The Indo-China War: 1945-53

Background:

• Indo-China (Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam) was a French colony pre WWII.

• The French treated the natives roughly, damaging culture and local government traditions

• After WWI, the French began to involve local members in government and recognized local laws, making it appear they cared, but still enforced the French laws that were major.

• Young Marxist, Ho Chi Minh (Russian educated) set up the Indo-Chinese Communist Party in 1930, he had a major revolt, French put it down, and Ho fled.

• During WWII, Japan occupied Indo-China, and was constantly harassed by the Vietminh

• After the war, Ho set up a new government in Hanoi, declaring the state of Vietnam

The War:

• The French returned to regain control of the South, But Ho and the Vietminh had control of the North.
• The French offered a self-governing North within a French Indo-China
• Not enough for Ho, and hostilities broke out (armed fighting)
• June 1949, the French set up Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia under French controlled rulers
• The Vietminh were stronger, better disciplined, better armed, knew the land, and were fight for a cause.
• The USA, fearing Communism (Domino Theory) gave the French a billion worth of military aid.
• Vietminh used guerrilla tactics to harass the French
• The final battle at Diem Bien Phu 1954, a valley surrounded by high hills, the French concentrated their forces in the valley, trying to get the Vietminh to fight out in the open.
• The Vietminh carried huge weapons up the backside of three hills, and bombarded the French from the top
• General Giap (Vietminh) won the battle through this tactic.
• The French surrendered on May 7, 1954 with the signing of the Geneva Agreement
• Truce was declared, the French withdrew south of the 17^th parallel.
• The country was supposed to hold elections, but the majority of the population lived in the Communist North, so they would easily win any election. The USA made sure elections were never held

Results:

• SEATO, South East Asia Treaty Organization, was formed: USA, Britain, France, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Pakistan, and the Philippines, agreed to take action in the area if necessary.
• The agreement had no teeth; the countries signed to be protected by the USA, the USA wanted to contain Communism
• Another example of de-colonization, and Britain and France losing international power to the USA
• DIEM (catholic) became the ruler of the South, which was a Buddhist country.
• Diem was a corrupt leader, who was viscous to the people, but the USA backed him because he was not a communist
• Diem had to constantly deal with the NLF (National Liberation Front) which was the Vietminh organization for a united Vietnam. Also, there was the insurgency of the VIETCONG (Communist) supporters, living in the South who used terror tactics to intimidate Diem.
• Both the NLF and Vietcong were controlled by Ho Chi Minh
• In 1962, President Kennedy increased the number of ‘Military Advisors” to South Vietnam from 500 to 10,000. This increased American involvement and would eventually lead to the Vietnam war involving the USA in their attempt to contain Communism and stave off the Domino Theory.

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