The declaration of Vietnamese independence made by Ho Chi Minh in 1945 served as a milestone in what was a century-old struggle against foreign control. In its history Vietnam had spent 1000 years under control of the Chinese and had resisted this control vehemently. Revolts and rebellions against China finally lead to Vietnamese independence in the tenth century. In the thirteenth century the Vietnamese drove back Kublai Khan three times under the leadership Dao. Tran Hung Dao not only led the Vietnamese people in driving Kublai Khan back, but did so by pioneering the guerrilla warfare methods that would later be employed against both the French and the United States. It is thus evident from this brief history of Vietnams that its people were willing to fight fiercely for their independence and freedom from outside control. The remainder of Vietnamese history shows repeatedly outside control being levied only to be met with rebellions and revolts that antagonized the controlling nation into submission or withdrawal.
This would be true for the French as well who in 1930 experienced revolts backed by the Communist. This revolt ended with both the jailing of 10,000 dissidents and the bombing of demonstrators by the French. However, the advent of World War II saw Japan assuming control over Vietnam. The charismatic Ho Chi Minh used this time of confusion and lack of control by the French to tap into the deep seated desire in the hearts of the Vietnamese people for independence. Ho Chi Minh organized 5,000 soldiers and with the help of the U.S. Office of Strategic Services and bolstered by the peoples’ discontent with the hardships imposed by both Japan and France that resulted in a severe famine, took control of the Vietnames...
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...xon could ill afford at this stage of the game.
In the end both Nixon and Johnson failed at their intended goals, both domestically and abroad. Nixon’s goal of a peaceable and honorable withdrawal was lost with the fall of South Vietnam government to the attacks of the North. Though the peace accord did succeed in getting the U.S. troops out of Vietnam and the POW’s home, this would be its only success. Johnson’s goal of supporting South Vietnam without the employment of U.S. troops also failed and the buildup and war would eventually cost Johnson his Presidency as Watergate and the failed peace policy cost Nixon his.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Beam, Chris. Final Exam; The War in Vietnam. http://https://edge.apus.edu/portal/site/233301/page/abb796ff-ba2f-445e-82da-c1d4e7312fc7 (accessed November 29, 2013).
Herring, George C. America's Longest War. New York: McGraw Hill, 2002.
When Vietnamese revolutionary Ho Chi Minh and his political organization, the Vietminh, seized control of their independence from France United States Politicians saw it as another communist take over. When really Ho was more a nationalist than a communist. All Minh wanted was for the United States to recognize its independence from France and to send aid to help it reach its nationalistic goals. "Before the Cold War Ho and the Vietmin...
The Vietnam War: A Concise International History is a strong book that portrays a vivid picture of both sides of the war. By getting access to new information and using valid sources, Lawrence’s study deserves credibility. After reading this book, a new light and understanding of the Vietnam war exists.
E-History (2012, N.d.). Retrieved March 25, 2012, from http://ehistory.osu.edu/vietnam/essays/battlecommand/index.cfm.
Lawrence, Mark Atwood. The Vietnam War: A Concise International History. Oxford [u.a.: Oxford Univ., 2010. Print.
After returning, Minh had help from the Vietminh; an organization of communist that wanted freedom from other countries. Their main goal was to turn Vietnam into a self-governed communist country. France wanted none of this non-sense. In 1945 they had moved back into southern Vietnam and ruled most of the cities. Ho Chi Minh swore to fight France to gain control of the whole country. U.S. promised to aid France, and sent almost $15 million worth of financial aid to France. The French fought for four years, being financially aided by the U.S. the whole time. The U.S. spent nearly one billion dollars in order to help France regain control of the tiny country. The only reason that much effort was put into a small area was the fear of the y. Domino Theory. The Domino Theory first showed it's head during a 1954 news conference by U.S. President Eisenhower. The domino theory is the fear of the spread of communism from one country to the next, and so on. Even with the assistance of the U.S. France could not gain the control it once had on Vietnam.
In this reading, Long discusses the history of Vietnamese resistance to colonial and oppressive forces. Long states that American historians and statesman claim that other factors contributed to the disastrous conclusion of the Vietnam war, but that the real truth is that the American’s were not prepared to meet such a formidable foe. The Vietnamese had been resisting the Chinese for over 1,000 years and had held on; when the French arrived the same policy of resistance was practiced. Ultimately, due to the oppressive nature of the French and WWII, the French were ousted and a new communist government under Ho Chi Minh was established. Having just been under an oppressive force, and being very knowledgeable about how to deal with oppression, the American’s were caught by surprise.
The end of World War II opened the way for the return of French rule to Indochina. Despite the ties he had forged within the American Intelligence community, and his professed respect for democratic ideals, Ho Chi Minh was unable to convince Washington to recognize the legitimacy of his independence movement against the French. French generals and their American advisors expected Ho's rag-tag Vietminh guerrillas to be defeated easily. But after eight years of fighting and $2.5 billion in U.S. aid, the French lost a crucial battle at Dienbienphu - and with it, their Asian empire.
