Vietnam 1 and 2

Question 1

What was Vietnam like before WW2

Answer 1

1939 five French colonies made up Indochina. been run for the benefit of France since 1887. Indigenous population treated as second class citizens prevented from joining trade unions or political parties. Nationalist leader, HO CHI MINH emerged founded the Indochinese communist party in 1930. In Sep 940 Region was conquered by Japanese united Vietnam treated people savagely. Estimate 1 million Vietnamese died as a result of famine. Strong anti Japanese resistance movement Vietminh came together under HO CHI MINH engaged in Guerrilla warfare against the occupying army. USA supported Vietminh against the Japanese

Question 1

What were the origins of the first Indochina war

Answer 1

Japanese surrendered to the USA in 1945 immediately HO CHI MINH declared Vietnamese independence and united all nationalist groups. Allies agreed that Indochina still belonged to France and the French attempted return to Vietnam. Ho chose to take a moderate stance avoid military conflict asking the French to withdraw their colonial administrators. French didn’t agree. Vietminh launched a guerrilla campaign against the French in late 1946. Resulted in 1st Indochina war lasted till 54. 1949 French declared Bao Dai formed r advise of Ho to be president and bring support to the French he was not very good lazy spent most of his time on holiday this drew more support to the Vietminh lead to a fully fledged war

Question 2

What were the objectives of the Viet Minh

Answer 2

Wage a people’s war against French Imperialism meant liberation from colonial rule
Become the legitimate representatives of the Vietnamese people

Question 3

What were the origins of the war

Answer 3

After WW2 arrival of British and Chinese soilders allowed the french to regain control of Vietnam
In 1946 50,000 french troops were mobilised in Vietnam and successfully gained control of Saigon large number of Civillians died
Vietminh attacked the french in their respective positions in Haiphong and Hanoi the two parties engaged in back and forth attacks against one another developed a war

Question 4

Who were the Vietminh supported by

Answer 4

Ho supported by China communist state and USSR French got aid from USA who thought Vietminh as puppets of Mao and the chinese communist
America paid 500 million a year into the french war effort able to caputrue towns and cities leaving large occupied forces failed to conquer countrysides and mountins where the Vietmin were aided by peasents
By 53 french lost 12,00 soilers war was costing 600 billion francs a year

Question 5

Name some tactics of general Giap

Answer 5

Relied heavily of Guerrilla tacits because outnumbered forces ambushed sabotaged and hit and run attacks against the french. Emphasised the importance of physchological warfare using propoganda and oter means to demoralize the enemy and boost morale of his own troops he used supply roots to sustain his troops on the fields as well

Question 6

Explain the battle of Dien Bien Phu

Answer 6

Battle happened 13 march 54 near village of Dien Bien phy in North Vietnam last major battle between french and Vietnam. Vietminh forces launched a suprise atacks agaisnt the french destroying both the main and secondary airfields used by the french to forces to fly supplies lasted for 57 days more than 2000 casualties among french forces prompted peace talks

Question 7

Consequences of Dien Bien Phu

Answer 7

At least 2000 french forces killed 1729 missing 11000 captured
Between 4,000 and 8,000 Vietnamsie soilders killed between 9,000 and 15,000 wounded
Vietminh greatly influened the outcome of the Geneva accords that happened in 54
Defeat weakened the prestige and position f france and it brought repercussions to the armed forces and political structure

Question 8

Why were the Geneva accords formalised

Answer 8

Geneva accords as a results of French defeat peace negotiations between the French and the Vietminh

Question 9

What was one of the possible outcomes of the Geneva conference

Answer 9

The partition of Vietnam into North and South Vietnam

Question 10

What were the potential problems of the Geneva agreement for the US

Answer 10

When Vietnam was divided into north and South along the 17th parallel as a result of the Geneva agreement Vietminh gained control of North Vietnam while a non communist state was established in south Vietnam

Vietminh was forced under the control of the Vietnamese communist party led by Ho Chi Minh which meant that the victory of the Vietminh was also a victory for the communist victory in Vietnam

The US containment policy operated under the assumption that if Vietnam fell to communism the rest of Southeast Asia would also experience the same fate

Question 11

What was the US response to the Geneva accords

Answer 11

Many stakeholders and parties did not sign the 1954 Geneva agreement some were forced United states and Vietnam acknowledged it but did not sign it.

United states organised refugee camps as well as food and medical supplies to those who had been evacuated from NV some of the Refugees frightened that North Vietnam would Kill catholic people

Operation passage to freedom initiative wherein the us facilitated the relocation of an estimate 660,000 Vietnamese people the South Vietnam.

