Conflict in Asia: 1955-63 (S3.11)

Question 1

When does Ho Chi Minh proclaim the DRV (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and why?

Answer 1

Japanese surrender; Ho Chi Minh proclaims the DRV

Question 2

Why had Ho Chi Minh had created the Viet Minh?

Answer 2

Fight against the Japanese, and then were used to fight against the French.

Question 3

When did the DRV finally defeat the French, where, and what did this lead to?

Answer 3

Dien Bien Phu
May 1954
Leads to the Geneva Conference

Question 4

What were agreed at the Geneva Accords (July 1954)?

Answer 4

• Vietnam divided along the 17th parallel, with French forces to withdraw from north of this line, and Viet Minh from the south
• Democratic elections for a united Vietnam scheduled for July 1956

Question 5

Who refuses to sign the Geneva Accords, and what does this mean for Vietnam?

Answer 5

Eisenhower and Diem refuse to sign the Geneva Accords, laying the groundwork for further conflict.

Question 6

What, in summary, was Eisenhower’s policy in Vietnam like, and what would the consequences be?

Answer 6

Created America’s initial commitment in Vietnam while avoiding direct military engagement, establishing a policy foundation that Kennedy and Johnson would later expand upon with increased American military presence.

Question 7

Who becomes President of the RVN (Republic of Vietnam) in 1955, and how?

Answer 7

Diem rises to power after a corrupt government-controlled referendum in 1955, making himself President of the RVN)

Question 8

Who was Le Duan?

Answer 8

General Secretary of the Vietnam Worker’s Party from Sept 1960

• Hardline communist; argues war must be acted upon in the South

Question 9

What does Dulles obtain funding to do in October 1954?

Answer 9

Dulles obtains funding to create the ARVN (RVN’s army)

Question 10

What is containment and “domino theory”?

Answer 10

Containment
- US policy during the Cold War which sought the prevention of the spread of Communism to other countries.

Domino theory
- A U.S. foreign policy theory that stated, like the chain effect begun when even just one domino is pushed over, one country in a region that falls to communism will lead to surrounding countries also soon falling to communism.

Question 11

What does Diem and the RVN begin to do in mid-1955?

Answer 11

Communist Denunciation Campaign

Question 12

What was the Communist Denunciation Campaign?

Answer 12

Population was forced to inform against Viet Minh members; tens of thousands were jailed, executed or sent to camps), destroying the Viet Minh around the South and ensuring obedience to DIem’s Saigon government.

Question 13

During the Communist Denunciation Campaign (mid-1955), what did Ho Chi Minh instruct the Viet Minh to do?

Answer 13

• During this period of repression, Ho Chi Minh strictly banned their followers from using armed force and deliberately attempted to limit the armed struggle in the South (couldn’t afford another war)

Question 14

What were the consequences of the Communist Denunciation Campaign?

Answer 14

90% of all Viet Minh members in the South had been killed by Diem’s regime by the end of 1958 (around 70,000 killed, 90,000 jailed/tortured with 20,000 of these severely disabled)

Question 15

What does Ho Chi Minh permit in early 1959?

Answer 15

Ho permits the Southern population to defend themselves only when “absolutely necessary”; most in the South ignore this, combatting Diem’s regime with armed forces.

Question 16

Who were the three main figures in South Vietnam?

Answer 16

Diem (Corrupt, authoritarian, pro-Western)

Thuc (Diem’s brother, and the Archbishop of Saigon)

Nhu (Diem’s brother, chief political fixer and leader of the secret police)

Question 17

What do the North Vietnamese leadership help to establish in September 1960?

Answer 17

NLF
- “National Liberation Front” (the communist guerrilla forces in South Vietnam), a nationalist and communist movement.
> Also known as “Viet Cong.”

Question 18

What were the NLF’s main aims?

Answer 18

• Free South Vietnam from US imperialism (Diem seen as an American puppet)
• Create a unified, sovereign and independent Vietnamese state
  > Popular military organisation which would cause significant problems for Diem and America, with the NLF coordinating local peasant struggles.

Question 19

Who is elected in November 1960?

Answer 19

Kennedy

Question 20

What were Kennedy’s main reasons for involvement in Vietnam?

Answer 20

• Commitment to containment and the domino theory.​
• Inexperienced in foreign policy, and relied on the advice of McNamara and Rusk (hawks).​
• Kennedy needed a ‘win’ (Truman ‘lost our China’; JFK’s Bay of Pigs fiasco).​
• Election pledges​
  > ‘I can’t give up a piece of territory like that to the communists, and get the American people to re-elect me.’

Question 21

Why did Kennedy believe a tougher approach was needed in Vietnam?

Answer 21

Previous foreign policy failures in 1961 (Bay of Pigs, Vienna Summit, Berlin Wall) and

NLF had begun enjoying successes and growing in size.

Question 22

How much did the NLF grow in size between late 1961 and late 1962?

Answer 22

17,000 in late 1961

Between 23,000 and 34,000 by late 1962.

Question 23

Who were the Green Berets, why and when did they go to Vietnam?

Answer 23

The Green Berets (an American counter-insurgency group) were tasked with helping the ARVN fight the communist insurgency in South Vietnam in May 1961.
> Provided training to ARVN personnel and helped them develop their own counter-insurgency capabilities.

Question 24

What did Kennedy implement in Vietnam in early 1962?

