US Involvement in Vietnam

  • France wanted to regain its colony Vietnam
  • They had been in conflict with Vietnam since 1946
  • The Vietminh, led by Ho Chi Minh, wanted indepence and to be a communist country
  • Fighting broke out
  • South Vietnam then was controlled by France, North Vietnam was declared the Democratic Republic of Vietnam
  • China became a communist country in 1949 and therefore sent supplies to the Vietminh
  • The USA sent supplies to France to avoid the country turning communist
  • US support was so heavy that it was covering 80 percent of costs towards France’s war with the Vietminh
  • A major battle broke out at Dien Bien Phu in 1954 and France had to surrender due to the strength of the Vietminh
  • Eisenhower advised his soldiers not to fight as to avoid war

\ The Geneva Conference (1954) attempted to restore peace

The Geneva Accords declared that Vietnam was to be split along the 17th parallel with a demilitarised zone where no soldiers were permitted

\ South Vietnam was led by Bao Dai (US’s choice) until 1955, when Ngo Dinh Diem replaced him as president

\ DOMINO THEORY:

  • Eisenhower was worried that if Vietnam fell to communism, all the countries around it would too
  • Since the USSR and China were relatively near Vietnam, this increased worry.
  • USSR and China were also in support of Vietnam and therefore the USA was at a risk of starting a nuclear war with them
  • Eisenhower set up the Southeast Asia Treaty Organisation (or SEATO) which included countries like Britain and France
  • SEATO was set up to prevent the spread of communism at all costs

\ GOVERNMENT:

  • Ngo Dinh Diem had no public respect and was despised
  • He burned Buddhists and hated them
  • Most of Vietnam’s population is Buddhist and Diem was Catholic
  • Military was set up and was called the ARVN and fought against the Vietminh

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Vietcong = Vietnamese Communists, Vietminh, or VC for short

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  • French withdrew AUGUST 1954

\ Why did France lose at Dien Bien Phu?

  • Vietminh understood the country
  • Local support
  • Vietminh worked day and night building roads etc etc
  • Underestimation
  • China’s help
  • Traps were obvious
  • Guerrilla tactics used by Vietminh

\ Guerrilla tactics - the use of hit and run tactics and things that aren’t used conventionally in war

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