Vietnam Vietnam ConflictConflict

Vietnam Vietnam ConflictConflict

Mr. Milantoni:Mr. Milantoni:“No other conflict since the Civil War

has so divided our nation.”

“Reflections” by Lee Teter

Pottsgrove Pottsgrove GraduatesGraduates

Robert SovizalDonald SlichterRonald Neuman

Stanley DavidheiserRobert Nevel

NORTHNORTH SOUTHSOUTH

CapitalCapitalGeograpGeograp

hyhyClimateClimate

EconomyEconomy

NicknamNicknameses

MountainsHot; humid;

fivemo. rainy

season

Hanoi Saigon

Jungle, tall grass

Monsoons; six

mo. rainy season

Industry AgricultureNVA; NLF;

Viet Minh, Viet Cong;VC; Charlie

ARVN

Nationality:Nationality:Vietnamese (Thai & Vietnamese (Thai &

Chinese)Chinese) Religions Practiced:Religions Practiced:

BuddhismBuddhismCatholicismCatholicism

Staple Foods: Staple Foods: ((Single-cropping)Single-cropping)RiceRiceCornCornPotatoesPotatoes

Land is Land is consideredconsidered ANCESTRANCESTRALAL

Background Background InformationInformation NV, SV, Laos, Cambodia = French

Indochina

Area ruled by Bao Dai - Vietnamese man who worked for the French & Japan from 1926-45

Vietnamese Vietnamese nationalists nationalists

organized Viet organized Viet Minh under Minh under

leadership of leadership of Ho Chi MinhHo Chi Minh

Versailles Conf.Versailles Conf. 1919: Ho asked 1919: Ho asked

President Wilson President Wilson for help. for help.

Wilson threw him Wilson threw him

outout..

After WWII: Minh called for After WWII: Minh called for independence (w/ communist independence (w/ communist

gov’t) - Dai abdicatedgov’t) - Dai abdicated French refused to give VN French refused to give VN

sovereignty & drove communists sovereignty & drove communists to northto north

Ho Chi Minh wrote to Truman 8 times…

French set up gov’t

to rival Ho & put it

under leadership of

Bao Dai

1954: French lost major battle at Dien Bien Phu

US saw Minh as agent of US saw Minh as agent of Communism -- so, refused Communism -- so, refused to helpto help

Battle of Dien Bien Phu

A peace conference…A peace conference…… The Geneva … The Geneva

ConferenceConference*** The French would leave and…

1. Vietnam split at 17th parallel

2. Ho Chi Minh in North; Bao Dai in South

3. After “cooling off” period, Vietnam to be

united through popular election