NeutralCitizen
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Origins
Since the 1880s, Indochina was a French colony. In World War II, French Indochina, with Vietnam, was occupied by Japan. With the capitulation of the Japanese in August 1945, the "League for the Independence of Vietnam" or "Vietminh", led by the revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh, was determined to put an end to nearly a decade with colonial rule. With the Japanese surrender, Vietminh guerrillas occupied the capital, Hanoi, and forced the Emperor, Bao Dai, to resign. Following the resignation, the Vietminh declared Vietnam independent. The Democratic Republic of Vietnam, or North Vietnam, was created with its new president, Ho Chi Minh. France officially recognised the new state, but the unsuccessful attempt to reach political and economic agreements led to armed conflict in late 1946.
The former Emperor, Bao Dai, rose on 1 July 1949 as the new leader of the Republic of Vietnam, or South Vietnam. Having both the French and the American support, he established a new capital, Saigon. The President of the United States, Harry S. Truman, officially recognised the new government. In order to assist it, President Truman ordered the establishment of a military advisory group. Its task was to train South Vietnamese soldiers in the use of U.S. weapons.
In the spring of 1954 the Vietminh attacked the French fortress of Dien Bien Phu, in northern Vietnam. On 8 May 1954, France surrendered Indochina. On the same day, delegates from both North and South Vietnam met with delegates from France, Great Britain, the USSR, the United States, China, Laos and Cambodia in Geneva, Switzerland. The meeting concerned the future of Indo-china. France and North Vietnam agreed on a cease-fire on certain terms. Vietnam was temporarily divided in to two parts along the 17th parallel. The communists was given control of North Vietnam, placing South Vietnam under a western rule, with the Dai government in charge. The Geneva-agreement proclaimed that there was to be held an election on reunification of the country in 1956.
Although the United States disagreed with the Geneva-agreement, President Eisenhower stated that they would not do anything to undermine it. When the French withdrew from Vietnam, the United States immediately offered military assistance to South Vietnam. Military observers claimed the United States engaged in undercover operations against the North Vietnamese government in Hanoi. This was strongly denied by the Eisenhower Administration which proclaimed that these were rumours set out by the communists. On 24 October 1954, President Eisenhower, with support from the U.S. Congress, offered economic aid to South Vietnam.
In October 1955, President Bao Dai of South Vietnam, was dismissed from office and South Vietnam was made a republic, with Ngo Dinh Diem as the new President. This, however, did not interfere with the U.S. support to the country. Diem's first act as president was to refuse a reunification election. The Diem government claimed the people of North Vietnam would not be free to express their own will.
President Diem turned out to be a catastrophe for the United States. He favoured the Catholic minority, the upper class, suppressing the lower and middle class. He also halted the economic reform which was of most importance for the country's development. He put all effort into the fight against the communists.
The North Vietnamese government in Hanoi, however, was determined to reunify the nation, making Hanoi the centre of the reunified country. The cease-fire which both parts had agreed on in 1954, began to shiver. By January 1957, several violations of the Geneva-agreement were reported by the International Control Commission, which had been set up in 1954. A group of communist sympathisers, the Vietcong, who had gone north after the partition, returned back south throughout 1957. They began launching attacks on U.S. military installations and in 1959 they implemented guerrilla attacks on the Diem government.
In 1960, North Vietnam was determined to liberate South Vietnam from the United States and Western influence. This gave clear indication of the government in Hanoi being involved in Vietcong actions. On 10 November the suspicions were confirmed. Regular North Vietnamese troops were taking direct part in Vietcong's attacks in South Vietnam. This was refused by the leaders of the Vietcong, and to show they were an independent movement, they established their own political arm, the National Liberation Front (NLF).
During 1960, the attacks on the U.S. military installations and the Diem government, were intensified. On these actions the United States restated their support to the Saigon government
---------- Post added at 01:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:00 AM ----------
---------- Post added at 01:03 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:02 AM ----------
Since the 1880s, Indochina was a French colony. In World War II, French Indochina, with Vietnam, was occupied by Japan. With the capitulation of the Japanese in August 1945, the "League for the Independence of Vietnam" or "Vietminh", led by the revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh, was determined to put an end to nearly a decade with colonial rule. With the Japanese surrender, Vietminh guerrillas occupied the capital, Hanoi, and forced the Emperor, Bao Dai, to resign. Following the resignation, the Vietminh declared Vietnam independent. The Democratic Republic of Vietnam, or North Vietnam, was created with its new president, Ho Chi Minh. France officially recognised the new state, but the unsuccessful attempt to reach political and economic agreements led to armed conflict in late 1946.
The former Emperor, Bao Dai, rose on 1 July 1949 as the new leader of the Republic of Vietnam, or South Vietnam. Having both the French and the American support, he established a new capital, Saigon. The President of the United States, Harry S. Truman, officially recognised the new government. In order to assist it, President Truman ordered the establishment of a military advisory group. Its task was to train South Vietnamese soldiers in the use of U.S. weapons.
In the spring of 1954 the Vietminh attacked the French fortress of Dien Bien Phu, in northern Vietnam. On 8 May 1954, France surrendered Indochina. On the same day, delegates from both North and South Vietnam met with delegates from France, Great Britain, the USSR, the United States, China, Laos and Cambodia in Geneva, Switzerland. The meeting concerned the future of Indo-china. France and North Vietnam agreed on a cease-fire on certain terms. Vietnam was temporarily divided in to two parts along the 17th parallel. The communists was given control of North Vietnam, placing South Vietnam under a western rule, with the Dai government in charge. The Geneva-agreement proclaimed that there was to be held an election on reunification of the country in 1956.
Although the United States disagreed with the Geneva-agreement, President Eisenhower stated that they would not do anything to undermine it. When the French withdrew from Vietnam, the United States immediately offered military assistance to South Vietnam. Military observers claimed the United States engaged in undercover operations against the North Vietnamese government in Hanoi. This was strongly denied by the Eisenhower Administration which proclaimed that these were rumours set out by the communists. On 24 October 1954, President Eisenhower, with support from the U.S. Congress, offered economic aid to South Vietnam.
In October 1955, President Bao Dai of South Vietnam, was dismissed from office and South Vietnam was made a republic, with Ngo Dinh Diem as the new President. This, however, did not interfere with the U.S. support to the country. Diem's first act as president was to refuse a reunification election. The Diem government claimed the people of North Vietnam would not be free to express their own will.
President Diem turned out to be a catastrophe for the United States. He favoured the Catholic minority, the upper class, suppressing the lower and middle class. He also halted the economic reform which was of most importance for the country's development. He put all effort into the fight against the communists.
The North Vietnamese government in Hanoi, however, was determined to reunify the nation, making Hanoi the centre of the reunified country. The cease-fire which both parts had agreed on in 1954, began to shiver. By January 1957, several violations of the Geneva-agreement were reported by the International Control Commission, which had been set up in 1954. A group of communist sympathisers, the Vietcong, who had gone north after the partition, returned back south throughout 1957. They began launching attacks on U.S. military installations and in 1959 they implemented guerrilla attacks on the Diem government.
In 1960, North Vietnam was determined to liberate South Vietnam from the United States and Western influence. This gave clear indication of the government in Hanoi being involved in Vietcong actions. On 10 November the suspicions were confirmed. Regular North Vietnamese troops were taking direct part in Vietcong's attacks in South Vietnam. This was refused by the leaders of the Vietcong, and to show they were an independent movement, they established their own political arm, the National Liberation Front (NLF).
During 1960, the attacks on the U.S. military installations and the Diem government, were intensified. On these actions the United States restated their support to the Saigon government
---------- Post added at 01:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:00 AM ----------
---------- Post added at 01:03 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:02 AM ----------
