Vietnam Flashcards
What was the aim of the ICP?
To work towards independence from the French
When were the Viet Minh formed and by who?
During WW2 by the ICP
What was the role of the Viet Minh?
To resist Japanese occupation
Who supported the Viet Minh in 1941?
USA
When did the Viet Minh seize power from the Japanese and declare independence?
In September 1945
When did France attack the Viet Minh and where?
1946 at Haipong
What did the USSR and China recognise in 1950?
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam
When was the battle at Dien Bien Phu and what was the outcome?
1954, French lost
What conference happened as a result of the battle at Dien Bien Phu?
Geneva Conference
Along which parallel was Vietnam split into north and south?
The 17th
Who were the leaders in both North and South at the time of the Geneva Conference?
North - Ho Chi Minh
South - Ngo Dinh Diem
What did the USSR propose in 1957 that the USA refused to?
A permanent split in Vietnam
What did Ho Chi Minh declare in March 1959?
Revolution to unite Vietnam as a communist state
By what year did US aid increase to south Vietnam and begin to train the AVRN?
1960
In what year was Diem overthrown and who replaced him?
1963
General Nguyen Khanh
What year was the Gulf of Tonkin incident?
1964
By 1966, how many US troops were stationed in Vietnam and what tactic began?
500,000
Search and Destroy
What attack was launched by the North in January 1968?
The tet offensive
When was the Mai Lai Massacre?
March 1968
When did Ho Chi Minh die?
1969
What date was Nixon elected as president?
5th November 1968
What year were the peace talks in Paris finally successful as a ceasefire was signed?
March 1973
In what year did the North invade the South?
1975
When was Saigon renamed ‘Ho Chi Minh city’?
1976
By when was the war in Vietnam going badly for the French?
Middle of 1953
By 1953, how many French had died and how many were left in old Indochina?
74,000 killed
190,000 were still in old Indochina
What was the name of the general at Dien Bien Phu?
General Henri Navarre
Why was Dien Bien Phu, General Navarre’s chosen location?
To relieve the threat from Laos and tempt Viet Minh into open battle
Who was the leader of Viet Minh at DBP and how many troops did he train?
Giap
40,000
What did the Viet Minh take the French by?
Surprise
When was DBP successfully taken by the Viet Minh?
7th May 1954
How many French died in the battle at DBP?
90,000 (killed or missing)
How many were lost by the Viet Minh at DBP?
200,000
What did the ceasefire signed in Geneva mean for the French?
That they had to withdraw
When were national elections supposed to be held (according to the Geneva conference)?
1956
What did the Geneva conference forbid?
Foreign bases
How long was freedom of movement allowed for between north and south after the Geneva conference?
300 days
What idea was US involvement supporting?
Truman Doctrine
What did the south refuse to do in 1956?
Take part in elections
How many US advisors were in Vietnam by November 1963?
10,000 (they were training the AVRN)
Which event allowed Johnson to become directly involved in the Vietnam War?
The Gulf of Tonkin incident
Name the 5 main reasons for the overthrow of Diem
Lack of land reforms Oppressive social control Lack of religious tolerance International outcry Withdrawal of US support
Why was land the main issue for Vietnam?
Because 85% lived in the countryside
What did Diem reverse (in terms of land)?
The Viet Minh redistribution of land which gave land to poor peasants
Who did Diem give land to?
Northern Catholic Refugees
What was Diem’s plan (in terms of the Viet Cong)?
To isolate them and to deny them supplies and recruits
What were strategic hamlets?
Moving villages from where they were accessible to the VC
Why were the strategic hamlets unpopular with the villagers?
Because many didn’t want to leave their land as it was passed through generations, also they didn’t want to leave the graves of loved ones behind
What happened on 8th May 1963?
Civil Guards opened fire on Buddhists who were protesting against the new law that forbade the flying of Buddhist flag on Buddha’s birthday
What religion was the most prevalent in Vietnam?
Buddhism
What happened on the 11th June 1963?
Quang Duc, a 73 year old monk set himself on fire in protest of Diem’s treatment of the Buddhists
What did the US do as a result of Diem’s behaviour?
They froze their loans
What did the US threaten to do if Diem didn’t change?
Military withdrawal
What did the US encourage against Diem?
A coup
When was Diem killed?
1st November 1963
When were US forces helping the AVRN carry out raids on North Vietnamese radar stations?
End of July 1964
What was the Maddox doing with the AVRN boats?
Accompanying them and listening to the radio traffic signals
Where was the Maddox claiming itself to be and where were the communists claiming her to be?
That they were in international waters however the communists believed that she was in their waters
How many communist boats launched torpedoes and what was the result?
3, they all missed
Did anyone on board have visual sightings of the North Vietnamese?
No and no one heard gun shots either
How did the Maddox respond to the ‘attack’?
She fired back, sinking one of the boats and severely damaging the other two
How did Johnson label the Gulf of Tonkin incident?
As ‘a repeated attack of violence on US forces’
What did the Gulf of Tonkin incident result in congress doing?
They passed the Gulf of Tonkin resolution
What did the Gulf of Tonkin resolution allow Johnson to do?
To become militarily involved in the Vietnam war
Who made up the Viet Cong?
Men and women from villages and some readily trained soldiers trained in guerrilla warfare
Give an example of one of the traps that the VC used to capture US soldiers
The spike trap pit