The nationalist leader- Ho Chi Minh 1939
Before world war II in 1939 the French government controlled most parts of today's Vietnam. After the world war in 1945, as Japan lost, French concentrated on Vietnam again and tried to get their control back.
Meanwhile China became a communist country which influenced Vietnam as well. Ho Chi Minh, who was a nationalist leader, declared the country of Vietnam finally as independent. That declaration was much to the disgust of French, who started a war between Ho Chi Minh's followers and themselves. French finally lost the war after an important battle and retired.
The consequence of the war was that Vietnam was divided in two parts. While the northern part was controlled by the communists, the French still supported the southern area. Nevertheless, the southern part was weak and the people started to act against their government. Communist rebels from the north burglarized the border.
As a result, the French built a defense and the war was collusive declared.
Meanwhile China became a communist country which influenced Vietnam as well. Ho Chi Minh, who was a nationalist leader, declared the country of Vietnam finally as independent. That declaration was much to the disgust of French, who started a war between Ho Chi Minh's followers and themselves. French finally lost the war after an important battle and retired.
The consequence of the war was that Vietnam was divided in two parts. While the northern part was controlled by the communists, the French still supported the southern area. Nevertheless, the southern part was weak and the people started to act against their government. Communist rebels from the north burglarized the border.
As a result, the French built a defense and the war was collusive declared.
French fall to Viet Minh at Dien Bien Phu 1954
In May 7 in 1954 surrounded a troop of 40.000 Viet Minh the French with 15.000 soldiers. All this happened after they fought a long and bloody war (from 1946) with the French colonial interests for the control of Vietnam. French attempted that they would score a decisive victory, which leaded to ignore the enemy lines and invading miles behind them.
The reaction of this was that the Viet Minh General Vo Nguyen Giap imposed a surrounding of the mountains and five divisions around the French position. The battle was on size way larger than anything in the war. It began with a huge artillery barrage of the Viet Minh and was followed by an infantry assault. The trend turned against the French as soon as it started.
Meanwhile discussed the U.S. Secretary of State (occasionally John Foster Dulles) the turn of the events and how to get held, of the course, of them.
Some options were:
1. Nuclear strikes against the Viet Minh (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Arthur Radford)
2. Including massive conventional air strikes, paratrooper drops and mining of Haiphong Harbor
3. No action to be taken to aid the French( President Eisenhower)
In the end the decision were made and the third option were chosen. The reason for this includes the explanation of Eisenhower that the situation was too far gone.
The fight lasted until this day, when the Viet Minh finally overran the last French positions. 1.600 French were killed, 4.800 wounded and 1.600 just missing. On the other front were 7.900 Viet Minh killed and 15.000 wounded.
These events in Dien Bien Phu led to the end of French involvement in Southeast Asia. The defeat against the Viet Minh and the sacrifice of thousands of soldiers let the French government accepting the independence of Vietnam in 1954 at the Geneva Conference.
The reaction of this was that the Viet Minh General Vo Nguyen Giap imposed a surrounding of the mountains and five divisions around the French position. The battle was on size way larger than anything in the war. It began with a huge artillery barrage of the Viet Minh and was followed by an infantry assault. The trend turned against the French as soon as it started.
Meanwhile discussed the U.S. Secretary of State (occasionally John Foster Dulles) the turn of the events and how to get held, of the course, of them.
Some options were:
1. Nuclear strikes against the Viet Minh (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Arthur Radford)
2. Including massive conventional air strikes, paratrooper drops and mining of Haiphong Harbor
3. No action to be taken to aid the French( President Eisenhower)
In the end the decision were made and the third option were chosen. The reason for this includes the explanation of Eisenhower that the situation was too far gone.
The fight lasted until this day, when the Viet Minh finally overran the last French positions. 1.600 French were killed, 4.800 wounded and 1.600 just missing. On the other front were 7.900 Viet Minh killed and 15.000 wounded.
These events in Dien Bien Phu led to the end of French involvement in Southeast Asia. The defeat against the Viet Minh and the sacrifice of thousands of soldiers let the French government accepting the independence of Vietnam in 1954 at the Geneva Conference.
Domino Theory
The Domino Theory lasted from the 1950s to the 1980s. The United States Government thought that if one country in a region resorted to communism, then countries near by would do the same. This would result in a domino effect. US Administrations took advantage of this theory during the Cold War in order to justify intervention around the world.
Vietnamese President Diem and US Reaction to his Election
Ngo Dinh Diem was born in Vietnam in 1901. He was born into Christianity, and was educated in French Catholic schools. His first major government job was when he became a governor at the age of 25. During the French-Indochina War, Diem came to the United States and met with influential Catholics like John F. Kennedy. He argued that he would make a good leader of Vietnam if the French ever left because he opposed both communism and French colonialism. This eventually led to him becoming the leader of Vietnam in 1954.
