The Vietnam War
-1946-1954 the origins of the conflict: war between Minh and French (why USA became involved)
-1957-1965 the struggle between South Vietnamese army and Viet Congress: The Democratic Republic
of North Vietnam, The Republic of South Vietnam, The formation of the Viet Cong
-1965-1969 The Vietnam War: American involvement in the war, the nature of Vietnamese struggle
against USA, Viet Cong and guerrilla tactics (bombings, chemical weapons, search and destroy)
-1968 The Tet Offensive: My Lai massacre
The origin of the conflict 1946-1954
Vietnam was a French colony but Vietnamese people resented/opposed French’s political + economic
control they had. During WWll Vietnam was occupied by Japanese who seized county’s main resource
(coal&rice), resulting in a strong anti-Japanese resistance movement, Viet Minh under COMMUNIST
leader Ho Chi Minh, who founded Indochinese Communist Party to fight for Vietnam’s independence. End
of WWll Viet Minh controlled the north of the country.
Topic 1: The Cold War
1945, the French wanted to rule Vietnam so war broke out in 1946. Ho Chi Minh kept quiet about
wanting a Communist Vietnam through this struggle and ironically gained sympathy from USA before
Communism took over China + helped Ho Chi Minh. The US supported the French with large sums of
money. This was in line with their policy of containment (influenced by Domino Effect)
Domino effect: the belief that if one country in south - east Asia became communist,
the others would follow in quick succession like a line of falling dominos
The war went from 1946 to 1954 between the French and Viet Minh in a guerilla war. The French
army/troops were defeated. The French:
-lost +3000 soldiers in battle
-lost against Viet Minh with help of modern weapons from USSR and China
-then agreed to withdraw from Vietnam
Why America became involved in Vietnam
American President Eisenhower + Secretary of State of JF Dulles were convinced China&USSR were
planning to spread communism through Asia (Domino Effect), with Vietnam being the first, followed
by Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and India.
1955 America and Ngo Ding Diem (bitterly anti-Communist) set up the Republic of South Vietnam.
America supported Diem’s regime with over $ 1,6 billion. Opposition however, of peasants in South
Vietnam against Diem’s government grew by people known as the Viet Cong. Viet Cong formed the
National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam = SV opposed to gov. but also many NV. The Viet
Cong and Diem’s government fought guerilla war (Viet Cong got arms & supplies from Ho Chi Minh
Trail). The Viet Cong attacked SV buildings and gov. forces. People protested (burning self on fire)
against violent Diem government
1962 President Kennedy sent military to fight Viet Cong (as tensions increased, so did America’s
involvement). After Kennedy died, President Johnson willing to send full on military to stop
communism.
1964 August North Vietnamese patrol boats open fired on US ships. In reaction US passed the Tonkin
Gulf Resolution. This let Johnson “TAKE ALL NECESSARY MEASURES TO PREVENT FURTHER AGGRESSION
AND ACHIEVE PEACE AND SECURITY” (US could go full-scale if they felt it was necessary = did
happen 8 March)
-1946-1954 the origins of the conflict: war between Minh and French (why USA became involved)
-1957-1965 the struggle between South Vietnamese army and Viet Congress: The Democratic Republic
of North Vietnam, The Republic of South Vietnam, The formation of the Viet Cong
-1965-1969 The Vietnam War: American involvement in the war, the nature of Vietnamese struggle
against USA, Viet Cong and guerrilla tactics (bombings, chemical weapons, search and destroy)
-1968 The Tet Offensive: My Lai massacre
The origin of the conflict 1946-1954
Vietnam was a French colony but Vietnamese people resented/opposed French’s political + economic
control they had. During WWll Vietnam was occupied by Japanese who seized county’s main resource
(coal&rice), resulting in a strong anti-Japanese resistance movement, Viet Minh under COMMUNIST
leader Ho Chi Minh, who founded Indochinese Communist Party to fight for Vietnam’s independence. End
of WWll Viet Minh controlled the north of the country.
Topic 1: The Cold War
1945, the French wanted to rule Vietnam so war broke out in 1946. Ho Chi Minh kept quiet about
wanting a Communist Vietnam through this struggle and ironically gained sympathy from USA before
Communism took over China + helped Ho Chi Minh. The US supported the French with large sums of
money. This was in line with their policy of containment (influenced by Domino Effect)
Domino effect: the belief that if one country in south - east Asia became communist,
the others would follow in quick succession like a line of falling dominos
The war went from 1946 to 1954 between the French and Viet Minh in a guerilla war. The French
army/troops were defeated. The French:
-lost +3000 soldiers in battle
-lost against Viet Minh with help of modern weapons from USSR and China
-then agreed to withdraw from Vietnam
Why America became involved in Vietnam
American President Eisenhower + Secretary of State of JF Dulles were convinced China&USSR were
planning to spread communism through Asia (Domino Effect), with Vietnam being the first, followed
by Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and India.
1955 America and Ngo Ding Diem (bitterly anti-Communist) set up the Republic of South Vietnam.
America supported Diem’s regime with over $ 1,6 billion. Opposition however, of peasants in South
Vietnam against Diem’s government grew by people known as the Viet Cong. Viet Cong formed the
National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam = SV opposed to gov. but also many NV. The Viet
Cong and Diem’s government fought guerilla war (Viet Cong got arms & supplies from Ho Chi Minh
Trail). The Viet Cong attacked SV buildings and gov. forces. People protested (burning self on fire)
against violent Diem government
1962 President Kennedy sent military to fight Viet Cong (as tensions increased, so did America’s
involvement). After Kennedy died, President Johnson willing to send full on military to stop
communism.
1964 August North Vietnamese patrol boats open fired on US ships. In reaction US passed the Tonkin
Gulf Resolution. This let Johnson “TAKE ALL NECESSARY MEASURES TO PREVENT FURTHER AGGRESSION
AND ACHIEVE PEACE AND SECURITY” (US could go full-scale if they felt it was necessary = did
happen 8 March)
