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The Cold War > Indochina and the start of the Vietnam War > Flashcards

Indochina and the start of the Vietnam War Flashcards

1
Q

What was French Indochina?

A
  • comprised on Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam
  • were colonies by France in the 19th century
  • Japan occupied the area during WW2
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2
Q

What were the Vietminh?

A

a nationalist and communist military force in Vietnam that controlled much of the military that were formed by Ho Chi Minh

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3
Q

Why did Truman support the French in Indochina?

A

The French had been a big ally for America during WW2, so Truman did not want to act against them, especially since they were a powerful nation. France had helped to defeat Germany, so Truman felt in debt to them. France was also apart of NATO which meant they were obliged to support

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4
Q

How had the USA helped France previously?

A
  • Truman had supported France financially by sending $2 billion in aid to support their fight in Vietnam (78% of Frances costs at its peak)
  • also sent $50 billion in economic aid to the region
  • supported France in establishing Boa Dai as the leader of the ‘independent’ Vietnamese government
  • additional $23.5 million in aid under Foreign Assistance Act 1950
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5
Q

After the failure in Korea, why did Truman continue to support the French in Vietnam?

A

Truman believed that the Vietminh were taking orders from Stalin, and after the ‘loss’ of China to communism alongside the failures of the Korean War. Americans did not understand the difference between communism (USSR) and nationalism (Ho Chi Minh) so were frightened of the concequences of Ho Chi Minh coming into power (Domino Effect)

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6
Q

Why was it important for Indochina continue to stay capitalist?

A

It supplied the West with petroleum, rice, tin, copra, pepper, and rubber
It was strategically close to India and the Philippines

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7
Q

Why did Truman get involved in Vietnam?

A
  • wanted to see more US-style governments in the world (not communist!)
  • wanted easy trade with SE Asia (impossible with communism)
  • fought against communist expansion in Korean War
  • McCarthyism created mass anti-communist hysteria
  • Truman had lost China so Ho Chi Minh was seen as a puppet of Bejing
  • France had helped oppose communism in Europe (Berlin) so USA needed to help in Vietnam
  • Ho Chi Minh was communist so was seen as Moscows puppet
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8
Q

How commited was the USA in Vietnam by Truman?

A
  • in November 1950 a defence official said that America was becoming ‘dangerously involved’
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9
Q

What happened in May 1954?

A

The French lost their control over Vietnam after the battle at Dien Bien Phu after 7200 dead and 11000 prisoners

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10
Q

What did the Geneva Conference 1954 agree?

A
  • ceasefire in Vietnam, however it was not a permanent solution
  • two zones were created across the 17th parallel (not supposed to be permanent)
  • French forces moved out of the North, and Ho Chi Minh’s nationalists moved out of the South
  • national elections supposed to happen in 1956
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11
Q

Why didn’t the 1956 elections happen?

A

The USA had chosen to implement and back Diem as the leader of South Vietnam, Diem was the anti-Buddhist Catholic leader of a majority Buddhist country and so was extremely unpopular. He and Eisenhower knew that if elections occured, Diem would lose, probably to communists, which went against the USAs containment actions

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12
Q

How did Eisenhower aid Diem and involve the USA in Vietnam?

A
  • sent $7billion between 1955 and 1961
  • sent around 1500 ‘special advisors’
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13
Q

What was South Vietnam like in 1954?

A
  • population of around 21 million
  • 80% of population lived in rural villages (landowners, mid level farmers, substinance farmers)
    -small urban elite (givernment officials, religious leaders) and urban middle class (professionals, shopkeepers, merchants)
  • education above secondary rate outside of the elites
  • 80% Buddhist
  • 10% Catholic
  • opposition parties were banned, and over 15000 people were detained in reducation camps
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14
Q

What were Ho Chi Minh’s policies in 1956?

A
  • wanted to strengthen the North as much as possible, so uniting the North and the South as a nationalist, communist state was more possible
  • in 1956 however, a revolt against Ho Chi Minh has to be put down, killing over 6000 people after the military became involved.
  • poor attempt at the introduction of land reform
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15
Q

What was the USA’s reaction to Ho Chi Minh’s land reforms?

A

Shock and fear, they had already viewed communism as bad and then the failure to implement land reforms alongside how badly he had dealt with the revolt, the USA were becoming more and more anti Ho Chi Minh

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16
Q

When did Ho Chi Minh decide to commit to the reunification of Vietnam?

A

1958 - he wanted to strengthen communism to reunite Vietnam

17
Q

Why was Diems rule bad?

A
  • he was a corrupt and nepotistic leader, appointing his family members to the biggest positions in government (Madame Nhu, Nhu)
  • he only supported by the USA because they had no other options
  • all his government were bigoted and intolerant people (all Catholics in a Buddhist country)
  • he didn’t actually care about South Vietnam
  • he didn’t impress the Americans to which he gave an audience
18
Q

What was the NLF?