Question 12

What were the consequences of the Geneva conference

Answer 12

The Geneva accords established the 17th parallel as a temporary demarcation line separating the military forces of the French and the Viet Minh
North of the line was the Democratic Republic of Vietnam NV which had waged a successful 8 year struggle against French
North under control by Vietnamese communist part led by Ho Chi Minh
South French Transferred most of authority to state of Vietnam its capital Saigon normally under the authority of Bao Dai
National wide elections to decide future of Vietnam north and south held in 1956

Question 13

What was the Domino Theory

Answer 13

Falling domino principle that if French Indochina fell to communism so would other Asia countries. this theory included by US national security council in 1952 report on Indochina. US believed that it did not intervene neighbouring states like Laos and Cambodia and India would experience the domino effect

Question 14

How was South Vietnam formed

Answer 14

Agreed during the Geneva conference that Vietnam divided along 17th parallel, South and North. Ofially SV was still ruled by French with Bao Dai as leader but the new South Vietnamese premier Ngo Dinh Diem rejected the agreement that the south would still be subjected to french rule and wanted to establish an alliance with US
Premier Diem proclaimed SV would not join elections as agreed in Geneva accords communist Government in North Vietnam created conditions lead to unfair elections in the country. Ho was bound to win

Question 15

What was life like in South Vietnam

Answer 15

Diem called for a referendum to decide the future of Vietnam he won 600,000 while there were only 450,000 people eligible to vote

As Catholic he discriminated against Buddhist. Buddhism was a major religion in Vietnam at that time. Some Buddhist burned themselves to death in protest

Diem supported containment policy of US by virtue of his anti communist belifs. SV provided with military and financial aid from America which helped him to establish and maintain government in SV

Civil resistance and widespread protest in 1963 were the results of public dissatisfaction with Diem’s government

Diem’s government wanted to eradicate political dissent also repressed Buddhist tolerated corruption and refused to relax excessive public control

Question 16

What was life like in North Vietnam

Answer 16

Land Reform December 1953 Vietminh land reform passed aim to confiscate land owned by landlords who were considered the regime’s enemies. Land could be bought and purchased. Some land were retained by the gov and distributed to the Vietminh fighters and their families without any payment

Collective farming, Farmers were organised into cooperatives wherein factor of agricultural production would be collectively owned and utilised. in 1958 and 1959 low level cooperatives were established in which farmers cooperated in production.

Question 17

What were Ho Chi Minh’s policies to unite Vietnam

Answer 17

As the policy of revolutionary war was pushed through in 1959 North Vietnam began to invade Laos in July. Used 30,000 men to build a series of supply and reinforcements to south Vietnam. This initiated attempts towards the reunification of Vietnam

This trail was a military route that ran through Laos and Cambodia going to South Vietnam it was utilised by the Vietminh proving supplies ammunition and weapons to their allies subjected to bombing in the 1960s

Question 18

Impacts of the NLF

Answer 18

In 1960 former members of the Vietminh in the South Vietnam supported by Ho set up the National Liberation Front to oppose Diems regime
Consisted of 12 nationalist groups ranging from Buddhist to communist
Front demanded the removal of Diem and and reforms and began a guerrilla campaign against the regime. The Diem and the USA opposition was communist. Therefore the opposition was labelled the Vietcong a term of abuse towards Vietnamese communist

Question 19

Explain the Ho Chi Minh trail

Answer 19

Ho Chi Minh trail a system of roads trails and paths that ran through Laos and Cambodia and into the south Vietnam. It was important to supply route for the NVA and NLF during the Vietnam war, U.S and south Vietnamese military attempted to disrupt the trail by bombing it and conducting ground operations they were able to maintain it

Question 20

What were the impact of Ho’s policies

Answer 20

Vietcong’s message of independence from foreign control, as land reform, appealed to the peasant farmers in the south.
The Diem government implement the strategic Hamlet policy in order to stop the villages supporting the Vietcong, but it triggered more support for the Vietcong.

Question 21

What strategic Hamlet programme

Answer 21

Strategic hamlet programme was a plan implemented by Diem approved by the US to combat communism.
Part of the programme was to isolate the people living rural areas from NLF. The government sought to create protective hamlets people give protection aid financial support by the gov. against the Vietcong. Furthermore would halt the support given to the Vietcong by rural people.
Villages were destroyed and people were moved more support given to Vietcong Diem became very unpopular amongst the people.

Question 22

explain the gulf of tonken

Answer 22

The non-
communism
government of South Vietnam looked in danger of being overthrown by the communist-backed Vietcong
guerrillas
.
America was operating a policy of
containment
and feared if Vietnam fell to communism, other countries in South East Asia would fall too. This was known as
domino theory
.
Under Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy, the USA had given millions of dollars to prop up the French in Vietnam, and sent ‘military advisers’ to support Ngo Dinh Diem’s corrupt, anti-communist government. The failure of these two policies had shown that providing money and military advisors to train the army of South Vietnam was not enough. Force was needed and this meant American soldiers in a combat role.
Ngo Dinh Diem was assassinated in November 1963. South Vietnamese forces overthrew his government the day before he and his brother were captured and killed. This opened the door for the USA to get involved in order to ensure ‘stability’ and beat back the communist threat.