17 - The US + SE Asia

Question 1

What was the situation in Vietnam at the end of 1972?

Answer 1

• War continuing with US supporting S under Thieu

- Peace talks hadn’t been successful but agreed to resume in 1973

Question 2

What outcome did Nixon + Kissinger want from peace talks by 1973?

Answer 2

‘Peace with honour’

More willing to make a settlement with the N.Vietnamese, as they clearly wouldn’t be able to defeat them militarily

Question 3

Kissinger tried to get the PRC + USSR to encourage the Paris Peace Talks. What was their reaction?

Answer 3

Encouraged peace negotiations but DIDN’T pressurise

• Wanted to keep good relations with US
• Wanted N.Vietnamese to win if they could/get a communist settlement, rather than compromising a potential victory by negotiating too early

Question 4

Why was the end of 1972/start of 1973 a good time to make a peace agreement?

Answer 4

N.Vietnamese in the lead in the war but clear neither side could achieve all they wanted through military victory

Question 5

What issues slowed the final Paris Peace Talks of 1973?

Answer 5

Thieu

• Determined not to agree to removal of US military
• Determined not to agree to a non-communist Vietnam

Nixon

• Wouldn’t take action until he won the Dec 1972 election
• Made bad decision of Linebacker II during talks (international backlash)

Question 6

When were the final Paris Peace Talks?

Answer 6

End of 1972-start of 1973

Question 7

When was the Paris Peace Agreement ratified?

Answer 7

27th Jan 1973

Signed off by Nixon + Thieu - after pressure

Question 8

When was the Paris Peace Agreement made?

Answer 8

Oct 1972

Informal, not ratified

Question 9

What were the terms of the Paris Peace Agreement?

Answer 9

• Ceasefire starting Jan 1973
• Both sides keep areas occupied at time of ceasefire
• US withdraw forces within 60 days + exchange POWs
• Commission created to deal with: post war elections in S + potentially a reunification referendum

Question 10

Was the Paris Peace Agreement (1973) successful? Why?

Answer 10

No
North took advantage of US withdrawal + took over the South to create a unified socialist Vietnam (not keeping to area at time of ceasefire + waiting for fair leadership and reunification elections)

Question 11

Briefly outline how the N.Vietnamese won the war after the Paris Peace Agreement (Jan 1973)

Answer 11

• US withdrew (by April 1973) + were distracted by the Watergate Scandal (early 1973)
• N took advantage + escalated guerrilla attacks, sweeping south
• US Congress refused to provide aid to help the S/ARVN, but did help with some evacuation (Operation Frequent Wind)
• Thieu resigned under political pressure (21st April 1975)
• The North captured Saigon (30th April 1975)

Question 12

Why were the North’s guerrilla attacks so successful in 1973, allowing them to push south?

Answer 12

• No US opposition

- The ARVN were weak + demoralised

Question 13

When were the US military forces withdrawn from Vietnam

Answer 13

By April 1973

Only people left in Saigon were essential diplomats + small Air Force group

Question 14

What aid request was refused by Congress?

Answer 14

April 1974

• Thieu requested aid
• Ford asked Congress for $722 mill military aid for S.Vietnam + $250 mill economic refugee aid
• Congress refused

Question 15

What was the Watergate Scandal?

Answer 15

Nixon + his administration orchestrated a break in to Democrat headquarters to try to find incriminating info (Jan 1973)

Question 16

When was Nixon replaced by Ford?

Answer 16

Aug 1974

Question 17

What was Operation Frequent Wind?

Answer 17

US attempts to evacuate US citizens + at risk Vietnamese as the N.Viets moved South towards Saigon, in case they were killed

Question 18

Give an example of an Operation Frequent Wind evacuation

Answer 18

President of World Airways flew jumbo jet into Danang + evacuated 6,000 US + 100,000 Vietnamese and their next of kin

Question 19

When and why did Thieu resign from South Vietnamese presidency?

Answer 19

21st April 1975

Resigned before being ousted or blamed for the South’s loss

Question 20

When did Saigon fall, marking end of the Vietnam War?

Answer 20

30th April 1975

Question 21

What new leadership had the US supported in Cambodia in 1970?

Answer 21

Lon Nol (pro-US)

Question 22

How did the US provide their support for Lon Nol in Cambodia?

Answer 22

• Initially: troops (20,000 in 1970)

- After Congress banned ground troops: bombing (430,000 tons)

Question 23

Who opposed Lon Nol’s leadership in Cambodia?

Answer 23

Khmer Rouge - Cambodia’s Communist Party

Assisted by N.Vietnamese

Question 24

Who was the Cambodian Civil War (1967-1975) between?

Answer 24

• Lon Nol (supported by US)

- Khmer Rouge (supported by N.Vietnamese)

Question 25

When was the Cambodian Civil War?

Answer 25

1967-1975

Question 26

How many members were there of the Cambodian Army - Lon Nol’s side?

Answer 26

175,000

Question 27

How many members were there of the Khmer Rouge?

Answer 27

40,000

Question 28

What was an advantage of the Khmer Rouge over the Cambodian Army even though they were smaller in number?

Answer 28

Better trained + more determined with a unified ideology

Question 29

What effect did the US think that the Paris Peace Agreement (1973) would have on the Cambodian Civil War? What did it actually cause?

