Unit 11: The Vietnam War Era

When was the Vietnam War Era?

1965-1975

How did this era affect the community in the US?

It was torn apart; people had different views during the war

What were the 2 perspective of the Vietnam War?

1. It was folly, dumb

2. It was heroic

For what reasons did people believe the Vietnam war was folly?

• It was impossible to win; Vietnam was fighting for their home

• There was nothing for the USA to gain

• The US Government lied and withheld information from the American people

For what reasons did people believe the Vietnam war was heroic?

• The US was fighting for the freedom of the Vietnamese

• They were stopping the spread of communist dictatorships

• The US could have won if they dedicated more resources and had the support of the American people

What is a War of Attrition?

A prolonged war to see who gives up 1st; nothing to gain from the war

What was the 1st country that attempted to conquer Vietnam? When?

China, 1st Century

Did China successfully conquer Vietnam in the 1st century?

No

What was the 2nd country to attempt to conquer Vietnam? When?

France, in the 1860s-1880s

Why did France conquer Indochina (Vietnam)?

They wanted rubber from their trees to make tires. (Money maker)

What was French-conquered Vietnam and other countries called?

French Indochina

How did France scare Vietnam to stop resisting their conquer?

They cut off the heads of resisting Viets

What was the capital of Vietnam during French Indochina?

Hanoi (Northern Vietnam)

What decision did the Viets have to make when France conquered them?

Whether to embrace or resist French influence

What were French Schools in Vietnam?

Schools in Vietnam where the Vietnamese could adapt French culture and assimilate.

Why did some Viets decide to adapt French culture?

It gave them more opportunities under the rule of the French

What was the traditional religion of Vietnam?

Buddhism

What was the dominant religion of France?

Catholicism

What religion switch did Viets have to do in order to adapt French culture?

Buddhism → Catholicism

What year was the Paris Peace Conference?

1919

What was the significance of the Paris Peace Conference to Vietnam?

If France had let go of Vietnam in 1919, the Vietnam war would not have happened

What happened during the Paris Peace Conference in relation to Vietnam?

After WW1, Wilson’s 14 points recommended France and Britain to let go of their colonies, but they said no

What did Ho Chi Minh do in 1919?

He went to Paris to meet Wilson during the Paris Peace Conference to convince him to get France to release Vietnam

Did Ho Chi Minh meet Wilson in 1919?

No

What did Ho Chi Minh do after he failed to meet Wilson in 1919?

He traveled the world (NYC and Boston)

What did Ho Chi Minh do in 1923?

He asked Soviets for support to drive out the French

How did the USSR respond to Ho Chi Minh’s ask of support in 1923? Why?

They said np, because he wasn’t communist

What happened to Vietnam in 1942 (WW2)?

Japan takes over Indochina

How was Japan able to take over Vietnam and all of East Asia during WW2?

Their ally, Germany, had taken over France

What was the “Asia is for Asians” Campaign?

A propaganda campaign run by Japan after taking over East Asia in which they kicked out all white people

Why did Japan kick out all white people from East Asia?

They claimed it was to stop racism

What did Japan do after conquering East Asia in WW2?

The kicked out all white people

What was hypocritical about Japan’s “Asia for Asians” campaign?

Japan treated Asia worse and more racist than the Europeans did

How did Japan treat East Asia in WW2?

Rape of Nanking & Starvation

What did Japan do to Vietnam in WW2?

They took rice from the Vietnamese and starved 2 million people (Out of 8 million)

How did Vietnam learn to fight Japan during WW2?

Hit and Run Guerrilla Warfare

What was the Viet Minh?

A military group in 1942 who used Guerrilla Warfare to fight Japan.

How did the Viet Minh fight Japan?

Guerrilla Warfare: Hid underground in the jungle and used spikes to stab people, used poisonous snakes

When did Japan withdraw from Vietnam? Why?

1945, because the USA devastated Japan

Who was General Giáp?

He was a Vietnamese military leader (Viet Minh)

What was Hit and Run Guerrilla Warfare?

A fighting tactic used by smaller armies to fight a bigger and stronger enemy

When WW2 was over (1945), who did the Americans meet?

The Viet Minh (Ho Chi Minh & General Giáp)

What was the OSS?

The predecessor to the CIA

What was the relationship between Vietnam and the US right after WW2?

The both fought Japan; they were friends

What did Ho Chi Minh write in 1945 for the independence of Vietnam?

The Vietnamese Declaration of Independence

What did the Vietnamese Declaration of Independence say?

• It was pro-American

• It said how alike Vietnam is to the US

• Called upon the US to help Vietnam be free from France

What did France want after WW2?

They wanted Indochina back

Who was the US president after WW2?

Harry S. Truman

What decision did Truman have to make after WW2?

Whether to support Vietnam’s independence or France’s reconquer

What was Truman’s decision on who to support in 1945?

He chose the support France and their reconquest of Vietnam

What was the USA’s biggest mistake leading up to the Vietnam war?

