110 likes | 236 Views
The Geneva Peace Conference: Ending the French War in Vietnam. Viet Minh, France, United States, Britain, USSR, China. Outcomes. France has lost the war and Vietnam will be an independent country Partition of Vietnam into North and South along 17 th parallel
E N D
The Geneva Peace Conference: Ending the French War in Vietnam Viet Minh, France, United States, Britain, USSR, China
Outcomes • France has lost the war and Vietnam will be an independent country • Partition of Vietnam into North and South along 17th parallel • Ho Chi Minh’s government will continue to rule in the North • French-friendly gov’t will rule in South as French slowly pack up and move out • General, democratic elections will be held in two years, July of 1956, to reunify the country into a single, sovereign state
Vietminh United States • US fearful of such a victory • Refuses to sign agreement • If communists win, then US loses. What? Confident of electoral victory
1954 to 1963 • United States supports the anti-Communist Ngo Nguyen Diem as the president of South Vietnam. • US gives over $1.5 billion in aid to South Vietnam. • 80% of these dollars go to the military. • S. Vietnam is essentially a creation of the US • US “defending the independence of the South Vietnamese government.”
S. Vietnam under Diem • 1956 – elections for unification are cancelled—Diem admits that HCM would win • In South Vietnam there is a small ruling elite and MILLIONS of poor, landless peasants • Diem is Catholic in a Buddhist country, and is French-educated and French-speaking.
Diem persecutes Buddhist majority—Buddhists protest.Self-immolation
Diem calls for an election • In S.V. He wins with 98% of vote. • Rigged?
U.S. actions1954-1964: Direct but Informal • Military advisors • 1960:1000 • 1963:16,000 • 1964:23,000 • CIA ops • Intelligence gathering • 1964: $2 million/day spent in Vietnam
1960: Creation of the National Liberation Front. “Vietcong” • Infiltrated S. Vietnam • Their goals: economic reform, unification. • Vietcong assassinate 2000 government official
1963 • JFK: Let’s drop Diem or deepen American commitment in Vietnam. • Went with aid and advisors: pressured for reforms. • 1963 Oks Vietnamese generals to undertake a “coup d’etat” of Diem and his government.
1964: Beginnings of Formal Direct action by US • Johnson faces tough re-election • strong anti-Communist stand needed to win the election