Việt Nam 1

VIETNAM A MODERN DAY AVOIDABLE DISASTER WAS GEORGE KENNON RIGHT? A VERY INTERESTING POINT ABOUT LONDON ARE THE ‘BLUE PLAQUES’ BUT NOT ALL ARE WELL KNOWN Ho Chi Minh "It was patriotism, not communism, that inspired me." General Giap • Hồ Chí Minh was born in 1890 • During his childhood he developed a sense that the Vietnamese were not treated well by the French colonizers and the monarchist government. Ho also received a modern secondary education at a French-style lycee in Hue • 1911 he travelled to France working as a kitchen helper. Rejected by the French Colonial Administration School. • 1912 to 1913, he lived in New York and Boston, where he worked at the Parker House Hotel • Between 1913 and 1919, Hồ lived in London. • 1919-1923, again living in France, Hồ embraced Communism. Following WWI he petitioned for recognition of the civil rights of the Vietnamese at the peace talks, but was ignored. Linguist: Highly Traveled: Educated: Skilled Insurgent War Organizer: Nationalist • 1921, became a founding member of the Parti Communiste Français and spent much of his time in Moscow, becoming the principal theorist on colonial warfare. • In 1923, China. He stayed there in Hong Kong. In June 1931, he was arrested and incarcerated by British police until his release in 1933. • He then made his way back to the USSR, where he spent several years recovering from TB. • In 1938, he returned to China and served as an adviser with Chinese Communist armed forces. • In 1941, Hồ returned to Vietnam to lead the Viet Minh independence movement. He oversaw many successful military actions against the Vichy French and Japanese occupiers. • Supported closely but clandestinely by the United States Office of Strategic Services. He was treated for malaria and dysentery by American OSS doctors. FOR FRANCE: COLONIES WERE NOT JUST ECONOMIC, THEY WERE PLACES TO RECEIVE FRENCH CIVILIZATION • Many colonies were treated in administration terms as if they were part of Metropolitan France. • Also in comparison the British did not tend to ‘Make a Stand’ when events went against them. • Having been beaten by the Nazis France decided that in 1945 it must reassert its position as a Great Power even though its economy was in ruins. • This would lead to two disasters: VIETNAM - ALGERIA LE PETIT JOURNAL 1911 Justifying Tougher Control of Morocco by Bringing ‘Civilization’ • MARIANNE • Top RH a saluting Moroccan takes orders. • France brining civilization and prosperity to the colonies. • Moroccans look in awe as gold spills out of the horn of plenty carried by Marianne RAPID SPREAD OF CONTROL IN INDO- CHINA PARTICULARLY AFTER 1871 FRENCH EXHIBITION OF THE COLONIES IN PARIS 1931 Sept.1940 Japanese Forces Overwhelm Indo-China • France signed an armistice with Germany on 22 June 1940, leading to the Vichy government in the unoccupied part of France. Vichy also controlled most of French overseas possessions, including Indochina, one of the last access points for China to the outside world. • Sept. 1940, Japan and Vichy Indochina signed an accord. • NOTE: the Vichy colonial government could continue to rule Indo-China as long as they did what Japan wanted. • For Nationalists joint control was an economic nightmare. The country's wealth, exploited by the French, was now bled dry by the Japanese in order to finance their military effort. But politically it provided an opportunity undreamed of as the French and Japanese began to compete for the affection of the Vietnamese. [...]... Sino-Soviet split, in the 19 50s led to tensions between Vietnam and Cambodia, since Vietnam had affiliated itself with the USSR and Cambodia with China This led to the Cambodian-Vietnamese War, which lasted from 19 75 to 19 89, and reached its apex in 19 79, when Vietnam overthrew the Khmer-Rouge and took control of Cambodia This in turn led China to attack Vietnam in 19 79 in the brief Sino-Vietnamese War CONLUDING... August 19 45 Japanese troops still occupied Indochina But they surrendered to the Vietminh and Britain rather than to French forces A provisional partition of Vietnam was set up in 19 45 with British troops in temporary control in the South DECLARATION OF VIETNAMESE INDEPENDENCE • On February 16 th, 19 45 Ho Chi Minh wrote a letter to President Truman asking for American assistance in gaining Vietnamese... had sent the first American military personnel to Vietnam.” ‘Boxcars’ flown by Americans MAY 07 19 54 • • Dien Bien Phu fell Six weeks later, on July 20- 21, 19 54, the US, France, Britain, and the Soviet Union met in Geneva Out of this conference came measures that were supposed to end the Indochina war • The conference agreed to a partition of Vietnam into north and south Partition was to be temporary,... Vietnam The Vietminh Prepare To Strike • • • • • With the French defeated, the Vietminh moved consolidate their position In April 19 45 the Vietminh began to plan for a national liberation, placing the Vietnam Liberation Army under the command of Giap Vietminh contact with American intelligence officials also intensified Meanwhile, the British had established their own commando operations in Vietnam's... unification to come after national elections in 19 56 Elections never came GENEVA CONFERENCE THE FLAWED PEACE • • • • • The U.S., immediately after Geneva, viewed the Settlement's provisions for Vietnam as "disaster," and determined to prevent, if it could, the further extension of communist government over the Vietnamese people and territory The truce of 19 54, in fact, embodied three serious deficiencies... peace among the Vietnamese: A) It relied upon France as its executor B) It ignored the opposition of the State of Vietnam C) It countenanced the disassociation of the United States These turned partitioned Vietnam into two hostile states, and brought about an environment in which war was likely, perhaps inevitable A nominally temporary "line of demarcation" between North and South at the 17 th parallel was... paid for the war the French fought against Communist Vietnam as a part of the Truman Doctrine (19 47) “to protect free peoples…” Even though it supported an unpopular and corrupt colonial government against the ideology of the USA By the late 19 50’s the “Domino Theory” became a justification for the involvement This theory stated, “If South Vietnam falls to the Communist, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma,... States Air Force B-26s loaned to France sit on the ramp at Tourane, Vietnam—later known as Da Nang They still wear the nose art they carried in Korean American airpower was the last hope for the French in Indochina French forces had borrowed and were using a US Navy aircraft carrier, 10 US Air Force B-26s, several C-47s and C -11 9s, and hundreds of US Air Force personnel • • It was impossible to miss... effects felt for 10 years Ruined America’s reputation in non-aligned world and encouraged nationalists Seen as another colonial power Severely strained relations with natural allies No economic advantage to USA from Vietnam Military threat from S.E Asia nonexistent China already splitting from USSR Vietnam wanted USA’s help against China SORES THAT STILL DIVIDE THE COUNTRY • The Vietnam War was the... roughly 200,000 troops in the field Some 200,000 Vietnamese troops fought with them as allies French forces held delta areas and towns but they did not control the back country and highlands The commander of French forces in Indochina was Gen Henri Navarre His plans called for the deployment to Vietnam of roughly half a million French troops by the end of 19 54 With such a large force, he thought, he would . lycee in Hue • 19 11 he travelled to France working as a kitchen helper. Rejected by the French Colonial Administration School. • 19 12 to 19 13, he lived in. Boston, where he worked at the Parker House Hotel • Between 19 13 and 19 19, Hồ lived in London. • 19 19 -19 23, again living in France, Hồ embraced Communism. Following