Notes 4.4B: Introduction to Vietnam

I. VocabularyA. Know the meaning of the following:

1. Containment2. Escalation

II. History of Vietnam Prior to 1945A. Vietnam is a small country who constantly feared

capture.B. China was a large threat, but in the 1800s France

controlled Vietnam as a colony.C. France was captured by Germany during World

War II and lost control of all of her colonies.D. Japan captured Vietnam during their conquest of

the Pacific Rim during World War II.E. With the defeat of Japan in WWII, Vietnam hoped

to gain the right to govern themselves, however at the Yalta Conference Vietnam was given back to France.

III. Vietnam after WWIIA. Ho Chi Minh, a communist

nationalist, led the fight against France for the Control of Vietnam.

B. Ho Chi Minh defeated France in 1954 at the battle of Dienbienphu.

C. Geneva Conference 1954 1. Vietnam was

divided on the 17th Parallel

2. Ho Chi Minh, a communist, controlled the North. 3. Ngo Dinh Diem, a non-communist, controlled the South.

IV. The 1950s and Dwight D. Eisenhower

A. Eisenhower believed the United States was required to defend South Vietnam from Communist Aggression.1. Containment2. Domino Theory3. French Defeat and Geneva Conference (1954)

B. President Eisenhower pledged his support to South Vietnam and the Diem Government.

C. He sent 675 advisors to South Vietnam to aid in the defense and training of the military.

V. The 1960s and John F KennedyA. Kennedy sent Vice President Lyndon

Johnson to Vietnam to assess the needs of South Vietnam.

B. Johnson reported to Kennedy that South Vietnam needed more aid.

C. By 1963, 16,000 military advisors were in South Vietnam.

VI. Failure of Diem’s RuleA. Diem imprisoned people who spoke

out against him and appointed family members to political positions in South Vietnam.

B. Economic aid from the US, designed to help strengthen and stabilize the Economy, was spent on the military and on payoffs to corrupt officials.

VI. Failure of Diem’s Rule (cont)A. Diem’s Social Reform

1. Diem moved Vietnamese farmers from their land and onto communal farms to protect them from encroaching communists.2. Diem attempted to force the Vietnamese citizens to practice Catholicism.

3. Buddhist monks did not respond well to Diem’s reform and in drastic displays publicly lit themselves on fire.

VI. Failure of Diem’s RuleD. Coup against Diem

1. The US let it be known that they no longer supported the actions or leadership of Diem.

2. The South Vietnamese military leaders overthrew Diem in a military Coup.

3. Diem was assassinated fleeing from Saigon.