Conflict In Asia: 1955-63 Flashcards
1
Q
What were Ho Chi Minh’s aims?
A
- consolidate communist control in north Vietnam
- his priority was to construct a solid communist state in the north to fight for the reunification of Vietnam
- key component = land reform
2
Q
Why did land owners revolt in north Vietnam in 1955?
A
- the regime seized private land and redistributed it among the rural farming population -led to public denunciations of landowners and landlords were commonplace
- thousands were executed and many more imprisoned in labour camps
- in 1956- military had put down the revolt - about 6000 people were killed in this action
3
Q
What was Ho Chi Minh forced to do in august 1956?
A
- issue a public apology for the aggressive implementation of the land reform programme
- about 1 million refugees fled north Vietnam for the south
- many of the victims of this indiscriminate land reform programme were loyal communists who happened to have little wealth
4
Q
What did the USA want to impose in south Vietnam in November 1954?
A
- a US funded army - ARVN
- aim was to destroy the remaining viet minh organisations around the south and ensure obedience to diem’s regime
5
Q
What did diem do in October 1955?
A
-he seized power through a fraudulent referendum - backed by the US
- proclaimed himself the president of the newly proclaimed republic of Vietnam
6
Q
How was power concentrated in diem’s regime?
A
- in the hands of his family + enforced through secret police + the imprisonment and torture of political opponents
7
Q
What did diem’s regime launch mid 1955?
A
- communist denunciation camps - to be alerted about members of the viet minh lurking in the south
- tens of thousands jailed + executed - many people were innocent civilians who expressed their distaste for diem’s land reform programme
8
Q
What was the pacification programme in diem’s regime?
A
- involved the complete resettlement of populations
- people were removed from where they lived and the land they owned
- the programme was so serve that even some officials in the government in Saigon criticised it
9
Q
What decision was taken at the fifteenth plenum at the end of 1958?
A
- VWP committee discussed a strategy that would reunify Vietnam
- the initial strategy of strengthening communism in north Vietnam was well underway by 1959
- the power of the party was well established and this enabled Ho Chi Minh to consider the route to a united communist Vietnam more fully
- in effect, this served as a Declaration of war on the south
- aim was to use military force to overthrow diem’s regime and remove the presence of the ‘ruling power of this imperialist and feudal forces’
- despite this seemingly aggressive stance - thee remained a powerful emphasis on a political struggle
- this struggle would be based on creating national unity in south Vietnam, in order to overthrow diem’s regime and the influence of US backers
- this meant that the north undertook a policy of supporting anti-diem groups in the south
- this culminated in the following year in the creation of the NLF in south Vietnam
10
Q
How did the west refer to diem?
A
- “Winston Churchill of Asia”
11
Q
Who was prime minister of south Vietnam?
A
- ngo dinh nhu, diem’s brother - other members of his family were also given lucrative posts in government
12
Q
How did the US support the diem regime?
A
- large amounts of economic aid - but diem’s government would just fraudulently take this aid
13
Q
How did diem run the south?
A
- very repressively
- political opponents were silenced
- his regime was based on the appearance of democracy but in reality - was ruled by a few
- diem’s primary interest was a preservation of his own power
- achieved by the creation of a loyal and corrupt ruling group and the support of the USA
14
Q
When was the national liberation front established?
A
-December 1960
15
Q
What was the NLF?
A
- organised by Ho Chi Minh, similar to the viet Minh
- purpose was to free south Vietnam from what it saw as US imperialism
- aimed to create a unified, sovereign and independent Vietnamese state
- rejected diem’s quasi- imperialist policies
- both a communist and nationalist movement
16
Q
How had diem upset the peasants in the north ?
A
- local councils were replaced by government appointed officials
- many of these were catholics - and this reminded the peasants of their former french colonial masters
17
Q
What drove many south Vietnamese to commit to the NLF?
A
- determination to promote nationalism and reunification
18
Q
Who led the NLF?
A
- Nguyen Hutu Tho
- he was a figurehead - real leadership = Hanoi + Ho Chi Minh
19
Q
How could you describe the NLF?
A
- agent of communisation
- appeared as a southern nationalist/resistance movement in order that it did not appear to be in breach of the Geneva conference agreements - which had forbidden the north from placing its own forces into the south
20
Q
How was the NLF manifesto appealing?
A
- appealed to anti-imperialists
- appealed to intellectuals, students and both the middle class and the rural working class
- manifesto’s primary focus was less on the achievement of ideological goals than on nationalistic themes
21
Q
When did the NLF begin to enjoy its success?
A
- from 1961 onwards ; growing from around 17,000 to between 23,000 and 34,000 by 1962
22
Q
Why did Kennedy feel as though a tougher approach towards Vietnam was needed?
A
- due to the bay of pigs operation against Cuba in April 1961 (still reeling from the effects)
- due to the humiliation at the Vienna summit in June 1961
- august 1961 Berlin Wall
23
Q
Why was Kennedy to committed to Vietnam?
