Vietnam War

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Vietnam War

• 1964-1973

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Early History

• Chinese refer to area as Nam Viet
• 111 B.C. to 939 A.D China ruled over Vietnam
  and the Vietnamese constantly fought their rule
• 939 A.D. to 1887 semi-independence from China
  and allowed for Vietnamese culture to grow

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French enter the picture Why?

• Hoping to secure land and sea bases from Europe
  to Asia
• Competing with British for colonial possessions
• Trying to convert area to Catholicism
• French signed treaty in 1887 creating Indochina

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WWII

• Vietnamese resist Japanese control over the area
• Office of Strategic Services (OSS) works with Ho
  Chi Minh to rescue downed allied pilots
• War ends and Ho issues Declaration of
  Independence and at the same time French reassert
  control

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First Indochina War 1945 - 1954

• Truman has a choice?
• - Ho Chi Minh
• -French rule as colonial power
• French use fear of communism saying that if they
  lost Indochina then they would be too weak and
  their government would fall to French Communist
  party
• 1952, US supplied 1/3 of French military budget

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Siege of Dien Bien Phu
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Siege

• French want to create a fortress and battle enemy
  in one of attrition
• Viet Minh bring in 40,000 additional troops
  around Dien Bien Phu and put it to a siege
• Lasts from March 1954 to May 7 1954 when the
  French surrendered
• French- 3,000 killed and Viet Minh 8,000 killed

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Why they lost?

1. They are French
2. Monsoon weather did not allow ofr successful
   supply drops
3. Too far from supply base
4. Viet Minh held the high ground
5. Did not bomb Viet Minh positions with significant
   aircraft

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Geneva Conference - 1954

• Split Vietnam along 17th parallel
• Called for elections to unite country in 1956
  (Diem worried Ho would fix elections but North
  had greater population not necessary)
• Withdrawal of French Union Forces from Indochina
• Leader in the North Ho Chi Minh
• Leader in the South Ngo Dinh Diem

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Democratic Republic of VietnamAKA North Vietnam

• Leader Ho Chi Minh led anti-colonial forces
  from 1945 to his death in 1969
• Vo Nguyen Giap commander of all military forces
  in North Vietnam from 1945 to 1973
• Le Duan took over control of North Vietnam
  after death of Ho Chi Minh
• Pham Van Dong skillfull diplomat

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Leaders
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North Vietnam Organizations

• Viet Minh (NVA) organization of committed
  communists founded in 1941
• Viet Cong (VC) opposition communist group in
  South Vietnam committed to overthrowing Diem
  government
• Lao Dong Party - name of communist party
  organization

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The Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam)

• Ngo Dinh Diem worked with the US as Prime
  Minister of South Vietnam. His policies would
  alienate many South Vietnam people
• Duong Van Minh - military General of the South
  Vietnamese army (ARVN)

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Diems policies

• Sought harsh methods to root out communists at
  the village and city level
• Tru Gian Viet Minh organization devoted to
  political assassinations
• -1959, 1,000 assassinations
• - ignored the corrupt and inefficient
  officials

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Ho Chi Minhs trouble

• a poorly executed plan nearly resulted in famine
• The five-year plan failed
• Overall Goal of Ho - wants to unite North and
  South into one communist country and expel US
  use NVA and VC

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Eisenhower and Vietnam

• Sent military equipment and financial aid to
  France
• 1955 set up Military Assistance advisory Croup
  Vietnam (MAAGV) worked as military advisors in
  training ARVN capped at 342
• Tried to work with French in the South unitl they
  left in 1956
• Domino theory increases US interests in Vietnam

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Eisenhower and Vietnam

• Sent Ed Lansdale to support Diem and counter
  coups against him
• State Department representative Collins does not
  support Diem

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Eisenhower and Vietnam

• By end of of 2nd term Eisenhower increased
  military advisors to 700
• Also sent more military men in civilian clothes
  to get around cap on foreign military troops in
  Vietnam

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Kennedy and Vietnam

• 1960 campaign vowed to be strong on communism
• Kennedy believed in exporting democracy and
  capitalism to stop spread of communism
• Knowing this Diem screams Communists! and gets
  more aid from Kennedy

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Increasing aid

• Diem request enough aid for a 270,000 men ARVN
  force
• Increased VC activity leads to Diems call for US
  combat troops
• Kennedy sends General Taylor and Walt Rostow

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Two policies to choose from

• Increase military advisors and support units of
  pilots and helicopters
• Also, send 8,000 combat soldiers to help with
  humanitarian relief

• Send six divisions numbering 200,000 soldiers to
  Vietnam
• Shows commitment to Vietnam

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Counterinsurgency
Green Berets
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Winning the hearts and minds

• Building schools
• Providing medical assistance
• Improving irrigation and roads
• Protecting Vietnamese peasants from the Viet Cong
• Colin Powell was an advisor during these years

• VC
• -taxing them
• -Drafting their young men into service
• -Terrorizing them

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Assassination of Diem

• Ruled as a virtual dictator
• Gave preference to Catholics in government
  positions, and giving land
• Hamlet programs were a disaster
• Banned the display of Buddhist flags (90 of
  country was Buddhist)

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Kennedy and the Vietnam war

• Increased advisors from 700 to 16,000
• Ordered withdrawal of 1,000 advisors
• Diem coup created revolving door governments and
  great instability