Escalation In vietnam

Question 1

The new Government in Vietnam

Answer 1

The day after the French surrender (1954), nine countries meet in Geneva to discuss what’d happen in Vietnam.
21 July- partial agreement made: the Geneva Accords

Question 2

Details of Geneva Accords 1

Answer 2

Vietnam to be divided by demilitarised zone (no troops could enter) on the 17th parallel
Ho Chi Minh would run the North (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) from Hanoi (held by Vietminh after France left).
Bao Dai would run the south (State of Vietnam) from Saigon. He made Ngo Dinh Diem the Prime Minister June 1954. Dai went to France while Diem (anti-communist) ran the country.

Question 3

Details of geneva accords 2

Answer 3

Troops and people could pass border for 300 days after the agreement
No foreign troops to set up bases in either country
July 1956, internationally supervised elections would be held in both countries to decide on a gobernment for a united Vietnam.

Question 4

Reactions to the Geneva accords

Answer 4

The USA and South Vietnam refused to obey the accords
North Vietnam wanted the border to be at the 13th parallel instead and to hold elections in 6 months. China pushed it to give in.

Question 5

Domino theory

Answer 5

US feared the spread of communism. If Vietnam fell to communism, other South-Eastern Asian countries could follow, like a domini effect.

Question 6

SEATO

Answer 6

South East Asia Treaty Organisation set up by Eisenhower in September 1954
Members agreed to act together, possibly with force, to stop communism spreading in SE Asia

Members: USA, UK, France, New Zealand, Australia, Pakistan, Philipines and Thailand

Question 7

Why did America support Diem?

Answer 7

The USA supported Diem purely due to his political ideology. Communism anywhere in the world was seen as a threat to American supremacy and supporting Diem let the USA help counter communism’s spread.

Question 8

Why why was Diem’s government weak?

Answer 8

Communists in Northern parts of South Vietnam
Other Religious, political and criminal groups had their own support and armies
Diem was Catholic and it was believed by the (mostly Buddist) population that he favoured Catholics. He mainly gave Gov jobs to family and Catholics
Did little to support those who lived in villages under corrupt officials. He was only concerned with Saigon.

Question 9

Escalation under Eisenhower

Answer 9

October 1955: Diem won a ‘fixed’ referendum
July 1956: Diem refused to hold more elections
1957: sent ARVN to find and arrest communists
March 1958: In response, Vietcong killed over 400 government officials
May 1959: NV send troops and weapons into SV via the Ho Chi Minh trail to support communists.

Question 10

ARVN

Answer 10

Army of the Republic of Vietnam

Question 11

Vietcong

Answer 11

Vietnemese communists in the south

Question 12

Why did involvement increase under JFK (November 1960)

Answer 12

Diem blames USA for plots against him (by army leaders) and worsens relations. USA urges him to make democratic reforms to benefit villagers but he ignores.
US support for him became globally unpopular

Question 13

Why did involvement increase under JFK (December 1960)

Answer 13

VC and other anti-Diem groups create NLF (National Liberation Front). Members went to villages at night to urge villagers to disobey the gonvernment and support local communist groups.
Diem did nothing to stop this and lost control of more than half of South Vietnam.

Question 14

Kennedy’s involvement

Answer 14

Sent more advisors (16,000 more by November 1963)
Early 1961 over 12,000 VC guerillas in the South meaning troops were trying to win support of the villagers and to hunt out the VC instead of luring them into battle
Invested $40 million into ARVN, used defoliants to destroy jungle (which the VC hid in) and used US helicopters

Question 15

Strategic Hamlets - What are they?

Answer 15

Diem’s program supported by US advisors
Large new villages surrounded by barbed wire and guarded by ARVN
Facilities such as schools and clinics
People moved from nearby smaller villages and were supposed to feel protected by the government.

Question 16

Purpose of Strategic Hamlets

Answer 16

Stops VC recruiting villagers or getting supplies to them

Question 17

Strategic Hamlets - Events

Answer 17

Jan 62 - Work begins on the program
800 green berets helped
5000 built/being built by Sep 62

Question 18

Strategic Hamlets - Problems

Answer 18

US advisors ignored the fact that villagers did not want to leave their homes or the graves of their ancestors/family members
Villagers were not given enough food, so many went hungry/died of starvation
Hugely disrupted peasant life, causing many deaths and reduced support form Diem’s government.

Question 19

The Battle of Ap Bac

Answer 19

2/1/63 - ARVN loses a battle against VC
ARVN outnumbered VC 5:1, had better weapons, and US air support. They still lost
The US lost:
5 helicopters
3 advisors
60 troops
Only 3 VC were found dead

Question 20

The Battle of Ap Bac - Aftermath

Answer 20

The US military tried to make it sound like a victory, but some US media reported it as a defeat.

Question 21

South response to protests

Answer 21

May 6 1963 - Govt troops fire on a Buddhist procession
9 deaths, 14 injuries
Buddhists were banned from flying flags for the Buddha’s birthday in June of that year.

Question 22

Quang Duc

Answer 22

A buddhist monk who set light to himself on 11th June 1963. He had alerted the media in the days before, meaning that his protest garnered worldwide publicity. JFK expressed shock at the event, which was caused by a government that he supported

Question 23

Overthrow of Diem

Answer 23

JFK wanted Diem to make peace with the Buddhists.
Aug 63 - Diem’s troops raided temples: there were killings.
Kennedy accepted that Diem was too unpopular survive in his post.
1st November - Diem killed by ARVN generals. The US was aware but gave no warning

Question 24

Kennedy’s Assassination

Answer 24

22/11/63 - Kennedy shot and killed while riding in a motorcade in Dallas.
Veep Lyndon B Johnson takes over. He was sworn in quickly on Air Force One.
Johnson had to work with General Minh’s unstable Government.
He hopes that the US would be able to withdraw but keep the South non-communist.

Question 25

JFK’s intentions in Vietnam

Answer 25

He had considered greater military involvement but stressed his aims were to influence the new Vietnamese government to act democratically and win over the people of South Vietnam.
He also wanted to withdraw US forces and advisors as soon as possible.