A
- wanted to ensure south Vietnam remained a democracy despite the growing threat from the expansion of communism - felt it was important in securing a democratic future of Southeast Asia as a whole
- Kennedy was committed to containment and the notion of the domino theory
24
Q
What did Kennedy back?
A
- counterinsurgency - tactics that are used to defeat guerilla or unconventional warfare - focuses on intelligence gathering , targeting individual leaders + methods aimed at infiltrating the enemy
25
Who did Kennedy send to Vietnam to assess the situation ?
- Walt roscoe
- recommended an increase in the helicopter force in order to facilitate counterinsurgency actions
- greater training support for the south Vietnamese army
- an increase in the numbers of US combat forces
- some strategic bombing for north Vietnam,
- report also recommended sending up to 10,000 US ground troops - but Kennedy wanted to remain committed to counterinsurgency rather than send in ground troops
- did see a need to strengthen the south Vietnamese army
26
When did the strategic hamlet program begin?
- early 1962
- introduced in march through operation sunrise- aimed to create armed stockades which would house south Vietnamese people
27
What was the strategic hamlet program?
-aimed to create armed stockades which would house south Vietnamese rural peasants
- intention was to isolate people from the Vietcong
- for diem + nhu = strategic hamlet program was a means through which they could spread their own influence rather than a way of enouciring Vietnamese peasant farmers to challenge the Vietcong
- peasants were under pressure to move into the hamlets = but little clear planning or well developed incentives were in place to facilitate the process
- in effect = programme was a form of forced relocation
28
29
How many people were in strategic hamlet programs by September 1962 (according to the regime)?
- over 4 million
- over 3000 hamlets by end of 1962
30
Was the Strategic hamlet program a success?
- no, it was largely a failure
- often led to improved recruitment of peasants into the Vietcong
- the program compelled peasants to erect fences and construct defensive moats and other fortifications against an enemy that targeted government officials rather than them
- corrupt officials who fraudulently took money meant for medical aid, irrigation projects, fertiliser and seed, further alienated the increasingly disaffected peasants
- scheme was flawed because it was almost impossible to isolate Vietcong agents from the hamlets
- diem descrobed the strategic hamlet program was a ‘means to institute basic democracy’ in Vietnam
- programme soon collapsed
31
Who were the Vietcong?
- it was the name used by diem to describe the NLF members
32
What was the significance of the strategic hamlets?
- forced relocation caused bitter opposition from the peasantry
- armed struggles against diem’s regime increased
33
What began happening in south Vietnam from 1963 onwards?
- opposition towards diem heavily increased
- for the USA- the problem was the military (NLF) rather than political - which was the lack of support across diem’s regime
- 75% of American aid went into military help - eg, a 20 mile motorway was constructed between Saigon and bien hoa
- the road absorbed more American funds than those provided for education + welfare aid between 1954-61
34
What began the start of diem’s downfall?
- the Buddhist crisis, 1963, not the NLF + communists
35
Historically, were politics and religion separate in Vietnam?
- no
- Buddhism provided the needed authority + a social and political structure
-
36
What religion was diem?
- Roman Catholic
- favoured this over anything + the thousands of Catholic exiles from the north
- many Roman Catholics got employment in the military or in government work
- ngo ding thus became archbishop of hue after diem lobbied the Vatican on his behalf
37
What was majority of Vietnam’s population?
- Buddhist
38
When did the Buddhist crisis begin?
- in hue in may 1963
39
What were the Buddhists prevented from doing during the Buddhist crisis in may 1963?
-Buddhists were banned from waving their flags in honour of Buddha’s birthday, while catholics, the previous week, had been encouraged to display papal lags as part of celebrations for thuc ( banned by archbishop ngo dinh thuc)
- these flags were to commemorate the 2,527th birthday of Buddha
-military prevented Buddhists from hearing a speech made by their leader, Tri Quang - used tear gas and rubber bullets - 9 people were killed
40
What did Buddhists do in response to the may 1963 events at hue?
Formed three member cells and trained in how to develop anti-government propoganda
- organised hunger strikes and mass rallies, and they engaged with foreign press, especially US press
- tri quang - vigorously rallied support from every harder
- secretly met with US officers in Saigon and warned them that the USA must put more pressure on diem to carry out reforms, or remove him from power
- blamed the USA for the problems because it was supporting diem and his regime
41
What did diem think caused the incident at hue?
- the Vietcong
42
Why did the Buddhist crisis worsen in June 1963?
- elderly Buddhist monk, quang doc, publicly burned himself alive in Saigon
- diem regime : “let them burn, and we shall clap our hands”
43
How did the diem regime step up more repression against the Buddhists?
- raided temples around the country - arresting over 4,000
44
What was America’s response to the Buddhist crisis?
- felt they had to withdraw support for diem
45
Who did Kennedy send to Vietnam in September 1963 to assess the situation?
- Robert macnamara
- clear that diem was not prepared to curtail the oppression of his people or bring nhu under a degree of control
- reinforced the view that the war could not be won with diem at the head of south
46
47
What did Taylor and macnamara recommend to Kennedy?
