Davison History Department

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BACKGROUND TO THE VIETNAM WAR

 

Since the 19th century Vietnam had been ruled by France. During World War 2 Germany defeated France and the Japanese (Germany’s ally) took control of the main resources of Vietnam (coal, rubber, rice, railways). During the war a strong anti-Japanese movement (the Viet Minh) grew under the leadership of communist Ho Chi Minh.

By 1945, the communists controlled the North of Vietnam and were determined to take control of the whole country.

France wanted to regain control once World War 2 had ended and war broke out between the French and the Viet Minh.

In 1949 China became communist and began to help Ho Chi Minh. America feared that China would extend its control to Vietnam and then all of South-East Asia. The USA gave $500million a year to the French war effort and helped them to set up a non-communist government in the South of Vietnam.

The war dragged on until 1954 when the communists won a decisive battle at Dien Bien Phu.  At Geneva Vietnam was divided into Communist North and Capitalist South along the 17th parallel.

Elections were due to be held in Vietnam within 2 years, but America prevented them as it feared the Communists would win. America was determined to contain communism and also feared a Domino effect where Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma and even India might fall to Communism.

In 1955 America supported Diem as the leader of South Vietnam, because he was bitterly anti communist. He was Christian landlord who showed little respect for the Buddhist peasants in South Vietnam. His government was also very corrupt, but America still gave him $1.6 billion in the 1950s. Diem was overthrown in 1963 but the following governments were just as corrupt. Support for the communist Viet Cong  grew in South Vietnam. They began a guerrilla war against the South Vietnamese government. Using Ho Chi Minh Trails the Viet Cong sent reinforcements and supplies to the guerrilla fighters.

By 1962 President Kennedy was sending military “advisors” to fight the Viet Cong. Throughout 1963-4 tension increased. In 1963 Kennedy was assassinated. Lyndon B. Johnson took over.  He was more prepared to commit to a full scale conflict in Vietnam to prevent the spread of communism. In August 1964 North Vietnamese patrol boats fired on US ships in the gulf of Tonkin America was furious and Congress passed a resolution allowing Johnson to take “whatever steps were necessary”. In March 1965 3500 US marines (combat troops, rather than advisors) came ashore at Da Nang. America was at war with Vietnam.