Indochina Essay Plans

Essay plans for Indochina

NATURE AND ROLE OF NATIONALISM

At its core was a nationalist struggle:

• History of Repression

• Defeat at Dien Bien Phu/Geneva

• Ho Chi Minh (Image then martyr)

• NLF (not communist organisation)

• US Involvement

NATURE AND ROLE OF COMMUNISM

• Cold War/Superpowers

• South: Threats of Communism // US Aid Package of $322 million

• NORTH: “Flexible” communism with national goal" // Ho’s Image = appeal of communism

• Cambodia: US interference (POL POT - Sihanouk couldn’t stop communism/US Bombing)

Strategies and Tactics

• NLF/VC/NVA: Warfare // psychological

• ARVN/US ALLIES: Warfare // psychological

• 1968 TET

REASONS FOR COMMUNIST VICTORY/US DEFEAT/FALL OF THE SOUTH

• US Budget

• Morale

• Ineffective strategies

• TET

• No clear purpose

• By contrast: Communists nationalist/idealistic

IMPACT OF WAR ON CIVILIANS/IMPACT OF DIRECT MILITARY INVOLVEMENT

• Social: Impact of US Warfare

• Environmental: Damage/Hazardous

• Political: Impact of US interference with SOUTH / US Intervention in Cambodia

• Economic: Frequent aid packages - dependency of South

• US Home Front: Television War

NATURE AND CONSEQUENCES OF US INVOLVEMENT

• US Policy: Cold War Issue

• US Aid: Advisory Role → Direct Military Involvement

• Military Tactics: Westmoreland

• Impact in South: DIEM/NEPOTISM

IMPACT OF THE 1968 TET OFFENSIVE

• Before TET → superior North strategies/tactics

• TET → Goals: break the stalemate

• AFTER: Military result: tactical defeat but psychological victory = “end is in sight”, turning point

• Home front: Television War

Significance of Anti-war movements

• CONTEXT → spirit of the sixties: