Conflict in Asia, 1955-1963 Flashcards
What was Ho Chi Minh up to in North Vietnam, 1956?
He wanted to construct a solid communist state in the North, to fight for the reunification of Vietnam. A key component of this was the VWP (Vietnam workers’ party) land reform. The regime seized privately owned land and redistributed it amongst rural farming population. Public denunciations of landlords and owners were common, thousands were executed and put in labour camps.
Ho Chi Minh was forced to apologise for aggressive and clumsy implementation of the land reform proramme. 1 mil refugees fled North Vietnam for the South, but land production did increase.
What and when was the Revolutionary Violence Strategy?
- Decision taken to commit to strategy that would reunify Vietnam, and the aim was to use military force to overthrow Diem’s regime. Despite seemingly aggressive revolutionary position taken by North, there was a powerful emphasis on a political struggle.
Struggle with creating national unity in South Vietnam to overthrow Diem and the influence of its US backers so North undertook policy of supporting anti-Diem groups in South, led to NLF creation in S Vietnam.
What was Diem’s position in South Vietnam?
He was corrupt and nepotistic (gave positions of authority to his relatives). His brother served as PM. Policies were divisive and damaging. US supported hm because they ‘knew of noone better’, John Foster Dulles admitted. His policies focused on repression, and political opponents were silencd. His regime had appearance of democracy but was in reality rule by a few. He only cared about his own power which he consolidated by creation of a loyal and corrupt ruling group and support of USA.
What was the National Liberation Front?
NLF. December 1960. Established by North Vietnamese leadership and formed in the South.
Their purpose was to free South Vietnam from what it saw as US imperialism and create a unified, independent Vietnamese state. Critical to communist success in South Vietnam against S Vietnamese and US army.
Was an agent of communisation, means for communists to infiltrate and influence groups with relative ease. North established a support network for the NLF, became known as the Ho Chi Minh trail- provided supply route into South for equipment and personnel.
What was Kennedy’s attitude towards Vietnam?
It was incredibly important to him to ensure that South Vietnam remained democratic, important in terms of securing democratic future for South East Asia. Committed to containment and domino theory. Thought that the USA’s non-nuclear capacities should be expanded so the US could deal with a whole range of threats. He feared the increasing strength of China and USSR. Communist-led insurgency threatened to spread beyond South Vietnam, and couldn’t be stopped by Massive Retaliation Strategy as that was based on nuclear weapons.
Why did Kennedy back Counter Insurgency Methods?
Since the communist-led insurgency that threatened to spread beyond South Vietnam couldn’t be stopped by Massive Retaliation strategy as it was based on nuclear weapons.
Counterinsurgency tactics were used to defeat guerrilla/unconventional warfare. They were focused on intelligence gathering, targetting individual leaders and methods aimed at infiltrating enemy.
What happened in 1961 (CounterInsurgency)?
Kennedy sent General Taylor and Walt Roscow to Vietnam to assess the situation. They recommended: increase in helicopter force to facilitate counterinsurgency actions, greater training for SV army, increase in number of US combat forces and strategic bombing of North Vietnam (K didn’t send troops but did increase training)
What and when was the Strategic Hamlet Program?
1962
Aimed to create armed stockades to house South Vietnamese Rural Peasants, so they’d be isolated from the Vietcong.
Peasants were under pressure to move into Hamlets, but little planning or developed incentives were in place to facilitate the process- so it was basically a form of forced relocation. By September, over 2 million people were in Strategic Hamlets.
What were the results of the Strategic Hamlet Program, 1962?
Many peasants were recruited into the Vietcong as a result- as you could not isolate the Vietcong from the Hamlets, and corrupt officials took money meant for medical aid, seed fertiliser, irrigation projects which further isolated the peasants.
What was the Buddhist Crisis, 1963?
May- Buddhists were banned from flying flags for his bday but the week before, Catholics had been encouraged to fly Papal flags.
Military was used to prevent Buddhists hearing speech by their leader and 9 people were killed, resulting in Protests. Buddhists organised hunger strikes, mass rallies, communicated with foreign press, particularly US. Buddhists set fire to themselves in June.
Tri Quang (leader) met with US officials to put pressure on them for reform.
What was Diem’s attitude towards Buddhists?
Diem was Roman Catholic, and he favoured that religion and gave them military or government jobs. But, the majority of Vietnam’s population were Buddhists.
When and why was President Diem assassinated?
In August 1963, Diem organised a renewed assault on the Buddhists. Kennedy was concious of implications of US being directly involved in the removal of the sovereign state’s elected leader. McNamara and General Taylor were sent to Vietnam to assess the situation. Diem was not prepared to curtail repression or put Nhu under some degree of control. Reinforced the view that War could nt be won with Diem at the head of SV. Recommended derease in US sypport. South Vietnamese rebel generals activated military coup (violent seizure of power) against Diem and his regime. Next day he was assassinated. USA were unable to manage coup, but said it could not have happened without them.
