Lead up to the Vietnam War

Colonial Past French Indo-China had been part of the French Empire since the late 19 th century Vietnamese had a long history of violently fighting imperialism

WWII Due to crisis caused by the Great Depression and WWI, French lost control of Vietnam to Japan during WWII Vietminh – League for the Independence of Vietnam led by Ho Chi Minh (a communist) – Armed by the Americans to fight the Japanese – Redistributed land – Relieved famine – Ended high rents The Vietminh were popular with the Vietnamese people

After WWII When the Japanese surrendered there was a power vacuum – Chinese occupy North – British occupy South – ***Ho Chi Minh declares Vietnam independent November 1946 French decide they want Vietnam back – French bomb Hanoi and Haipong, killing 6,000 Vietminh fight for national liberation

Indo-China War Vietminh use Guerilla Warfare – warfare fought in small groups using hit and run tactics Becomes part of the Cold War: – China arms North Vietnam (Vietminh) – America helps the French defend South Vietnam – ***S. Vietnam puppet leader – Bo Dai

French Lose Dien Bien Phu – Huge military defeat of the French France was experiencing problems all over their colonial empire The war was unpopular in France – many of the men were conscripts Vietminh were masters of Guerilla Warfare Ho Chi Minh had the support of most Vietnamese people

The Geneva Convention 1954 – The Geneva Peace Conference is arranged between the USSR, USA, UK, France, China, and Indochina Terms of the agreement: – Laos and Cambodia are independent – Vietnam is temporarily divided along 17 th parallel – Ho Chi Minh’s gov is recognized in the North – Emperor Bo Dai was recognized in the South – 1956 – Elections were to be held to unite Vietnam

Outcome US never agree to the Geneva Accords Bo Dai’s Prime Minister – Ngo Dinh Diem rigs elections – 98.2% of the vote, including 133% in Saigon Eisenhower agrees that if free elections would have been held, the Ho Chi Minh would have probably won 80% of the vote.