YIJC Second and Third Indochina War Notes

YISHUN INNOVA JUNIOR COLLEGE DEPARTMENT OF HUMANITIES - HISTORY UNIT H1 SOUTHEAST ASIAN HISTORY 8838/01 Done by Mr Jasper Goh (2024). 1 H1 History (8838/01) Theme III: The Cold War and Southeast Asia Theme 3: The Cold War and Southeast Asia, 1945-1991 1. Manifestation of the Cold War in Southeast Asia (1959-1991) 2. ASEAN and the Cold War (1967-1991) 3. Singapore and the Cold War (1965-1991)

YISHUN INNOVA JUNIOR COLLEGE DEPARTMENT OF HUMANITIES - HISTORY UNIT H1 SOUTHEAST ASIAN HISTORY 8838/01 Done by Mr Jasper Goh (2024). 2 Theme 3: The Cold War and Southeast Asia, 1945 – 1991 Topic 1: Manifestation of the Cold War in Southeast Asia The Second Indochina War (1959 - 1975) 1. Background and Context 2. The Second Indochina War (Vietnam War) 3. Role of North and South Vietnam, the US, USSR and China

YISHUN INNOVA JUNIOR COLLEGE DEPARTMENT OF HUMANITIES - HISTORY UNIT H1 SOUTHEAST ASIAN HISTORY 8838/01 Done by Mr Jasper Goh (2024). 3 1. Background and context Overview Vietnam underwent a long and continuous experience of wars against various opponents for many decades since WW2. Vietnam was a French protectorate since 1887 until WW2 when the Japanese occupied and exercised authority over Vietnam. During this period, the Vietnamese built arms and forces with the aid of Allied intelligence to weaken the Japanese. Later, the return of the French i n Vietnam following Japanese withdrawal at the end of WW2 was met with strong local resistance to a continuation of colonial rule. This conflict between the French and Vietnamese was known as the First Indochina War. After the First Indochina War ended in 1954, Vietnam was divided along the 17th parallel as concluded in the Geneva Peace Conference; to demarcate territories for the communist North led by Ho Chi Minh, and the U.S. backed local ruling body in the South. H owever, the ceasefire in 1954 was short - lived and expansionistic ambitions from the communist North soon ensued along with the South’s refusal to partake in nationwide elections in 1956 as advised by the 1954 Geneva Accords. This escalated into the Vietnam War and involved various parties in an increasingly bipolar world, divided by the Cold War. While the North was powered by local Vietnamese, USSR, and Chinese communist forces, the South was primarily armed by the U.S. and supporters of the old Vietnamese aristocratic regime. The Vietnam War left lasting legacies to all involved parties in its conclusion. On the one hand, th e Vietnam War was a resounding failure for the U.S. in many aspects as communist forces ended the war with their defeat of U.S. forces and conquer of Saigon. Beyond the billions spent, the U.S. lost the lives of American soldiers with many other survivors suffering the psychological trauma of war. U.S. participation in the war also raised many questions over the morality of its leadership and overseas troops that leaves a permanent scar in U.S. history. Its superpower position in the global arena also became increasingly scrutinised at home and abroad. On the other hand, the Vietnam War also had significant effects to the communist bloc. Both China and USSR experienced losses in terms of casualties and finance, while their relationship underwent considerable strain. The Vietnam War aggravated the Sino -Soviet split, with Vietnam placed in a tenuous position during and after the war ended. Although the USSR would gain an ally in Vietnam, it came at the cost of weakening the solidarity of the communist bloc. Yet, beneath the dominant historical narrative of superpower roles in this conflict, millions of Vietnamese lives were lost. Worse still, a large proportion of casualties were unarmed civilians who perished under heavy U.S. bombings or unwarranted military purges of local Vietnamese villages. After more than 2 decades of war, Vietnam’s reunification as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam finally came in 1976; with irreversible costs to all involved parties.

YISHUN INNOVA JUNIOR COLLEGE DEPARTMENT OF HUMANITIES - HISTORY UNIT H1 SOUTHEAST ASIAN HISTORY 8838/01 Done by Mr Jasper Goh (2024). 4 The 3 Indochina Wars: 1945 – 1954, 1954 – 1964, 1964 – 1974 The Indochina Wars First Indochina War (1945-1954) Second Indochina War (1959-1975) Third Indochina War* (1978-1991)  Mainly fought between the Vietminh and French.  U.S. indirectly supported the French.  The U.S. supported the French with financial aid, as well asmilitary and political advisory.  Triggered by Vietnamese invasion and occupation of Cambodia in 1978.  *More on this in next chapter.  This is the “Vietnam War” you heard so much about, and it’s start can be seen as 1959 – where the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam or DRV) announced its intention to unify the country with armed struggle against the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam or ROV).  This eventually spiralled into a major Cold War conflict with China and the USSR backing the North, and the US and the West backing the South.  US involvement was initially indirect – mainly non- combatant advisor roles to strengthen the Southern government’s military and political base.  However, this escalated in 1964 after the Gulf of Tonkin incident, where the US started to get involved directly in the Vietnam War – marking the “Americanisation” phase of the War.

YISHUN INNOVA JUNIOR COLLEGE DEPARTMENT OF HUMANITIES - HISTORY UNIT H1 SOUTHEAST ASIAN HISTORY 8838/01 Done by Mr Jasper Goh (2024). 5 First Indochina War (1945 – 1954) The First Indochina War was the war between the local Vietnamese resistance against the return of the French when the latter tried to reclaim Indochina after WW2 . This conflict lasted during 1945 to 1954. In the closing stages of the Japanese Occupation, the Japanese pressured Bao Dai, the reigning emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty, to declare independence from the French and become the head of a new government in Vietnam. This occurred in March 1945. Between this time and formal Japanese surrender in August 1945, the Ho Chi Minh -led communist party, Viet Minh, recognized this as an opportunity to be a legitimate participant in Vietnamese governance and focused on generating popular support. Upon Japanese withdr awal, and impending French -Allied occupation at the conclusion of WW2, the Viet Minh seized the chance to stage an insurrection known as the 1945 August Revolution. Having successfully achieved popularity, and controlling strategic cities in the North as well as seize administrative positions in the fragile government, Ho Chi Minh then pressured Bao Dai to abdicate and confer Ho with the legitimacy and power over the governance of Vietnam. Choosing to keep Bao Dai in his government as Supreme Advisor, Ho Chi Minh managed to assume a position of credibility in the eyes of the locals by receiving the mandate from the dethroned emperor. Ho Chi Minh’s Declaration of Independence was then made in September 1945 at Hanoi’s Ba Dinh Square to rapturous applause by the thousands in attendance. However, Bao Dai soon grew disillusioned with his token position and unrest in Vietnam and left the country. Meanwhile, the French were able to establish administrative and military bases in South Vietnam due to haphazard organization and support for the Viet Minh in the region. They also attempted to achieve some form of legitimacy over the populace of South Vietnam by forming a new government with the support of the old aristocracy and anti-communists in 1949. The self-exiled former emperor, Bao Dai, was thus invited to return and become the government’s head of state. This was known as the “Bao Dai Solution.” Bao Dai would later offer Ngo Dinh Diem, a former official in the Vietnamese imperial service, to be his premier / pr