History AQA GCSE Conflicts and Tensions in Asia: Vietnam, printable notes made and used by Grade 9 History student. Contains in-depth facts/research covering every aspect of the specification. Includes analytical-response notes, visual aids, and extremely helpful revision aid for making flashcards,...
Conflict and Tension In Asia: Vietnam
Vietnam and France
End of French Rule
Japanese and French in Indochina
Vietnam was part of a French colony known as Indochina
Japan took over in 1940 when Germany defeated France and, as German allies, they took control of
Vietnam and their main resources (coal, rice, rubber, railways, roads, etc.)
The anti-Japanese resistance movement (the Viet Minh) emerged under the leadership of the
remarkable Communist Ho Chi Minh in 1941 – fighting for Vietnamese Independence
Between 1944 and 1945 two million Vietnamese died in a famine and the Viet Minh organised famine
relief
In August 1945 Japan surrender and the Vietminh take control of northern Vietnam and were
determined to proceed with the whole country
In 1945, France returned to rule Vietnam again. Ho Chi Minh had not fought for Vietnamese
independence only to hand over power to the French.
In 1946 the First Indochina War began
Ho Chi Minh was intelligent to keep quiet about wanting a Communist Vietnam so countries, e.g. USA,
were, if anything, sympathetic – the struggle seen as a fight against the colonial rule of France.
In 1949 Communists took over China and began supporting Ho Chi Minh – triggering the Americans to
fear a Communist plan for domination of south-east Asia.
The USA poured $500 million a year into the French war effort and helped to establish a non-
Communist government in southern Vietnam
The (proxy) war dragged on from 1946 to 1954 – the French controlling towns, the Viet Minh the
countryside.
French were massively losing as the Viet Minh’s guerrilla tactics made them impossible to defeat:
- 190 000 French troops were tied up in hit-and-run raids
- 90 000 French deaths were caused by this
- French raids against peasant villages increased Viet Minh support
Dien Bien Phu, 1954
What happened?
The French built a fortified base and airstrip at Dien Bien Phu to trick the Viet Minh into an open
battle. They brought 11 000 troops – assuming they would beat them, because of their superior
military strength
A large, well-armed force of French paratroopers was comprehensively defeated.
French forces were defeated by the Viet Minh at this battle in May 1954
As a result peace talks were held – leading to the Geneva Agreement in July 1954 (divided Vietnam)
The French prime minister resigned and the French parliament voted to end the war and leave
Vietnam
What were the consequences?
The French lost 3000 dead in the battle and 8000 more died in captivity
Viet Minh forces defeated the French in open battle with the help of modern weapons from the USSR
and China
A small Asian state had defeated a rich European state through a combination of effective leadership,
the right tactics and sheer determination:
- At Dien Bien Phu, the equipment and supplies for the 40 000 Viet Minh soldiers were carried
by hand by peasants
The victory made Ho Chi Minh and General Giap national heroes
, Reasons for the end of French Rule
1) French colonial rule was unfair and oppressive.
For example, France took Vietnam’s raw materials and sold them to make France richer. Vietnamese
workers were beaten to make them work harder. People like Ho Chi Minh were determined to make
Vietnam independent of foreign rule. They had struggled against French colonial rule for many years.
2) France lost control of Vietnam to the Japanese in WWII.
Japan’s occupation of Vietnam included executing thousands of French officers. When Japan
surrendered, French troops were too weak to stop the Viet Minh from taking control.
3) The Viet Minh’s communism meant support from communist China.
For example, Chinese military advisers trained the Viet Minh troops into a very effective army of 300
000. France were overwhelmed and could not defeat the, leading to the surrender at Dien Bien Phu.
The French believed they The French base was surrounded by jungle- General Giap secretly moved 50 000 men and
had superior weapons covered hills. The Viet Minh General Giap his artillery up narrow mountain tracks, and
and tactics. They never moved 200 artillery guns into the hills. The then camouflaged his forces so they could not
imagined that they French base became a trap with no way be spotted by aeroplanes.
would be surrounded by out.
artillery and anti-aircraft
guns. The Viet Minh had been very well
trained. Their artillery gunners could
Superior Viet fire 50 shells a minute – devastating
Minh tactics rate of fire that smashed the French
The French base and airstrip.
did not think
it was
possible to
bring artillery
into such a Overconfident Reasons for the French
mountainous French tactics defeat at Dien Bien Phu Support from
area where the local
there were no population
real roads.
