Vietnam Chapter 1 Flashcards
When did the battle at Dien Bien Phu begin?
13 March 1954
What were the two main reasons for the battle at Dien Bien Phu?
- Vietnam was a french colony and the french wanted to regain control after WW2.
- The Vietminh wanted Vietnamese independence.
Why did the US send supplies and advisors to the French?
The chinese sent the Vietminh supplies, advisers and troops. The fear of the spread of communism grew.
By 1954 how much was the USA paying of France’s costs for the war?
80%
How long did the fighting at Dien Bien Phu last?
55 days
How many French troops were at Dien Bien Phu?
15,000
How many Vietminh surrounded the French at Dien Bien Phu?
50,000 equipped with anti-aircraft guns and other artillery. They had 50,000 troops in reserve and 200,000 civilian workers.
Why were local conditions a reason for the Vietminh winning at Dien Bien Phu?
They understood the country:
- They saw the French had built a trap for themselves.
- They saw access to the mountains as possible
Why was China’s help a reason for the Vietminh winning at Dien Bien Phu?
They supplied them with:
- Weapons and ammunition
- 20,000 bikes to move supplies.
- Help in planning
- Some troops
Why was local support a reason for the Vietminh winning at Dien Bien Phu?
Villagers:
- Helped dig five new roads to move supplies
- Helped move supplies
- Spied on the French
Why was the Vietminh commitment a reason for their victory at Dien Bien Phu?
- They worked day and night
- They were fighting for independence from French rule.
Why were French problems a reason for the Vietminh’s victory at Dien Bien Phu?
- They underestimated support
- Didn’t expect the Vietminh to be so well armed.
- Supply planes were shot down
- The troops lacked commitment, many were German.
What happened the day after the French surrender at Dien Bien Phu?
Representatives from nine countries met in Geneva to discuss what was to happen to Vietnam.
Where was Vietnam to be temporarily divided along?
The 17th parallel.
Who would run the Northern part of Vietnam after the Geneva Accords?
Ho Chi Minh, however it was a smaller area of Vietnam than the Vietminh held when the war with France ended.
Who would run the southern part after the Geneva Accords?
Bao Dai
What else was agreed after the Geneva Accords?
- Vietnamese troops, and people, could move north or south for 300 days after the agreement.
- no foreign troops
- Elections to be held in July 1956
Why was the North unhappy with the Geneva Accords?
They had wanted to divide Vietnam further south
Which countries refused to obey the Geneva Accords?
The USA and South Vietnam
What was the Domino theory?
A fear of communsim spreading if one country became communist in an area.
What was SEATO?
South East Asia Treaty Organisation
Who was in SEATO?
The USA, the UK, France, New Zealand, Australia, Pakistan, the Philippines and Thailand
What was the aim of SEATO?
To stop communism spreading in Southeast Asia
When was SEATO set up?
September 1954
Why was Diem’s government weak?
- Still communists in South Vietnam
- Other religous, political and criminal groups had supporters
- Diem favoured Catholics
- Diem didn’t respect peasants and didn’t care about their support.
What was the majority religion in Vietnam?
Buddhist
How did Eisenhower support Diem?
Sending advisors to train the ARVN
Why did Diem hold a referendum?
Bao Dai spoke against his policies
Why did Diem become more unpopoular after the referendum?
The election was fixed and he stopped villages electing their own officials and put resented government officials in charge.
Why did Diem refuse to hold elections on 16 July 1956?
He said his government had not existed when the Geneva Accords were agreed so he didn’t have to obey them.
Why did the USA keep supporting Diem even after he refused to hold elections?
They were scared of a communist government winning and being elected.
What did Diem do against his opponents?
- He began to arrest political and religous opponents.
- He urged people to report communists
- In 1957 he sent the ARVN to the countryside and they arrested 65,000 communists and killed 2,000
Who were the Vietcong?
Revolutionary groups that were experts in guerilla warfare and fought Diem’s government.
What happened in December 1960?
The VC joined with other anti-Diem groups to from the National Liberation Front
How many officials had been killed by March 1958?
Over 400
When did the North Vietnamese send troops into south vietnam?
May 1959
By the end of 1960 how much of South Vietnam was under Government control?
Less than half. This is because the VC worked to gain local support whilst the government looked down on them
When did Kennedy become president?
1961
How many advisors had Kennedy sent to South Vietnam by November 1963?
16,000
How many VC guerillas were in the South by early 1961?
12,000
Why was it hard for the ARVN to win over villagers?
Many ARVN officers looked down on the villagers, while the villagers saw the ARVN as part of the corrupt government system.
When were US helicpoters and pilots sent to transport the ARVN?
December 1961
What was the aim of the strategic hamlet program?
To stop the VC from recruiting villagers or getting supplies from them.
What were strategic hamlets?
They were large new villages built by the government. They were surrounded by barbed wire and guarded by ARVN troops.
When did work begin on the strategic hamlet program?
January 1962
How many strategic hamlets were built by September 1962?
5,000
Why did the strategic hamlets fail?
- The villagers did not want to leave their homes.
- They didn’t want to leave the graves of family members or ancestors
- Diem’s government failed to provide them with enough food, so many went hungry or starved.
When did the ARVN lose the battle of Ap Bac?
2 January 1963
What were the US casulties at Ap Bac?
- Five helicopters
- 3 US advisors
- 60 ARVN troops
When did government troops open fire on a buddhist procession?
6 May 1963, it left 9 dead and 14 injured
When was Diem overthrown?
1 November 1963 by ARVN generals, the USA knew what was being planned and didn’t warn Diem.
What were Kennedy’s aims with the new government?
- To influence the new government to act democratically
- To influence the new government to win over the people of South Vietnam.
- To withdraw US advisers and other forces as soon as possible.
When was Kennedy assassinated?
22 November 1963, he was replaced by Johnson
What were Johnsons goals in Vietnam?
- Setting up a government the South Vietnamese people wanted
- Stopping communism; so keeping South Vietnam as a seperate country
- Stopping the war escalating and avoiding nuclear war
Why was Johnson’s position in Vietnam worse than Kennedy’s?
- The VC were stronger
- The new government was even weaker
- The USA was more unpopular in South Vietnam.
Why did the organisation of the VC make them more of a threat in 1964?
- NLF provided a political leadership structure
- North Vietnam sent more people to organise resistance
- VC organised into ‘cadres’ which were divided into 3-man cells. These cells could act quickly
Why did foreign aid make the VC more of a threat in 1964?
Communist China and the USSR provided ammunition, weapons, advisers and troops. VC could make larger, more damaging, attacks
Why did the South Vietnam government make the VC more of a threat?
- Villagers resented being moved to strategic hamlets.
- Government seen as a puppet of USA
- Government split by in-fighting, not focused on defeating VC.
Why did local support make the VC more of a threat in 1964?
- They made social reforms in VC-controlled areas
- Respected villagers and involved them in decision-making
- Some VC lived in villages, sharing hardships.
Why did VC ideals make them more of a threat in 1964?
They were fighting:
- The USA and its puppet government
- To end poverty and injustice
- to unite Vietnam with a fair government.