The Vietnam War

The Vietnam War

1. American Involvement in Vietnam

   • The War
     • Moral
     • Operations and Tactics
       • The Americans decided the best way to fight the Viet Cong was with modern technology, as the Viet Cong didn't have any apart from those supplied by China.
       • The Americans believed that air superiority was the key element to winning the war.
         • The Americans began using newly developed helicopters and gunships, such as for example; the UH-1 Iroquois nicknamed Huey, to move US troops into strategical positions and get them in and out fast, and to root out the Viet Cong.
         • The US also used jets to be able to give strategical air support to the troops on the ground and to root out the enemies, and destroy strategical supply lines.
       • The Americans began sending troops to do Search and Destroy missions. This is when a group of troops would try and find any; Viet Cong resistance, supplies for the Viet Cong and any residence of/for the Viet Cong, and then destroy it.
         • Many Troops began burning down local residences, trying to root out Viet Cong. This made Vietnamese side with the Viet Cong and hate the Americans. This meant more people would help the Viet Cong.
       • The Americans began using Napalm, a chemical weapon that burns almost anything and has added phosphorus so the napalm would burn in water when people tried to wash it off, and Agent Orange, a highly toxic 'weedkiller' that would destroy jungles and crops and it was found that people who ate infected crops gave birth to people with defects. The main reason Napalm and Agent Orange was used was because it could destroy jungles, where Viet Cong hid. Both Napalm and Agent Orange could be dropped from planes and do was widely used.
         • Both Napalm and Agent Orange helped people turn against the Americans as it would affect people because, for example; Napalm could kill villagers if it was dropped to close to their village.
       • Operations, such as; Rolling Thunder, were being continuously carried out and new operations were always being launched.
         • Operation Rolling Thunder was an operation that launched extensive bombing raids on both military and industrial targets. The operation also involved getting troops in and out of LZ's (Landing Zones) and providing them with close air support.
         • The operations launched usually helped turn people against the Americans as they would normally affect them.
     • Viet Cong
       • The Viet Cong used Guerilla Warfare
   • Involvement
     • In 1960, North Vietnam and the Viet Minh formed the Communist-led National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam, more commonly referred to as the Viet Cong.
     • Afraid of Domino Theory the USA sent multiple military advisers to South Vietnam, not wanting American soldiers to get involved.
     • The Viet Cong's aim was to make Vietnam whole again and lead it under a Communist Regime.
     • The South Vietnamese Army fought back against the Viet Cong but they were no match as the Viet Cong were using Guerilla Warfare Tactics, just like the Viet Minh used against the Japanese and French.
     • The USA was reluctant to get involved but they began sending their troops to Vietnam and so, the Vietnam War began.

2. France and Vietnam

   • The French had ruled Vietnam under Indochina, which was a French colony that concluded of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, since the late nineteenth century.
     • The French rule had only been questioned once by the people, which consisted of a rebellion in 1930 that was shortly crushed.
   • During WW2, when France was invaded in 1940, the Japanese took control of Indochina and striped it of its resources. During the Japanese control of Indochina a resistance group was formed, known as the Viet Minh. Ho Chi Minh, who was the leader of the Viet Minh, was communist and wanted an independent Vietnam. The Viet Minh remained a constant pain to the Japanese and when the war ended the Viet Minh were in control of North Vietnam. Wanting Vietnam to be independent, the Viet Minh took control of Vietnam and declared it independent, but the French thought otherwise.
   • France invaded Vietnam in 1946, wanting to have Vietnam under its rule again because of all the resources it had. The French controlled most of the cities but the countryside was controlled by the Viet Minh, France found it impossible to try and get and keep control over the countryside. This was because the Viet Minh were using guerrilla warfare tactics and the French were only used to open warfare, so the Viet Minh became impossible to beat.
   • In 1949, China turned Communist and started funding the Viet Minh. Fearing a Communist takeover of South-East Asia, America began funding France in its everlasting war to keep control of Vietnam.
   • In 1954 the French Vietnam War saw its end at the battle of Dien Bien Phu. After the battle the French decided to pull out of the war. The battle of Dien Bien Phu had important consequences, which consist of;
     • - The French lost 3000 men on the battlefield.
     • - The Viet Minh were able to defeat the French in open combat with the help of modern weapons, supplied by the USSR and China.
     • - At the 1954 peace conference in Geneva, when the French pulled out of the war, it was decided Vietnam would be split into North and South Vietnam along the 17th parallel. The North would be ruled by the Viet Minh under communist rule and the South would be ruled under Capitalism. This would be under effect until two years time when the Vietmenese public would decide if they want to keep Communism or Capitalism.

3. North and South Vietnam

   • North Vietnam
     • In North Vietnam the people enjoyed Communism as Ho Chi Minh did what the people wanted. You could say he made Communism 'sweeter'.
   • South Vietnam
     • Ngo Dinh Diem was put in charge of South Vietnam, by the Americans because he was very anti-Communist and the Americans Feared domino Theory.
     • Ngo Dinh Diem, however, was very corrupt and kept most of the South Vietnamese's money to himself, he also appointed members of his family and his friends to positions of high powers, and he also wouldn't hold elections, even for the local councils.
     • Diem was Christian and showed little respect for the Buddhist religion, which was one of the largest religions in South Vietnam and was extremely popular among the Vietnamese peasants. He used the South Vietnamese army to raid Buddahist shrines and temples.
     • Diem became very unpopular, very quickly. This was shown by Quang Duc, a 73 year old Buddahist priest, who burnt himself to death in protest to Diem and his corrupt government. The actions of Diem turned a lot of the South Vietnamese people into supporting Ho Chi Minh and the Communist North Vietnam. This became extremely popular among the Vietnamese peasants in the countryside.
     • In 1963, Ngo Dinh Diem was overthrown, captured and executed by his own generals. However, the governments that followed were still extremely corrupt.
     • Throughout the time Diem was in control and afterwards, South Vietnam received funding from America.
     • When the two years after the peace conference came to pass, when the election to see if Vietnam would become Communist or Capitalist was meant to be held, the election never happened as both America and South Vietnam knew Communism would win.