The+War+in+Vietnam+1949-60

=The War in Vietnam 1949-1960 =

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 * ===﻿From 1946-1954 the French fought for control of Vietnam ===

Communist involvement in Vietnam:

 * In 1949, China provided arms and training for the Viet Minh.
 * In 1950 **Mao Tse-Tung** (The People's Republic of China) and **Stalin** (the Soviet Union) recognize **Ho Chi Minh** (leader of North Vietnam). Note the leadership of world communism contest and what Stalin said to Mao, emphasis needed on identifying and explaining change on Stalin's behalf. **Mao** represented a huge **challenge for Stalin for world communism leadership** and therefore Stalin had to get involved in Vietnam to be seen as the leader of communism. When Mao recognized Ho, Stalin told Mao that it was not the way things were done, and they had to wait until communist victory to recognize its leader. This way it was a win-win situation for Stalin. However because Mao recognized Ho, Stalin had to recognize him too, otherwise Mao would be seen as the world leader of communism.

America's involvement in Vietnam:
> -Bell states that this "sent a signal to the nationalist governments across the world" What was the signal? Why is this an important quote? What does this help me to understand?
 * Initially the USA opposed the French involvement in Vietnam as it went against **Roosevelt's Grand Design** of having national self-determination (no empires).
 * **Vietnam was outside America's defensive perimeter**, thus they did not get involved in Vietnam as it wasn't essential to American national security. When did this change? WHY? Note the importance of the consequences of Korea and America viewing communism as a monolthic entity. EXPLAIN. However this **policy was abandoned once Kim II Sung invaded South Korea in 1950**. America started to provide the French to aid them against communist Ho Chi Minh. **The loss of China to communsim** had a very signifacant impact of American policy and the US began to see **communism as a monolithic entity** - Mao was Stalin's puppet. As Mason states, "the so-called loss of China sent shockwaves across the United States." which shows how much of an [[image:http://cla.calpoly.edu/%7Elcall/204/8-10/how_communism_works.jpg width="240" height="360" align="right" caption="America's ideology"]] effect this had on America's policy. From this moment on, Truman could not rely on the defensive perimeter to contain communism anymore and a loss of free institutions to communism anywhere was seen as a loss everywhere as Bell argues.
 * America realised that if they do no take action in Vietnam, Communism would spread to other parts of Asia (//**Domino Theory**//). What exactly was the domino theory and why is it important? What does it help us understand? [|The Domino Theory] explained how if Vietnam falls to communism, soon other countries such as Laos and Cambodia will fall too. The emerge of this theory developed America's policy and for this reason they had to intervene in Vietnam by helping the French.
 * By 1950, the US was paying 80% of the French war costs, which was seen as an anti-communist struggle.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">In 1954, at the battle of Dien Bien Phu, Eiserhower refused to send troops to defend the French and [|they were defeated.]