Vietnam Background Flashcards
What political group ruled the south of Vietnam?
Capitalist South
Who was leader of the communist North?
Ho Chi Minh
Who was leader of the capitalist South?
Ngo Dinh Diem
Who supported the North?
Russia
Who supported the south?
USA
Who was Ho Chi Minh popular with?
The lower class people
What type of leader was Diem?
A corrupt dictator
Why did USA support the south even though they were corrupt?
To contain communism and stop it from spreading. By helping Diem, Vietnam wouldn’t turn to communism so the dominoes wouldn’t fall
What religion was Diem?
Catholic
What did Diem do to Buddhists?
Persecuted them
Why did many monks commit suicide?
In protest against Diem
Why didn’t USA want to be known for supporting Diem?
Diem had a very bad reputation for being corrupt
What was the domino theory?
If one country fell into communism, it would have a knock on effect and other countries will fall under communism and it will grow stronger
When was the domino theory introduced?
The 1950’s
What were the countries that USA feared would fall into the domino theory and join communism?
Vietnam –> Laos –> Cambodia –> Thailand –> Burma –> India –> Bangladesh
When did USA help Diem set up his government?
1954
How did USA help Diem set up his government?
They eradicated the election
When did USA give Diem a sum of money to set up the Republic of South Vietnam and how much money?
$1.6 billion to set up his regime in 1955
What was the national front for the liberation of South Vietnam?
A communist group set up by the communists in South Vietnam
When was the national front for the liberation of South Vietnam set up?
December 1960
What did Kennedy do against the Viet cong?
He sent in military personnel in 1962 to fight the viet cong
Who were the Vietcong?
A Vietnamese guerrilla group who didn’t like USA in South Vietnam
What happened to Diem and Kennedy in 1963?
Kennedy was assassinated and Diem was overthrown
When and why did USA pass the Tonkin gulf resolution?
Passed the Tonkin gulf resolution in 1964 when North Vietnam opened fire on USA ships in the gulf of Tonkin
When was USA officially at war with vietnam?
8th March 1965
What caused USA to be officially at war with Vietnam?
3500 marines and combat troops came aboard USA ships
Name and explain 3 reasons USA went to war with Vietnam
- ho chi Minh was communist and popular in Vietnam so USA needed to stop him
- diem’s government was corrupt and people in Vietnam didn’t like USA getting involved
- the domino theory meant that if Vietnam became communist then it would lead to communism elsewhere and USA needed to contain communism
Describe involvement in Vietnam under the 3 presidents: Kennedy, Eisenhower and Johnson
Kennedy: gradual involvement using military advisors and money
Eisenhower: some troops but mostly the same as Kennedy
Johnson: sent in many troops in 1964, sent in a total of over 500,000 combine with Nixon
What was Johnson’s reaction to the gulf of Tonkin incident?
He told the US Air Force to bomb North Vietnam
What political group ruled the north of Vietnam?
Communist North
