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Decolonisation of Vietnam - Coggle Diagram
Decolonisation of Vietnam
Part A : Development of Nationalism in Vietnam
Growth of Vietnamese anti-colonial sentiments due to impact of French rule on Vietnam
Vietnamese nationalism took on a militant and violent character for two reasons
(a) the oppressive rule of the French
Even though improvements were made to the infrastructure of Vietnam, such as the construction of railways, the majority of the Vietnamese suffered under French colonial rule
Traditional rulers lost power
Poor peasants lost their land as a result of indebtedness and land alienation
Western education was only available to the wealthy elites
The Vietnamese grew increasingly unhappy due to the sufferings endured under French colonial rule
The majority of the Vietnamese did not benefit from french colonial rule and this led to the early beginnings of Vietnamese anti-colonialism and nationalism
French education made the people conscious of the weakness and tyranny of French rule.
They also learnt about the concepts of liberty, fraternity and equality from the French Revolution in 1789 and were familiar with writings of Rousseau, Montesquieu and Voltaire
(b) the inspiration derived from the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905)
Japan's victory in the 1905 Russo-Japanese War also inspired nationalists
Japan's war with Russia in 1904 inspired the Vietnamese in their opposition to Western rule
It was the first time, in the history of Asia, that an Asian country (Japan) was able to defeat a Western power (Russia)
A number of Vietnamese nationalists went to Japan to obtain technical help and training
Part B : Impact of WWII on France & the Japanese Occupation
Impact of WWII on France
The outbreak of World War II in Europe forced France to focus its attention, manpower and military capabilities on defending itself against invasion from Italy and Germany in 1940
On 22 June 1940, France signed a peace treaty with Germany after the French surrendered, establishing the French Vichy government
The French Vichy government had to collaborate with the German forces, which influenced government decisions and policies relating to France and its colonies, including Vietnam
Over in Asia, Japan's growing ambitions and its war with China had led to its search for resources in Southeast Asia
With Vietnam's close proximity to China, and being an ally of Germany, Japan started to make its demands on the Vichy French administration in Vietnam to allow Japanese troops to be stationed there
Had no choice but to give in to these demands, and grant Japan greater access to raw materials and resources in Vietnam
Had to recognise Japanese economic and strategic interests in Vietnam
Impact of the Japanese Occupation on Vietnam
1) Exposed weakness of the French colonial government
The French failure to resist the Japanese Occupation exposed its weaknesses in controlling and defending Vietnam
The French colonial government signed a series of agreements which granted the Japanese favourable economic and military concessions that allowed the Japanese to secure a strong foothold in Vietnam
June 1940 : Granted Japan control over the northern border between China and Vietnam
August 1940 : Acknowledged Japanese rights and interests in Southeast Asia
September 1940 : Gave Japan the right to use 3 airfields in Tonkin, to station 6000 troops there, and to send no more than 25000 troops through Vietnam as a transit point
These humiliating concessions led to the Vietnamese losing fear and respect for the French
The French colonial government was perceived to be weak as it was seen to be cooperating with the Japanese occupying forces
The French colonial government was perceived by the Vietnamese to be under the control and influence of an Asian country, and collaborating with the occupying forces to further exploit the Vietnamese
During the Japanese Occupation of Vietnam, the French colonial administration continued its operations but worked for the Japanese to administer the country and facilitated Japanese exploitation of Vietnamese resources
e.g. Goods meant for export were sold at low prices to Japan
e.g. Japanese were granted free access to the roads, railways and ports in Vietnam
A key turning point : Japanese Occupation further encouraged the development of nationalism in Vietnam and accelerated Vietnam's path towards independence
As Japan took control of Vietnam, it exposed the weaknesses of French colonial rule and supported nationalist leaders such as Ho Chi Minh
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2) Encouraged the development of Vietnamese nationalism
Before the Japanese Occupation
Vietnamese anti-colonial and nationalist sentiments already existed but the Vietnamese were divided and did not share a set of common goals
French colonial government clamped down on anti-colonial activities, thus making it difficult for the nationalist leaders to rally the Vietnamese against French colonial rule
During the Japanese Occupation
Prominent nationalist leader like Ho Chi Minh were allowed to return to Vietnam to rally the people together against French colonial rule
The Japanese and the French authorities did not persecute the moderate Vietnamese nationalists
Instead, some of them were given the opportunity to participate in the administration of the country
The communist-inclined nationalists were treated differently : Attempts were made to crush their movement and influence
Ho Chi Minh reappeared on the scene to set up the League for the Independence of Vietnam or Viet Minh in 1941
The organisation was initially formed to seek Vietnamese independence from French colonial rule but shifted its focus towards resisting Japanese Occupation
The experience of oppression under two different foreign powers (France & Japan) made the Vietnamese even more determined to resist colonial rule and secure their independence
