Vietnam Unit 2 - US policy and intervention 1954-1964 Flashcards
1
Q
The aims of the Geneva Conference, and the US response
A
- Feb 18th, 1954, joint communication to powers e.g. UK, USSR, USA, and France about a meeting in Geneva on a peaceful solution to Indochina
- Conference began April 26th, 1954
- French wanted to reduce and end conflict after loss in Dien Bien Phu
- US wanted to contain spread of communism
- UK suspicious that US would want to draw UK into an expensive conflict - wanted to hold off from commitments
- China wanted to keep US out of Vietnam and use conference to increase international position
- USSR wanted to focus on domestic priorities - desired to stop fighting but wanted to increase USA & France division by USA not helping
- North Vietnam wanted a united and independent Vietnam
2
Q
Agreements made at the Geneva Conference
A
- Communists rule north and South under control of Bao Tai & Prime Minister Diem
- Viet Minh to surrender land south of 17th parallel and 6 mile demilitarized zone to be made
- Truce signed between Viet Minh & France - International Control Commission to establish & monitor ceasefire
- France to leave Indochina - giving up its claim on the region
- National democratic elections to take place in 1956 to have a united Vietnam - overseen by an International Supervisory Committee
- Neither North nor South could make military alliances or allow foreign military bases in their territory
3
Q
International reactions to agreements made at Geneva Conference and aftermath
A
- France withdrawal seen as disappointing and end of French international influence but relieved that Accords didn’t damage French interests and economic influence preserved
- USA happy about ceasefire but didn’t sign accords and Bao Dai didn’t sign - fears of international communist expansion in Vietnam
- UK received it avoided conflict and avoided expansion of US intervention
- China glad to keep USA out of Vietnam’s they can focus domestically
- USSR had little concern and signing accords helped with ‘peaceful co-existence’
- North Vietnam realized not to expect full support of USSR or China and were forced to withdraw behind 17th parallel - accords were disappointing but agreement made due to fear of US intervention
- SEATO created to keep communism in check
- South Vietnam refused nationwide election due to popularity of Ho Chi Minh
- Election against Bao Dai in 1955 led to Ngo Dinh Diem becoming leader of South Vietnam
4
Q
US policy - Eisenhower & Domino Theory
A
- Press conference April 7th 1954 - Eisenhower outlines importance of Vietnam and communist threat and domino theory
- Believed that if Vietnam fell to communism there would be a knock-o effect with nations like Burma & Thailand becoming communist
- Seen before in Eastern Europe, China and Korea
5
Q
The formation of South Vietnam
A
- South Vietnam / Republic of Vietnam (RVN) formally established 1955-1975
- Capital of Saigon and ruled by Bao Dai
- South Vietnam under 17th parallel
- Vietnamese citizens allowed 300 days of free movement across the 17th parallel
- Operation Passage to Freedom transportation of 300,000 Vietnamese citizens, mostly catholic, from 1954-55
- Around 1 million migrated south and only 130,000 moves north with 10,000 Viet Minh staying in the South if needed
-Diem removed pro-French elements in the military - Diem abolished autonomy of religious-political groups
- Peasants had to pay for land that Viet Minh previously gave away freely
- With US financial support - built up military
- Loyalty to president enforced & Diem’s brother set up underground network to spy on prominent figures & army officers
6
Q
North Vietnam - Land Reform
A
- Focused on re-distributing land amongst the people
- Ho Chi Minh’s government brought in two forms of agrarian reforms - rent reduction & land reform - caused rice production to double by 1960 to 5.4 million tons
- Rent reduction - landlords had two refund part of the rent they had collected in past years
- Land reform - land redistributed amongst 4 million Vietnamese - converted people from independent farmers to co-operatives - 85% became co-operatives by 1961
- Western coverage estimated 500,000 executed and 500,000 died in slave labor camps whereas figure could have been 5,000-50,000
- 1956 - Ho Chi Minh realized campaign had gone too far due to violence and targeting a small elite
