7. Diem and Vietnam

Question 1

Why did the French leave in 1954?

What are the 5 reason headings?

Answer 1

1. Ho Chi Minh’s popularity
2. Military leadership of General Giap
3. Superiority of Viet Minh
4. Arrogance and unpopularity of French
5. Military defeat at Dien Bien Phu

Question 2

Arrogance and unpopularity of the French

Answer 2

By 1885 French take Viet

French and Japanese kept food for troops
= starvation in North

‘Yellowing’ army…enlisting native Vietnamese
Didn’t trust new recruits so gave them lowest responsibility

Question 3

Superiority of Viet Minh

Answer 3

Viet Minh = guerrilla tactics to utilise geography of country
…surprise attacks, then retreat to west jungle and mountain

French struggled on frequently flooded Viet dirt tracks

Chinese supported Ho with weapons

Question 4

Ho Chi Minh’s popularity

Answer 4

Ho = patriot
…cared for ordinary people
…redistribution of land
…educational and health care programmes

Ho = war hero
…took rice back from French and Japanese and gave to North, by 1945= 4 million deaths from starvation
…fought politically and militarily for Viet independence from 1919

Question 5

Military leadership of General Giap

Answer 5

Von Nguyen Giap
1937= Indochinese Communist Party

1944= began training and commanding Viet Minh forces
…5000
…Guerrilla warfare
…set piece battles
…paid attention to ordinary people
1952…commanded 250,000
…supported by 40,000 porters….unmarried women(long haired army)

Rules with Civilians
..be polite and fair
...no bullying 
...no fratanising with women
...no damage, or you'll have to pay for it

Question 6

Military defeat at Dien Bien Phu

Answer 6

Dien = a trap!

1954…fortress at DBP to prevent Ho from invading nearby Laos and to draw Viet M into set piece battle

Didnt expect peasant volunteers to bombard from mountains
By 1953 Viet M = uniform and equipment not guerrilla

DBP = surrounded within 2 months
…relied on aircraft resources
…Viet M assembled heavy artillery guns in mountains w/ 50,000 volunteers

1954= c. 50,000 Viet M surrounding DBP
…3000 French killed
…8000 French wounded
Viet Minh suffered more but French surrendered

By may 1954 = over
…

Question 7

Should Eisenhower have intervened at Dien Bien Phu?

What was the situation prior to DBP?
4 points

Answer 7

US gave $385 mill to French

Eisenhower considered SE Asia vital to US security

Easier to help French fight Communism than send US troops
…1954: sent US bombers and 200 US techs

March: French requested US air strike

Question 8

Should Eisenhower have intervened at Dien Bien Phu?

Reasons AGAINST

7

Answer 8

…questioned domino theory

…sec of Defence= Indochina = intervention was diversion of US capabilities

…fear that intervention = increased involvement

…didn’t want to get too close to French

…couldn’t risk US troops after earlier rescuing them from Korea

…US= anti colonialism…ruined if swapped French Col for US Col

…not with Britain…Churchill against

Question 9

Should Eisenhower have intervened at Dien Bien Phu?

Reasons FOR

Answer 9

…French threated to leave without US aid

…so that Democrats wouldn’t say he’d lost Vietnam

…to keep French strong as NATO members to defend W.Europe form Soviet threat

…Eisenhower rejected containment and advocated liberation of Comm countries…‘54= no liberated

…March ‘54 = Sec of State John Foster Dulles said admin feared Chinese influence

…fear that other SE Asian countries would become Communist…April 54 Domino theory

Question 10

Was Ngo Dinh Diem the miracle man of Asia?

The Geneva Conference and the Division of Vietnam

What?
When?
Where?
Who?

Answer 10

What to do about Vietnam now French were leaving

26th April to 20th July 1954

Switzerland

USSR, USA, UK, China, France = top dogs

Question 11

The Geneva Conference

What was produced as the outcome?

Answer 11

Geneva Accords

Question 12

What were the conditions in the Geneva Accords?

7

Answer 12

…Vietnam = ÷ at 17th parallel

…Communists in North

…Bao Dai and Diem = Capitalists in South

…French Viet Minh truce

…10km demilitarised zone above 17th parallel

…1956: supposed to be elections to reunify Viet

…no military alliances to be made with foreign countries

Question 13

Diem = Miracle Man

Reasons…

3

Answer 13

US = impressed with ruthlessness
= increased aid to regime
…money, advice on politics, land reform and ops vs. Viet Minh

Eisenhower admin= encouraged by political skill of removing Bao Dai
Thought Diem= good dictator for Capitalism

Client State…country run by another country

Question 14

Diem = incompetent and a lost cause

Reasons…

Answer 14

NO LAND REFORM
…1% owned land = Communism = appealing
Long An province, near Saigon…less than 1000/35,000 tenants = property

Undemocratic elections…voters for Bao Dai = punished…pepper sauce in nostrils 450,000 regular voters 605,025 for Diem

US aid= c. 1 million middle class, educated, Catholic Vietnamese from N to S
…Diem= unpopular among BUDDHIST south who resented Cath Viet

Did nothing when US told him to reform

NEPOTISM…Ngo Dinh Nhu = brother
= chief political adviser
= south Vietnamese army
= Diem and Fam want $$

Forced to tour SV by US