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The circumstances of World War II also enabled the Viet Minh to gain support from foreign countries to resist the Japanese Occupation
The USA and China temporarily provided support to the Viet Minh to fight against their common enemy - Japan (a temporary agreement)
Such support included military arms and equipment that allowed the Viet Minh to build up a small army
This was a crucial development that allowed the Viet Minh to launch a military struggle against the French after World War II
Part C : French Re-Occupation after World War II
Power-vacuum + Vietnamese declaration of independence in 1945
Towards the end of the Japanese Occupation, when defeat was imminent, the Japanese sought to prevent the colonial powers from regaining control over their colonies
In 1945, Japanese-French co-operation ended
The French had allied themselves with Britain and the United States to fight the Japanese
The Japanese overthrew the French colonial administration and arrested the French officials based in Vietnam
The Japanese then played upon the feelings of the Vietnamese nationalists to end French rule in Vietnam
The Japanese restored Bao Dai as Emperor of Vietnam and established a puppet government of Japan
Bao Dai was unable to rule Vietnam effectively
When the Japanese surrendered, there was a power vacuum
This created a window of opportunity for Ho Chi Minh to lead the Vietnamese in the August Revolution and formally declare independence
After the surrender of the Japanese, the Vietnamese nationalist groups attempted to obtain power in Vietnam through organising demonstrations and uprisings before the French re-established control
From 16 August 1945, Vietnamese nationalists began to organise themselves and planned for a revolution
Rallies and demonstrations were held to win the support of the Vietnamese
The National Committee for the Liberation of Vietnam was set up to plan for a new government
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French Re-Occupation of Vietnam
1) Post-war arrangements
It was agreed at the Potsdam Conference held from July to August 1945 that the Japanese troops in Vietnam would be disarmed
Re-occupation of Vietnam would be modelled upon what was done in Korea
Vietnam would be divided into two zones of occupation
North Vietnam : Occupied by Nationalist China in the hope that the region would not fall under communist influence
South Vietnam : Entrusted to Britain
Subsequently, Vietnam would be returned to the status of a French colony
2) Weakened French position
World War II had taken a huge toll on the French, in terms of loss of lives, destruction of buildings and economic devastation
Greatly weakened the French, and their ability to re-establish control over Vietnam
France's priority was to repair their economy and deal with the devastation at home
It also sought to regain control of its colonies
France had to rely on economic and military support from the Allied Powers in order to carry out its aim of re-occupying Vietnam
3) Allied support for French re-occupation
France appealed to both Britain and the USA to provide economic support and military aid in its campaign to re-establish French colonial rule in Vietnam
Britain was actively involved in helping to re-establish the authority of the European colonial powers in Southeast Asia
It believed that the restoration of French control over Vietnam would boost the post-war economic recovery of France
On 13 September 1945, after the Japanese surrendered and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was declared, British forces arrived in Saigon, South Vietnam to help facilitate French re-occupation
The USA initially did not provide much support for French re-occupation
The USA supported the Viet Minh against the Japanese Occupation and was committed to the Atlantic Charter
American President, Franklin D. Roosevelt opposed the restoration of French colonial rule over Vietnam
Instead, Roosevelt pushed for the establishment of a trusteeship arrangement(A dependent country, administered by another country under the supervision of UN, or administration of the territory by a country or countries so commissioned by the UN) as agreed in the Atlantic Charter
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Part D : Vietnam's fight for independence
Vietnamese resistance
Despite the unfavourable post-war arrangements, Ho Chi Minh attempted to push for Vietnamese independence to be recognised, and continued to resist French attempts at re-occupation
In March 1946, Ho Chi Minh allowed the French troops to return to Hanoi temporarily, in exchange for French recognition of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam as a free state within the French Union
Ho Chi Minh continued to negotiate for full independence and unification of Vietnam at the Fontainebleau Talks in July 1946
The talks failed as the French were unwilling to grant the Vietnamese any political concessions or promises of independence
Vietnamese's fight for independence
1) The first Indochina War (1946-1954)
The First Indochina War broke out when the British and French forces re-occupied South Vietnam in 1946
Ho Chi Minh and General Vo Nguyen Giap led the Vietnamese in resisting French re-occupation and asserting their right to independence
The war against the French lasted eight years until the Vietnamese secured their victory over the French in 1954
Reason for Victory 1 : Vietnamese Strengths
The strengths of the Viet Minh gave them the advantage over the French forces during the war
As the majority of the Vietnamese had suffered under French colonial rule, and the people were also angry with the French for collaborating with the Japanese during the Japanese Occupation, Ho Chi Minh was able to garner mass support to fight the French
The use of sound military strategies, and support provided by the Chinese Communist Party helped the Viet Minh to defeat the French forces
Reason for Victory 1(a) : Strong support base
When the British and French forces re-occupied Saigon in South Vietnam, the Viet Minh fled to North Vietnam and established their headquarters in the mountainous region of Viet Bac
