Vietnam Notes
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Part I: Causes
1) Why were the French in Indochina?
- Wanted a colony.
- Benefits to this: exploitation, trade, etc.
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?
- Head of Communist movement
- Lead fight for independace.
- "founder" of C.P. -unified individual groups.
- Lead the gight against the French and later against the Americans.
- President of North Vietnam from 1946 until his death.
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?
- USA supported South, fear of Communism and "Domino Theory"
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.
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by: Admin
Total views: 704
Word Count: 1306
Date: Wed, 2 Aug 2006 Time: 12:00 AM
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