Became President in 1953
  • Ended fighting in Korea
• John F. Kennedy (1917-63)

  • Fought in the US navy in the Second World War
  • Was the USA's youngest President and its first Catholic leader
  • Took a strong anti-communist stance
  • Was assassinated in 1963
• Eisenhower's involvement

  • Invited South Vietnam to join SEATO(Southeast Asia Treaty Organisation) to work with other countries to stop the spread of communism
  • Sent CIA agents to Saigon to gather information for the US government
  • Used propaganda to gain more support for Diem and turn the people of Vietnam against Ho Chi Minh
  • Gave supplies, money and military equipment to South Vietnam
  • Sent military advisers to train the ARVN
  • Tried to get Diem to carry out land reforms to keep the peasants happy
  • Did not force Diem to hold an election in South Vietnam in 1956
• Kennedy's involvement

  • Did not tell the US press about US involvement in Vietnam because he was worried about public opinion
  • Increased the money given to the ARVN. This meant ARVN troop numbers grew from 150,000 to 170,000 by the end of 1961
  • Increased military experts in Vietnam
  • 300 helicopter pilots were sent toSouth Vietnam to transport ARVN pilots. They were not meant to fight but did have to defend themselves when shot at by Vietcong troops
  • Did not stop the coup against DiemSupported the Strategic HamletProgramme
• The Strategic Hamlet Programme was introduced by Diem in 1962.

  • described as a way to help South Vietnamese peasants defend themselves
  • However, it was actually a way of cutting off the support the peasants had been giving the VC
  • The peasants were moved away from their villages to 'strategic hamlets', many kilometres away from their villages. The 'hamlets' were surrounded by barbed wire/ ditches.
  • By 1963 over two thirds of the population had been moved - people were angry and turned to the Vietcong.
  • Kennedy had no option but to send more military advisers to support Diem/ARVN.
• In November 1963, Diem was overthrown in a military coup and replaced by army generals who had the support of the USA. In the same month, President Kennedy was assassinated during a trip to Dallas, Texas. He was replaced by President Johnson who had different views on American involvement in Vietnam.
• Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) [1908-73)

  • Was Kennedy's Vice President, so became President when Kennedy was assassinated
  • Won his own election in 1964 and served untilJanuary 1969
  • Wanted to create a'Great Society' that was fair to everyone
  • Remembered by many for his role in Vietnam
• Johnson’s views on Vietnam:

  • believed in the Domino Theory.
  • He believed that if US support was taken away from Vietnam then communism would spread
  •  He did not want to send more troops — this was important as he wanted to be re-elected in 1964.However, Johnson's advisers wanted him to become more involved in Vietnam:
  • They knew the ARVN would not be strong enough to fight the Vietcong on their own.
  • They believed that if North Vietnam was attacked then this would force Ho Chi Minh to withdraw his support from the Vietcong, making it easier for the ARVN to defeat them.
• The USS Maddox was one of the destroyer ships sent to support the attacks on North Vietnam. It did this by monitoring the signals sent out by the radar stations that were being targeted.
• 3 August 1964

  • Three North Vietnamese torpedo boats head towards the Maddox. The Maddox fires at the boats and they fire three missiles back
  • US jets sink one of the boats and damage the other two