- 1956 - uprising against land reform in a Catholic district led to 1000 killed or injured and prompted correction campaign in 1958 returned land to the harmed
7
Q
North Vietnam - re-education camps
A
- Began in 1961 due to efforts by the South to incite rebellion in the North
- Due to attempts to attack Northern officials and economic sabotage - decree passed on 20th June 1961 - led to employ education reform
- Targeted - previous members of old administration, members of opposition parties, upper classes, criminals, catholics & academics
- Targeted groups forced to complete 8 hours of productive labor a day and two half-days of political study
8
Q
North Vietnam - economic growth
A
- 1960 - coal and electricity increased
- 100 new factories constructed
- Enabled increase in production of technology e.g. farm machinery & building supplies & expansion of significant infrastructure projects
9
Q
South Vietnam - support base
A
- 1954 - 1961 - Eisenhower gave 78% of US foreign budget to South Vietnam because they couldn’t help else wise
- US harbored doubts on Diem’s leadership but had no alternative
- US ready to withdraw support but Diem won October 1955 election - US increases aid sent
- Diem visited US in 1957 - made Diem think he was indispensable
10
Q
South Vietnam - Opposition
A
- Launch of ‘denounce the communists’ - campaign led to 25,000 sympathizers arrested & 1000 killed
- 1957 - South arrested further 65,000 suspected communists & killed 2,000 due to increased terrorist activities & assassinations of officials
- Political opponents frequently killed or imprisoned - increased alienation of south population e.g. Buddhists because Buddhist officials were removed from government
- Spring 1963 - Buddhist Crisis - triggered demonstrations e.g. June where a monk set himself on fire publicly
- Diem imposed martial law - opposing US wishes of easing oppression
11
Q
South Vietnam - Corruption
A
- Referendum for 23rd October 1955 for president
- Bao Dai supporters not allowed to campaign & Diem’s brother oversaw election
- Diem had a 90% vote in his favor - electoral irregularities with 605,000 Diem votes in Saigon with only 450,000 registered voters
- Further election in 1959 - independent candidates not allowed to be published in newspapers & public meetings couldn’t be more than 5
- Diem’s family accrued a lot of wealth - Diem’s brother illegally smuggled rice to North Vietnam and opium through Laos
- Government officials pocketed funds from US government
12
Q
South Vietnam - agriculture & economy
A
- Most land owned by small number of wealthy farmers who rented land to tenants
- Diem redistributed land through a program ‘land to the tiller’ being agricultural laborers
- 1957 - 1963 - only 50% of land redistributed & only 10% of farmers profited
- Peasants had to pay for land given by Viet Minh
13
Q
Start of Ho Chi Minh trail
A
- 1955-1959 - Minh discouraged Southern communist supporters from attacking Southern regime
- Diem reduced activists in the South from 10,000 to 2,000
- North decided to increase investment into Ho Chi Minh trail - elaborate system pop jungle and mountain paths to transport troops & supplies to Laos, Cambodia & South Vietnam
- Put into operation in 1959 - significantly expanded in the 60s to being able to have heavy trucks and in 1974 had underground hospital and supply caches
- Viet Minh began to call themselves national Liberation Front & diem called them Viet Cong - North travelers went back south to attack - outbreak of second Indochina War in 1960
14
Q
Features of Ho Chi Minh Trail
A
- 16000km long
- Established on 19th May 1959 on Ho Chi Minh’s birthday
- Route began in North at a gorge called heaven’s Gate
- Connected North Vietnam to Laos, South Vietnam & Cambodia
- 12,000 miles of branching trails
- Rapid expansion - 1964 - 20-30 tons of supplied brought to the South daily - increased to 234 tons daily the next year
- 1959 - 1975 – over 2 million soldiers from there North used it
- US dropped more than 1.7 million tons of bombs on the trial - criticized by Cuba who offered aid to North Vietnam
- Originally called Truong Son Road - US called it Ho Chi Minh Trail
15
Q
National Liberation Front
A
- Formed 20th December 1960 - goal of overthrowing South Vietnamese government & uniting Vietnam
- 1962 - political component created separate of Viet Cong/ PPLAF - had guerrilla units, regular army units and cadres
- Conference held in South attended by hundreds of delegates of many religious na political groups - majority communist
