Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
NATIONS
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY - 1965
FREEZE DATE 28th July, 1965.
1954
Battle of Dienbienphu Begins: A force of 40,000 heavily armed Vietminh lay siege to the French
garrison at Dienbienphu. Using Chinese artillery to shell the airstrip, the Vietminh make it
impossible for French supplies to arrive by air. It soon becomes clear that the French have met
their match.
Eisenhower Cites "Domino Theory" Regarding Southeast Asia: Responding to the defeat of the
French by the Vietminh at Dienbienphu, President Eisenhower outlines the Domino Theory: "You
have a row of dominoes set up. You knock over the first one, and what will happen to the last one
is the certainty that it will go over very quickly."
French Defeated at Dien Bien Phu
Geneva Convention Begins:
negotiations that will lead to the end of hostilities in Indochina. The idea of partitioning Vietnam
is first explored at this forum.
Geneva Convention Agreements Announced:
General Henri Delteil sign the Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities in Vietnam. As part of the
agreement, a provisional demarcation line is drawn at the 17th parallel which will divide Vietnam
until nationwide elections are held in 1956. The United States does not accept the agreement;
neither does the government of Bao Dai.
1955
Diem Rejects Conditions of Geneva Accords, Refuses to Participate in Nationwide Elections
China and Soviet Union Pledge Additional Financial Support to Hanoi
Diem Urged to Negotiate with North: Britain, France, and United States covertly urge Diem to
respect Geneva accords and conduct discussions with the North.
3
Diem Becomes President of Republic of Vietnam: Diem defeats Bao Dai in rigged election and
proclaims himself President of Republic of Vietnam.
1956
French leave Vietnam
US Training South Vietnamese: The US Military Assistance Advisor Group (MAAG) assumes
responsibility, from French, for training South Vietnamese forces.
1957
Communist Insurgency into South Vietnam: Communist insurgent activity in South Vietnam
begins. Guerrillas assassinate more than 400 South Vietnamese officials. Thirty-seven armed
companies are organized along the Mekong Delta.
Terrorist Bombings Rock Saigon: Thirteen Americans working for MAAG and US Information
Service are wounded in terrorist bombings in Saigon.
1959
Weapons Moving Along Ho Chi Minh Trail: North Vietnam forms Group 559 to begin infiltrating
cadres and weapons into South Vietnam via the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The Trail will become a
strategic target for future military attacks.
US Servicemen Killed in Guerilla Attack: Major Dale R. Buis and Master Sargeant Chester M.
Ovnand become the first Americans to die in the Vietnam War when guerillas strike at Bienhoa
Diem Orders Crackdown on Communists, Dissidents
1960
North Vietnam Imposes Universal Military Conscription
Kennedy Elected President: John F. Kennedy narrowly defeats Richard Nixon for the presidency.
Diem Survives Coup Attempt
Vietcong Formed: Hanoi forms National Liberation Front for South Vietnam. Diem government
dubs them "Vietcong."
4
1961
Battle of Kienhoa Province: 400 guerillas attack village in Kienhoa Province, and are defeated by
South Vietnamese troops.
Vice President Johnson Tours Saigon: During a tour of Asian countries, Vice President Lyndon
Johnson visits Diem in Saigon. Johnson assures Diem that he is crucial to US objectives in Vietnam
and calls him "the Churchill of Asia."
1962
US Military Employs Agent Orange: US Air Force begins using Agent Orange -- a defoliant that
came in metal orange containers-to expose roads and trails used by Vietcong forces.
Diem Palace Bombed in Coup Attempt
Mansfield Voices Doubt on Vietnam Policy: Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield reports back
to JFK from Saigon his opinion that Diem had wasted the two billion dollars America had spent
there.
1963
Battle of Ap Bac: Vietcong units defeat South Vietnamese Army (ARVN) in Battle of Ap Bac
President Kennedy Assassinated in Dallas: Kennedy's death meant that the problem of how to
proceed in Vietnam fell squarely into the lap of his vice president, Lyndon Johnson.
Buddhists Protest Against Diem: Tensions between Buddhists and the Diem government are
further strained as Diem, a Catholic, removes Buddhists from several key government positions
and replaces them with Catholics. Buddhist monks protest Diem's intolerance for other religions
and the measures he takes to silence them. In a show of protest, Buddhist monks start setting
themselves on fire in public places.
Diem Overthrown, Murdered: With tacit approval of the United States, operatives within the
South Vietnamese military overthrow Diem. He and his brother Nhu are shot and killed in the
aftermath.
1964
5
General Nguyen Khanh Seizes Power in Saigon: In a bloodless coup, General Nguyen Khanh
seizes power in Saigon. South Vietnam junta leader, Major General Duong Van Minh, is placed
under house arrest, but is allowed to remain as a figurehead chief-of-state.
Gulf of Tonkin Incident: On August 2, three North Vietnamese PT boats allegedly fire torpedoes at
the USS Maddox, a destroyer located in the international waters of the Tonkin Gulf, some thirty
miles off the coast of North Vietnam. The attack comes after six months of covert US and South
Vietnamese naval operations. A second, even more highly disputed attack, is alleged to have
taken place on August 4.
Debate on Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution is approved by Congress on
August 7 and authorizes President Lyndon Johnson to "take all necessary measures to repel any
armed attack against forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression." The
resolution passes unanimously in the House, and by a margin of 82-2 in the Senate. The
Resolution allows Johnson to wage all out war against North Vietnam without ever securing a
formal Declaration of War from Congress.
