Vietnam War – Part I

1. Vietnam War – Part I

2. French Indo-China • French Indo-China (Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos) had been part of the French Empire since the late 19th century • During WWII, Japan occupied the country • The Viet Minh, was organized in 1941 in order to resist occupation

3. Viet Minh • They were led by Ho Chi Minh and the Communists • They were armed by the Americans to fight the Japanese • At the end of the war, Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam an independent country, but the French wouldn’t let go • Hostilities broke out between the French and the Viet Minh in 1946

4. FDR’s Policy In Indochina • Recognized that colonialism was doomed in Vietnam and that the U.S. should identify with the forces of nationalism in Asia • Regarded the French as “poor colonizers” • He pressured France to relinquish its hold over Vietnam and advocated placing Indochina under international trusteeship in preparation for independence

5. French Indo-China • In November 1946, the French ordered Ho Chi Minh’s government to leave Hanoi • When they refused, the French bombarded Hanoi and Haiphong, killing 6,000 • Ho and the Viet Minh were forced into a war for independence • The French, wishing to keep control of the rice and rubber of the south, set up Bo Dai as a puppet

6. Truman’s Policy In Indochina • Truman scrapped the trusteeship plan due to the Sovietization of Eastern Europe and communism in Asia after 1949 • Ho appealed to the U.S. for support, but by 1950, he committed aid and military advisors to the French in Vietnam

7. Outside Assistance in Vietnam • The Viet Minh fought a guerilla war • The Communist Chinese supported the Viet Minh with arms and equipment • The Americans began to help the French with money, equipment, and advisers

8. Eisenhower’s Policy In Indochina • “New Look” defense policy called for sharp reductions in American ground forces • They were reluctant to commit American combat troops to SE Asia (“no more Koreas”) and agreed that France must continue to bear the burden • Continued aid would depend on detailed and specific information about French plans to ensure an aggressive strategy • By 1954, the U.S. was funding 80% of the war

9. Dien Bien Phu • By 1954, the French had lost control of the countryside • The French were decisively defeated in 1954 when a French army was surrounded and forced to surrender in a 50-day siege in Dien Bien Phu

10. Reasons for the French Defeat • Ho and the Viet Minh had the support of the people • The Viet Minh were masters of guerilla warfare • From 1950, the Viet Minh were supplied by China • The French were war-weary and failed to run the war effectively • The French were experiencing problems in other parts of the world

11. Significance of the Indo-China War • The war was seen by the Americans as a proxy war (when opposing powers use third parties as substitutes for fighting each other directly): • Ho Chi Minh was the Soviets • French were the Americans

12. Geneva Peace Conference • A peace conference was arranged in 1954 • USSR, UK, France, USA, China, and Indo-China were there

13. Geneva Peace Conference • The terms of the Geneva Agreement of 1954 were: • Laos and Cambodia were to be independent • Vietnam was to be temporarily divided into two states at the 17th parallel • Ho Chin Minh’s government was recognized in the north • An American puppet regime under Ngo Dinh Diem was set up in the south • In 1956, elections were to be held throughout Vietnam, after which it was to be united

14. Lack of Support for Diem • Since Diem had begun ruling South Vietnam in 1954, he lacked support: • He imprisoned people who criticized his government • Filled many government positions with members of his own family • U.S. money that was supposed to go to economic reforms went to the military and corrupt officials

15. Below: Self-immolation; the S. Vietnamese First Lady reacted by saying “Let them burn and we shall clap our hands” Lack of Support for Diem • Diem was a Catholic in a largely Buddhist country • For example, he passed laws banning the celebration of the Buddha’s birthday • He was seen as an American puppet • He blocked demands for land reform, which was being carried out in the north under Ho

16. Going Against the Geneva Convention • In 1955, Diem refused to make preparations for the promised elections • The U.S. supported him, since they expected that Ho would win any genuine elections overwhelmingly

17. National Liberation Front (NLF) or Viet Cong • In 1960, groups formed the NLF, otherwise known as the Viet Cong to the Americans • They demanded a democratic coalition government which would negotiate a peaceful union of Vietnam • When this was refused, a guerilla war began in the south, waged by the Viet Cong • Advisors first were sent over

18. JFK’s Policy In Indochina • Felt that the administration would lose face if they negotiated in Vietnam and didn’t take military action (would be repeat of China in 1949) • Expressed deep concern about simultaneously having major obligations in Europe and SE Asia • Settled between negotiation and troops by sending aid and a limited number of advisors (this would actually enlarge the U.S. role and commitment in Vietnam) • Was preoccupied with Cuba at first • Had interest in troop withdrawals

19. Causes of the War • Containment worked in Europe (Greece, Turkey, and Berlin) & with Korea • North Korea’s invasion of South Korea confirmed U.S. suspicions that the Soviets sought to conquer all of Asia • SE Asia provided 90% of America’s rubber, 75% of its tin, and 27% of its oil • We had to replace the French and were a world power, so we needed to help South Vietnam retain its freedom • America felt its prestige was on the line, so it did not want a defeat in Vietnam

20. Causes of the War • Americans viewed Vietnam as the key to keeping SE Asia out of communist hands (domino theory) • The Truman administration had been under fire for “losing” China and felt compelled to hold the line somewhere else • People believed that destiny had singled out the U.S. to defend and spread the democratic ideal • The U.S. believed the Vietnamese were inferior and could beat them with superior technology

21. Attempting to Gain Support • America tried to involve her allies, but only Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, and the Philippines ever sent troops • Local peasants were moved into “fortified villages” where they could be controlled by the ARVN (South Vietnamese Army). They were, in effect, concentration camps

22. Increasing American Involvement In Vietnam • By his death, Kennedy had ordered 15,000 American men and equipment to Vietnam • Kennedy realized that Diem would never reform • The U.S. told the South Vietnamese military that they wouldn’t object to a coup

23. Military Government • The coup worked, but the death of Diem lead to unstable generals ruling the country • The new military government bickered among themselves and failed to direct the South Vietnamese army effectively • Ho Chi Minh and the North Vietnamese aided the Viet Cong throughout the struggle