French Left And Vietnam example essay topic

Vietnam's Struggle To say the United States was "dragged" into the bloody mess that became Vietnam is to ignore the historical record. The question of whether or not the U.S. should have been fighting over there is of course a different matter. One thing that cannot be questioned however, is the bravery and honor of soldiers who fought and died for their country. French Indochina, which included Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, was occupied by Japanese forces during World War II. Vietnamese Communists leader Ho Chi Minh and his Viet Minh movement organized strong resistance against the Japanese and in 1945 declared Vietnam an independent republic. Fearful of the spread of communism, the United States supported restoration of French rule over Vietnam.

When fighting erupted between France and the Viet Minh in 1947 the Americans aided the French and backed the French sponsored government of Emperor Bao Dai. By 1953 the US was providing 80 percent of the cost of France's war effort. This small village along the border of Laos and North Vietnam was chosen as a forward fire base by the French to draw the Viet Minh into a set piece battle, one they felt certain they would win. On November 23, 1953 six French parachute battalions landed to take up positions at Dien Bien Phu. By March the garrison had grown to 16,000 men including French Legion troops and Thai battalions. Viet Minh General Vo Nguyen Gap saw this as an opportunity to deal the French a heavy blow.

With all effort and speed that his forces could muster artillery, mortars and troops were brought in to occupy positions in the hills surrounding Dien Bien Phu. On the eve of battle the Viet Minh had some 60,000 men in five divisions with 200 artillery pieces including anti-aircraft when the airstrip was captured on March 18 heavy anti-aircraft and rocket launchers compared to the 28 guns the French had. The attack opened up on March 13, 1954 with a massive artillery barrage. Infantry assaults soon followed.

With darkness came stealthy attacks along the perimeter. Day after day this was the pattern of events at Dien Bien Phu. The well disciplined French troops repulsed the enemy again and again but were denied supplied drops from aircraft when the airstrip was captured on March 18. Heavy anti-aircraft fire kept transports away throughout the fighting. Finally on May 7, 1954 with no ammo and no supplies the defenders were overrun, effectively ending the struggle, which had been going on since 1946. The cost was horrific with losses estimated at 25,000 to the Viet Minh.

Five thousand French had died in the fighting and a further 10,000 taken prisoner. During the siege at Dien Bien Phu the exhausted government placed Indochina on the agenda of an international conference at Geneva. After the defeat at Dien Bien Phu France decided to withdraw from Indochina. The US Air Force had quietly been sending advisors to South Vietnam as early as 1950, to support the French left and Vietnam was partitioned into North and South in 1955. The terms of the international conference at Geneva effectively divided Vietnam into two at the 17th parallel. Even though Ho Chi Minh held significant areas south of the 17th parallel his Communist allies, the USSR and China, pressured him into accepting temporary division of Vietnam pending elections to be held in two years.

Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam were granted independence, and no foreign troops were to be stationed there. In an exchange of population, thousands of northern Vietnamese Roman Catholics moved south, now led by the US-backed Ngo Dinh Diem in Saigon, signed the accords. Even before the conference's conclusion, Washington, whose policy was to oppose the spread of communism, began planning a regional security pact. The result was the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), which provided for the future US intervention in the event of danger to South Vietnam; the Indochinese states did not join.

Providing economic and military aid, the United States supported Diem's refusal to hold the pledged elections, apparently assuming the popular nationalist Ho would win. After a shaky start, Diem began working to destroy the remaining Communist infrastructure in the South. His military force, the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARV N), was advised by some 700 Americans, who replaced the French in 1956. Working closely with the army of the South Vietnamese (Ar vins) the Americans tried to make it difficult for the Viet Cong "Vietnamese Communists - Victor Charlie" to gain support from the South Vietnamese peasants. Strategic Hamlet attempted to place peasants in fortified villages at night, where they couldn't be infiltrated. This backfired badly.

It was very unpopular with the peasants who resented being so far away from their rice fields and ancestors. Viet Cong demolished many of the fortified villages anyway. Frustrated by lack of success on the ground, the US tried to win the war from the air. Operation Rolling Thunder that began with dropping millions of tons high explosive bombs on North Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh trail.

This was backed up by phosphorous and napalm bombs that later causing dreadful burns to thousands of innocent civilians. When this failed to break down the jungle cover the USAF started Operation Ranch Hand the defoliation program, using Agent Orange. This deadly chemical cocktail, containing dioxin, killed off millions of acres of jungle to try to weaken the VC but left a horrendous legacy in Vietnam. The dioxin got into the food chain causing chromosome damage to humans. There were hundreds of cases of children born with deformities.

Of all aircraft, the helicopter mainly Bell Huey was the most useful, dropping platoons in the jungle clearings and out again. They were excellent for air ambulances. The Communists National Liberation Front "NL" or "VC" used classic Maoist guerrilla tactics. "Guerrillas must move through the peasants like fish through sea", i.e. the peasants will support them as much as they can, shelter, food, weapons, storage, intelligence, recruits. In VC held areas they distributed the land to the peasants, which went down extremely well. By 1973, the VC held about half of South Vietnam.

Their weapons were cheap and reliable- the AK-47 Kalashnikov assault riffle out performed the American M 16, and the portable rocket launcher took out many US vehicles and aircraft. They recycled dud bombs dropped by the Americans or old weapons left by the French. Deadly booby-traps could inflict huge damage on young American conscripts. The US counted with "Search and Destroy " tactics.

In areas where the VC was thought to be operating troops went in, checked for weapons and if found, rounded up the villages and burned the villages down. This often alienated the peasants from the US / Arvin cause. As one marine said of a search and destroy mission- "If they weren't VC before we got there, they sure as hell were by the time we left". The VC often helped the villager's re-build their homes and bury their dead. The Vietnamese built large tunnel complexes such as the ones at Cu Chi near Saigon. This protected them from the bombing raids by the Americans and gave them cover for attacking the invaders.

To counter this the Americans set up a special unit, the Tunnel Rats to seek out seek out the Vietnamese fighters. Though both sides suffered devastating losses both had extremely skillful war tactics. The United States had to make a great adaptation to the Vietnam battlefield facing the Guerrilla warfare it was a difficult battle. Brave men were sent out to fight for their countries and that is what people should remember.