vietnam 3.1: reasons for US involvement (1954-63)

Question 1

why did america get involved

Answer 1

to help the french
bc south vietnam was weak
fear of communism

Question 2

how did the us aid france at first

Answer 2

gave 500 million dollars each year to france to help their war effort

Question 3

when was the battle of dien bien phu

Answer 3

1954

Question 4

how did the french lure the vietminh into battle

Answer 4

built an airstrip at dien bien phu

Question 5

how long did it take for the french to surrender

Answer 5

55 days

Question 6

why were the french defeated at dien bien phu

Answer 6

french didnt have easy access to war supplies
china supported vietminh
vietminh had local support

Question 7

where and when were peace agreements signed

Answer 7

geneva
1954

Question 8

what was agreed at geneva

Answer 8

french withdrawl
divide vietnam along 17th parallel
elections to be held in 1956 to reunify vietnam

Question 9

who was appointed as leader of south vietnam

Answer 9

ngo dinh diem

Question 10

who were the arvn

Answer 10

army of south vietnam
supported by usa

Question 11

what did eisenhower fear if vietnam was communist

Answer 11

domino effect - feared spread of communism in indochina

Question 12

how did eisenhower support south vietnam

Answer 12

sent military aid+advisors
prevented elections
supported diem with 1.6 billion dollars

Question 13

why was diems government weak

Answer 13

communists still controlled areas of south
diem persecuted buddhists
diem did not care for peasant population
was corrupt

Question 14

why did situation in south vietnam get worse after 1955

Answer 14

diem refused to hold elections in 56
diem made no reforms
communist groups (VC) continued to fight arvn

Question 15

what image gained publicity highlighting diems cruelty

Answer 15

buddhist monk setting himself on fire in response to persecution

Question 16

what happened to diem

Answer 16

overthrown and killed by his own troops

Question 17

what did the usa do about diems assassination

Answer 17

knew of plan but let it happen as they knew diem would not have support

Question 18

how did kennedy increase involvement

Answer 18

increased no of advisors to more than 16,000 by 1963
allowed diem to be excecuted

Question 19

what was the strategic hamlet program

Answer 19

kennedys plan
small villages that were fortified to prevent vc recruitment
5,000 built by 1962

Question 20

why was the strategic hamlet plan a failure

Answer 20

bc vietnamese peasants did not want to move from ancestorial land
vc were still able to recruit as impossible to tell who they were