Vietnam Flashcards
(16 cards)
What happened at the battle of Dien Bien Phu?
- 7th May 1954
- Surprised the French with 40,000 men surrounding the garrison
- Used vast amounts of artillery guns
- Caused a French surrender and ended an 8 year struggle where both sides lost 400,000 lives in total
What was the Geneva Agreement?
- May 1954 after Dien Bien Phu
- Britain, France, China, USSR, USA, Vietnam met in Geneva to decide the future of Indochina
It was agreed that: - France would withdraw its troops
- North and South Vietnam were divided along the 17th parallel, with a DMZ
- There would be elections across Vietnam before 1956 to decide the future of the government
Not everyone was happy with the agreement:
- Ho Chi Minh wanted Vietnam united, but was confident the split would only be temporary and the people of Vietnam would vote in a Communist government
- Diem was also reluctant - he wanted a united Vietnam and was openly supported by the Americans as he was more desirable as Ho Chi Minh
Who became president of South Vietnam after 1954?
Diem
Why did Diem suck?
- He was harsh and corrupt
- Persecuted the Buddhist majority - banned from flying their own flag and had to ask for permission to worship
- American’s discovered he wouldn’t be a puppet leader
- Ignored their own advice
- Upset the people of Vietnam
- Only option the USA had
What caused the Civil War?
Diem’s tyranny:
- Falsefully won the early (scheduled for 1956) election in 1955 - had his supporters intimidate anyone that was about to vote for another canidate
- Gov troops killed 8 children - opened fire on peaceful protest - 1963
- Thich Quang Duc self immolated 11th June 1963
- Gov STILL supported him
By early 1960s, it became the goal of NV to liberate the South:
- More guerrilla attacks and Diem more unpopular
What was the NLF/Viet Cong?
- A armed resistance group formed by South Vietnamese citizens to resist Diem in 1957.
- Funded and supplied by Ho Chi Minh
- Military equipment was smuggled alone the Ho Chi Minh trail from NV
- Treated locals kindly and earned respect
- By early 1960’s, 100,000 active troops and controlled parts of SV
By 1961 how many Viet Cong guerrillas were there in SV?
Over 20,000
Who are the National Liberation Front the same as?
Viet Cong
What advantage did the ARVN have?
Support from the USA:
- Money and weapons ($1.6bn in the 50s) + helicopters and fighter planes
- US sent advisors to train ARVN
How did Diem die?
- Increasingly unpopular
- 1st November 1963 overthrown and killed by own troops
- Saigon cheered
CIA may have been part of it
- JFK president 1961
- ARVN disorganised
- Pictures of Thich Quang Duc reached USA - against support
- News of Diem’s brutal regime
When was Kennedy president?
1961 - 1963
When was Eisenhower president?
1953 - 1961
When was Johnson president?
1963 - 1969
When was Nixon president?
1969 - 1974
What did the ARVN call the NLF?
The Viet Cong
What were the aims of the Viet Cong?
- Replace Diem with fair government
- Unify Vietnam
- Give peasants rights
- Appealed to the peasants
