3.1 Reasons For Us Involvement In The Vietnam Conflict 1954-1963

Question 1

Who were the vietcong?

Answer 1

Vietnamese communists

Question 2

What did NVA stand for ?

Answer 2

Northern Vietnamese army

Question 3

What did ARVN stand for?

Answer 3

Army of the republic of vietnam (south vietnam)

Question 4

What happened to vietnam after ww2?

Answer 4

Returned to the french , the former colonial power

Question 5

Who occupied vietnam before ww2?

Answer 5

Vietnam was a french colony

Question 6

Who occupied vietnam during ww2?

Answer 6

Japan

Question 7

When did vietnam gain its independence?

Answer 7

August 1945

Question 8

When did china become a communist state?

Answer 8

1949

Question 9

What was the domino theory ?

Answer 9

The fear that if one state fell to communism (china ) the rest would

Question 10

What was the relationship between us and ho chi minh?

Answer 10

Reluctant to help him as they did not trust him not to fall to communism

Question 11

What started us involvement in 1950?

Answer 11

French appealed for us supoort . They paid 80% of french costs

Question 12

What was the dien bien phu air strip?

Answer 12

Used to lire vietnam into battle. Used to bring 15000 troops to the french.

Question 13

What was the battle of dien bien phu?

Answer 13

55 day battle between french forces(15000 troops ) and Vietnamh (50000 troops)who had anti air craft guns. The french eventually surrendered

Question 14

When did the battle of dien bien phu start?

Answer 14

13 march 1954

Question 15

Why did the vietnamh win the battle at dien bien phu?

Answer 15

• chinas help -supplied weapons , 20000 bikes , helped plan and also supplied troops
• local support-villagers helped, moved supplies , digger roads, spied on french
• vietnamh commitment-fighting for independence
• french problems-underestimated vietnamh, vietnamh well armed , supply planes shot down , troops lacked commitment
• local conditions- french built trap for themselves

Question 16

What was the us reaction after the french left vietnam in 1954?

Answer 16

Eisenhower continued to support the south even though the new leader Ngo Dihn Diem was corrupt and unpopular. Eisenhower sent military advisors

Question 17

When were the Geneva accords ?

Answer 17

1954

Question 18

Who agreed to the Geneva accords and who didn’t ?

Answer 18

Agreed by uk , cambodia , ussr , china , france , laos , north vietnam
Refused by us and south vietnam

Question 19

Features of the Geneva accord ?

Answer 19

-vietnam divided along 17th parallel
-ho chi minh ran north
-bao dai ran south
-Vietnamese troops had 300 days to move south or north
-no foreign bases
Election would be held in 1956

Question 20

Good things about geneva accords?

Answer 20

• choose which system to live under
• vietnam united under 1 government
• every country but 2 agreed

Question 21

Bad things about Geneva accords ?

Answer 21

• still north and south divided
• no system of gov. Been suggested
• potential for communist gov. Chinas infkuence
• south did not agree

Question 22

What did Eisenhower set up in 1954 to prevent the domino theory ?

Answer 22

South east asia treaty organisation (SEATO)

Question 23

What did Eisenhower do in 1955 ?

Answer 23

Sent advisors to train ARVN

Question 24

What did Eisenhower do in 1956 ?

Answer 24

Sent aid to south vietnam

Question 25

What did Eisenhower do between 1956 and 1961?

Answer 25

Supported diem . Diem took his money but not his advice

Question 26

What happened when Kennedy become president ?

Answer 26

Guirella tactics not working so moved to counter insurgency . Needed to gain support . Hamlet programme failed . Diem was unpopular and oppressing buddhists. Kennedy withdrew support and diem was overthrown and assassinated in 1963

Question 27

When did Kennedy become president?

Answer 27

1961

Question 28

When was Eisenhowers presidency?

Answer 28

1953-1961

Question 29

Why was diem unpopular

Answer 29

• selfish , ignored us advice
• oppressed buddhists
• only gave jobs to family or catholics
• discriminatory
• most of the population was buddhist and he was a catholic
• corrupt and hated the poor

Question 30

What did buddhists do in protest to diem?

Answer 30

Set themselves on fire

Question 31

What did diem being assassinated allow the us to do?

Answer 31

Intervene and stabilise the south

Question 32

What was the increase in military advisors in the south under kennedys presidency ?

Answer 32

700 -15000

Question 33

What did kennedy immediately order the building off?

Answer 33

Strategic hamlets

Question 34

What were strategic hamlets

Answer 34

Heavily defended villages , were southerners were moved too. Protect them from VC

Question 35

What was the state of diems rule in 1963?

Answer 35

So corrupt he faced continuous opposition. Kennedy threatened to withdraw aid and backed a coup by south vietnamh generals to arrest diem . Kennedy withdrew aid and diem was assassinated and his government fell.