Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
A Divided Vietnam: Factors Causing the conflict - Coggle Diagram
A Divided Vietnam: Factors Causing the conflict
Ho Chi Minh first focused on internal affairs: wanting to consolidate communist power.
Elimination of class enemies
landlord, traitor or French sympathiser could be targeted and many killed by north Vietnamese
Whole villages of North Catholics fled to the south due to them be labeled as pro-French
1 million fled during these years
South Vietnam
US had fears of communist expansion, so assumed the position of patron of southern Vietnam, although French initially, but felt frustration with wanting to reposition former emperor
US wanted different, and strong leader: Under US direction, Bao Dai recalled Diem(nationalist and catholic) in 1954 and made
him Prime Minister
1955 - Diem ousted Bao Dai and recreated the
government in the south.
regime became increasingly corrupt and brutal, leading
eventually to the renewal of war in Vietnam
Land Distribution
Radical and moderate groups advocated land distribution so that the Vietnamese peasantry would have sufficient land to farm
1955 - Diem reversed Viet Minh policy to not pay rent after ww2, and required peasants to pay
1958 - peasants were expected to purchase the land
they farmed in six annual instalments - expensive for peasants, alienating peasantry with having the feeling of owning something
Diem's policies
Often against north communist regime
launched a widespread campaign against anyone he
considered a threat - fear of assasination
1956 - refused to hold the elections stipulated
in the Geneva Accords
Imprisoned opposition leaders and targeted
Viet Minh that remained in the south
Favoured Catholics over the Buddhist majority - led to further dissatisfaction with his regime.
Opposition within the South
Beginning 1957 - Viet Cong took advantage of peasant alienation and began to organise resistance group in the countryside and plot political assassination against govt officials
Despite Viet Cong growth, Diem maintained control over the cities of South Vietnam and much of the countryside .
Diem's brutality
South Vietnamese peasant villages were forcibly disbanded and were placed in "Strategic Hamlets"
Main objective was to isolate the Viet Cong from the bases and
prevent them from gaining any support from the peasants
Diem's assassination