TOPIC 4 Flashcards
Origins of the Vietnam War
French Indo-China: Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam
1940: France was occupied in Europe
- French Indo-China was occupied by Japan
August 1945: Japan surrendered
1945: France returned to Indo-China – Vietnamese objected
American involvement in Vietnam under Truman: 1950-2
May 1950: the Truman administration agreed to provide aid to the French in Indochina
- $15,000,000 were provided for the purchase of armaments lorries and transport aircraft
American involvement in Vietnam under Eisenhower: 1953-61
- 1958: the Viet Cong began an insurrection against the South Vietnamese government by assassinating its officials
- December 1960: the Viet Cong set up the Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam
American involvement in Vietnam under Kennedy: 1961-63
1961: Kennedy inherited the US’ position in Vietnam. He continued to support President Diem in South Vietnam
December 1961: The number of American troops in the country rose to 15,000
1962: American military advisors rose from 3000 to 8000
November 1963: Diem and his brother were captured and killed
November 1963: Kennedy was assassinated
American involvement in Vietnam under Johnson: 1963-68
November 1963: Johnson became President following Kennedy’s assassination
1964: Johnson was re-elected and remained President until 1968
1963-9: Johnson committed the USA to large-scale American intervention in Vietnam
Gulf of Tonkin Incident: August 1964
July/August 1964: US ships reported attacks from North Vietnamese ships
4th August 1964: American warship US Maddox claimed to have been attacked in the Gulf on Tonkin and to have sunk its attacker, presumed to be the North Vietnamese, without trace
The Gulf on Tonkin Resolution was passed virtually unanimously, concluding that, if the President saw it necessary, the US was prepared to do all in its power, including the use of its armed forces, to ensure the independence and integrity of South Vietnam and Laos
Tet Offensive: January 1968
30th – 31st Jan 1968: Viet Cong guerrillas and forces from North Vietnam launched a surprise offensive against the US and the South Vietnamese across South Vietnam
The Americans lost the battle but Johnson claimed victory, but hardly anyone believed him
Growing Opposition Towards the Vietnam War
April 1967: Large-scale demonstrations took place in New York and San Francisco
October 1968: A vast march on the Pentagon took place
Public opinion and mass media turned against American involvement in the Vietnam War
American involvement in Vietnam under Nixon: 1969
January 1969: when Nixon became President, he was confronted with a war they couldn’t win and they were beginning to lose. He had to bring an end to the American involvement in Vietnam
Paris Peace Conference: 16th January 1969
16th January 1969: a conference was held in Paris, attended by the US, the South Vietnamese government, the North Vietnamese government, and the rebel movement in South Vietnam
The Americans and the North Vietnamese agreed in one respect: the need for American withdrawal
- US wanted to withdraw on conditions that would safeguard their proteges
- Cessation of assistance and supplies
- NV demanded an unconditional withdrawal
End of American involvement in Vietnam: January 1973
27th January 1973: agreement was signed in Paris which ended America’s involvement in Vietnam. Its terms were:
- An immediate ceasefire
- All American troops and advisors were to withdraw from South Vietnam within 60 days
- Reunification of Vietnam would be carried out by peaceful means
29th March 1973: The American troops left Vietnam
End of the Vietnam War
Fighting continued in South Vietnam
The ceasefire wasn’t observed, and “national reconciliation” was a mockery
End of 1973: the North Vietnamese launched a general offensive
1974: the North Vietnamese occupied Saigon and renamed it Ho Chi Minh City
Cambodia and Laos also fell to the Communists
Reasons for American involvement in Vietnam
- Initial Involvement: America’s desire to “contain” Communism under Truman
The proclamation of the People’s Republic of China on October 1st 1949 was a grave loss to the US
The “loss of China” to the Communists was a great shock to the American system - The Domino Theory under Eisenhower
It was believed that if Vietnam fell to Communism, Thailand, Burma, Indonesia, the Philippines and Australia would fall to Communism as well - The Americans were certain that they would win the war in Vietnam
All American administrations were aware of the fact that the US possessed total supremacy in the air. They could also use massive fire-power on land
Reasons for American failure in the Vietnam War
- The US’s military weakness
The military believed the war could be won via an increase in the number of troops and bombing campaigns in North Vietnam
The US forces failed to adjust their tactics to suit Vietnam’s terrain and climate
Approximately 30% of US troops used heroin - North Vietnamese and their allies were strong enemies
North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong fought the Vietnam war with determination
The US were fighting a war which people became disengaged with
The North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong were resolute in policy and were unwilling to admit defeat - Foreign involvement
Between 1954-67 China and the USSR sent $3 billion in aid, weapons and equipment to aid the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong
Laos and Cambodia allowed the Ho Chi Minh trail to run through their countries - Public political opposition to the war inside the USA
The USA backed the unpopular and corrupt South Vietnamese government
Many political figures and the American public objected to the USA fighting a war that defended a corrupt regime
Several anti-war protests took place, and Congress restricted its funding for the Vietnam War
Media coverage was negative and this triggered further support for the anti-war movement
1971: many surveys showed the majority of Americans wanted the US troops to be brought home immediately and an end to the conflict
Ultimately the US government couldn’t effectively fight a war its population was opposed to
Consequences of the Vietnam War
Widespread destruction and deaths
- Vietnamese casualties were heavy
- Around 2.5 million deaths
- 600000 US
The other dominoes didn’t fall
- Cambodia and Laos came under Communist control, but Thailand remained intact, like Malaya and Singapore
The war provoked instability inside the US
- The war had divided the Americans between those who opposed American involvement and those who opposed it
- Moral of the army had suffered gravely
Socialist Republic of Vietnam: 2nd July 1976
