Indochina Flashcards
Conflict in Vietnam 1946-54 (decolonisation)
Eight-year struggle
two main stages; the colonial war from 1946 - 1949, and an “Internationalised” phase from 1950 - 1954
Due to a lack of supplies, difficulty with communications and lack of international backers, the Viet Minh struggled against the superior firepower of the French
The Viet Minh relied on guerilla warfare rather than open conflict
Although the French had the upper hand in the early years of the war, they were unable to win the support of the local Vietnamese and support for the war on the French homefront was in decline
1950 :
The Bao Dai Solution was an attempt to create an alternative government to the Viet Minh. The French could then use this as proof to international critics that they were fighting to defend a genuine Vietnamese government and not to protect their own interests
China/Russia recognised the DRV as the legitimate government + sent military aid to Viet Minh
US financial support to the French
Nature of victory against french in 1954
By 1953, the French could no longer maintain their maintain their war effort. French commanders were instructed to rapidly improve their military position so that the French would be in a stronger negotiating position
The French decided to draw the Viet Minh into a large scale battle at Dien Bien Phu in the north near the Laotian border.
In March 1954, the Viet Minh launched a massive assault on the French. The French were outnumbered and outmaneuvered. The French appealed to the British and US military support but both refused to increase any assistance
On the 7th May 1954, the French surrendered at Dien Bien Phu.
This was an enormous military and political victory for the Viet Minh and Vietnamese nationalists
Significance of the Geneva Conference
ntensified the tensions + clearly divided the country
Some level of independence in laos + cambodia
Increased US involvement in situation
To work out a transition between colonialism to independence → only temporary solution not long term to issue of communism and democracy
NORTH (political/social/economic/military)
POLITICAL/ECONOMIC
USSR + China supported the Democratic Republic of Vietnam - assisted Ho Chi Minh to drive agricultural + industrialization
Degree of autonomy
One-party communist state
SOCIAL
Land reform - redistribution of land to peasants
Landowners fled to south to avoid being executed/arrested by the People’s Agricultural Reform Tribunal
Skilled workers and government officials fled with the landowners
MILITARY
Vietnamese People’s Liberation Army (VPLA) - successfully fought French
After division large amount stayed in south and become Viet Cong = destabilising gov. In South Vietnam
Guerilla tactics + support of people who were against Diem’s dictatorship
Ho Chi Minh supported them (Ho Chi Ming trail - supplies from North to South)
SOUTH (political/social/economic/
military)
POLITICAL/ECONOMIC
1955 referendum - Diem replaced Bao Dai - created the republic of Vietnam
Put all his friends + family in power - controlled political sphere
Suspected Viet Minh were rounded up (terror)
Became a puppet for the US
Refused land reforms
Supported by America
MILITARY
Army of the republic of Vietnam (ARVN) - french trained
1955 - America started financial/training aid - US advisors
Hamelts - isolate villages from Viet Cong - villagers forced out of homes
Created resentment - pushing South Vietnamese to Viet Cong
nature/development of US policy for Indochina
add
The US foreign policy towards Vietnam (1964)
Truman:
Truman doctrine 1947, Containment
Eisenhower
: Domino Theory 1954, Military advisors, Economic + political support for Diem
Kennedy:
EscalationCounter Insurgency - efforts taken to contain and defeat insurgents - pacification - WHAM (winning heart and minds) → rural areas (by providing consumer goods and a better lifestyle), Not in combat roles but still accompanying the South Vietnamese forces
Johnson
: Americanisation - US to take control of military operations for ARVN and US forces, Operation Rolling Thunder (1965-68), Rapid democratisation of South → instability, too many govts in a year etc → leads to people distrusting democracy
Nixon:
Vietnamisation - South became responsible for military operations, Triangulation - exploit deteriorating Sino-Soviet relations (USA/Russia/China), Madman Theory - unpredictable (intimidation) → peace talks between vietnamese and US → Paris Peace Accords end the conflict in Vietnam
nature/effectiveness of the strategy/tactics (North Vietnamese Army/NLF)
Success paralleled with Viet Ming against French
Guerilla tactics (tiger vs elephant) - fear of VC from locals
VC tunnel system
Wearing down morale
Hit-run tactics
American tactics - large military camping (didn’t work in the dense jungle)
TET
Aid from USSR + China
nature/effectiveness of the strategy/tactics (ARVN + USA)
ARVN / USA
Forced the DRV to give up support for insurgency, negotiate a settlement that guaranteed the autonomy of South Vietnam
US-ARVN used interlocking features against the insurgency in South Vietnam
-Isolate → attempt to stop or reduce the infiltration of men and equipment into from the North
-Attrition → defeating the opponent by wearing down their defence and moral, over time for the enemy forces
-Pacification → the SV civilian population by trying to improve their living standards and quality of life
-Destabilise → the DRV through the use of US air power and secret operations run against the North
Aust’s such as Neil Davis claimed to prefer going to war zones with ARVN men because they were much more aware of the environment and of hazard, and had greater ability to fight at night and in the wet
The USA used ARVN to test its counterinsurgency weapons and tactics and then reached the conclusion that it was the ARVN, not the weapons and tactics that were inadequate → Trained neither for a conventional nor a guerilla war, the ARVN remained a defensive force, reliant on helicopters, air and artillery cover and Amernican finance for any aggressive advance
Napalm: to get to the guerilla fighters out of the bushes and have a clear access to the enemy + Operation Ranch Hand: using herbicides and defoliants in South Vietnamese Jungles: Agent Orange
75 million litres of defoliants were dropped on Indochina. The effects of defoliants use can still be seen in Vietnam today, where some areas of the country are incapable of growing crops. Use of defoliant was ultimately self defeating, it angered the South Vietnamese peasants and turned more of them against the govt.
