During war, Japanease ruled Vietman brutally (causing a strong Japanease ressitance called Viet Minh) until the end of WWII
When WWII ended, Viet Minh controlled the north of Vietnam, in 1945 VM entered city of Hanoi and declared Vietnamease indipendance and wanted to rule Vietnam again.
This caused 9 years of war between the Vietnamease and French
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French involvement and Dien Bien Phu
China used Viet Minh as their communist puppets
Because of this, America poured $500 million a year into the French war effort
France underestimated Viet Minh who were heavily helped by Russian and Chinese millitary support
Battle of Dien Bien Phu, November 1953
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Geneva Conference
Because of the battle of Dien Bien Phu, May 1954 Britain, France, China, USSR, USA and Vietnam met in Geneva, Switzerland
They were to decide future of Vietnam
Agreed on withdrawl of French troops, ceasefire and a new territory settlement
New countries Laos and Cambodia formed
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Domino Theory
The idea that neighbouring countries will follow communism
US government used theogy to justify supoort of South Vietnam as it was against the communist North Vietmnam
Though communist regimes did arise in Laos and Cambodia after 1975 when North Korea wins, communism failed to spread throughout the rest of Southeast Asia
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Supporting and overthrowing Diem
Ngo Dinh Diem was president of Vietnam 1954 - 1963
Votes for election were rigged for him
Anti-Communist, rich Catholic, unlike most Vietnamese (mostly poor Buddhists)
Diem supported rich land-ownders and persecuted monks (some monks protested by setting themselves on fire)
Hunted Viet Minh and supporters, executed and locked up enemies
Viet Minh (now Viet Cong.) started guerrilla war against Diem
1963, CIA agreed to an operation that gave a group of SV army generals$40,000 to overthrow Diem
He ended up getting shot
By 1961, 20,000VC guerrillas in SV
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Military advisers and Strategic Hamlets
American soldiers were known as advisers, weren't meant to to send troops offically, 60,000 in SV in 1964
The strategic hamlet programme was to isolate the rural population and local villages from contact with and influence by the Viet Cong
Moved whole villages in fenced (barb wire), enclosure-like, millitary bases
Was a faliure as it alienated more rural Vietnamese than it helped and contributing to the growth in influence of the VC
After Diem was overthrown in 1963, the program was cancelled.
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Gulf of Tonkin and military involvement
Turning point
Gulf of Tonkin, busy waterway, 2nd August 1964, NV torpeado boats attacks US warship USS Maddox
Torpeado didn't explode
Maddox fires back, fighter planes sink 1 torpeado boat and damage 2 more
4th August, USS Maddox and USS Turner Joy report being fired on by torpeado boats
President Johnson ordered air force to attack NV gunboat bases
Johnson proposed 'Gulf of Tonkin Resolution', gave him power to defend US forces and SV in whatever he see fit
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