This note summarises the full Vietnam case study as part of the Matric History IEB Syllabus. It is bullet-pointed and concise, easy to study off and covers all essential knowledge when it comes to Vietnam and how it is linked to the Cold War
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Chloë van Beukering Grade 12 History Syllabus
Vietnam
Background
• During the age of imperialism, nearly the whole of South-East Asia was divided
between the empires of France, Britain and Holland (France controlled Indo-
China)
• Before WW2, nationalist movements had sprung up in these colonies to resist
and expel foreign powers
• One such movement was the Revolutionary League for the Independence of
Vietnam (Vietminh) led by Ho Chi Minh
• Goal for independence was often successful
• Many of these nationalist movements became associated with communism
• Russia and China both openly encouraged the nationalist movements
• Obviously, USA determined that communism shouldn’t spread, and thus took a
keen interest in Vietnam
• USA supported France in her efforts to defeat the Vietminh and would later
replace France in order to prevent the communist takeover of Vietnam
• During WW2, Japan had driven France out of Indo-China
• Vietnamese had resisted the occupying Japanese forces, hoping they’d be rid
of both countries after WW2
• France keen to re-establish control over Vietnam, and following defeat of the
Japanese, were able to take back control of South Vietnam (capital: Saigon)
• North Vietnam was controlled by the Vietminh who declared it an independent
Republic (capital: Hanoi)
• French refused to accept independence and thus between 1946-1954 a savage
war was fought between the Vietminh and the French
• Vietminh supported by Russia
• After China became communist in 1949, she also sent aid to the Vietminh and
USA sent assistance to the French
• Vietminh army founded in 1940, under General Giap and was based in North
Vietnam
• Used guerrilla tactics, choosing their targets carefully, making sure they had the
advantage of numbers and surprise, and escaped immediately after attack
• Avoided confrontation in the open with the French troops who were better
equipped with superior firepower
• French forces unable to deliver a crippling blow to an enemy they could often
not locate
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, Chloë van Beukering Grade 12 History Syllabus
The Battle of Dien Bien Phu
• By the middle of 1953, the war going very badly for the French
• People were tired of a war that was costing so much both in money and French
lives
• Vietminh were getting stronger and the French making no headway
• French commander at the time: General Navane
• He decided on a bold and desperate move to try and inflict crushing blow to
the Vietminh
• Chose a small village called Dien Bien Phu
• Hoped to tempt Vietminh into an open battle
• Would also have advantage of being backed up by air power
• Village taken over by the French and bait was set
• Giap accepted the challenge and in an amazing feat of effort and organisation,
50 000 Vietnamese peasant porters managed to carry or pull, across rugged
mountains 200 pieces of artillery as well as food and supplies for over 40 000
Vietminh soldiers
• French taken by surprise
• The troops in the village were surrounded and outgunned in no time at all
• Vietminh also destroyed the airfield, making it impossible for the French to
airlift in supplies and reinforcements
• After 55 days of siege, the Vietminh took the village
• Humiliating defeat for the French and it spelt the end of the French occupation
in Vietnam
The Geneva Conference
• An international conference followed to sort out the dispute in Indo-China
• Represented: France, North Vietnam, South Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, USA,
Britain, China and the USSR
• Agreed to form 4 separate states: Cambodia, Laos, North Vietnam (under Ho Chi
Minh) and South Vietnam (under Emperor Bao Dai and the French)
• Vietnam divided at the 17th parallel line
• Supposed to be temporary until elections could be held to choose a
government for the whole country
• Laos and Cambodia became independent states where non-communist
governments were elected to the annoyance of communist North Vietnam
• USA refused to sign Geneva Agreement
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