Escalation of Conflict in Vietnam Flashcards
(58 cards)
Who was Vietnam ruled by up to WW2
the French
During WW2, the Japanese brutally took control of Vietnam. Who rose up against this establishing what group?
-Ho Chi Minh
-Vietminh
At the end of WW2, what territory did the Vietminh control?
The North, they wanted to extend to the rest of Vietnam.
The French wanted to take back Indochina which led to a 9 year long battle between French Indochina and the Vietminh. Who supported which side?
French: Americans
Vietminh: Chinese
How much did the USA invest into the Frenches war effort?
$500 million
How did the Americans and French underestimate the Vietminh?
The French could not hold on to Indochina. This was because they were supplied by both China and the USSR.
How many French soldiers were killed and wounded at Dien Bien Phu?
Wounded- 8K
Killed- 3K
What was the result of France’s major defeat at Dien Bien Phu?
-French Prime Minister resigns
-French parliament voted to end the war and withdraw from Indochina
What was agreed at the Geneva Agreement 1954?
-French troops will withdraw
-Laos and Cambodia will be created as new countries
-NV would be ruled by HCM and SV would be ruled by Ngo Dinh Diem. This was supposed to be temporary as new elections would be held across the whole country
-Vietnam would be divided amongst the 17th parallel which was a DMZ at this point.
How was Diems rule in SV controversial?
-He was a catholic in a largely Buddhist country and his regime persecuted Buddhists. Monks protested this including one setting himself on fire.
-Diem forced peasants off their lands so he could give it to his friends in powerful families
-He imprisoned people who opposed him
Why did the USA continue to support Diem even though he was controversial?
He was anti-communist
What was Ho Chi Minhs main goal?
To unify the whole of Vietnam
Who were the National Liberation Front and what did they want to do?
-A front to unify all of Vietnam
-They wanted to overthrow Diem and launched a campaign of guerrilla warfare.
What did Diem called the NLF?
The Vietcong (VC).
What was the Ho Chi Minh trail and what was it used for?
-Hundreds of interlocking jungle trails that passed through Laos and Cambodia to supply VC operations in the South.
How did the VC gain support in SV?
-Treated local people well, earning their respect
How did SV people help the VC?
-Fed and hid fighters
-Let them use villages for training and launching attacks.
How many VC were in SV in the early 1960s?
100K
What was the Domino Theory?
-A theory that the USA planned to spread communism across Asia
-If one country fell the rest would fall, one after another, like dominos
How did the US give SV aid under Eisenhower?
-Sending money and military advisors
-Launching a propaganda campaign against HCM and the communists
-Sending a CIA team to Saigon
-Tried to make Diem carry out land reforms (this failed)
-Invited SV to join SEATO.
What were the Americans unaware of in Vietnam?
Diems government had lost the support of the people
How did the USA increase support to Diem under President JFK?
-Number of military advisors increased to 16,000
-Financial aid increased so the ARVN could grow by an extra 20K troops
-300 helicopters sent to transport ARVN. They were instructed not to fire but this was hard when the VC fired on them
-Supported Diem’s strategic Hamlet programme. This moved peasants from villages in VC controlled areas to new heavily fortified villages designed to prevent contact between peasants and VC
Why was the Strategic Hamlet Programme a disaster?
-Often converted peasants into VC sympathisers
-They resented going unpaid to build fortifications against an enemy that didn’t threaten them
-They were angered by corrupt officials who pocketed money meant for growing crops and the public sector.
What happened to Diem in 1963?
He was killed by his own troops.
