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Origins of the Vietnam War Fighting the French

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Origins of the Vietnam War Fighting the French Origins of the Vietnam War Before the Second World War Vietnam was ruled by France, during the war the region was conquered by the Japanese. They ruled the area brutally and treated the Vietnamese savagely. As a result a strong anti-Japanese movement called the Viet Minh emerged under the leadership of communists Ho Chi Minh and Vo Nguyen Gap. He had studied communism in the USSR during the 1920’s. In 1930 he had founded the Indochinese communist party. He inspired the Vietnamese people to fight for an independent Vietnam. At the end of the Second World War the Viet Minh controlled the North of the country. The Viet Minh entered the city of Hanoi in 1945 and declared the Vietnamese independent. Fighting the French Timeline of early events: 1945- Ho Chi Minh declares Vietnam independent and Democratic. 1946- First major confrontation between the Vietminh and the French. (Haipong) 6000 Vietnamese dead, only 29 French dead. Fighting intensified over the next 8 years, cruelty on both sides. Guerrilla tactics took place mainly at night, Vietminh had control of the Countryside the French had control of the cities. 1949- The Chinese communist party take control in China and their new leader Mao Zedong supported the Vietminh by supplying them with weapons. The USA responded by supporting the French. (They hate Communism.) 1950- The American President Truman gives the French $15 million. $3 billion is given over the next 4 years. 1951- Bigger and stronger attacks on French Strongholds. 1954- The battle of Dien Bien Phu. 13,000 French dead. They surrender and sign an armistice. They leave Vietnam. The battle of Dien Bien Phu • November 20th 1953 the first French troops Arrived in Dien Bien Phu. • Initial successes for the French, 9,000 French and allied troops, and 6 parachute battalions occupied the region. • Still faced many problems, Dien Bien Phu surrounded by jungle occupied by the Viet Minh. • January 31st 1954, Viet Minh fired on French troops for the first time. • March 13th 1954, massive artillery onslaught against a French stronghold, by March 14th the Viet Minh had taken it. • March 14th, Airstrip so badly damaged by the Viet Minh no plane could land, supplies had to be parachuted in. • T’ai troops, previously loyal to the French deserted, more strongholds fell. • 5th April, artillery attack on Viet Minh soldiers caught in the open left heavy casualties. • The Viet Minh advanced slowly and usually countered and French attack, 22nd April Viet Minh controlled most of the airfield. • May 1st several strong points over run by Viet Minh. • May 7th Giap ordered an all-out attack on French positions; the last position was captured at nightfall. Us involvement in Dien Bien Phu The US secretary of state John Foster Dulles and other members of the Eisenhower administration were shocked by the turn of events at Dien Bien Phu, discussions were held to decide on a course of action. Options included massive conventional air strikes, paratrooper drops and the mining of Haiphong harbour. Eisenhower decided that he would only take action with the help of the British, but Winston Churchill the British Prime Minister refused to be involved in escalating the war. In the end president Eisenhower decided that the situation was too far gone and no action was to be taken to aid the French. The Geneva agreement- (the armistice formed between France and Vietnam.) Geneva Agreement• France to Grant independence to Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam • Vietnam to be split into half. Only temporarily by a partition along the 17th parallel • The strip of land between the two Vietnams will become a demilitarised zone • Free and democratic elections to be held in 1956 to reunite the North and the South under a single leader. What were the reactions to the Geneva Agreement? • The Communists were surprised at how much the French had given away. • The North was Left in the hands of the Communists and Ho Chi Minh. • 80,000 communist’s refugees moved to the North of Vietnam. • The USA were critical of the French, they said they ‘wanted peace at any price.’ The USA refused to join in any discussions. • It was seen as a defeat for the USA as well as the French. • The USA and the South government refused to sign the agreement. • It seemed like the agreement had tilted the balance of power in favour of the Communists. The Elections • Ho Chi Minh was confident that when the free elections were held the communists would win. • The leader of the south Emperor Ngo Dinh Diem created a republic and placed himself as leader. • Diem was a nationalist and supported by the Americans. No Elections today • Diem and the Americans were unwilling to take the risk of the communists being elected to rule Vietnam. • They claimed Ho Chi Minh would rig the elections in the North. • Whoever their reasons and how right they were, their actions were a breach of the Geneva agreement. Why was the Geneva agreement so important? The actions of these anti-communist governments increased opposition to the South Vietnam government amongst ordinary people and amongst influential Buddhist priests. Support amongst ordinary peasants also increased for the communist-led national front for the liberation of South Vietnam, which was set up in December 1960. This movement is also known as the Viet Cong. The Viet Cong included opponents of the South Vietnamese government, and communist Vietnamese form the North. Peasants who did not support the Viet Cong faced intimidation and violence. The Viet Cong also started a Guerrilla war against the South Vietnamese government, using the Ho Chi Minh trail the Viet Cong sent reinforcements to the Guerrilla fighters. By 1962 President Kennedy was sending military personal to fight the Viet Cong. In 1963 and 1964 tensions between North and South had increased, and so had American involvement. 11,500 troops by 1962; 23,000 by the end of 1964. After the assassination of JFK in 1963, his successor Lyndon Johnson was even more prepared to commit the USA to full scale conflict in Vietnam. Increasing US involvement President Eisenhower and his Containment meant stopping the secretary of state JF Dulles believed advance of communism wherever it that China and the USSR were looked like it was gaining ground. For planning to spread communism example, the USA supported the French throughout Asia. This is known as in Vietnam as they thought the the Domino theory. If Vietnam fell to Vietnamese were allies of communist Communism; Laos, Cambodia, China. They also wanted to keep the Burma, Thailand and even India support of the French against might also fall. The Americans communism in Europe. The Cold war, the wanted to resist the spread of soviet domination of Eastern Europe and communism and they believed that the Berlin Blockade were also events Vietnam was the first domino in the row. happening at this time. Why did the USA become increasingly involved in Vietnam? Political issues back in the USA also played a A controversial view by some historians is role in their involvement in Vietnam. The that the USA wanted a war. In 1961, Americans elect a new president every four Eisenhower himself had warned that years; in the 1950’s and 1960’s for all America had developed a powerful, candidates it was a sure vote winner to talk ‘military-industrial complex.’ The tough about communism. For example in the government gave huge budgets to military 1960 election campaign, John F Kennedy commanders. These budgets were spent on promised to continue the tough policies of weapons contracts which went to huge President Eisenhower. corporations. Therefore both the military and big businesses both gained form war. In Eisenhower’s last speech as president he warned the American people not to let these groups become too influential. Some historians believe that this was a factor in Vietnamese Tactics • They fought a guerrilla war, ambushing US patrols, setting booby traps and landmines, and planting bombs in towns. They mingled in with the peasants, wearing ordinary clothes. The Americans couldn't identify who the enemy was. • They were supplied with rockets and weapons by China and Russia. They used the Ho Chi Minh Trail - a jungle route through Laos and Cambodia - to supply their armies. The Americans couldn't attack their supply routes without escalating the war. • Their tactic was "hanging onto the belts" of the Americans - staying so close to the Americans so they could not use air or artillery backup without killing their own men. What is Guerrilla Warfare? The basic aim of guerrilla warfare is to avoid a pitched battle with the enemy. The Vietcong used this as they could never hope to defeat the might of US forces in a battle. Their aim was to attack US troops in small groups, and then disappear into the surrounding countryside. The success of guerrilla warfare depended upon the support of local people; to hide the Vietcong, as well as provide food and shelter. Why Use Guerrilla Warfare? • To wear Down the Enemy - destroying Moral would result in the USA Leaving Vietnam and the War ending. • The Vietnamese had seen how successful Guerrilla tactics had been used in China - This was because Emperor Mao had used these exact same tactics to achieve a communist victory in 1949 and they looked to China for direction and guidance because they were trying to achieve the same thing. • The use of Guerrilla tactics made it impossible for the American to fight back - they deliberately used tactics that made them invisible, they blended into the background as they dressed as civilians and were hard to tell apart from the peasants.
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