Vietnam Before 1954

Question 1

1884 (France in Vietnam)

Answer 1

France obtained control over northern Vietnam following its victory over China in the Sino-French War

Question 2

1887 (French Indochina)

Answer 2

French Indochina was formed from Annam, Tonkin, Cochinchina (which together form the modern Vietnam) and the Kingdom of Cambodia

Question 3

1893 (Laos)

Answer 3

Loas added after the Franco-Siamese War

Question 4

1920s (Ho Chi Minh)

Answer 4

Ho Chi Minh moved to the USSR

He studied communism and techniques of guerrilla warfare

Question 5

1930 (Indochinese Communist Party)

Answer 5

Ho Chi Minh formed the Indochinese Communist Party which fought for an independent Vietnam free of French control

Question 6

1940 (Japanese)

Answer 6

Japanese invader Indochina and removed the French
Ruled brutally
Soon the anti-Japanese resistance movement led by Ho Chi Minh emerged
The Viet Minh

Question 7

1945 (Japanese defeated)

Answer 7

Japanese defeated
Ho Chi Minh’s Viet Minh took control of North Vietnam
Declared Vietnam independent under the name of Democratic Republic of Vietnam
French wanted to take back control of their colony now that the Japanese were defeated

Question 8

1946 (War)

Answer 8

War between the French and Viet Minh began in 1946

Question 9

1945-49 (USA)

Answer 9

USA didn’t like European counties having colonies
Secretly supplied the Viet Minh with resources to fight the French
They didn’t really realise it was communist

Question 10

1949 (China)

Answer 10

China becomes communist
Ho Chi Minh gains support from Chinese
USA decided to support the French with $500 million a year