background to the vietnam war

Background to the Vietnam War• Part of the French empire before WW2• Invaded by the Japanese during WW2• 1945 the French returned.• The North was controlled by the Vietnamese, led by Ho Chi Minh.• South controlled by the French

Cold WarBattle of the Superpowers

USA Soviet Union Capitalism VS Communism

Conflicting Ideologies Capitalism vs Communism

Private ownership State ownershipProfit goes to individuals Profit goes to the State

(everyone benefits)Laissez-faire economics Planned economy (let to do)Multiple Parties One party Freedom of Religion Religion abolished

The Cold War Game

1. Battle of ideas, over way of life. 2. They competed to bring countries under their

sphere of influence.3. They could never fight each other directly.Why? - So large and powerful – mutual destruction

- World didn’t want another world war 4.So they fought indirectly through Proxy Wars.

• Vietnam was a Proxy War.

• USA supported the French in the South.

• The Soviet Union, through their ally China, supported the Ho Chi Minh in the North.

• Supported by giving money and weapons.

Zero to Hero

• Ho Chi Minh becomes a hero after defeating the elite French troops at Dien Bien Phu.

• 1954: World nations meet in Geneva. • They decide that – Ho Chi Minh will lead the North– Ngo Dinh Diem will lead the South– By 1956 there will be elections to unify Vietnam

•Vietnam split into North & South. •DMZ•17th Parallel.

Dinh Diem• Puppet leader. Chosen by the USA.• A fierce Catholic, he suppresses Buddhism.

• Leads an unpopular government made up of rich Christian landowners.

• The mainly rural Vietnamese are exploited and persecuted.

Ho Chi Minh • Admired leader of the North. • Elections never happened, so the split became permanent. • They all wanted Diem out of the South and for Vietnam to

be united.• 1957 he began using his guerrilla fighters, known as the

Vietcong (VC), to gain control of the South.• Sends them to the South to spread the message of

Communism.• They are well-received as they are polite, respectful & help

on the farms.

• The Ho Chi Minh trail trail.

Diem’s unpopularity rises

• In protest to the Diem’s rule a Buddhist monk sets himself on fire.

• Support for Ho Chi Minh & the VC grows

• By 1963 most of the rural areas in Vietnam are under VC control.

• Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) cannot cope. Why?– Not well trained– Under equipped.

• US supports a coup which puts the military in charge & leads to the murder of Diem.

• The belief in the US is that a strong, well-organised government & a well advised army will defeat the VC.

1964 – Gulf of Tonkin incident

• By this time USA already has airbases and ‘advisors’ in Vietnam.

• Defensive purpose only.• USA is not directly attacked until:– USS Maddox incident.– Congress authorises a retaliation.

• 1965 US airbases are attacked > President Johnson declares war.

Operation Rolling Thunder • Show the full force of the American military

power.• Believed that in 8 weeks it would be over. • It took 8 years• And they lost.

Causes of US intervention(DACT)

• Domino Theory‘If you allow a bully into your garden, the next day he’ll be at your front door, and after that he’ll rape your wife.’ (President Johnson)

• ARVN’s weaknessIt was obvious that they could not defeat the Vietcong without help. US believed a large scale war would overwhelm the Vietcong.

• ContainmentChina had become Communist in 1949. America had fought in Korea in 1950 -3 to stop the spread. Again America wanted to stop communism.

• The USA was attacked by the VietcongThis provided an excuse to get involved.