The US had 385,000 troops in Vietnam by 1966: however they were prepared to fight the war on plain surface due to which they were incapable against the VC and NVA as they were prepared and trained in Guerilla Warfare which they did on known lands hence having an upper hand against the American forces.
nature/effectiveness of the strategy/tactics (Army of the Republic of Vietnam)
NVA
Overarching aim : wear down the United States so that its troops would withdraw. In turn, would provide an opportunity for the DRV to reunify Vietnam Commanders adapted some approaches that underpinned Vietminh success against France in the First Indochina War
NVA commanders planned for another protracted (longer term) ‘people’s war’. As in the war against France, NVA commanders knew that, even with Soviet and Chinese support, they could not quickly overcome the large and heavily armed militaries of the US-ARVN
The DRV planner to draw the Americans deep into a long and complex war that ended as much as anything on the support of the civilian population
DRV aimed to significantly weaken the RVN govt, allowing it to expand its control over South Vietnam
The process of escalation, the DRV immediately remobilised the ‘sacred war’ myth, claiming that Vietnam had heroically resisted many foreign forces and that the war against the United States was the latest round in this long, nationalist tradition.
The govt also strictly managed the civilian population in the North by closely censoring information distributed in public and producing large volumes of propaganda
Impact of the 1968 TET
Aims: demoralise US & ARVN, trigger a popular uprising in the South. Demonstrates the weakness of the US and ARVN, decisive victory (negotiations or US withdrawal)
Attack: 30 Jan 1968, 30 of 44 provincial capitals, 64 district capitals, 50 hamlets, Viet Cong attah and control of US embassy in Saigon and Hue
Outcomes:
Positive (NLF/NVA)
Exposed fragility of US forces, capability of organising a large scale attack, psychological impact - capable of large scale attack, successful use of conventional military forces
Negative (NLF/NVA)
Fail to achieve, heavy casualties and loss of experience leaders, lost territory won on offensive, failure to investigate a popular uprising
Positive (US/ARVN)
Regained all lost territory, maintained Nguyen Van Thieu’s govt, defeated NVA/NLF forces
Negative (US/ARVN)
Weakened public support for the war, psychological impact - US vulnerable, no imminent victory in Vietnam, intensification and undermined of protest movement, end to operation Rolling Thunder above 20th parallel and limits placed on US troops in RVN
Impact of war on civilians in Vietnam
SOCIAL
Arrival of US → Vietnamese society was rapidly westernised
Influx of western wealth aided corruption
The enormous loss of life - estimates of up to three million Vietnamese dead
Legacy of war - the sick/injured/traumatised/those without limbs
Babies born with a series of birth defects due to Agent Orange
CULTURAL
Americanisation of Vietnamese cities and breakdown of traditional village structures - threatened culture
ENVIRONMENTAL
Massive use of herbicides and defoliants has left vast swathes of South Vietnam a wasteland
Legacy of unexploded ordinance remains a problem for Indochina into the 21st century.
ECONOMIC
The need to dedicate nations scarce resources to war prevented expenditure on worthy projects
1970’s → south faces inflation/black market
nature/significance of anti-war movements in AUS
early opposition limited
may 1965 - save our sons (conscripts)
more radical and violent - blunted strength
1970 - emulating moratorium movement - peaceful
once vietnamisation occured (due to protests) - no australian gov would maintain military presence
moratorium protests - 8 may 1970 - largest (objectives - withdraw troops + end conscription)
“bit by bit, like a great ship turning at sea, Australia’s support for the war gradually shifted…protesters nudged Australian and American minds” - Paul Ham
followed America
nature/significance of anti-war movements in USA
1960’s - new (previously prided in patriotism and didn’t question president)
conscription changed this
never succeeded 50%
Reasons (not winning, televisation, 1965+ young protesters)
didn’t affect performance
nixon despised protesters by persisted with vietnamisation (1970) - pressure
expand, equip + train SVA
handing back control
“the catch-cry went up that “vietnamisation” would turn things around…it was too little, too late” - Tim Fischer
1971 - first Pentagon Papers - revealed war conduct previously confidential - question accountability = anti war mandate - effective end to US involvement 1973
reasons/nature of US withdrawal
1st attempt - 1594 Geneva Accords
2nd Attempt - 1968 Johnson
3rd Attempt - Paris Peace Accords January 1973
Peace process leads to US withdrawal
27 January 1973 - Paris Peace Accords signed
29 March 1973 - last US combat troops leave Vietnam
Began to withdraw when Vietnamisation was implemented (mid 1969)
Congress imposed a deadline on all US military activity in INdochina → date set for 15 August 1973