Supporting France and their reconquest of Vietnam

Who offers to support Ho Chi Minh and Giáp with military supplies after the U.S. turns against Vietnam?

Stalin and the USSR

After support from the USSR, what does Ho Chi Minh and Giáp become? Why?

Communist, because they want independence

When was the 1st Indochina war?

1946-1954

Who fought in the first Indochina war?

France vs Viet Minh

When did China and the USSR begin providing weapons to the Viet Minh?

1950

Who did France go to for help while fighting the Viet Minh?

USA

How did the US respond to the USSR’s support of the Viet Minh?

They provided $2 Billion to France

What is a phrase to describe France’s experience fighting in Vietnam’s jungle?

The Viet Minh were “ghost soldiers” because they were “everywhere and nowhere”

After struggling to fight the Viet Minh in the jungle, what does France do?

They build a fortress

What was the fortress that France built in Vietnam called?

Dien Bien Phu

What was Dien Bien Phu?

A French fortress in North Vietnam

What did the French use Dien Bien Phu for?

They kept their military there, and they released planes to bomb areas in the North where the Viet Minh were

What did Ho Chi Minh and General Giáp do to Dien Bien Phu?

They took it over with cannons that shot planes down and trapped the French inside the fortress

How long was the Battle of Dien Bien Phu? When?

55 days in 1954

What were the numbers in the Battle of Dien Bien Phu?

64,000 Viet Minh vs. 20,000 French

What is a quote about the battle of Dien Bien Phu?

“At Dien Bien Phu, the French don’t know what to do”

How does the Viet Minh chase France out of Vietnam?

In the battle of Dien Bien Phu, they trap and starve the French while forcing them to do hand to hand combat

What event in 1954 causes France to leave Vietnam?

The Battle of Dien Bien Phu

What year is Vietnam free from France?

1954

Once France leaves Vietnam, what is the USA concerned about?

Communism in Vietnam, they don’t want it to become another communist country

What was the reason for the Geneva Convention in 1954?

The US was concerned about Vietnam becoming a communist country once independent, so representative from all around the world met to discuss Vietnam

What 2 decisions were made at the Geneva Convention of 1954?

1. Vietnam was divided along the 17th parallel

2. Mandated free elections in South Vietnam

What was Vietnam divided along after the Geneva Convention of 1954?

The 17th parallel

What was the state of North Vietnam after the Geneva Convention?

• Communist

• Angry because they fought for their WHOLE country

What was the state of South Vietnam after the Geneva Convention of 1954?

• Democratic

• Special Forces from the US were sent there to protect democracy

What was hypocritical about the mandated free elections in South Vietnam?

Ho Chi Minh was still revered for freeing Vietnam, so in reality they were only allowed anti-communist elections

Who was the president of the US in 1954?

Eisenhower

What was Eisenhower’s “Domino Theory?”

If we let one nation in South East Asia fall to communism, they will all fall

What guides American foreign policy in South East Asia?

The Domino Theory

Why does the US fight in Vietnam?

“The Domino Theory”; the fear that if one country in SE Asia falls to communism, they all will fall

Who was the South Vietnamese President?

Ngo Dinh Diem

Which American president supported Diem?

Eisenhower

Why did the US support Diem?

Even though he was corrupt, he was anti-communist

What were some rules in Diem’s “presidency?”

• No election; proclaimed himself as president

• Money and weapons from the USA

• Nepotism

• Suspected communists were arrested, tortured, and killed

  • Catholicism was enforced and Buddhist shrines were destroyed

What is an example of when the US supported dictatorship? Why?

They supported Diem’s rule over south Vietnam, because he was anti-communist

Why did Buddhists protest Diem?

He enforced Catholicism and destroyed Buddhist shrines

What event during sparked world attention on Diem’s rule?

A Buddhist monk burned himself alive while meditating to protest Diem and the US in Saigon, 1963

Which American president had to deal with the Buddhist protests in South Vietnam?

John F. Kennedy

Which year was a turning point in Diem’s presidency? Why?

1963, because the Buddhist protests caught world attention (and the US)

What did Kennedy do about Diem’s presidency?

He secretly offered support for the removal of Diem

What happens before Diem gets removed from office?

He gets assassinated

What does Ho Chi Minh say upon hearing about the assassination of Diem?

“I can scarcely believe the Americans would be so stupid.”

How did the system stand in SV after Diem’s assassination?

Free elections turned to chaos, and people turned to communism

Who were the Viet Cong?

South Vietnamese communist Guerilla soldiers

What did Americans call the Viet Cong?

“Charlie”

How do the Viet Cong get their weapons?

The Ho Chi Minh Trail

What is the Ho Chi Minh Trail?

A network of trails through Laos and Cambodia that served as a supply line for war materials form North Vietnam to the Viet Cong.

What was ARVN?

The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (Democracy)

Why was ARVN completely ineffective?

The soldiers were hesitant and weak because they couldn’t kill fellow South Vietnamese.