Vietnam War - review

What materials were taken from Indochina to make the french rich?

Rubber, rice, timber, opium

What was the Corvee?

Thirty days free labour , Vietnamese peasants gave to the FrenchLike the feudal system

How did the French keep the support of, and Frenchify elite Vietnamese?

Gave them French education → about 10% of sons of elites families got a French education?

What happened to Small Vietnamese landholders?

Lost their land to FrenchTax heavily - until tax couldn't be paid - then confiscate land and redistribute it to a Frenchie without would create a rubber plantation.

Unintended consequence of Frenchification of local elites?

The young Vietnamese elites start to question/challenge the system and think towards independence.

Ho Chi Minh - sees pattern of colonisation - briefly describe this pattern?

Rich whites exploitation and discrimination against Indigenous populations."Justification" → civilising mission

Ho's answer to decolonisation:

Communism to set alight the peasantsWrap it in nationalismResult: Decolonisation

How does WW2 change the situation in Indochina?

Big game changerJapan occupies Vietnam, because Germany took over France and gave the colonies to Japan1940 - Hitler defeats FranceGermany occupies FranceFrance cannot govern IndochinaGermany allows Indochina to become a Japanese protectorateJapan allows local French to rule, with Japan as overlords

Ho fights Japanese

Funded and armed by USThe US are funding Ho because Ho is fighting the JapaneseMeans - Guerilla warfare

What happened on Sept 2 1945

with a power vacuum in Vietnam, Ho declares Vietnamese Independence

1954 → battle that changes the game for France.

Dien Bien Phu → Ho defeats the French.French realise they will never win, they are too weak and back out of the entire thing. They are able to do this because of the Geneva Conference, where countries are meeting to discuss Korea, but because of Dien Bien Phu, also Vietnam.

What was the result of the Geneva Conference?

result in Vietnam being split. North Vietnam is communist, South Vietnam is nationalist