The French eventually gained back some control over parts of Vietnam. In early 1946, the French began a series of dual negotiations with the Chinese and Viet Minh over the future of Vietnam. After failed negotiations with the French over the future of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh and his Viet Minh retreated into remote parts of the countryside to fight a small-scale insurgency against the French. (The History Place, Beginner’s Guide)
In the early 1960s the U.S. began sending military advisors to South Vietnam beginning the Vietnam War, arguably the most controversial war in United States history. This incident followed Vietnam gaining its independence from the French Empire’s Indochina in 1954. The nation soon split, creating a communist North Vietnam, and a noncommunist South Vietnam. In fear of communism spreading the U.S. supported South Vietnam and sent troops. As the incident dragged on it caused a huge anti-war movement and a lot of political turmoil.The troops were withdrawn in 1973, the whole country fell to communism, and the U.S. failed. How did a superpower such as the U.S. take defeat from a small country like Vietnam? Many have wondered and continue to wonder
The longest war in the history of the United States took place in Vietnam during the Cold War. The United States involvement in the Vietnam War started when the Vietnamese were fighting the French for independence. Prior to U.S. involvement, France had attempted to govern Vietnam as one of its own colonies, but after years of being at war with the rebels and communists, France could not take anymore. The United States feared of the spread of communism and saw themselves as a democratic super power, and therefore, they felt morally obligated to stand up and fight against communism in place of France. Vietnam was later split into North and South Vietnam at the Geneva Conference which was originally designed to end the French/Vietnam war. Northern Vietnam was run by communists and supported by China and Russia. Southern Vietnam was then solely supported by the United States.
The Vietnam War was a difficult experience both for the US military as well as its foreign policy. It was unique geographically, ethnically, politically, militarily and diplomatically. Although Johnson inherited a difficult problem from his predecessors, he did step into a trap essentially of his own making. His decision to go to war was reached from hard thought-out reasoning but he did not factor in the environment in Vietnam or the opinion of the American public, resulting in a disastrous war, for the Empire of Liberty, that lasted for over two decades.
Herring begins his account with a summary of the First Indochina War. He reports that the Vietnamese resisted French imperialism as persistently as they had Chinese. French colonial policies had transformed the Vietnamese economic and social systems, giving rise to an urban middle class, however; the exploitation of the country and its people stimulated more radical revolutionary activity. Herring states that the revolution of 1945 was almost entirely the personal creation of the charismatic leader Ho Chi Minh. Minh is described as a frail and gentle man who radiated warmth and serenity, however; beneath this mild exterior existed a determined revolutionary who was willing to employ the most cold- blooded methods in the cause to which he dedicated his life. With the guidance of Minh, the Vietminh launched as a response to the favorable circumstances of World War II. By the spring of 1945, Minh mobilized a base of great support. When Japan surrendered in 1945, the Vietminh filled the vacuum. France and the Vietminh attempted to negotiate an agreement, but their goals were irreconcilable.
French colonization played a huge role in the spread of communism in Vietnam, due to poor treatment. I’m writing about this topic because as Americans we know communism is wrong. Yet, I feel that it’s important for people to know why the Vietnamese people were communist and how it came about. French colonization lead to many rebellions in Vietnam. Since the Vietnamese people were in such a bad state and wanted to be liberated they turned to communism. The Vietnamese rebellions used communism to unite the people and push forth their rebellion.
According to C. N. Trueman’s article The Causes of the Vietnam War, he states how the Soviet Union and United States could not risk going on an all-out nuclear war, so the Soviet Union helped arm countries in Southeast Asia, such as Vietnam, to reinforce communism. Also with China under the communist regime, they provided to arm the North Vietnamese as well. During this time period, Ho Chi Minh was the leader of the communist government and with his tactics of guerilla warfare, he fought to keep Vietnam under his rule. Another cause leading to the war was when the French tried to reclaim the northern territory of Vietnam. As a result, Ho Chi Minh and the “Viet Minh”, which he calls his soldiers, plus the aid from communist China, fought to keep Northern Vietnam under Minh’s rule.
In this essay I will be discussing how Ho Chi Minh sense of nationalism was the driving force in ending French rule in his country. By tracing Ho Chi Minh’s life it becomes rather obvious that his endeavors would result in a strong sense of nationalism for his country that had long been exploited by French rule. Following his travels throughout the world Minh found that the West had no interest in a free a Vietnam, so Minh was forced to turn to the Communist for help. By working with the communist, Minh was ultimately able to free the Vietnamese people from French rule. The paper argues that Ho Chi Minh’s strong sense of nationalism for his home country far outweighed his allegiance to the communist party.