11. Conflict In Asia 1955-63 Flashcards
when and what was the impact of the decision not to hold national elections?
- 1956
- forced Ho Chi Minh to concentrate on consolidating communist control in north Vietnam
- and to fight the reunification of Vietnam
what was land reform and how was it used?
- Ho chi Minh’s regime seized privately owned land and redistributed it amongst the rural farming population
- public condemnation of landowners was common
- thousands were executed and put in labour camps
what was the opposition to land reform+response?
- 1956, revolt
- military killed 6,000 people
what did Ho Chi Minh do in response to the revolt?
- August 1956,
- forced to issue a public apology for the aggressive nature of land reform
what was the result on the people after the land reform?
- 1 million refugees fled from north to south
- many who had been impacted by the reform, were loyal communists
what was decided at the fifteenth plenum, of the VWP central committee?
- 1958
- Ho Chi Minh was able to commit to a strategy that would reunify Vietnam under communism
- serving as a declaration of war on the south, with the aim to use military force to overthrow Diem’s regime to remove the power of imperialist forces
what was the problem with Minh’s thinking to overthrow Diem regime?
- political struggle
- problem with creating national unity in south Vietnam
- the north had to take a stance of of supporting anti-Diem groups in the south = the national liberation front in south Vietnam
what type of leader was Diem?
-corrupt practicing nepotism
-policies were damaging
-he stole large amounts of US economic aid sent to Vietnam and gave it to family and other officials
-
what was Diem’s primary interest+how was this achieved?
- the preservation of his own power
- achieved by creating a loyal and corrupt ruling group and the support of the USA
what was Diem’s approach to governing?
- focused on repression and political opponents were silenced
- looked like his regime was based on democracy but it was actually based on an oligarchy (ran by few)
when was the NLF formed?
Dec 1960
what was the NLF+aim?
- National Liberation Front
- to free south Vietnamese from US imperialism+create a unified independent Vietnam
what was the NLF’s motivation?
- to reject Diem’s quasi-imperialist policies
- he had actively attempted to root out communists in south Vietnam
- ignored interests of the majority of the people
- local councillors replaced with government officials (many catholics)
explain Kennedy’s policies towards indochina?
- belief in the domino theory, feared the fall of south Vietnam to communism would lead to the expansion of communism
- advocate of containment
- being elected in 1961, adopted policy of flexible response, wanting to reduce the possibility of nuclear war
- wanted to strengthen south V army by proving support through economic assistance= counterinsurgency training sending 10,000 US troops
- believed US would be able to create a democratic government that can resist communism
who led the NLF?
- Nguen Huu Tho was the figurehead
- HOWever… Ho Chi Minh was considered as the real leader
explain the NLF’s views on the USA?
- USA had replaced France as a colonial power
- diems catholic government was subservient to the US
- US did little to convince the NFL otherwise= anti-americanism within the NFL
explain the Strategic Hamlet Programme?
-1962
-Kennedy and Diem wanted to place rural peasants in fortresses to isolate peasants from NFL and spread their own influence.
end of 1962= 3000 hamlets= 4 million people
-hamlets helped NFL recruitment of peasants
-soon collapsed
explain the Buddhist Crisis?
-1963
-majority of vietnamese were Buddhist, but in south catholics had a lot of power
-diem showed favouritism towards catholicism
-may 1963 buddhists banned from hanging flags to celebrate Buddha’s birthday
-this discrimination= widespread opposition by Buddhists:
-hunger strikes, non-violent rallies, met with US
officials, self-immolation
-pressure on US to intervene more in South
explain the assassination of President Diem?
- due to opposition of Diem’s regime US considered removing support encouraged by Henry Lodge US ambassador to SV
- encouraged SV generals to overthrow and 2 Nov 1963 Diem+brother were assassinated
- extent of US involvement is heavily disputed
