P8 - Vietnam 1949-1955

Guerrilla warfare

fighting in terrain that would provide a geostrategic advantage to one side

Unilateral action

one country acting on its own interests

Indochina

France were imperialistic and had colonies in South east Asia

-In 1893, France controlled Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia

-they provided raw materials, new markets, empire status symbol

French rule was not popular with the Vietnamese

Communist emergence in Vietnam

-rising occurred in 1930, with demands for independence but was brutally put down by the French

-Japan took control over Indo-china during WW2, and ran the area cruelly, leading to 2mil viet starving to death

Ho Chi Minh

communist who led the Vietminh, attempting to resist Japan

created a secret guerrilla org - “Revolutionary League”

during war, had the support of USA, as they were fighting Japan, so were able to gain control of the North in 1945

End of WW2

AUG 1945 - Atomic bomb led to Japan defeat, so Vietminh rose against Japanese, and entered the Northern city Hanoi, declaring independence

-BR + US wanted to give Vietnam back to FR to aid vs USSR

-failed agreements on control, so FR forced communism out of the South + took over North city Haiphong, leading to war 1945-54.

1945-54 War

French controlled cities vs Vietminh countryside

-Viet force of 60,000 led by General Giap, using hit and run tactics. support from USSR + China

-USA support FR, with 1/3 of equipment, providing $500m per year - concerned abt communist spread (domino theory)

-1952 - FR spending 432m francs, with 74,000 killed in 1953, leaving 190,000 fighting

France

negative opinion of the military and economic cost, so wanted a way to end the conflict quickly

-Commander General Navarre, want to fight an open war

• 1953 FR paratroopers controlled + fortified the city Dien Bien Phu

• Giap (military leader of Vietminh) used peasants to carry artillery and food, for 40,000 Vietminh soldiers

• they destroyed airfields, cutting FR support

• led to FR surrender, with death of 30,000 in battle and 8,000 died in captivity

US attiudes

saw region s a particularly vulnerable, fearing spread of communism in asia - Domino Theory

-Eisenhower opposed to used conventional forces, but paid 75% of costs

-didn’t want to have unilateral action, but rather a diplomatic approach - Geneva conference

Geneva conference

BR, USA, USSR, China + Laos, Cambodia, Vietminh ( Communist North) and Bao Dias (non-communist south) met to end the conflict, and decided the future of Vietnam

-FR to leave

-formal ceasefire

-17th parallel division, with North rule by Ho Chi Minh and South by Ngo Dinh Diem

-Laos + Cambodia independence

-election in 2 years to agree who would rule the whole of Vietnam