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Vietnam . History. Thousand year occupation by the Chinese. 1847 French colonization began; region called Indo China. Frustration at colonization by the Nationalists and the Communists. People and resources exploited by the French. Communism and Ho Chi Minh.
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History • Thousand year occupation by the Chinese. • 1847 French colonization began; region called Indo China. • Frustration at colonization by the Nationalists and the Communists. • People and resources exploited by the French.
Communism and Ho Chi Minh • 1st communist group founded by Ho Chi Minh in 1925. • 1941, Ho Chi Minh creates the Viet Minh party and pushed for national unity against any occupier. • During WWII, Vietnamese treated terribly by the Japanese. • 1945, Ho Chi Minh declared independence for Vietnam under Viet Minh control.
“You will kill 10 of our men, and we will kill 1 of yours, and in the end it will be you who tire of it.”
End of WWII, the French returned to Vietnam to reclaim their colony. • Franco-Viet Minh War from 1947-1954; Viet Minh win and French and kicked out. • U.S. helped French to stop the spread of communism. • Vietnam is divided into two sections: • North led by Ho Chi Minh. • South led by Ngo Diem anti-communist Catholic and friend of the U.S.
South Vietnam • National elections were not held to unify the country. • Diem became a tyrant and the government became family run rather than a democracy. • South Vietnamese students and monks protested against Diem. • Military coup killed Diem and South Vietnam went into chaos.
North Vietnam • Ho Chi Minh begins to eliminate any opposition. • Private land is seized and given to the State. • Hasty trials results in 10-15,000 executions. • Attempt to “liberate” the South begins in 1959. • National Liberation Front (NLF) aka, Viet Cong started taking over the south.
U.S. interaction with Vietnam • U.S. believed if Vietnam became a communist country a “domino effect” would occur in the world. • U.S. belief that if one state in a region came under the influence of communism, then the surrounding countries would follow. • Started sending money and advisors in 1950. American soldiers there for 25 years. • Combat troops sent in 1965 to take out the Viet Cong village by village. • Napalm used destroying the environment.
Viet Cong continued to fight against the U.S. • Innocent villagers were killed and many turned to the VC for help. • Tet Offensive was the largest battle and turning point; Americans became unsupportive of fighting. • 2,000 South Vietnamese deaths • 32,000 VC deaths.
American soldiers, at Mai Lai, killed innocent Vietnamese and was leaked to media. • American resentment toward the war increased and antiwar protests began. • 1969, President Nixon began “vietnamisation” to make Vietnamese fight on their own.
Vietnam War Impact • 1973, Paris Peace Accords made a cease fire and withdrew U.S. troops. • Over 200,000 South Vietnamese soldiers killed. • Estimated 1 million North Vietnamese and VC deaths. • Approximately four million civilians were injured or killed during the war.
1973-1975 South vs. North. • 1975, South surrendered making Vietnam one communist country. • Throughout the conflict the U.S. never declared war on Vietnam. • Reunification for Vietnam was difficult; destroyed countryside, physically and mentally battered people, anger at each other.
Tens of thousands of people who supported the south were imprisoned without trial and sent to labor camps. • Business people, intellectuals, artists, journalists etc. • Anti-capitalist campaign was launched, seizing private property and businesses. • 1989, Vietnamese embrace the market economy. • 1994, U.S. embargo lifted and diplomatic relations started again. • Embargo restriction of trade with a country. • Today Vietnam has economic freedom, but remains controlled by the Communist Party.
