Conflict In Asia: 1955-63 Flashcards
How did Ngo Dinh Diem perform as the leader of South Vietnam?
Diem was ultimately a corrupt and nepotistic leader.
This is evidenced by his immediate family holding lucrative positions in government, such as his brother Ngo Dinh Nhu serving as prime minister, and his corruption was demonstrated through his family and officials fraudulently hoarding Us economic aid designated for agricultural improvement. John Foster Dulles admitted that the USA suppported Diem because they ‘knew of no one better’.
When was the National Liberation Front (NLF) established and what was its purpose?
December 1960
It’s purpose was to free South Vietnam from what it saw as US imperialism and aimed to create a sovereign, unified Vietnamese state.
What drove the South Vietnamese people to commit to the NLF?
A powerful motivation was the rejection of Diem’s quasi-imperialist views.
Furthermore, many local councils were replaced by Catholic government-appointed officials which reminded the peasants of their former French colonial masters.
Finally, people were driven by general nationalistic and democratic imperatives
Which were the two main focuses which dominated the NLF?
The NLF consisted of both nationalist and communist members, however majority nationalist.
A symbiotic and mutually supportive relationship emerged between the two due to their common acceptance of the USA as a shared enemy of Vietnam.
Who was the leader of the NLF?
Nguyen Huu Tho
Why could the NLF be seen as an agent of communisation?
The NLF was presented as a Southern nationalist/resistance movement in order that it did not to appear to be in breach of Geneva Conference agreements, which had forbidden the North from placing its own forces in the South.
This therefore allows communists in the North to infiltrate and influence groups in the South with ease.
How did Kennedy shift American policy towards Indochina?
Kennedy’s policy focused on the strategy of flexible response. He moved away from Eisenhower’s massive retaliation approach as the threat of nuclear weapons would be ineffective against the Vietcong’s geurrilla forces. He instead endorsed counterinsurgency measures delivered by conventional ground forces.
What was the Strategic Hamlet Program and when was it introduced?
Introduced in March 1962, the programme intended to create armed living areas which would house rural South Vietnamese peasants. The intention was that this would isolate the people from the Vietcong and reduce recruitment and the spread of influence.
How many people were housed in Strategic Hamlets by the end of 1962?
By September 1962, 4 million people were in strategic hamlets and by the end of the year there were over 3000 such hamlets.
Was the Strategic Hamlet Program successful?
The programme was largely a failure. The scheme was inherently flawed as it was simply impossible to isolate Vietcong agents from the hamlets and the Vietcong were much more interested in targeting government officials, not regular civilians. Furthermore, corrupt government officials who fraudulently mishandled money were more damaging to the peasants then the Vietcong and they alienated the larger population.
When was the Buddhist crisis and why did it occur?
The Buddhist crisis began in Hue in May 1963. This was because Buddhists were banned from flying their flags in honour of the Buddha’s birthday whilst Catholics in the previous week had been encouraged to display Papal flags as a part of celebrations for Thuc, Diem’s brother and Archbishop of Hue.
What were the consequences of the Buddhist Crisis in 1963?
9 people were killed in the initial melee after the military tried to prevent Buddhists hearing a speech by their leader Tri Quang.
Buddhist protests multiplied in the weeks following and they began developing anti-government propaganda, organising strikes and engaging with foreign press.
The crisis deepened in June 1963 when a Buddhist monk ,Quang Doc, publicly burnt himself alive in Saigon.
When was president Diem and his brother assassinated and how?
On the 2nd November 1963. South Vietnamese generals activated a military coup the day before.
When did Fulgencio Batista’s regime collapse and who was subsequently appointed?
After a successful guerrilla campaign, Batista’s regime collapsed on the 1st January 1959 and Fidel Castro was appointed as prime minister of Cuba.
What were Castro’s plans for Cuba’s future?
In May 1959, Castro introduced a programme of agrarian reform which lead to considerable amounts of American-owned property being seized by the state, notably $1 billion worth of US assets in October 1960. American companies in Cuba were nationalised aswell.
When was a Soviet-Cuban relationship first established?
An economic and political relationship formed when Soviet First Deputy Premier Anastas Mikoyan visited Cuba in February 1960 and arranged $100 million dollars in credits with Castro.
How did the USA react to Cubas new found relationship with Soviet Union?
When the first crude oil shipment arrived in Cuba in April 1960, US-owned oil companies refused to refine it, however they were nationalised.
America also imposed economic sanctions on Cuba and reduced their imports of Cuban sugar by 95%.
When was the Bay of Pigs invasion, what did it include and was it successful?
Approved on the 17th April 1961, the plan was to enable 1500 anti-Castro exiles to land on Cuba and carry out a coup to remove him. It failed spectacularly, collapsing within 2 days, helping to consolidate Castro’s authority in Cuba as he had protected the country from imperialism.
What was Operation Mongoose and when was it authorised?
Authorised on 30th November 1961, Operation Mongoose was a plan to overthrow Castro through the use of covert operations e.g gathering intelligence information, economic sabotage, etc.
Kennedys advisors developed an air strike plan known as OPLAN 312 and a land based invasion plan known as OPLAN 314.
