Asia part 2 – Conflict in Vietnam
What were the reasons for French withdrawal from Indochina?####Vietminh controlled North,
Vietminh had support, Defeat at Dien Bien Phu
Why did the Vietminh control the North?####2nd September 1945: Democratic Republic of Vietnam
declared after Japan surrendered their control they gained after WWII
What support did the Vietminh have?####USSR and China
Why did Vietminh have support?####Ho Chi Minh and Vietminh were communist
What was the result of the Vietminh’s support####strengthened nation
what event demonstrated NV’s newfound strength?####First Indochina War (1946-54)
What event was Dien Bien Phu?####1953: French attacked DBP military base w/10,000 troops →
overpowered by 50,000 Vietminh soldiers → massive defeat
What was the main reason for French withdrawal from Indochina?####Vietminh’s support
Why was the Vietminh’s support the main reason for French withdrawal?####made defeating
Vietminh would be impossible
Why was Vietminh’s control of the North not the main reason?####made victory difficult but French
did have some success
Why was defeat at Dien Bien Phu not the main reason?####although the final defeat, arguably the
war was already lost
What were the causes of the Vietnam War?####division of Vietnam, bitter rivalry, support of Mao
What was the cause of the division in Vietnam?####French withdrawal → power vacuum → Geneva
Accords
How were the Geneva Accords agreed upon?####July 1954: conference in Geneva w/ N and S
attendees
Give 3 examples of Geneva Accords.####ceasefire between French and VietnimhVietnam
temporarily divided across 11th parallelelections to be held in 2 years
What was the bitter rivalry?####Ho Chi Minh vs Ngo Dinh Diem
Who was Ho Chi Minh?####communist leader of NVChinese backinghelped resist Japanese
Who was Ngo Dinh Diem####capitalistUS backing (Pres. Eisenhower)unpopularrigged electionheavy
handedregular protests (e.g self immolating Buddhist )
What was the first step in the Gulf of Tonkin Incident?####2nd August 1964: 3 N. V boats fired
torpedoes at the USS Maddox
What did the attack on the USS Maddox lead to?####Truman ordered retaliatory bombing, appeal to
Congress to escalate the policy of containment
How did Congress escalate the policy containment?####7th August: passed the Gulf of Tonkin
resolution
, What was the result of the Gulf of Tonkin resolution?####Feb 1965: helicopter base attack
Operation Rolling Thunder launched
How long did Operation Rolling Thunder last?####Nov 1965 - Mar 1968
How long was Operation Rolling Thunder meant to last?####6 weeks
What was the purpose of Operation Rolling Thunder?####attack on N.V military, economic and
political sites
What did Operation Rolling Thunder lead to?####an exacerbated crisis - 8th March: 3,5000 marines -
US firmly engaged
What were reasons for US involvement in the Vietnam War?####Division of VietnamNorth’s
aggressionContainment
What was the main reason for US involvement in the Vietnam war?####North’s agression
Why was North’s aggression the main reason for involvement in the Vietnam war?####meant there
was a war in which US wanted to intervene
Why was division not the main reason for US involvement in Vietnam war?####although it meant
there were 2 opposing countries, it manifested mostly in rivalry
Why was the policy of containment not the main reason for US involvement in Vietnam war?
