Page 80 - History of War - Issue 10-14

VIETNAM: THE UNTOLD STORY

the war and Japan’s surrender that Vietnam to attack, they would disperse and disappear
sawitstrueopportunitytoseizecontrol.With into the jungle, aware that facing the Western
their enemies disorganised and distracted, the forceheadonwouldbesuicidal.By1949
communistVietMinhorganisationroseupand France was ready to negotiate and willing to
seizedpowerinthenortherncapital,Hanoi.But recognise Vietnam’s independence as a state
Francewashavingnoneofthis–determined within the French Union. For the disillusioned
tokeepagriponitsIndochineseterritoryit and determined Viet Minh this was not enough,
returned and took control of Cochinchina in the theyhadheardtheguisesofpromisesbefore,
SouthofVietnamin1946.YetagainVietnam and France’s thinly veiled words really meant
founditselftornintwo,withacommunistnorth that they would still control the country. They
and a non-communist south. rejected France’s offer, and when Chairman
At first things seemed peaceful, France Mao Zedong took control of China, they found
agreed that Vietnam could operate as a free themselves with a very powerful communist
stateintheFrenchunion,anditwould ally. Chinese military supplies poured into
gradually remove troops over the next five Vietnam and caught the attention of an even
years. But this was all a guise – secretly the bigger nation – the United States of America.
VietMinhwouldacceptnothinglessthan Alreadyinthemidstofthecoldwarand
totalindependence,whileFrancewished increasingly alarmed by any possible threat of
toreturntothedaysofcolonialrule.When the spread of communism, the states began to
France took actions to declare Cochinchina an supplyFrancewithmilitaryaidtoputanendto
independentrepublicinJune1946,itdidn’t the Asian communists.
takelongforthetwoopposingforcestofinally But the Viet Minh were gaining speed.
airtheirdisagreementsoutintheopen.On By 1950 both China and the Soviet Union
November of that year the French launched a recognised Ho Chi Minh, the leader of the Viet
naval bombardment at the port of Haiphong Minh, as the true leader of Vietnam. Although
afteradisputeaboutimporttax.Many France enjoyed a short period of success
Vietnamese citizens perished in the attack, aidedbytheuseofnapalm,suppliedbythe
withsomeestimatesashighas6,000deaths. United States, they slowly began to realise
TheVietMinhretaliatedbrutally,sending that the war was unwinnable. The conflict
30,000menintothecity,andeventhough climaxedatthebattleofDienBienPhuwhere
their immense numbers failed to overwhelm a40,000-strongVietMinhforcedecimated
thesuperiormilitaryoftheFrenchforces,itset the French defence. The French colonial forces
off a chain reaction of rebellions and fighting wereunabletorecoverandin1954they
across the country. brought the Viet Minh to the negotiations table
TheFrenchmilitarywasconfidentofvictory, at the Geneva Conference.
and the Viet Minh were forced underground, Over four months it was agreed that the
wagingaguerrillawaragainsttheirage-old country would be officially split into two
invaders. The Viet Minh quickly developed separate military zones, with all Viet Minh to
devious tactics for dealing with the French stay north of the line, and all French forces
forces–whenevertheysentlargearmiesin andtheirVietnamesesupporttoremain

“CHINESE MILITARY SUPPLIES POURED INTO VIETNAM AND

CAUGHT THE ATTENTION OF AN EVEN BIGGER NATION – THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” Viet Cong soldiers from D445 Battalion,
taken in the Phuoc Tuy Province

THE PERILOUS BUT UNSTOPPABLE RISE OF THE
THERISEOFTHECOMMUNISTS IDEOLOGY THAT WOULD DEFINE VIETNAM
1924 1925 1930 1941

THEARRIVALOFHOCHIMINH ESTABLISHMENTOFTHEVIETNAMESE THECOMMUNISTPARTYOFVIETNAM LEAGUEFORTHEINDEPENDENCE OF
An important communist REVOLUTIONARYYOUTHASSOCIATION After Thanh Niên split, they were VIETNAM
figure, Ho changed the small Founded by Ho Chi Minh, the Thanh united again by Ho Chi Minh to Aftertheeliminationofthe
Vietnamese patriotic movement Niên was the first communist formtheCommunistPartyof Communist Party, Ho Chi Minh
into a revolutionary force. Min organisation in Vietnam. The main Vietnam. Although at its birth it formed the League for the
and his “men in black” team aims of the organisation were to hadasmallmembershipof1,500, Independence of Vietnam. They
helped win many military end French colonial occupation several bad harvests caused first focused on gaining public
victoriesovertheFrenchand and establish independence. The the party to gain support. The supportagainsttheJapanese
Japanese occupations of group encouraged the spread of group organised many marches and French occupation of the
VietnamandfoundedtheViet theircommunistideasbytargeting and rallies. While the group was country, and quickly attracted
Minh.AfterthefirstIndochina intellectuals and schools, organising eventually destroyed, it continued recognition. Despite their leader
war he was made president student strikes and attracting the to be held in high regard by the being imprisoned and tortured,
of North Vietnam and aimed attention of young. general population. thegroup’snumbersincreased to
to reunite Vietnam under a membership of 500,000 by the
communist rule. endof1944.

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