Support from
Dien Bien Phu was located in
a remote northern region. The
China
French assumed they would 24 000 civilians carried everything
be able to fly in supplies, but China provided guns and ammunition, needed for the Viet Minh attack,
supply aeroplanes were shot training for Viet Minh troops and military including disassembled big guns.
down by anti-aircraft guns. They travelled on foot, up miles of
advice, and 20 000 bikes to help locals
narrow trails into the hills.
move supplies.
Five results of the 1954 Geneva Agreement
1) Vietnam was temporarily divided into North Vietnam and South Vietnam
2) Ho Chi Minh would lead North Vietnam. US-backed politician Ngo Dinh Diem would lead South
Vietnam
3) The French would leave Vietnam and the Viet Minh would leave South Vietnam
4) Vietnamese people could decide whether they wanted to live in the North or the South
5) A general election would be held by 1956 to decide who led a reunited Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh looked
likely to win this election
, Five main problems left by France leaving Vietnam
1) A divided country
2) A strong nationalist movement
3) No clear or unpopular leader in the South
4) Strong support for Ho Chi Minh and the forces in the North
5) Two new countries that want to unite to one new country – only done through violence
Civil War
Civil War in South Vietnam
Ngo Dinh Diem’s rise to power
Diem was from a Catholic family in a mainly Buddhist country and his father’s family had suffered violent anti-
Catholic persecution from Buddhists. In 1945 he was captured by the Viet Minh; he refused to join Ho Chi
Minh’s government and went to self-imposed exile. In 1950 he travelled to the USA hoping to get US backing
to lead Vietnam. Political leaders were impressed by his anti-communist beliefs.
In 1954 he became prime minister of South Vietnam and for a year he fought other non-communist rivals who
wanted to lead the country. In 1955 a referendum took place in South Vietnam to decide who should be leader:
Diem or his rival, Bo Dai. Bo Dai was the leader of South Vietnam appointed by the French. Diem cheated in
order to win the vote, claiming 98.2% chose him as President of the Republic of Vietnam.
What caused the civil war?
Diem refused to allow elections to decide who should lead a unified Vietnam – because he was likely
to lose to Ho Chi Minh (he had broken the Geneva Agreement of 1954)
Diem’s security forces arrested people who campaigned against this decision. They also targeted
anyone known to be communist or who complained about government corruption.
His favouritism towards Catholics alienated the mostly Buddhist population.
Thousands of Diem’s political opponents were executed and tens of thousands jailed.
By 1957 opponents of Diem’s leadership began an armed insurgency against Diem and his supporters.
In 1959 North Vietnamese leaders agreed to support opponents of Diem’s regime.
The civil war – NLF vs ARVN
The National Liberation Front (NLF) The Army of the Republic of Vietnam
(ARVN)
Created by North Vietnam’s
leaders in 1960 to combat Diem Created by Diem in 1955 as part
and unify Vietnam. of his setting up of the new
Fighters often were South Republic of Vietnam.
Vietnamese Viet Minh. Many The ARVN was a modern army,
had relocated to North Vietnam supported by the USA with
but were sent back home to money and equipment.
fight. Used by Diem to defend his
Supplied by North Vietnam regime from communists (NLF)
through the Ho Chi Minh Trail. and non-communist opponents,
e.g. Buddhist groups.
Opposition to Diem
Reasons for opposition to Diem
Persecution of communists
Diem’s ‘Denunciation of Communists’ campaign (1955-1959) arrested, imprisoned and executed
thousands. His ‘Law 10/59’ (1959) meant military courts could execute anyone found guilty of
belonging to a communist organisation – e.g. the Viet Minh.
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