Vietnam War

What countries made up French Indochina?

Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam

Who occupied Vietnam during WW2?

Japan

When did France attempt to reoccupy Vietnam and what war did this result in?

• 1945

• The First Indochina War

What was the duration of the First Indochina War?

1946-54

What were the 2 sides in the First Indochina War?

France vs the Vietminh

Who was the leader of the Vietminh from 1941?

Ho Chi Minh

Why did the Vietminh defeat the French?

Guerrilla warfare

What did the Vietminh stand for?

League for the independence of Vietnam

What were Ho Chi Minh’s priorities?

He was principally a nationalist and then a communist

How did Ho Chi Minh demonstrate that his priority was nationalistic?

He wrote letters asking the USA to help him against French imperialism

When were the French defeated in the Fist Indochina War?

1954 at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu

How many Frenchmen were killed/captured at Dien Bien Phu in 1954?

16,000

What declared a ceasefire in the First Indochina War?

The Geneva Accords of 1954

What 5 things did the Geneva Conference entail?

• A ceasefire

• Laos and Cambodia become independent states

• Vietnam is divided into the communist north and Imperial south along the 17th parallel

• Free elections are to be held in 1956

• France leaves Vietnam

When did Diem become prime minister?

1954

What happened from 1954 to 1959 in Vietnam?

Tensions escalated until the country was openly at war

What was the duration of the Vietnam War?

1959-1975

What is another name for the Vietnam War?

The Second Indochina War

When was Eisenhower president and what Party did he belong to?

• 1953-61

• Republican

What did Eisenhower give to the French, but what restrained him?

• Economic & diplomatic support

• Weapons

• The USA’s anti-imperialist policies

What did Eisenhower do in Vietnam from 1954?

He directly supported the South Vietnamese regime

Why couldn’t Eisenhower get directly involved in Vietnam (2 reasons)?

• The USA’s anti-imperialist policies

• Eisenhower was elected on the slogan “I will go to Korea”, promising to stop the Korean War. He could not then start another war in South East Asia

What is the domino theory?

The theory that is one country fell to communism in South East Asia, others would follow

What 2 events supported domino theory?

• North Korea became communist following WW2

• China had a communist revolution in 1949

When did Diem become president as a result of rigged elections?

1955

When did Diem cancel unification elections?

1956

What did the Geneva Conference organise for 1956?

Unification elections in Vietnam

When did Diem authorise elections in South Vietnam and what was the outcome?

• 1959

• Diem was elected president

What is another name for the Vietcong?

National Liberation Front (NLF)

What was the earlier version of the Vietcong?

The Vietminh

Describe the Vietcong in 2 points:

• Recruited from both North and South Vietnam

• Made up of both regular and guerrilla units

What were the Vietcong?

The communist army of South Vietnam

What did the US call the Vietcong?

Victor Charlie

Give one positive element of Diem’s reign:

He was an effective deterrent - Vietminh could be guillotined without trial

Give one negative element of Diem’s reign?

Pushed peasants towards communism/Vietminh through his land policies which increased upper-class wealth

In what year was the Buddhist Crisis?

1963

Give 4 examples of Catholic privilege under Diem:

• Promotions in the army

• Exemption from national service

• Government aid

• Exemption from land reform

What instigated the Hue protest and how was it dealt with?

• Diem’s prohibition on flying Buddhist flags during Vesak

• Harsh suppression with 9 unarmed civilians killed

Essentially, what 2 things did Buddhist protesters demand after the Hue protest?

• Religious equality/freedom

• Fair settlement of the Hue protest

What development of the Buddhist Crisis happened in June 1963 and what were the 2 results?

1,500 peaceful protesters faced tear gas and attack dogs

• 67 were hospitalised with chemical injuries

• A curfew was imposed

Who first committed self-immolation in the Buddhist crisis and when did this occur?

• Thich Quang Duc

• 11 June 1963

What 2 things demonstrated the power of the media in the Buddhist protest held in June 1963?

• The fact that reporters were invited to the self-immolation of Thich Quang Duc

• The bilingual nature of the protest banners - designed for an international audience

What did Madam Nhu say in response to the self-immolation of Thich Quang Duc?

“If the Buddhists want to have another barbecue, I will be glad to supply the gasoline."

Name 4 repercussions of the self-immolation of Thich Quang Duc

• His remains were confiscated

• Further protests - 30 killed, 200 wounded, and 1,400 monks arrested

• 5 more monks committed self-immolation

• 2 Americans later committed self-immolation in protest at the Vietnam war

When and how was Diem removed from power and what happened to him and his brother?

• Nov, 1963 in a military coup

• They were both shot

What was the USA’s involvement in the coup?

They knew about it and decided not to intervene, but did not expect Diem to be killed

What did Ho Chi Minh say in response to the coup in South Vietnam?

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

Describe Kennedy in 4 points:

• Believed in Eisenhower’s domino theory and the importance of containment

• Criticised previous administrations for letting South East Asia fall to communism (thus creating a commitment trap for himself)

• Was a friend of Senator McCarthy

• Staunchly Catholic

What does Kennedy agree in 1962 concerning Laos?