Once Diem was in power, America soon realized that Diem was unwilling to work with them, because he kept making decisions that angered the South Vietnamese people and rejected their advice. In 1955, the South Vietnamese population was asked to vote between Diem and Bo Dai, the former Emperor of Vietnam. However, the voting system was incredibly rigged, causing Diem to win by a landslide.
Another reason for Diem's unpopularity was that he suppressed Buddhism. At the time, around 70% of South Vietnam were followers of Buddha, while he and his government officials were Catholic. The Buddhists felt that they were being denied rights and staged huge protests, where some even went as far as to commit suicide. By 1963, US President John F. Kennedy was convinced that Diem would never be able to unite the South Vietnamese against communism, and he staged a military coup to remove Diem from power. Diem was replaced by Nguyen Van Thieu.
Once Diem was in power, America soon realized that Diem was unwilling to work with them, because he kept making decisions that angered the South Vietnamese people and rejected their advice. In 1955, the South Vietnamese population was asked to vote between Diem and Bo Dai, the former Emperor of Vietnam. However, the voting system was incredibly rigged, causing Diem to win by a landslide.
Another reason for Diem's unpopularity was that he suppressed Buddhism. At the time, around 70% of South Vietnam were followers of Buddha, while he and his government officials were Catholic. The Buddhists felt that they were being denied rights and staged huge protests, where some even went as far as to commit suicide. By 1963, US President John F. Kennedy was convinced that Diem would never be able to unite the South Vietnamese against communism, and he staged a military coup to remove Diem from power. Diem was replaced by Nguyen Van Thieu.
Kennedy Assassination, Johnson changes US involvement in 1963
On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy, the 35th president, was assassinated. He was riding with his wife, Jacqueline, and the Governor of Texas John Connally and his wife Nellie, in the Presidential Motorcade in Dallas Texas. Kennedy was shot two times: once in the neck, and once in the head. The assassination was thought by many to be a plot or a cover up. In accordance to the ten-month investigation done by Warren Commission, Kennedy was shot by Lee Harvey Oswald.
Kennedy's vice president, Lyndon B. Johnson, stepped up to presidency after nearly a year. He first passed some very important pieces of legislation. The first was a Civil Rights Bill that Kennedy originally planned to pass. This act banned discrimination based on a person's race or gender in all public facilities. The second was the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, which created the Office of Economic Opportunity. This targeted the roots of American poverty by establishing a Job Corps in order to provide training for jobs.
Under Johnson, America was in a liberal high-tide. Johnson saved nearly 9.1 million acres of forest from development, he tightened the pollution controls with a much stronger Air and Water Quality Acts. He banned the discriminatory voting methods preventing African American Suffrage, and ended the discriminatory quotas for immigration.
Johnson was a firm believer in the Domino Effect, and set out for a more forceful attack to Vietnam.
Kennedy's vice president, Lyndon B. Johnson, stepped up to presidency after nearly a year. He first passed some very important pieces of legislation. The first was a Civil Rights Bill that Kennedy originally planned to pass. This act banned discrimination based on a person's race or gender in all public facilities. The second was the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, which created the Office of Economic Opportunity. This targeted the roots of American poverty by establishing a Job Corps in order to provide training for jobs.
Under Johnson, America was in a liberal high-tide. Johnson saved nearly 9.1 million acres of forest from development, he tightened the pollution controls with a much stronger Air and Water Quality Acts. He banned the discriminatory voting methods preventing African American Suffrage, and ended the discriminatory quotas for immigration.
Johnson was a firm believer in the Domino Effect, and set out for a more forceful attack to Vietnam.
An excuse for all actions-The Tonkin Gulf Resolution 1964
In overall is to say that the resolution (The state or quality of being resolute; firm determination) of Congress dated August 7, 1964, gave the currently president Lyndon Johnson the power to increases U.S. involvement in the war between North and South Vietnam.
On August 2, 1964, U.S. ships had been attacked by North Vietnamese in the Gulf of Tonkin. Two days later was this announced by President Lyndon Johnson. He send forth U.S. planes against the attackers and requested the Congress to pass a resolution to support his actions. This resolution passed on August 7, with just two senators( Wayne Morse and Ernest Gruening). It became a subject of a huge political controversy in the course the undeclared war that followed.
The Tonkin Gulf Resolution announced that “Congress approves and supports the determination of the President, as Commander in Chief, to take all necessary measures to repeal any armed attack against the forces to the United States ant to prevent any further aggression”. As resume, President Johnson and later President Nixon, excused their actions on the resolution as a legal basis for their military policies in Vietnam.
As public resistance to the war heightened, the resolution was repealed by Congress in January 1971.