Vietnam Flashcards
What was Vietnam like under french colonialist rule
Vietnamese were sharecroppers did not make a profit from rice exports
Paid high taxes to support costs of french army and administration
Resented growing influence of french culture (french believed in assimilation)
Who occupied Vietnam in World War 2
Japan
What are the 5 key context points before war
- No involvement until WW 2 , defeat Japan together
- Ho Chi Minh hopes USA will back Vietnam independence movement
- America theory of domino effect
- USA supports France in war
- When France withdraws USA gets involved directly in helping south Vietnam
When and why was the Viet Minh established
1941i, strong anit japanese resistance movement to help defeat Japan ( who had seized and exploited all resources) and gain independence for Vietnam, guerrilla warfare pockets became basis of Vietnamese army
What does Viet Minh stand for
The league for the independence of Vietnam
what happened in the immediate post world war 2 period
Viet Minh seized control over north and central vietnam, September 2 1945 declare it The Democratic republic of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh as president
what happened at the 1919 versailles conference
HoChi Minh demanded independence for Vietnam but was ignored
what year was the Vietnamese Communist Party formed
1930
what were the tensions between Vietnam and France about
The South was occupied by Britain who decided to give it back to france after WW2. France wanted to re establish a colony and this lead to a war between france and the Viet Minh
what was the USA involvement in the first Indo-China War
supported France’s military efforts as part of their policy of containment because they didn’t want Vietnam to become communist, saw that Vietnam was being supported by USSR and China
what is the domino theory
The American belief that if one country in south-east Asia became communist , the others would follow in quick succession
what was the outcome of the french vs viet minh war?
The French suffered a humiliating defeat, defeated by guerilla warfare, only 3000 out of 16 000 soldiers (French) survived.
how long was the french vs viet minh war
1946-1954
what was the significance of the Geneva Peace Conference in 1954
Decided that the French would withdraw completely from Vietnam, divided into communist north and non cmmunist south on the 17th parallel
what is french indo china
laos , cambodia, vietnam