Vietnam War Flashcards
Vietnamese nationalism before 1900
Communal rice growing Guerilla warfare techniques to fight of Chinese French invaded 19th century Info-china Vietnamese nationalists united Ho Chi Minh leader
Ho Chi Minh
Communism inspired by Russian revolution and Chinese communist party
30 years travelling
Hi very popular because alternative Bao Dai was not, puppet leader and corrupt
1941- Ho set up Vietnamese independence league which became known as the Vietminh
They were nationalists and communists and promised ordinary Vietnamese people freedom, respect and a fairer distribution of wealth
Early American ideas about Vietnam
Roosevelt criticised French colonialism
Preoccupied in winning war and unsure in what to do
Ho relation with US(early)
Disliked him Ho impressed by strength of US American doctor saved Hos life Washington ignored his letters Stopped cooperating with Ho as anti-communist
Reasons for early US involement in Vietnam
America helped France restore their rule in Vietnam after ww2 due to threat of communism and free trade
Truman wanted to appear tough
Acheson, Secretary of State, also believed in standing up to communism
Events in Vietnam 1945-46
China and Britain moved into Vietnam
Vietnam in chaos
1945- fighting between Vietminh and French
Increased no of french troops to Indochina by British
Continued fifth ring throughout 1946
US hostility to the USSR
French appealed to sympathetic Truman for aid
Truman thought Ho was a puppet of Kremlin and so increased support to French.
Some Us disagreed and said Ho was trying to be friendly with US
Ho was a nationalist first. Stalin recognised this but the Americans did not.
US hostility to communist China
China was also communist and so Truman provided more money to the French
US support for France
France were important for stability in Europe and to NATO
15 military officers
End of 1950- $100 million, aircraft, boats and napalm bombs
Burn skin of victims
Snowballing effect
1954 more convinced due to global struggle against communism
Paid nearly 80% of French bill for Indochina
$2 billion to French
$ 50 million to Vietnamese the people
France recognised Vietnamese independence through puppet leader, Bao Dai
Some US warned American were getting to involved in Vietnam
Ho, Giap and French failure in Indochina
French continued to lose ground 4 main reasons Bao Dai’s unpopularity Ho’s popularity Vietnamese rebel strength Diem Bien Phu
Bao Dai
Interested in gambling and casinos
Ho
Seen as caring by Vietnamese people
Vietnamese rebel strength
Ho’s Vietminh were super determined
Used guerilla tactics and knew the physical geography of the country
How commuted was Eisenhower
Had given French loads of money and some advisors
In return France would make Indochina more independent
Vital for Us security
Cheaper to pay other countries to defend US
1954- did send 200 US technicians
Told congress he diluted doing this but they could not lose Asia
France requested air strike at Diem Bien Phu, Eisenhower considered but didn’t agre