- Rapid growth to 50 guerrilla attacks in September 1961 & 150 in October
- 1962 - 300,000 members
- 1963 - much of Southern countryside controlled by NLF
- February 1965 - PLAF attacked US army installations at Pleiku & Qui Nhon - led to President Johnson sending first U.S. ground troops to South Vietnam a month later
16
Q
US response to NLF
A
- 1956 - $250 million a year in aid
- 1961 - military advisers increased from 3000 to 10,000 in 1962 & 16,000 before his death - included Green Berets which were special forces units trained in guerrilla warfare
17
Q
Strategic Hamlet Programme
A
- US wanted to prevent Viet Cong from using sympathetic villagers & wanted to keep people away from Northern guerrillas
- Many Viet Cong existed within the hamlets & unrealistic expectations of 16,000 to be made in 12 months
- Defensive barriers, walls, bamboo spikes, barbed wire & security forces to protect villagers
- Caused US to abort withdrawal due to expected success
- Farmers angered by relocation
- December 1963 - found only 20% of hamlets met basic standards
- Operation Sunrise - March 1962 relocated peasants in province of Binh Duong - families provided with compensation but 2/3 of first 210 families had to be relocated at gunpoint
- Viet Cong overran Hamlet - executed & intimidated officials and spread US propaganda
- End of 1963 - Program cancelled and most hamlets under communist controlled - only 20% in Mekong where Southern controlled
- Official end came in 1964
18
Q
Fall of Diem
A
- US supported Diem due to the lack of an alternative
- Clear Diem had failed and by summer 1963 had control of less than half of southern-Vietnamese
- Tipping point for US was Buddhist Crisis
- US government aware of South Vietnamese generals planning a military coup & Henry Cabot Lodge - Kennedy’s newly appointed ambassador of Vietnam - gave tactic approval from US
- 1st November 1963 - military coup d’état successfully carried out led by General Duong van Minh
- Diem & his brother escaped but were caught and killed the following day & Kennedy admitted to U.S. awareness & support
- Kennedy assassinated before he could make reforms - 22nd November 1963
19
Q
Gulf of Tonkin Incident 1964 background
A
- Lyndon B. Johnson became president after Kennedy’s assassination
- 1964 - South Vietnamese government struggling even with 215,000 troops and 250,000 support against 25,000 Viet Cong and 70,000 volunteers
- Johnson wanted to escalate US intervention but would need congress support
- Early 1964 - South Vietnam begun conducting covert commando attacks supported by US on North Vietnamese Coast as part of Operations Plan - initial efforts had limited success so it switched in July 1964 to focus on bombardments using mortars & rockets from patrol boats
20
Q
Gulf of Tonkin Incident
A
- USS Maddox departed from Taiwan on 28th July 1964 and was stationed on the Gulf of Tonkin
- night of 30-31st of July two South Vietnamese boats attacked North Vietnamese radar & military installations on Hon Me Island & similar attack 25 miles south
- Early August 2nd - Maddox intercepted reports of North Vietnamese vessels on route to attack the destroyer - destroyer detected 3 North Vietnamese ships and opened fire as they neared - N.V. ships quickly retreated after Maddox damaged 2 ships
- Johnson ordered USS turner Joy to join the Maddox
- August 3rd - S.V. staged more raids along N.V. coast
- August 4th - U.S. intelligence intercepted report that N.V. were going to attack again
- Later that evening Maddox reported unidentified vessels approaching from north and south and targets appeared and disappeared suddenly
- Both ships performed speed evasion maneuvers & reported automatic weapons fire & more than 20 torpedo attacks and responded with 400 shells & 5 depth charges
21
Q
US response to Gulf of Tonkin Incident
A
- U.S. congress supported the idea of the attack happening
- Declassified document in 2005 revealed there was a lot of evidence no attack happened and was due to equipment - USS Turner Joy never detected incoming torpedoes
- Johnson appeared on television
- August 7th - Congress approved Gulf of Tonkin resolution - authorized president to ‘take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression’
- No approval or oversight required by congress - gave Johnson incredible amount of authority
22
Q
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