vietam war

Roosevelt's personality

Did not gaf about SEA but kinda suspected vietminh already since they saw vietminh as soviet puppets

1945

Ho chi minh created national lib committee of vietnam as a provisional govt

1945 as well

Ho declares indep of vietnam + Brit forces land in Saigon and returns authority to france

1946

truman took over + Negotiations between french and vietminh

[WHAT are the negotiations about]

the french would recognize Ho’s democratic republic of vietnam (DRV) as free and self-governing but not indep

[WHY the negotiations]

the french did not want to recognise indep of Vietnam

23 nov 1946

1st indochina war marked by bombing of Haiphong

[SIGNIFICANCE of 1st indochina war]

breakdown of french-viet negotiations + MARKED THE SHIFT IN US foreign policy bc US was pissed with the loss of china in 1949

Eisenhower's personality

All talk no action

1953

Loss of korea

1954

Domino theory

[WHAT is domino theory]

if indochina fall to communism

[WHY domino theory]

US was anxious over the possible loss to communism of any more countries in Asia

1954 sept

SEATO (established in 1955)

[WHAT is SEATO]

SEATO is a regional security org that commits the US and other countries to the defence of Laos and Cambodia agsainst communist aggression

[SIGNIFICANCE of SEATO]

provided a multi-lateral political framework for containment policy

[EFFECTIVENESS OF SEATO]

N – SEATO did not oblige members to go to war in an event of communist expansion

1954 march 13 to may 7th

Battle of dien bien phu

[WHAT is dien bieh phu]

the french trying to lure vietminh out into open battle in order to crush them with their artillery and air power

US did not intervene since the british did not participate and US congress did not support

1954 July

Geneva accords

[WHAT is geneva accords]

partitioned viet at the 17th parallel

1954 july geneva accords

China and USSR persuaded HCM to surrender around 20% of territory that he controlled to RVN and accept temporary partition → nenied Ho the fruits of the mil victory he was going to achieve against France → DRV had no choice but to aim for a diplomatic struggle

[WHY did china do this]

China didnt want to intervene because they didnt want to risk provoking American intervention with their engagement (KW) which will threaten their resources

[US RESPONSE]

wanted to bolster SV as a stable non-communist state that can resist communist incursions from the north and become the 2nd SK

[SIGNIFICANCE of dien bien phu]

saw the formation of DRV w Ho Chi Minh in north vietnam and RVN (republic of vietnam) with Dinh Diem

Provisional demarcation line along the 17th parallel hardened into a de facto political frontier that separates two ideologically antagonistic states

275 US mil advisers in SV

[WHY US sent mil advisers]

to train SV army and supply economic assistance to the RVN regime

1960

Dec – formation of NLF in SV

[WHAT is NLF]

coalition of anti-diem dissidents formed NLF to call for social reforms and pol liberalization for SV + Created a mil wing – Peoples Liberation Armed Forces PLAF

[WHY NLF]

everyone hated dinh diem because he was a dictator running a supposedly democratic regime

1960 kennedy personality

Still convinced of the monolithic communist bloc

Flexible response: uses conventional forces in the war

offered alternatives to total nuclear war

Used counter insurgencies like search and destroy missions where they spread defoliants like agent orange in the jungle against vietcong

1961

JFK refused to send US troops to combat

[WHY JFK refused]

wanted to rescue SV from vietnam while also avoiding entanglement in a proxy war like KW

also 1961

Establishing PLAF + Berlin wall being built + Sino soviet split

1962

More US mil advisers + CMC

Nov 1963

More US mil advisers

Johnson's personality

Intensified US mil entanglement in SV + Did not want to bomb the north and still focused on strengthening the southern resolve BECAUSE OF UPCOMING PRES ELECTIONS THAT HE WANTED TO WIN

1964

Aug - tonkin gulf resolution

[WHAT is this resolution]

NV boats allegeldy fired on USS Madox operating in international waters at the gulf. It was apparently fabricated and US didnt even take damage

[SIGNIFICANCE of this resolution]

Represents overwhelming legislative approval for Jonhson to begin the first bombing raids against NV and to dispatch large number of ground troops to the South

1964 Oct

china detonate atomic bomb

[SIGNIFICANCE of kosygin]

kosygin was more eager to contribute and help NV to placate hardliners in soviet military

1965

Soviet became DRV main supporter

[What did soviet do to become main supporter]

USSR signed a defence treaty to provide NV with financial and mil equipment

[SIGNIFICANCE of soviet as main supporter]

marked the end of all chinese intervention in NV

1964 Feb 6-7

Pleiku incident

[WHAT is pleiku incident]

vietxong attacked barracks of US airfields that caused some deaths and over 100 casualties + US took retaliatory air strikes

SIGNIFICANCE of pleiku

convinced US to roll out operation rolling thunder and operation Ranch Hand (agent orange programme)

1964 March

operation rolling thunder

[WHAT is operation rolling thunder]

large scale bombings like 3500 marines landing at Da Nang

Backed up by operation ranch hand

End 1965

184000 US ground troops