Answer 29

Expectation: US would stop bombing + N.Vietnamese would withdraw, causing the Cambodian Army to win. Reality: Khmer Rouge intensified fighting, isolating Phnom Penh + gaining control.

Question 30

What did the Khmer Rouge do in April 1975 to take control of Cambodia?

Answer 30

Intensified fighting by isolating + capturing the capital (Phnom Penh)

Question 31

What did Lon Nol’s gov do in 1975 to try to stop the Khmer Rouge taking control of the capital?

Answer 31

Dug trenches around the city

Question 32

What US theory did the success of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia support?

Answer 32

Domino theory in Asia | Vietnam fall to communism had knock-on effect to Cambodia

Question 33

When were the Khmer Rouge in control of Cambodia?

Answer 33

1975-1979

Question 34

What was the period of Khmer Rouge control in Cambodia called?

Answer 34

The Khmer Rouge Revolution

Question 35

What was the aim of the Khmer Rouge Revolution?

Answer 35

Complete ruthless ideological cleansing to leave a new communist Cambodia based off of agriculture

Question 36

What were the consequences of the Khmer Rouge Revolution?

Answer 36

- Cities emptied (forced into countryside for agriculture) - 1 mill Cambodians died in the genocide - Half population became refugees

Question 37

When did the Khmer Rouge Revolution end?

Answer 37

End of 1978-start of 1979

Question 38

What ended the Khmer Rouge Revolution?

Answer 38

Frontier disputes encouraged Vietnam (with Soviet aid) to invade Cambodia in Dec 1978

Question 39

What leadership was installed by the Vietnamese after the Khmer Rouge?

Answer 39

Heng Samrin (pro-Vietnam Cambodian)

Question 40

What were the consequences of the Vietnam War for the US?

Answer 40

- Political downfall + failure of the containment policy - Economic cost - Social cost

Question 41

How did the Vietnam War cause US political downfall + failure of the containment policy?

Answer 41

- Vietnam ‘fell’ to communism - Containment of communism in Asia had failed (ended SEATO) - Partial domino effect in Asia (Cambodia + Laos)

Question 42

Why were the US lucky regarding the Vietnam War + the domino effect?

Answer 42

The whole of SE Asia didn’t fall to communism (only Cambodia + Laos)

Question 43

What organisation was disbanded in 1976 after the Vietnam War? Why?

Answer 43

SEATO | Purpose to defend SE Asia against communism had failed

Question 44

What economic cost did the Vietnam War have for the US?

Answer 44

- Direct cost $167 billion | - Limited funding to make domestic reforms (‘Great Society’)

Question 45

What was Johnson’s ‘Great Society’?

Answer 45

Johnson’s aim to reduce crime, end poverty, end inequality, improve environment

Question 46

What social cost did the Vietnam War have for the US?

Answer 46

- 58,000 died (4th greatest in US war) - 2.7 mill served + exposed to war traumas (9% population) - Social divisions caused during + after war

Question 47

What social divisions were caused in the US during the Vietnam War?

Answer 47

Anti-war movements (particularly after Tet Offensive of ‘68) divided the country

Question 48

What social divisions were caused in the US after the Vietnam War?

Answer 48

- Veterans often isolated + criticised (particularly by peace movement) - Divided opinion on deserters + draft-dodgers (despite Carter giving them amnesty in 1977)

Question 49

Define draft dodgers

Answer 49

People who tried to evade the draft | Approx 100,000 people left US - many to Canada

Question 50

What were the consequences of the Vietnam War for Vietnam?

Answer 50

- ‘Socialist Republic of Vietnam’ (socialist, unified state) - Centrally planned economy - Joined COMECON (1978) - Economic costs - Social costs - Environmental costs

Question 51

What were the social costs of the Vietnam War for Vietnam?

Answer 51

- Huge casualties (estimates vary) - Montagnards (hill people living on division) lost nearly 1/5 of population + 85% relocated due to land destruction - Emigration of 1.5 mill ‘boat people’ who were displaced

Question 52

What is the Vietnamese gov’s estimate for Vietnamese casualties from the Vietnam War?

Answer 52

VC: 1.1 mill ARVN: 100,000 -> 300,000 Civilians: 250,000

Question 53

What were the economic costs of the Vietnam War for Vietnam?

Answer 53

- Cost of infrastructure - Farming struggled due to chemical poisoning + land destruction - Unsuccessful collectivisation in centrally planned economy - Trade embargo with West until 1994

Question 54

What were the environmental costs of the Vietnam War for Vietnam?

Answer 54

- Built environment destruction (650,000 tons bombs on N + 700,000 tons bombs on S) - Physical environment destruction (By Agent Orange + napalm)

Question 55

Give a brief summary of Vietnam today

Answer 55

- Relatively stable socialist republic gov | - Recently embraced a more capitalist economic programme + seen industrialisation and infrastructure improvements

Question 56

How did the Vietnam War affect US-Vietnam relations?

Answer 56

Initially: worsened, e.g. trade embargo. (Diff ideologies) 20 yrs later US offered diplomatic recognition to Vietnam

Question 57

How did the Vietnam War affect USSR-Vietnam relations?

Answer 57

Positively, e.g. USSR gave $3bill aid/yr (same ideology)

Question 58

How did the Vietnam War affect China-Vietnam relations?

Answer 58

Strained (both sought to establish influence in Cambodia)