Indo-china under HO Chi-Minh in the North and Diem in the south Flashcards
what was the most serious threat to Diem in the early months of his premiership?
the sects crisis in the spring of 1955
why was the sects crisis so serious?
because the religious groups of Cao Dai and Hao Hao represented the most potent political forces in South Vietnam
why was Diem’s defeat of the sects so important?
because it demonstrated the loyalty of the army to Diem and Diem’s strength as a leader.
when did the French withdraw from vietnam and what did the USA now take on?
the French withdraw in 1954 and the USA took on the responsibility for the survial of vietnam
what did Diem do in October 1955?
refused to enter into consulations with the North Vietnamese.
what was the high tide in the campaign of repression in the south?
the introduction of law 10/59 on 6th of June 1959
what were the law 10/59?
the establishment of military tribunals which dealt with anyone percieved to have committed a crime against the Republic
what happened to those charged with commiting a crime against the Republic in the south?
they were sentenced to death by guillotining
what happened between 1959 and 1961?
more than 4000 of Diem’s officals were assassinated each year. By the communist government in Hanoi
by 1959 what did Diem’s suppression of opposition create?
a favourable climate in the South Vietnam for revolutionary activities
what was the policy of population transfer?
wereby in 1957 210,000 ethnic vietnamese from the coast and catholics from the north were resettled in fortified villages onto montagnard-owned lands.
what role did the Montagnards play?
a key role in the insurgency when it started in 1959
what did the US ambassador Elbright Durbrow warn the Eisenhower Administration?
that unless Diem reformed his government and mobilised popular support the insurgency would overwhelm South Vietnam.
Why did China and Soviets not want to initially offer support to the North?
because after the Korean war both coutries were focused on easing cold war tensions and improving relations with the USA
what financial support did the USSR and China give to the North?
$200million from china and $100million from the Soviet union.
what did Diem’s refusal to hold the 1956 elections agreed at Geneva cause?
forced Ho Chi Minh to concentrate on consolidating communist control in the North
What did the NLF do?
expolited the peasants grivances, in particular land issues and behaved largely examplary way towards the peasants by putting pressure on village councils to lower rents and gained wide spread support in the south
what did the NLF tell village councils to do?
distribute land to those without any in the south
why did Kennedy already have fixed ideas about Vietnam?
because his catholic family laothed communism
what happened to politicians who were seen as being soft on communism?
they could have there political career destroyed
who was Robert McNamara?
the secretary of defence and his power in Kennedy’s cabinet was enormous and he favoured military rather than diplomatic solutions
who was Dean Rusk?
Secretary of State, and was knowlegable about international affairs and was determined to oppose communist agression, although he believed in more diplomatic solutions and was often ignored
who was McGeorge Bundy?
he was National Security Advisor to president Kennedy and played a crucial role in all major foreign policy and defence decisions of the kennedy administration
what was one of the first incidents to hit President Kennedy?
the Bay of Pigs in 1961 when Kennedy failed to overthrow the communist rule in Cuba
what impact did the Bay of Pigs have?
pushed kennedy to intervene and acheive success, instead in South East Asia