A

a nationalist organisation established in 1959 in South Vietnam that wanted to free South Vietnam from the imperialistic Americans and create a unified, independent Vietnamese state

appealed to a wide range of groups as it pushed the reunification of Vietnam over any ideology (communism), however, it was still popular with the communists as well as nationalists, middle class, peasants, and students

saw the USA an an enemy whilst rejecting Diem’s policies

led by Ngugen Huu Tho who was also a large figurehead with Ho Chi Minh

19
Q

What were the aims of the NLF?

A
  • overthrow colonial routine and American imperialists and implement a national Vietnamese government
  • have a largely liberal and democratic regime
  • have an independent and sovereign economy and to improve the living conditions of the people
  • reduce land rent, implement agrarian reform, provide land to tillers
  • promote foreign policy of peace and neutrality
  • re-establish relations between the North and the South and prepare for reunification
20
Q

What was the Ho Chi Minh trail?

A

complex support network of supply routes throughout the Vietnamese jungle, as well as Laos and Cambodia

helped to supply food, weapons, equipment, personnel

21
Q

What was JFK’s initial policy towards Indochina?

A
  • increased helicopter forces to facilitate counterinsurgence actions
  • greater training support for the ARVN
  • increase in numbers for US combat forces
  • strateigic bombing of North Vietnam
  • Strategic Hamlets Programmme 1962
22
Q

What did policies did JFK adopt after November 1961?

A
  • doubled the funding for the ARVN
  • sent helicopters and armoured personnel carriers
  • authorised the use of napalm (chemicals that cause severe physical and psychological effects)
  • Operation Ranch Hand - authorised the use of Agent Orange (defoliant) to destroy the jungle and crops
  • increased personnel in Vietnam to 11300
23
Q

What was the Strategic Hamlets Programme?

A

AIMS:
- create Hamlets with moats, fences, and defences to ‘protect’ peasants from the Vietcong
- forced 4 million people into 3000 Hamlets by September 1962

OUTCOME:
- Vietcong didn’t target the peasants (they targeted government officials) so the programme was useless
- viewed as forced relocation - alienated the unaffected peasants, as officials were taking money meant for medical aid, fertilisers, food, seeds, irrigation
- movged people away from their ancestral homeland so was very unpopular

PROGRAMME WAS LARGELY A FAILURE AND COLLAPSED

24
Q

What was the Buddhist Crisis?

A

80% of South Vietnam were Buddhists, but Diem was a Catholic and had banned the flying of flags for Buddha’s birthday in May 1963. A week previously, Catholics had been allowed to fly papal flags so this was seen as unfair
Military officials were used to prevent people hearing a speech from Tri Quang (Buddhist leader0 and 9 people died, leading to protests

25
Q

What was the reaction to Diem’s anti-Buddhist rhetoric?

A

People went on hunger strikes, developed anti-government propaganda, mass rallies, used the foreign press
Tri Quang had also met with US officials in Saigon, blaming them forn supporting Diem and letting him get away with this and said that Diem needed to be removed
Diem believed that the Vietcong were organising and provoking the protests

June 1963 - Buddhist monk, Quang Duc burnt himself alive in Saigon in protest, and others followed and Madame Nhu commented “let them burn, we will clap our hands”

August 1963 = further attacks on the Buddhists

26
Q

What happened on 1st November 1963?

A

A coup against Diem and Nhu, where they were captured and then assassinated the next day

27
Q

What happened to Kennedy?

A

He was assassinated on 22nd November 1963

28
Q

What were the causes of the growing conflict in Asia?

A
  • Diem’s failures
  • Ho Chi Minh’s leade4rship
  • USA and containment
  • The NLF
  • Kennedy’s flexible response strategy
  • US support for Diem’s failing regime
29
Q

What effect did Kennedy’s policies have on the failure to contain communism in Vietnam?

A
  • strategic hamlets programme displaced thousands of people from their homeland and their ancestors resting place (FAILURE)
  • authorised Operation Ranch Hand and the use of napalm, which was chemical warfare in an attempt to find the VC (FAILURE)
  • increased number of personnel in Vietnam to 11300
  • more training for the ARVN and increased funding
  • increased helicopter use
30
Q

What effect did previous presidents policies have on the failure to contain communism in Vietnam?

A
  • they made Diem the leader of South Vietnam (very unpopular and anti Buddhist Catholic in a country of 80% Buddhists
  • failed to hold elections in 1956 as they knew that communism would win, but made it more popular because of how bad Diem was
  • SEATO meant Kennedy had to become involved in Vietnam
  • Truman’s and Eisenhower’s commitments forced Kennedy to be involved
31
Q

What effect did the appeal of Ho Chi Minh have on the failure to contain communism in Vietnam?

A
  • wanted a unified Vietnam
  • wanted a nationalist, communist Vietnam
  • wanted to stop American involvement in Vietnam
  • was viewed to be for the people and not his own selfish interests
  • his policies and beliefs were popular with working class people and peasants
  • wanted land reform (popular)
32
Q

What effect did the actions and policies of Diem have on the failure to contain communism in Vietnam?

A
  • Buddhist crisis - banned flying flags on Buddhas Birthday causing mass uproar and protests and even self-immolation
  • severely anti-Buddhist
  • narcisstic and nepotistic (only appointed family members)
  • had no strategy, was only focused on repression

The Cold War (2 decks)

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