- limit support to diem in order to put pressure n him
- this further encouraged the dissident generals in south Vietnam to plan a coup against diem
- the extent of US support for this is unclear
48
When was diem assassinated?
-2nd November - diem and nhu assassinated
- south Vietnamese rebel generals activated a military coup against diem and his regime
- new chapter towards Vietnamese policy opened
49
What was Johnson’s policy in Vietnam?
- viewed all Vietnam options through the lens of the 1964 election
- primary aim was to achieve a quick victory without the need to commit the USA to a major escalation of its role in Vietnam
50
What was OPLAN 34A?
- LBJ agreed to this in January 1964
- strategy based on covert action ‘progressively escalating pressure…to inflict increasing punishment upon north Vietnam”
51
What aspect of JFK’s policy did LBJ continue?
- continued Kennedy’s approach by increasing the number of military ‘advisers’ from 16,300 to 23,300, and stuck to he counterinsurgency strategy
52
What was the gulf of Tonkin resolution august 1964?
- news reached Washington of an attack on a US naval vessel by a north Vietnamese force in gulf of Tonkin
- in response to this - on august 7th, the congress agreed upon a remarkable reolsution
- it presented Johnson with the power to take whatever action he felt necessary to resist any armed attacks on US forces in Vietnam and to prevent any further aggression
- in effect = gave LBJ absolute freedom to conduct whatever policy he wanted in Vietnam without consulting congress
- macnamara believed it worked to open flood gates
53
What was the November 1964 election result?
-landslide that gave Johnson the biggest percentage of the vote in history (61%)
-democrats had the biggest majority
-allowed him to enact a raft of liberal legislation: the voting rights act
54
Who agreed to provide military supplies for north Vietnam?
- china
55
Who established diplomatic links with the NLF?
- the USSR
-set up a permanent mission in Moscow - military equipment sent as well as
56
What was the Ho Chi Minh trail?
- supply route from north Vietnam to the NLF in south Vietnam
- didn’t go through Vietnam - went round through Laos and Cambodia
- no railroads or heavy industry - moving supplies through use of bikes + low tech equipment
57
Where had the Vietcong managed to increase their support in by 1964?
- regions of south Vietnam - eg Mekong Delta region near Saigon
58
59
How did the US response to the gulf of Tonkin incident?
- sent air strieks against north Vietnam - then led to the gulf of Tonkin resolution
60
Was the US response to north Vietnam successful in bolstering the south Vietnam government?
- no - still a strong anti American feeling
61
What was the south Vietnamese army called?
- ARVN
62
What was operation rolling thunder?
- bombing campaign between 1965-68
- marked the start of the Americanisation of the war + its escalation in terms of US involvement
63
When did the first US troops arrive in Vietnam?
- march 1965 near danang
64
What proposals did north Vietnam offer to LBJ in April 1965?
- US troops must withdraw from south Vietnam - in accordance with the Geneva agreements
- south Vietnam’s internal affairs must be settled by the people of south Vietnam - in accordance with the program of the NLF and without external interference
- the peaceful unification of Vietnam must be settled only by the people of both zones
- Johnson rejected these proposals out of hand - believed these proposals may have led to a unified and communist Vietnamese state
65
What did LBJ order after north Vietnam’s April 1965 proposals?
- 2 marine battalions, an air squadron and 20,000 troops to be deployed in Vietnam
- publically announced his decision to escalate the USA’s military role in July 1965
66
How many ground troops were deployed in Vietnam by July 1965?
- 75,000
67
What did LBJ aim through military intervention in Vietnam?
- boost the USA’s prestige
- essential to global stability (domino theory)
- stop aggressive expansion of Chinese communism
68
Who was the US commander in Vietnam from 1965-8?
-William Westmorland
69
Why was there such a big escalation in Vietnam from 1965 onwards?
- LBJ did not want to be accused of being a crypto commi
- direct military action seemed to be the best way to to deal with the severe instability of south Vietnam,
- political opponents in the southern states
70
What was the problem with US strategy in Vietnam?
- Americans believed their overwhelming military superiority would enable them to win the war easily - WRONG!!
- guerilla tactics by the NLF were hard to counter
- NLF fighters were difficult to distinguish from those who were not fighting -were able to melt in the jungle
- unable to detect the enemy due to the communists strategy - only one in a hundred of US’ search and destroy missions actually made contact with the enemy
71
What were B-52 bombers?
- bang with operation rolling thunder
- basic aim was to destroy north Vietnam’s economy and undermine the Vietcong and northern forces in the south
72
What was operation ranch hand in 1962?
-Ranch Hand involved spraying an estimated 19 million U.S. gallons (72,000 m3) of defoliants and herbicidesover rural areas of South Vietnam in an attempt to deprive the Viet Cong of food and vegetation cover. (Agent orange)
-Areas of Laos and Cambodia were also sprayed to a lesser extent.
-According to the Vietnamese government, the chemicals caused 400,000 deaths
