3.1 US Involvement In Vietnam 1954-63 Flashcards
What happened on 13 March 1954?
A battle between French and Vietnamese trrops at Dien Bien Phu
Why did the battle at Dien Bien Phu occur?
- Vietnam was a French colony that was lost to Japan in WW2, when the war ended France wanted control of its colony back
- the Vietnamese let by Ho Chi Minh wanted independence
- USA are paying 80% of France’s war by 1954(USA was only sending advisers
Describe what happened at Dien Bien Phu?
French had 15,000 and build an airstrip to attempt to lure the Vietnamese, they were surrounded by 50,000 Vietminh with 50,000 on reserve
Fighting lasts 55 days, French surrender on May 1954
What were the 5 main reasons the Vietminh won at Dien Bien Phu?
- local conditions
- local support
- china’s help
- French problems
- Vietminh commitment
How was local conditions a reason for the Vietminh’s win?
- they understood the country
- had access to the mountains
How was local support a reason for the Vietminh’s win?
Villagers: spied on the French
- helped move supplies
- helped dig up 5 roads to help move supplies
How was China a reason for the Vietminh’s win?
China provided them with:
- weapons and ammunition
- 20,000 bikes to move supplies
- help in planning
- some troops
How was French problems a reason for the Vietminh’s win?
- underestimated local support
- didn’t expect the Vietminh to be so well armed
- supply planes were shot down by Vietminh
- troops lacked commitment(many were not French)
What was the Geneva accords?
A partial aggrement about vietnem
Describe the Geneva accords
-seperated along the 17 th parallel
-Ho Chi Minh controls the north
-Bao Dai runs the south
-no foreign troops can set up bases in either country
Elections for a united Vietnam would be held in July 1956
What was the most significant reason for greater US involvement in Vietnam?
The Domino theory(fear of communism)
Describe the Domino theory
Feared that if Vietnam became communist, other countries in South East Asia would follow
What were the 4 reasons why Diem’s goverment was weak?
- still many communists in south Vietnam
- Diem was Catholic and most the country were Buddis(Diem favoured Catholics)
- Diem gave goverment jobs to family members and Catholics
- Saigon based goverment had little regard for peasant villagers and made little reforms to win their support
How was Diem kept in power?
Bao Dai speaks out against Diem’s policies in 1955,
Diem holds a referenum with people voting for him or Bao Dai as their leader
US fixes the election
Diem changes the goverment and stopped villages electing their own officials
Describe Diem’s campaign against his opponents especially communism
- began to arrest political and religious opponents
- people urged to report communists to the goverment
- ARVN sent to arrest 65,000 suspected communists in the country side
Describe the greater involvement under Kennedy
- sent more advisers to South Vietnam
- Kennedy said normal fighting tactics were failing
Why was it hars for ARVN officers to win over villagers?
Many ARVN officers looked down on villagers while many villagers saw the ARVN as part of a corrupt goverment
What was the strategic hamlets?
- new large villages surrounded by barbed wire and guarded by ARVN(stop VC from recruiting villagers
- however US advisors and Diem ignored the fact that villagers did not want to leave their homes
- also failed to provide eniufg food,villagers went hungry and some starved
Describe Diem’s persecution of Buddhists?
6 may 1963-goverment troops fire on a Buddhist procession
-Buddhists banned from flying flags on Buddha’s birthday
11th June 1963- Quang Duc sets himself on fire
Describe the overthrow of Diem?
After Diem radied Buddhist temples, the USA made it clear that south Vietnam no longer had American support
1st November: Diem overthrown by ARVN generals
(USA was aware of the plot but didn’t warn Diem)
Who replaced Kennedy when he was assasinated in 1963
Johnson
When was the strategic hamlet programme?
1962