In North Vietnam, the Viet Minh started to implement reforms that would help improve the lives of the Vietnamese
They confiscated land from the landlords and re-distributed the land to the villagers
There were also education campaigns to increase literacy among Vietnamese villagers
The actions taken by the Viet Minh won the hearts and minds of the villagers, and gained their support and gratitude
These villagers thus became an important support base for the Viet Minh and provided supplies, intelligence reports, and manpower to fight the French
Reason for Victory 1(b) : Effective military strategies
Under the leadership of General Giap, the Viet Minh made effective tactical and strategic decisions in the war against the French forces, e.g. the use of guerrilla warfare
Carrying out 'hit-and-run' tactics, sabotage, and camouflage
hide in the jungle and draw the French forces to them rather than engage in battle in the open fields
To conceal themselves from the French forces, the Viet Minh dug a network of tunnels and underground shelters so that their soldiers could take refuge from the fighting above ground
The tunnels were furnished with facilities such as meeting rooms, dining areas, water wells, storage areas, ammunition rooms and sleeping chambers
Viet Minh forces could therefore strategise their next move in the safety of the tunnels and hide underground for long periods of time
The biggest tunnel system built by the Viet Minh stretched for more than 300 kilometres and is located in the Cu Chi district near Saigon
Reason for Victory 1(c) : Support from the Chinese
The Chinese Communist Party won the Chinese Civil War in October 1949, and established communist rule in China
In support of the communist revolution in Vietnam, China provided military aid to the Viet Minh
China equipped the Viet Minh with machine guns, large amounts of ammunition and communication equipment
The Chinese also advised the Viet Minh that it was important to fight a 'people's war' by mobilising support from all Vietnamese to contribute to the Viet Minh's war effort through the provision of transport, supplies and intelligence
The support from China thus played a significant role in bringing about the Viet Minh's eventual victory over the French
Reason for Victory 2 : French Weaknesses
Although better equipped and larger in numbers, the French forces that were fighting in the First Indochina War could not gain the upper hand over the Viet Minh
During the war, France received support from the USA
In 1950, the USA granted millions of dollars in military aid as well as economic and technical assistance to France
Despite the initial advantages that the French had over the Viet Minh, they would ultimately suffer defeat and withdraw from Vietnam
Reason for Victory 2(a) : Poor military planning and leadership
A major weakness of the French forces was poor military planning and leadership
The French forces were not trained in guerrilla warfare, and were unable to develop effective counter-insurgency tactics against the guerrilla tactics of the Viet Minh
This was an important factor that led to the defeat of the French because the Viet Minh's guerrilla attacks resulted in massive casualties for the French forces
In addition, the French military commanders made fundamental errors such as the decision to engage in a battle against the Viet Minh forces in Dien Bien Phu, a remote area far away from the French headquarters in Hanoi
The remote location of the battle meant that the French were unable to sustain the fighting, as it took a longer time to send reinforcements when they suffered heavy casualties in the battle
As the fighting turned more violent, it became increasingly difficult for the French to send further reinforcements to the area
This error led to a significant military defeat for the French, which would ultimately signal the end of the First Indochina War
Reason for Victory 2(b) : Unpopular political ally
Apart from the military effort in fighting against the Viet Minh, the French also attempted to establish an alternative government for the State of Vietnam
The French hoped that this would rally the anti-communist political groups and strengthen French position in Vietnam
The French approached Bao Dai to be the Head of State for the State of Vietnam
They also helped to establish a military force known as the Vietnamese National Army (VNA) to support Bao Dai's government
However, Bao Dai was not a very charismatic leader and his reputation and political standing amongst the Vietnamese were undermined by years of collaboration with the French
Bao Dai's government was also made up of people with dubious reputations. Some of them were known to be involved in corruption and other crimes
The French thus failed to set up a strong government with adequate support from the Vietnamese that could challenge the communist government led by Ho Chi Minh
French Defeat at Dien Bien Phu
The French forces and the Viet Minh launched several attacks and military campaigns against each other in the early 1950s
However, none of the battles marked a turning point in the war as decisively as the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954
The French established a military base with a major force in Dien Bien Phu, a town in Northwest Vietnam, near the Vietnam-Laos border
The French had hoped to cut the Viet Minh's supply lines and establish a foothold with a large French force in the heart of the Viet Minh-controlled region
However, Dien Bien Phu was located at the bottom of a valley and the surrounding jungles were controlled by Giap's forces
The Viet Minh's artillery based in the jungles was thus invisible to the French forces in the valley below, allowing the Vietnamese to easily fire on the French forces without warning
When the Viet Minh decided to launch a surprise attack on the French forces, the French struggled to hold their position
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