Murray - Vietnam notes

VIETNAM NOTES

Part I: Causes

1) Why were the French in Indochina?

2) What effect did WWII have on the people of vietnam. ?

Japan took over Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos in May 1940
Important to Japanese war strategy because of resources.
By 1945 Japanses forces had overthrown the French government.
Vietminh resistance.
Forced villiagers to grow crops other than staple rice for the benefit of the war machine.
After Japanese surrender, "August Revolution"
Uprising across country
Ho Chi Minh announced independence of Vietnam.

3) What reistance was there to the French Rulers.?

There was allways resistance to the French in Vietnam Nationalism
Nationalist Party formed in 1927
Ruthlessly supressed after uprising in 1930
Quickly learned that peaceful reform movements are impossible, started turning to radical solutions i.e. Communist party.

4) Why is Ho Chi Minh an important part of Chinese History?

5) Briefly describe why the French were defeated in Vietnam after WWII.

French forces unable to deliver a crippling blow to an enemy they often could not locate.
Tactics- Revolutionary war.
Similar to tactics used by mao in C civil war
Guerilla.
Based around peasantry
Promises to redistribute land equally, propaganda.
Nationalism

6) Why was vietnam divided at te 17th parallel in 1956? Who was in control of the North? The south?

Genevas diplomats did not disire the division to be permanent and specified that national election had to be held in two years time, after which the country would become one.
This did not happen, South Vietnam became a separate politcal entity, supported by the USA
North vietnam became Communist, ruled by ho chi minh.

7) Which country did the USA support and why?

8) What was the Vietminh and the vietcong?

Vietminh
Founded in early 1940’s by, 1946 army of 60 000
Largely based in N Vietnam
Used Guerrilla tactics.
Avoided large scale confrontation
Vietcong.
A lot of ex-vietminh.
Many of thos who repressed under the French
Vietcong a label used by the Americans
Wage a style of war similar to the vietminh.
December 1960 saw formation of NLF- represented various political groupings opposed to the South Vietnam Government VC was military wing.

9) What Role did Kennedy and Johnson play in involving the USA in the Vietnam conlflict?

Kennedy (1961-63)
increased American involvment at "Advisory" Level
16 000 "advisors"
Johnson
After Gulf of Tonkin incident on August, 1964,
LBJ ordered US bombing raids.
After Vietcong attacks on American bases, Operation rolling thunder started in 1965.
1965 US commander in Vietnam, General William Westmoreland asked president for 180 000 men
LBJ sent 99 000
Escalation: By 1968 there were 536 000 troops in vietnam.

PART II : THE WAR

1) Briefly outline the course of the war.

Gulf of tonkin, 1964
Rolling thunder, 1965
Ground troops 1965, escalation 1968
Tet Offensive, 30th January 1968
Essentially a failure, but propaganda bonus for VC
Increased opposition back home.
1968 31 March LBJ announced that US troop levels would not increase, and that America would seek peace, resigned.
Nixon succeeded him.
Announcement of policy of "Vietnamisation."
Armed South Vietnamese to fight their own war, increased bombing.
27th January 1973 ‘Agreement ending the war and restoring peace in vietnam’ signed.

Tactics

Fought predominantly in S.V.
VC consisted of three groups: Regularl soldiers, provincial forces, and part-time guerrillas (men and women who farmed by day and fought by night)
Booby traps, tunels, snipers, mortar shells,
America - Agent Orange, Napalm, use of helicopters.