Vietnam

Vietnam 1954-1975

Vietnam background

• 1) Before WW2 Vietnam has been part of the French Empire.
• 2) However during WW2 Japan took over Vietnam
• 3) Because of this a Communist resistance movement, the Vietminh (led by Ho Chi Minh) was formed. It was called the Vietcong by Americans as a term of contempt
• 4) After Japan was defeated in 1945 the Vietminh continued to fight against France
• 5) the US president Harry Truman gave 3 million dollars to support the French due to his fear of the spread of communism

French defeat at Dien Bien Phu 1654

• After WW2 Vietnam was occupied by the Japanese but France wanted it back. After WW2 the French wanted to reassert their rule.
• But Vietminh forces led by Ho Chi Minh opposed their rule and wanted independance from foreign domination.
• In the early 950s France controlled most of the cities and the Vietnamese nationalists controlled most of the countryside.
• The USA supported France with large amounts of money. (Truman sent 3 million dollars).
• Each of the countries had different motives for the war:
• France wanted to preserve its Empire
• the Americans fought against communism (containment, domino theory)
• The war reached a standstill- the French were finding it hard to make progress in the countryside because of gurillla tactics and the Vietminh didnt have the strength or firepower to attack the defensive French positions.
• In 1954 the French decided to have a showdown at a place called Dien Bien Phu- it controlled the main routes between Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. The French built a fortified defence position and the Vietminh besiged the fortress. The French believed their superior firepower would secure victory but the Vietminh didnt stop attacking (despite their larger losses than the French) and this eventually meant they won. At the end 4000 French forces were dead and 8000 missing or taken as prisoners. 8000 Vietminh were dead and 12000 wounded.
• The battle ended French plans for keeping their empire in the East.

The Genvra conference 1954

• The results of the Geneva conference:
• Vietnam would be split into two parts along the 17th parallel
• The North would be under the control of the Communist Ho Chi Minh
• The South would be controlled by Ngo Dinh Diem an anti-Communist Catholic politician
• There would be a general election in 1956 for the whole of Vietnam to decide its future.

US support 1954-60

• Determined to prevent S.Vietnam being taken over by N.Vietnam (America got involved because of the Domino theory, containment of communism, the ARVNs weakness and the USS Maddox being attacked in 1964)
• They also sent 1.6 billion in aid between 1954 and 1960
• sending US military advisors in 1954 to help prepare for the 1956 `elections`
• Backing Diems refusal to hold elections in case the Communists won
• Diems goverment was corrupt and unpopular- for example Buddhists were excluded from top goverment positions. The NLF National Liberation Front was a commuinst group set up to oppose Diem and by 1963 controlled most of the countryside areas. Ho Chi Minh gave them supplies and support. They aimed to reunite N and S Vietnam under Communism.

US support under Kennedy 1961-63

• Didnt like Diem but setermined to prevent the spread of Communism.
• The NLF (Called Vietcong or VC by Americans as a term of contempt) had grown to 16000 members. The US tried to combat this by:
• Sending more military advisers- by 1962 there were 11000 training the ARVN.
• Diems unpopularity grew-