Viet Cong Attack Bienhoa Air Base
LBJ Defeats Goldwater: Lyndon Johnson is elected in a landslide over Republican Barry Goldwater
of Arizona. During the campaign, Johnson's position on Vietnam appeared to lean toward deescalation of US involvement, and sharply contrasted the more militant views held by Goldwater.
calls would be raised from 17,000 to 35,000. At the same time, Johnson reaffirmed U.S. readiness
to seek a negotiated end to the war, and appealed to the United Nations and any of its member
states to help further this goal. There are reports of construction of hospitals, air bases, runways
and warehouses in South Vietnam by American troops that clearly signify hostile intentions.
On the other hand, there have been increasing reports indicating clashes between the NVA and
VC troops in the Batang Peninsula south of Da Nang. Employment of air strikes, artilleries,
helicopters and B-52s by USA.
French. In 1949, battling raised as the Chinese comrades captured the northern fringe of
Vietnam and opened a pipeline of military supplies to the Viet Minh. On high alert, the Viet
Minh started more straightforward engagement against the foe and the contention finished
when the French were conclusively vanquished at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. The war was at last
settled by the Geneva Accords of 1954, which incidentally apportioned the nation at the
seventeenth parallel, with the Viet Minh in control of the north and a non-socialist state to be
framed in the south under Prime Minister Ngo Dinh Diem. This division was to last until 1956,
when national decisions would be held to choose the eventual fate of the country.
10
11
12
13
14
The accords stipulated free elections to be held in 1956 to elect a single government for a unified
Viet Nam, which Ho Chi Minh would have won in a landslide. By refusing to honor the previous
agreement, the US and the RVN didn't have a strong case for claiming the need for intervention
by the UN the diplomat from Burma who served as Secretary General of the United Nations from
1961, both publicly denounced the war in Vietnam and privately tried to open diplomatic
channels between the US and Vietnam, but he largely failed because the United States was not in
favour of his diplomatic efforts.
15
CHINA
Peoples Republic of China (PRC) was the first country that recognized the Democratic republic
of Vietnam (DRV) led by Ho Chi Minh back in January 1950. In the same year, they also sent
weapons and military advisors to assist the viet Minh in their war against the French. Prior to the
recognition and support, the Chinese communists and Viet Minh had been cooperating in their
respective struggles during 194649, up until the Chinese communists won the civil war in 1949.
In the 1954 Geneva Accords, following the Soviet Union, Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai urged the
Viet Minh to accept a temporary partition of Vietnam at the 17th parallel. China continued to
provide military aid and support to North Vietnam years after the first Indochina war.
SOVIET UNION
In the 1954 Geneva Accords, following the Soviet Union, Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai urged the
Viet Minh to accept a temporary partition of Vietnam at the 17th parallel. China continued to
provide military aid and support to North Vietnam years after the first Indochina war.
The U.S. escalating involvement and its first troops sent to Vietnam likewise increased Soviet
interest in Vietnam remarkably. Leonid Brezhnev signed a defense treaty with Hanoi during a
meeting with the Lao Dong Politburo and NVA commanders in February 1965 and Soviet aid
began flowing to North Vietnam since then.
NORTH KOREA
North Korea had provided North Vietnam both political and military support including sending
military advisers in the early stage of the Vietnam War due to the close Ideology between Hanoi
and Pyongyang.
CUBA
Similar to most communist allies, Cuba has not officially revealed its secret support to North
Vietnam and that its role in the Vietnam War remains mystery. However, the Republic of Cuba
under the leadership of Fidel Castro reportedly provided doctors, military advisors and
engineers who engaged in widening the Ho Chi Minh trail.
17
NEW ZEALAND
Along with Australia, New Zealand was a close ally of the U.S. as they were members of
Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) and Australia, New Zealand, United States Security
Treaty (ANZUS). Under Cold War concern, communist spread and alliance obligations, New
Zealand also sent its ground troops into Vietnam together with its allies.
However, unlike the U.S. and Australia, New Zealand was rather reluctant to commit its troops to
South Vietnam partially due to its military commitment in the Indonesian Malaysian
Confrontation. Instead, in April 1963, New Zealand confined its commitment to a civilian surgical
team which comprised of 7 men and later extended to 16 men .Under U.S. continued pressure,
New Zealand eventually sent in a detachment of 25 engineers the New Zealand Army Detachment
Vietnam (NEWZAD) in June 1964.
SOUTH KOREA
As part of the alliance with the United States, South Korea under the administration of Park
Chunghee played an active role in the Vietnam War
Together with communist spread concern, their participation was strongly rooted in the
commitment of American forces in the earlier Korean War (1950 1953) and this was seen as
returning the favor.
18
The first South Korean personnel headed to Vietnam in September 1964 were noncombatant,
consisting of 10 Taekwondo instructors and 130 Korean Army hospital unit.
AUSTRALIA
In the early 1960s, under the threat from a growing communist insurgency, South Vietnamese
government repeatedly sought security assistance from the U.S. and its allies. Following the
U.S.s footsteps its most valued ally, Australia responded with civil and military support for
South Vietnam.
In 1962, Australian government formed up the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam
(AATTV), also known as the Team, which included 30 qualified and experienced officers, led
by Colonel Ted Serong. The team would provide their experience in jungle warfare, which they
had gained from the Malayan Emergency, to American forces. By the end of 1964, Australia
increased the number of military personnel up to 200, including a larger AATTV team as well as
a new engineer and surgical team.
What measures can be taken to avoid escalation of the current situation in North and
South Vietnam into a deadly war?
What are the hidden motives of the Soviet Union and China behind supporting
North Vietnam?
Was the signing of the Geneva Accords 1954 the most suitable settlement to the
First Indo-China war?
How can other measures like economic sanctions and other restrictions be used to
avoid a military intervention?
How did U.S. objectives differ from the objectives of Ho Chi Minh and the Vietnamese
Communists during the war?
19
20
21
16