Effect

 of  the  Cold  War  on  Vietnam  

 
Effect  
-­‐ 1945-­‐1950  
o Decolonization:  left  power  vacuum  –  led  to  Ho  Chi  Minh  declaring  the  People’s  Republic  of  Vietnam  in  1945  
§ Opposed  by  the  French  (wanted  to  reestablish  colonies)  
o 1946:  War  between  France  and  Viet  Minh  
§ US  gave  support  to  French,  after  initial  reluctance  
§ China  saw  the  possibility  of  communism  in  Vietnam,  so  it  got  involved  too  
o Overall  impact  then:  Vietnam  involved  in  Cold  War  v.  early  
-­‐ 1950-­‐1960  
o NSC-­‐68:  advocated  substantial  military  buildup  in  US,  with  Korean  war  almost  starting,  China  fallen,  and  Vietnam  in  all-­‐out  
war  
o China  increased  support  for  the  North,  was  scared  because  the  USA  was  paying  for  more  than  70%  of  France’s  costs    
o SEATO  (1954):  Vietnam  seen  as  key  area  in  the  region  
§ Markets  for  Japan  
§ Domino  Theory  
o Geneva  (1954):  USSR  and  China  wanted  a  settlement  over  Vietnam  
§ Vietnam  temporarily  split  at  17th  Parallel,  and  elections  were  to  be  held  in  1956  
§ Diem  came  to  power  in  South  with  US  support,  and  cancelled  the  elections  
§ Communists  consolidated  control  in  the  North  
o 1959:  North  began  military  expansion,  and  the  South  replied  with  guerilla  tactics  in  1960.    
§ Kennedy  increased  military  advisors  from  400  to  16,000  in  1963  
o Overall  impact  then:  Country  split,  civil  war  breaking  out  
-­‐ 1960-­‐1970  
o Early  1960s:  Khrushchev  declared  that  socialism  would  be  achieved  through  wars  of  national  liberation  in  the  3rd  World  
§ Both  China  and  USSR  now  supported  North  
• One  reason  for  Kennedy’s  flexible  response  policy  –  Vietnam  became  testing  ground  for  it  
o 1963:  Diem  assassinated,  and  South  went  through  turbulent  period  of  different  generals  leading  the  nation  
o 1965:  Lyndon  B.  Johnson  escalated  the  conflict  
§ Vietnam  became  center  of  the  Cold  War  
 § 1967:  More  than  500,000  US  soldiers,  still  no  victory  
§ Negatively  affected  US  economy,  and  jeopardized  her  role  in  stopping  Communism  
o USSR  and  China  promised  military  aid  in  1964-­‐1965  
§ 1960s:  China  had  50,000  road  and  rail  construction  forces,  and  anti-­‐aircraft  divisions  in  Vietnam  
§ Increase  in  Chinese  military  installations    
-­‐ 1970s  
o New  US  foreign  policy  
§ Nixon  introduces  “Vietnamization”  to  get  out  of  Vietnam,  and  his  Nixon  Doctrine  
• Gradual  withdrawal,  and  army  of  the  South  should  fight  the  war  
§ Necessary  for  good  relations  with  China  and  USSR  
• Policy  of  linkage  and  détente    
• Changed  Cold  War,  as  US  abandoned  rollback,  rather  believing  in  a  coexistence  between  the  two  powers  
o US  left  in  1973,  and  in  1975,  the  North  conquered  the  South  
-­‐ Overall  
o No  country  suffered  as  much  as  Vietnam    
o Was  at  war  for  40  years