Vietnam

1
Vietnam a French Colony

• France, after ruling Vietnam for over 100 years
  was defeated battle of Dien Bien Phu
• France Vietnam signed Geneva Peace Accords of
  1954-split Vietnam along 17th parallel.
• The North led by Ho Chi Minh and the South led by
  Ngo Dinh Diem
• Stated that in 1956 Vietnam would hold elections
  to reunify country.
• The US had other ideas.
• US supported creation of counter-revolutionary
  group in S. Vietnam.

2
Ho Chi Minh -first a nationalist then a communist

• Ho sought assistance from Pres. Wilson after WW I
• Ho assisted downed American pilots during WW II
  in the fight against Japan
• He believed to attack only when you are sure of
  winning
• nibble at the enemy, harass him in such a way
  that he can neither eat nor sleep in peace
• to wear him out physically and mentally,
• Guerilla warriors need to not only focus on war,
  but politics and economics

3
The Ho Chi Minh Trail

• Extended from N Vietnam to S Vietnam
• Est. 1959 and used by N. Vietnamese troops for a
  major military supply route
• Started south of Hanoi, traversed Laos and
  Cambodia on its way to S. Vietnam
• more than a month's march to travel
• underground support facilities, incl. Hospitals,
  weapons caches
• main route for invasion of S. Vietnam in 1975

4
The Underground Tunnels

• built in the time of the French
• joined village to village and often passed
  beneath American bases
• not only fortifications for Viet Cong guerillas,
  but also center of community life
• several stories deep and housed up to 10,000
  people, supplies and weapons
• connected isolated pockets of Viet Cong territory
  enabled the guerrillas to mount surprise attacks
  and vanish without trace

5
The War America Lost
American forces are not able to defeat the North
Vietnamese 1973 US pulls out 1975 North
Vietnamese invade and capture Saigon.
6

• Vietnam had to rebuild a land destroyed by war.
• Recovery was slow due to US boycott of Vietnam
• 1990s Vietnam introduced free market reforms and
  diplomatic relations with the US normalized

7
Tragedy in Cambodia

• During the Vietnam War fighting spilled over into
  neighboring Cambodia
• After Americans left, communist guerrillas known
  as the Khmer Rouge overthrew the government.
• Led by Pol Pot they slaughtered millions in what
  was known as the Killing Fields
• 1979 Vietnam invaded and Pol Pots forces
  retreated. 1993 UN supervised free elections and
  a new government started to rebuild
• Pol Pot died in hiding before facing trial for
  Crimes against Humanity