####although it made US alert, decision to act was reactive not proactive
Why were the VC difficult to defeat?####VC strengths, US weaknesses
What were the strength of the VC?####committed forcesplenty of supporteffective tactics
Why did the VC have more committed forces?####dedicated to communismhated US
interventionismwanted to reunite Vietnam
Who supported the VC?####NVSV
How did NV support VC?####PAVNHo Chi Minh trail
Def: PAVN####NV army
Def: Ho Chi Minh trail####15,000 km of supply routes
Why did SV support VC?####US Strategic Hamlets ProgrampropagandaVC helped SV
How did SV support NV?####gave supplieshid soliders
What the VC’s effective tactics?####Guerilla tactics
Def: guerilla tactics####non-traditional warfare, more persistent & frequent
Eg: guerilla tactcis####booby trapstunnel systemssurprise ambushesplain clothes
Eg: booby trap####Punji trap
How many US deaths were caused by booby traps?####10%
How many km of tunnel systems were there?####300km
What were US weaknesses?####uncommitted forceslittle supportineffective tactics
What were the reasons for French withdrawal from Indochina?####Vietminh controlled North,
Vietminh had support, Defeat at Dien Bien Phu
Why did the Vietminh control the North?####2nd September 1945: Democratic Republic of Vietnam
declared after Japan surrendered their control they gained after WWII
What support did the Vietminh have?####USSR and China
Why did Vietminh have support?####Ho Chi Minh and Vietminh were communist
What was the result of the Vietminh’s support####strengthened nation
what event demonstrated NV’s newfound strength?####First Indochina War (1946-54)
What event was Dien Bien Phu?####1953: French attacked DBP military base w/10,000 troops →
overpowered by 50,000 Vietminh soldiers → massive defeat
What was the main reason for French withdrawal from Indochina?####Vietminh’s support
Why was the Vietminh’s support the main reason for French withdrawal?####made defeating
Vietminh would be impossible
Why was Vietminh’s control of the North not the main reason?####made victory difficult but French
did have some success
Why was defeat at Dien Bien Phu not the main reason?####although the final defeat, arguably the
war was already lost
What were the causes of the Vietnam War?####division of Vietnam, bitter rivalry, support of Mao
What was the cause of the division in Vietnam?####French withdrawal → power vacuum → Geneva
Accords
How were the Geneva Accords agreed upon?####July 1954: conference in Geneva w/ N and S
attendees
Give 3 examples of Geneva Accords.####ceasefire between French and VietnimhVietnam
temporarily divided across 11th parallelelections to be held in 2 years
What was the bitter rivalry?####Ho Chi Minh vs Ngo Dinh Diem
Who was Ho Chi Minh?####communist leader of NVChinese backinghelped resist Japanese
Who was Ngo Dinh Diem####capitalistUS backing (Pres. Eisenhower)unpopularrigged electionheavy
handedregular protests (e.g self immolating Buddhist )
What was the first step in the Gulf of Tonkin Incident?####2nd August 1964: 3 N. V boats fired
torpedoes at the USS Maddox
What did the attack on the USS Maddox lead to?####Truman ordered retaliatory bombing, appeal to
Congress to escalate the policy of containment
How did Congress escalate the policy containment?####7th August: passed the Gulf of Tonkin
resolution
, What was the result of the Gulf of Tonkin resolution?####Feb 1965: helicopter base attack
Operation Rolling Thunder launched
How long did Operation Rolling Thunder last?####Nov 1965 - Mar 1968
How long was Operation Rolling Thunder meant to last?####6 weeks
What was the purpose of Operation Rolling Thunder?####attack on N.V military, economic and
political sites
What did Operation Rolling Thunder lead to?####an exacerbated crisis - 8th March: 3,5000 marines -
US firmly engaged
What were reasons for US involvement in the Vietnam War?####Division of VietnamNorth’s
aggressionContainment
What was the main reason for US involvement in the Vietnam war?####North’s agression
Why was North’s aggression the main reason for involvement in the Vietnam war?####meant there
was a war in which US wanted to intervene
Why was division not the main reason for US involvement in Vietnam war?####although it meant
there were 2 opposing countries, it manifested mostly in rivalry
Why was the policy of containment not the main reason for US involvement in Vietnam war?
####although it made US alert, decision to act was reactive not proactive
Why were the VC difficult to defeat?####VC strengths, US weaknesses
What were the strength of the VC?####committed forcesplenty of supporteffective tactics
Why did the VC have more committed forces?####dedicated to communismhated US
interventionismwanted to reunite Vietnam
Who supported the VC?####NVSV
How did NV support VC?####PAVNHo Chi Minh trail
Def: PAVN####NV army
Def: Ho Chi Minh trail####15,000 km of supply routes
Why did SV support VC?####US Strategic Hamlets ProgrampropagandaVC helped SV
How did SV support NV?####gave supplieshid soliders
What the VC’s effective tactics?####Guerilla tactics
Def: guerilla tactics####non-traditional warfare, more persistent & frequent
Eg: guerilla tactcis####booby trapstunnel systemssurprise ambushesplain clothes
Eg: booby trap####Punji trap
How many US deaths were caused by booby traps?####10%
How many km of tunnel systems were there?####300km
What were US weaknesses?####uncommitted forceslittle supportineffective tactics