Answer 24

Strategic Hamlet Program

Question 25

What was the Strategic Hamlet Program?

Answer 25

Established around 16,000 hamlets, with the aim being to separate the peasants from the Viet Cong, preventing them from providing support, supplies and recruits. - Resulted in the forced relocation of many Vietnamese.

Question 26

Why did the Strategic Hamlet Program face criticism?

Answer 26

- Counterproductive - Impacted negatively on the lives of the Vietnamese peasants - Inflamed tensions and grew support for the Viet Cong/NLF, fuelling resentment towards US 'imperialism' and Diem's regime.

Question 27

What operation did Kennedy approve in January 1962?

Answer 27

Operation Ranch Hand

Question 28

What was Operation Ranch Hand?

Answer 28

Use of chemical defoliants (like Agent Orange) to destroy crops in areas, with the hope that being unable to grow food, the starving peasants would be then forced to move to the hamlets, and the NLF would be deprived from peasant support.

Question 29

What is Agent Orange?

Answer 29

A herbicide dropped on the forests and bush in Vietnam to defoliate (strip the leaves from plants and trees) an area. - This was done to expose hiding enemy troops. - Many Vietnam veterans who had been exposed to Agent Orange during the war have shown an increased risk of cancer.

Question 30

How many people died as a result of Operation Ranch Hand?

Answer 30

Around 1,000,000.

Question 31

What were the consequences of the Strategic Hamlet Program and Operation Ranch Hand?

Answer 31

- Increased rural unrest - Increased support for the Viet Cong/NLF - Alienated many villagers from Diem's regime; intention was to isolate the Viet Cong and gain popular support, but instead fostered resentment towards Diem and the US.

Question 32

What was the Battle of Ap Bac, and when was it?

Answer 32

Ap Bac, January 1963 A major setback for the South Vietnamese Army (ARVN) and their US advisors - ARVN suffered significant casualties, raising questions about the effectiveness of ARVN and US advisory efforts. - Battle highlighted vulnerabilities in ARVN's tactics, intelligence, and the overall US-ARVN strategy,

Question 33

Why was the Battle of Ap Bac particularly problematic?

Answer 33

- ARVN had superior forces (around 1500, with vehicles, helicopters and US support) to the NLF's 350 (with no air or armoured support) yet still lost. - ARVN incompetence - US frustration and doubts

Question 34

What percentage of the South Vietnamese population was Buddhist?

Answer 34

90%

Question 35

What mistake did Diem make in terms of religion?

Answer 35

Diem persecuted the Buddhist community.

Question 36

When was the Buddhist crisis?

Answer 36

May 1963

Question 37

What sparked the Buddhist crisis of May 1963?

Answer 37

Buddhists were banned from flying their flags in honor of the Buddha's birthday, while Catholics, the previous week, had been ecnouraged to display Papal flags as part of celebrations for Thuc.

Question 38

Who was Madame Nhu?

Answer 38

First Lady of South Vietnam

Question 39

What role did Madame Nhu play in the Buddhist crisis?

Answer 39

Known for her incendiary comments that attacked and severely denounced the Buddhist community of South Vietnam - Reflecting the intransigence of Diem's regime, she commented 'Let them burn, and we shall clap our hands'

Question 40

Following the Buddhist crisis of May 1963, what did the US government feel forced to do?

Answer 40

- US government felt it was forced to withdraw support for Diem, especially as the regime’s brutality had been exposed, with the self-immolation of Buddhists shocking JFK and the world

Question 41

Who was the US ambassador in Vietnam?

Answer 41

Henry Cabot Lodge

Question 42

What was Cable 243?

Answer 42

Cable 243 was a message sent to Lodge by the US State Department asking whether the US should continue to support Diem or encourage a leadership change. - The cable authorised Lodge to give the green light to ARVN officers to launch a coup against Diem if he did not willingly remove Nhu from power.

Question 43

What was Henry Cabot Lodge's response to Cable 243 in August 1963?

Answer 43

‘US measures were counterproductive and Diem should not be backed’. - Effectively gave the green light for a coup.

Question 44

Why did Henry Cabot Lodge believe that DIem was an obstacle to victory?

Answer 44

- ARVN was weak (Ap Bac had shown their weaknesses). - Diem refused to implement reform.​ - Buddhist monks protested in response to repression.​ - Diem was blamed for the failure of Strategic Hamlets.​

Question 45

When was Diem assassinated?

Answer 45

November 2nd 1963

Question 46

For what three reasons was Diem's assassination a crucial turning point?

Answer 46

- Emboldened the communists to exploit weakness - Divided the South Vietnamese government - Sucked the US further into conflict.

Question 47

By encouraging a change of government in South Vietnam, what did Kennedy effectively do?

Answer 47

Kennedy greatly increased America’s obligation to subsequent Saigon governments.

Question 48

What did General Westmoreland attribute to American's role in the demise of Diem?

Answer 48

General Westmoreland attributed enormous significance to the American role in the demise of Diem, arguing “it morally locked us in Vietnam”.

Question 49

In summary, what had Kennedy done in Vietnam?

Answer 49

- Increased his country’s commitment to an unpopular regime which he then helped to overthrow within the last few weeks of his life. - Claimed to be promoting democracy in Vietnam but had supported a dictator and military clique.

Question 50

What did Kennedy pass to his successor in Vietnam?

Answer 50

He passed a poisoned chalice to his successor.