He agrees that Laos should be neutral with a coalition government

When and why did Kennedy turn his attention to Vietnam?

• 1962

• Because he needed a Cold War victory

Who was Robert McNamara?

Secretary of Defence between 1961 and 1968

What 3 things did Robert McNamara believe?

• He believed in the importance of containment and Vietnam’s place within the policy

• He believed in military solutions

• He believed that the war was winnable

Who was Dean Rusk?

Secretary of State between 1961 to 1969

What did Dean Rusk believe?

That the USA was right to be in Vietnam, but that it was the responsibility of the defence department and never visited Vietnam

What was the consequence of Kennedy’s closest adviser being in charge of the military?

The USA looked for military rather than diplomatic solutions to the war in Vietnam

What was Kennedy’s key problem?

The ARVN (numbering 25,000) could not deal with the Vietcong (numbering c. 8,000)

What does ARVN stand for and what were they?

• Army of the Republic of Vietnam

• The army of South Vietnam that were allied to the USA

What was Kennedy’s solution to the incompetency of the ARVN?

He increased his ‘advisers’ in Vietnam

• 1961 - 3,000

• 1962 - 11,000

• 1963 - 16,000

What were Kennedy’s ‘advisers’ in Vietnam?

• The ‘Green Berets’ - US special forces

• US pilots used to engage the enemy

Who did Kennedy send to do a report in Vietnam in 1961?

General Maxwell Taylor

What were the 4 conclusions of General Maxwell Taylor’s reprort?

• The ARVN needed more training

• Increased use of US helicopters for counterinsurgency missions

• Strategic bombing of North Vietnam by US aircraft

• Increased use of US combat troops

What program did Kennedy start that was based on British tactics in Malaysia and Diem’s agrovilles?

The strategic hamlet program

How many hamlets were set up by 1963 and how much of the population did this account for?

• 7,205

• 70%

When and why was the strategic hamlet program?

• 1964

• The deaths of Kennedy and Diem

Give 4 reasons for why strategic hamlets fail?

• The corruption and unpopularity of Ngo Dinh Nhu (Diem’s brother)

• There were too many to effectively defend

• They were too far away from Saigon (Diem only controlled 49% of South Vietnam)

• It was unpopular with the peasantry who were taken away from their homes and agricultural lands

What Battle happened in Vietnam in 1963?

The Battle of Ap Bac

What surrounded the Vietcong at Ap Bac in 1963 (3 points)?

• 2,000 ARVN troops

• 113 US armoured personnel carriers

• US helicopters, bombers and advisers

Describe in 4 points what happened in the Battle of Ap Bac in 1963?

• ARVN/US troops surrounded Ap Bac

• Some ARVN troops refused to fight, and the rest retreated after minimal fighting

• The ARVN refused to mount a rescue mission

• 5 US helicopters and 3 pilots are lost

What were the results of the Battle fo Ap Bac?

• US lost further faith in Diem, believing that he was reluctant to sacrifice his troops

• Increases the confidence of the Vietcong in guerrilla warfare

Give 5 reasons why Kennedy increased US involvement in Vietnam:

• Criticism of Eisenhower in Asia

• Anti-communist beliefs

• Failure of Strategic hamlets

• Weaknesses of ARVN (Ap Bac)

• Buddhist Crisis

Who was President from 1963-69 and what political party was he?

• Lyndon B. Johnson

• Democrat

Why was Johnson likely to escalate involvement in Vietnam?

• He was not elected in his own right and decided to continue Kennedy’s policies

• Believed in the threat of communism

• Was proud of the US military

• Did not want to be the first president to lose a war

Name 4 of Johnson’s policies from 1963-64:

• “Many flags” campaign (a failure in raising significant support)

• Increased the numbers of military advisers to 23,300

• Increased economic assistance to South Vietnam by $50 million

• Increased the number of operations in North Vietnam

What operations did Johnson increase in Vietnam?

• Intelligence flights

• Dropping propaganda leaflets

• Commando raids

What was the nickname for the presidents that succeeded Diem in Vietnam?

The “revolving door presidents”

Describe 2 ways in which Johnson’s policies were a continuation of Kennedy’s:

• Increased military advisers

• Increased operations in North Vietnam

Who did Johnson face in the 1964 Presidential Election and what were his views?

• Barry Goldwater

• Radical/extreme right

How could Johnson appeal to voters in the 1964 Presidential Election?

By being radical but not as extreme as his opponent - It was obvious that the US wanted a president who would be extreme in his actions in Vietnam, but he didn’t want to push away potential voters by going too far

How many US troops had been killed by July 1964?

200

What did Dean Rusk advise Johnson about on the 22 July 1964?

Rusk advised Johnson that the USA would have legal justification for war if the North Vietnamese attacked US forces

When did the North Vietnamese torpedo boats attack the US Maddox and the Turner Joy?

On the 2nd and the 4th of August 1964

What took place on the 7th of August, 1964?

The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

What did the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution authorise?

It authorised the President to take “all necessary measures” to…

1. Repel any armed attacks against the US

2. Prevent further agression

3. Assist any member of the South-East Asia Defence Treaty in defense of freedom