The Seeds

When many people think about the 1960s, Vietnam and President John F. Kennedy (JFK) come to mind, and for a good reason for that period in history changed millions of lives. Faced with the possible spread of communism through Asia, JFK stayed with his word to fight communism, thus the Vietnam conflict as we know today was started. In the early 1900s, France conquered Vietnam and made it a protectorate, which is a relationship of protection and partial control assumed by a superior power over a dependent country or region For about forty years Vietnam had not experienced settled peace, as a result, The League for the Independence of Vietnam (Viet Minh) was formed in 1941, which sought independence from the French. On September 2,1945, Ho Chi Minh proclaimed Vietnam independent from France. The French government wanted to reestablish their rule in Vietnam but were beaten at the battle of Dien Bien Phu on May 7, 1954.

Ho Chi Minh, the principal leader of the Viet Minh, was even made a special OSS agent. Eventually, the Japanese signed their formal surrender (on September 2, 1945), and Ho Chi Minh used the occasion to declare the independence of Vietnam, which he called the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV). However, although Emperor Bao Dai resigned the throne, the French refused to acknowledge Vietnam’s independence, and later that year drove the Viet Minh into the north of the country. Ho Chi Minh wrote over eight letters to Truman (while he was president) asking him for the U.S support. However, after the Cold War, the United States and Truman feared support of communism in any form.

France refused the declaration and returned to Vietnam, driving Ho’s forces into North Vietnam. In 1954 a cease fire was declared and Vietnam was officially divided in two, with the North ruled by Ho and communist forces, and the South under a French backed Emperor. The dividing line was the Seventeenth Parallel. Because of the domino theory, the theory that if Vietnam fell to communism it would spread to the rest of Southeast Asia, the USA began to support the anti-communist politician, Ngo Dinh Diem. With assistance from the USA, Diem took control of the South Vietnamese Government in 1955 and declared the republic of Vietnam.

While France was still involved, the U.S. could share the same goals, but what could a country without colonial interests gain by fighting to put down a colonial independence movement? England had lost its American colonies because it was unfocused in exactly how to go about regaining control, and for the same reason, the France and the U.S. were unable to crush the nationalistic Vietnamese freedom fighters. Works Cited Chant, Christopher. The Military History of the United States: The Vietnam War, the Early Days, Marshall Cavendish, New York, 1992: 9, 22, 25, 38. Dougan, Clark.

The Vietnam conflict began in the late nineteenth century. The French conquered Vietnam and made it a protectorate. For nearly forty years, Vietnam had not experienced settled peace. The League for the Independence of Vietnam (Viet Minh) was formed in 1941, seeking independence from the French. On September 2nd, 1945, Ho Chi Minh proclaimed it independent of France.

The Vietnamese Emperor, Bao Dai, neglected his duties and vacationed in France, forcing the United States to intervene in order to give the inexperienced emperor a chance to contain communism. With the growing communist threat in North Vietnam, the United States saw Bao Dai as “the defender of ‘democracy’ and ‘independent nationalism’” (Puppets). As a supporter of freedom and equality, the United States must do all that it can to contain communism─ which the United States saw as a type of dictat... ... middle of paper ... ...came a major threat, as he gained access to enough resources to create an army that could overthrow Diem’s government. Reacting to the declaration, the United States sent advisors to Vietnam to make sure that Diem’s government is impregnable to the communists. With the incapable Bao Dai and the obdurate Ngo Dinh Diem against the resourceful Ho Chi Minh, American intervention became mandatory in preventing the spread of communism.

So in Vietnam, the northern part of Vietnam supported communism and the southern part supported capitalism. The south contained French colonialists and that is how France was involved in this. Ho Chi Minh was the leader of Northern Vietnam's communis... ... middle of paper ... ...e French and Ho Chi Minh teamed up to get rid of the Japanese. Then France and Ho became enemies again. The Vietminh took control of North Vietnam in 1945.

The French wanted to keep Vietnam in their empire so French troops returned to Southern Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh's Viet Minh was not going to let the French retake Vietnamwithout a fight. War broke out between the French and the Viet Minh in 1946. The USA did not approve of France fighting to get its colony back. However they gave over $1 billion to France to help them win.

For the next 60 years these three countries were known as French Indochina. The French conquest of Cochinchina was carried out by force but with considerable resistance from guerilla fighters. By 1868 France was undisputed master of Cochinchina. France viewed Vietnam as a land to be exploited. Under French control economic developments did occur.

This group was engaged in the training of South Vietnamese troops in the use of U.S. weapons. In the spring of 1954 the Vietminh won a big battle against the French at Ðien Biên Phu. Even with the help of America, France was unsuccessful, and they gave up the fight. Vietnam was partioned at the 17th parallel between North and South Vietnam. The north became a communist republic, while the south became a republic under the right wing dictator, Ngo Dinh Diem.