Survey
What two aspects were the French adminisatration based off?
Repression and Exploitation
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Name the real name of the Viet Cong and what their aim was.
The National Liberation Front (NLF).
Their aim was to encourage and support military resistance against the Diem regime in the south.
What did the ARVN stand for and what was its aim?
The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (South) and its aim was to protect the nation of South Vietnam against the communist forces.
Define the sphere of influence.
A geographic region in which a foreign power has significant military, political and economic influence or control
This 1964 naval confrontation, involving reported attacks on U.S. destroyers, led directly to a congressional resolution authorising large‑scale military escalation. Name the incident.
The Gulf of Tonkin Incident
What two key events happen in 1954?
The French are defeated in the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, ending the First Indochina War.
The Geneva Accords divide North and South Vietnam along the 17th parallel.
p199
What occurred on the 11th of July 1963, and what caused this event to occur?
The Buddhist Monk, Thich Quang Duc, burnt himself to death over the anti-Buddhist policies of the Diem Regime - Specifically the fact that they were not allowed to fly their religious flag.
What political difference was evident between the North and South Vietnamese populations?
The North's population had largely accomodated the radical transformation under the Viet minh, while the Southern populations were struggling to align with Diem's regime.
What two key events in 1963 shaped the US foreign policy towards South Vietnam?
The Assassinations of Diem and Kennedy
This U.S. operational tactic focused on locating enemy units, engaging them, and withdrawing rather than holding territory. Name the tactic.
Search and Destroy Tactics (Very Similar to Guerilla)
Provide the statistics for the following during the Battle of Dien Bien Phu:
- The amount of weapons given to the Vietminh China
- The number of troops trained by China
- The name of the Chinese tactic which did not work well and what this tactic resulted in
- 20,000 tonnes of weapons
- 30,000 troops were trained
- Human Wave Attacks failed, and resulted in the French being provided with "juicy targets for artillery and aircraft"
Correctly rearrange the following into a timeline.
- The NLF was established
- Diem challenges the religious sects of the Cao Dai and the Hao Hao to control power
- Diem becomes unpopular within the region and public protests begin.
- Diem established the Agroville program
1. Diem challenges the religious sects of the Cao Dai and the Hao Hao to control power
2. Diem established the Agroville program
3. The NLF was established
4. Diem becomes unpopular within the region and public protests begin.
In 1956, Ho decided to undertake a radical move, which proved to be unpopular. What was it? How did it work? And what did it result in?
The 'purification' of those who represented French Colonialism. It killed those who were supporters of the French and the landowners, but as a result of the protests, the policy was altered and Ho formally apologised.
What was the new name of the Agrovilles, what was it's aim and what did it realistically result in.
The Strategic Hamlet Program aimed to protect rural villagers in the south from communism. The farmers were forced onto onclaves to work for the Diem Regime, however, became breeding grounds for communist ideology. They Hamlets became another mechanism for repression of the Southern populations, and was justified a failure.
This 1968 siege saw U.S. Marines defend a remote base for 77 days, drawing global attention and becoming one of the war’s most iconic battles. Name the battle. (Also a Banger of a song by Cold Chisel)
The Battle of Khe Sanh
Without looking in your book, provide the full name of the commanding officer the north Vietnamese throughout both the First and Second Indochina war.
Vo Nguyen Giap
Provide two similarities mentioned by Dennett, surrounding the post-war aims of the North and South Vietnam and an example from each area (Nth and Sth)
- Both wanted to establish themselves as viable and stable nations. The North they transformed from a French colony into a socialist state, in the south they established a capitalist state.
- Both sought support from powerful outsiders to achieve their goals. In the North, they attained economic support from the USSR and China. In the South they looked to the USSR.
What was the hardest struggle for the North, and how did Ho attempt to solve each factor? To what extent was each factor successfully solved?
Economic problems and food production were the two major problems.
To combat the economic problems, Ho introduced land reform policies in 1957, which seized all privately owned land from the land owners and redistributed to the peasantry. It was largely successful
To combat the food shortages, Ho established new land reforms to improbve rice production, which reached double the amount it had before the First Indochina War. The creation of over 100 new factories had been completed and the country was able to mine its own coal.
Provide key details into the role JFK played in the US foreign policy towards Indochina. (4 areas needed)
- Promised to be 'tougher on communism' if elected president
- Initially used a diplomatic approach to the situation, as suggested by the State Department, however as a result of the increasing numbers joining the Viet Cong, he opted to use military tactics, suggested by the Pentagon.
- Kennedy increased the number of advisors from 900 to 3025 to offere assistance in training the ARVN troops
- Kennedy was advised that Diem had to be removed and a coup would likely take place in the latter 6 months of 1963. This was undertaken on the 1st of November.
- Kennedy increased the overall military personel from 800 to 16,000.
This 1973 agreement established a ceasefire, U.S. withdrawal, and prisoner exchanges, though fighting continued.
The Paris Peace Accords
All Play: Provide the english translation to what "Ho Chi Minh" means
"Bringer of Light"
This campaign mobilised village officials, militias, and police to identify, arrest, or eliminate suspected communists, resulting in mass detentions and executions. Name the campaign.
The “Denounce the Communists” Campaign (Tố Cộng)
This mobile judicial mechanism travelled through rural zones conducting trials, enforcing land policies, and punishing collaborators, forming a key part of wartime governance. What was this system known as?
People’s Revolutionary Tribunals / Cadre Courts
Provide the 5 key aspects of US Foreign Policy and an example of each.
Containment aimed to stop the spread of communism from the USSR and China into developing nations.
The Domino Theory supported the idea that if Vietnam fell, then Communism would spread to Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.
Idealism focussed on Vietnam being a proving ground for democracy, and a child for future democratic nations.
Self-interest focussed on the economic influence given to the South, and the problems if the US were to withdraw.
Prestige focussed on the idea that if Vietnam was lost, then the US's powerbase would be ideologically crippled and they would lose their superpower status.
The estimated number of US deaths and total Vietnamese deaths
US - 58,000
NV - Over 2 million