4.1 French in Asia

• Why was Vietnam valuable to the French?

  not developed in same way as other nations - an agricultural economy - large population of poor peasant farmers - large reserves of raw materials
• Another reason why Vietnam valuable to the French

  the french also imported goods to sell in Indochina - trade was extremely valuable
• What happened during WW2?

  France was invaded and occupied by Hitler's German forces
• What did Japan decide to do?

  take advantage of french weakness - began to occupy french Indochina - stripped Vietnam of resources
• What happened by 1945?


  food became scarce - 2 million Vietnamese people had starved to death
• Who were the Vietminh?


  a strong Vietnamese resistance movement developed - determined to rid Vietnam of all foreign rule
• Who led the Vietminh?

  2 Communists - Hon Chi Minh and Nyguen Vo Giap - fought the Japanese - controlled much of the north of the country
• What happened on the 2nd September 1945?


  the Vietminh declared Vietnam to be independent country, with Ho Chi Minh as President - the French did not accept this
• What was the French Government desperate to do?

  restore some pride after the humiliation of WW2
• What happened in 1946


  the French sent an army to Vietnam to fight Vietminh - neither side were able to get upper hand until 1954
• What happened to China in 1949?

  a Communist takeover - provided help in the form of training, supplies and equipment to Vietminh
• What was the american response?

  feared a Communist plan to take over the whole of Southeast Asia - vowed to help the French contain communism
• In what year and how much did Harry Truman supply French military aid?

  July 1950 - $15 million
• What type of military aid was being sent?

  tanks, planes, military advisers
• How much had the US spent on helping the french within four years?

  $3 billion - provided 80% of all war equipment used
• What happened by November 1946?

  French forces took control of Hanoi
• What did this force Ho Chi Minh and the Vietminh forces to do?

  retreat into the jungle + set a pattern for the rest of the war
• What did the Vietminh control?

  the countryside areas of dense jungle
• What did the French control?

  towns, cities and ports
• What happened after 1950?

  China began to support Vietminh - supplied with weapons and a safe base for training
• What had the Vietminh been trained to use?

  Guerilla tactics - made them difficult to beat
• What did the Guerilla tactics involve?

  small units of Vietminh soldiers leaving from their jungle hideaways - attacking french forces - quickly retreating back to their positions
• How many French soldiers suffered huge casualties?

  190,000 - 80,000 killed
• What happened in the spring of 1954?


  Battle of Dien Bien Phu
• What happened at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu?

  small french air force base - occupied by 10,000 soldiers - surrounded by 50,000 Vietminh troops
• What did the Vietminh do during the Battle?

  destroyed the runway by bombing - attacked the trapped french troops - bombarded them with rockets and shells
• What did the French begin to run out of?

  water and medical supplies
• When and why did the French surrender?

  7th May 1954 - neither the British nor Americans would offer help
• How many days of warfare took place?

  57
• How many french troops were killed and wounded?

  3000 - 8000
• How many Vietminh soldiers were killed and wounded?

  8000 - 12000
• What were the french survivors forced to do?

  march to prison camps located hundreds of km's away - half died during journey or as "prisoners of war"
• Why did France's Prime Minister resign?

  due to the french's defeat at Dien Bien Phu
• What did the leader who replaced him realise?

  the war in Vietnam was unpopular in France
• What did the leader offer?

  parliament a choice between supporting him in peace talks or sending more troops to Vietnam
• What was the Parliament vote?

  471-14 to support ending of war + withdrawal of French from Indochina
• What happened after the end of Dien Bien Phu?

  leaders of Britain, France, China, USSR, USA and Vietnam met in Geneva
• What was the aim of this meeting?

  to bring about a peaceful solution to the conflicts in Korea and Indochina
• What were one of the main issues?


  elections in Vietnam
• What did the Vietminh want?

  early elections - people could elect a government for whole of Vietnam