Who led the South in the Vietnam War?
- Ho Chi Minh.
- Võ Nguyên Giáp.
- Ngô Đình Di?m.
- John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
- Robert McNamara.
- Dean Rusk.
- Lyndon Baines Johnson.
- General William Westmoreland.
Who was the leader of South Vietnam in 1963?
Known popularly as "Big Minh," Duong led the South Vietnamese army under prime minister Ngo Dinh Diem. In 1963, he became leader of South Vietnam after a coup in which Diem was murdered. Duong's rule lasted after only two months, but he briefly led South Vietnam again in 1975 before surrendering the nation to Communist forces.
What type of government did South Vietnam have?
1. Between 1954 and 1963 South Vietnam was a nominally democratic republic, propped up by American political and financial support. In reality, there was little democratic about its government. 2. South Vietnam’s leader, Ngo Dinh Diem, claimed to head a democratic government.
Who backed the new rulers of South Vietnam?
The new rulers of South Vietnam were backed by the United States and their Western allies. These men, epitomised by the Christian prime minister Ngo Dinh Diem, presented themselves as aspiring democrats and capitalists.
What was the official name of the South Vietnamese state?
The official name of the South Vietnamese state was Việt Nam Cộng hòa (Republic of Vietnam) and the French name was referred to as République du Viêt Nam. The North was known as the "Democratic Republic of Vietnam".
Who controlled the South in the Vietnam War?
Ngo Dinh DiemFollowing France's defeat in the First Indochina War, an international agreement divided Vietnam in two. Ho led the North, whereas the U.S.-backed Ngo Dinh Diem took charge of the South.
Who is the leader of South Vietnam?
He was the final prime minister of the State of Vietnam (1954–1955), and then served as President of South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) from 1955 until he was captured and assassinated during the 1963 military coup....Ngo Dinh Diem.Ngô Đình DiệmSignatureMilitary serviceAllegianceSouth VietnamBattles/warsVietnam War26 more rows
Who ruled North and South Vietnam?
North Vietnam would be ruled by Ho Chi Minh's communist government and South Vietnam would be led by emperor Bao Dai. An election was scheduled in two years' time to unify Vietnam, but the U.S., fearful that a national election would lead to communist rule, ensured it never took place.
Who was the leader of South Vietnam in 1965?
Nguyen KhanhNguyen Khanh was a general who was in power from early 1964 to 1965. Nguyễn Văn Thiệu was a general who became the President of South Vietnam from 1967 to 1975. Nguyễn Cao Kỳ was an air force chief who became the Prime Minister of South Vietnam from 1965 to 1967 and the Vice President from 1967 to 1971.
Who was the leader of South Vietnam in 1967?
Nguyễn Văn ThiệuNguyễn Văn Thiệu (Vietnamese: [ŋʷǐənˀ vān tʰîəwˀ] ( listen); 5 April 1923 – 29 September 2001) was a South Vietnamese military officer and politician who was the president of South Vietnam from 1967 to 1975.
Who ruled North Vietnam?
Ho Chi MinhHo Chi Minh led a long and ultimately successful campaign to make Vietnam independent. He was president of North Vietnam from 1945 to 1969, and he was one of the most influential communist leaders of the 20th century.
Was South Vietnam a communist?
The Vietnam War was a long, costly and divisive conflict that pitted the communist government of North Vietnam against South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States.
Was South Vietnam communist during the Vietnam War?
North Vietnam was supported by the Soviet Union, China, and other communist allies; South Vietnam was supported by the United States and other anti-communist allies. The war is widely considered to be a Cold War-era proxy war.
Why did North Vietnam fight South Vietnam?
The United States had provided funding, armaments, and training to South Vietnam's government and military since Vietnam's partition into the communist North and the democratic South in 1954. Tensions escalated into armed conflict between the two sides, and in 1961 U.S. President John F.
What happened to the leader of s Vietnam?
Following the overthrow of his government by South Vietnamese military forces the day before, President Ngo Dinh Diem and his brother are captured and killed by a group of soldiers.
Who controlled South Vietnam after Diem?
Gen. Duong Van MinhIn the aftermath of the November 1 coup that resulted in the murder of President Ngo Dinh Diem, Gen. Duong Van Minh, leading the Revolutionary Military Committee of the dissident generals who had conducted the coup, takes over leadership of South Vietnam.
Who was the leader of South Vietnam during the Tet Offensive?
General Cao Văn ViênThe following afternoon, General Cao Văn Viên, chief of the South Vietnamese Joint General Staff, ordered his four Corps' commanders to place their troops on alert.
Who was the leader of the Republic of Vietnam in 1955?
In 1955, however, the strongly anti-communist politician Ngo Dinh Diem pushed Emperor Bao aside to become president of the Government of the Republic of Vietnam (GVN), often referred to during that era as South Vietnam.
What was the Vietnam War?
The Vietnam War was a long, costly and divisive conflict that pitted the communist government of North Vietnam against South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States. The conflict was intensified by the ongoing Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. More than 3 million people (including ...
What was the NLF in Vietnam?
In December 1960, Diem’s many opponents within South Vietnam—both communist and non-communist—formed the National Liberation Front (NLF) to organize resistance to the regime. Though the NLF claimed to be autonomous and that most of its members were not communists, many in Washington assumed it was a puppet of Hanoi.
How many US presidents were in the Vietnam War?
READ MORE: How the Vietnam War Ratcheted Up Under 5 US Presidents
How many troops were there in Vietnam in 1962?
By 1962, the U.S. military presence in South Vietnam had reached some 9,000 troops, compared with fewer than 800 during the 1950s.
What happened after Ho's communist forces took power in the North?
After Ho’s communist forces took power in the north, armed conflict between northern and southern armies continued until the northern Viet Minh’s decisive victory in the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in May 1954. The French loss at the battle ended almost a century of French colonial rule in Indochina.
How many people died in Vietnam?
More than two decades of violent conflict had inflicted a devastating toll on Vietnam’s population: After years of warfare, an estimated 2 million Vietnamese were killed, while 3 million were wounded and another 12 million became refugees. Warfare had demolished the country’s infrastructure and economy, and reconstruction proceeded slowly.
What was the South Vietnam?
South Vietnam. A protest by Buddhists in South Vietnam in 1963. South Vietnam was an independent nation-state, formed in the wake of the Geneva Accords of 1954. South Vietnam became a client state of the United States, supported by American military and financial aid. Though nominally democratic, South Vietnamese leaders often subverted democracy ...
How did Nhu rule the South Vietnamese?
Under Nhu’s supervision, private armies launched campaigns to locate, arrest and dispose of suspected communists and sympathisers in South Vietnam. Thousands were rounded up, deported, tortured, thrown in prison or executed. According to some sources, more South Vietnamese were killed during Diem’s four-year anti-communist purge than during the First Indochina War of 1946-54.
What was the South Vietnamese government like in 1955?
By late 1955, South Vietnam had almost no army, no police force and very little functioning bureaucracy. Not only did Diem have to persuade the South Vietnamese people that he was in charge but he also had to construct a working system of government.
How many Agrovilles were there in Vietnam?
By the early 1960s, there were more than two dozen Agrovilles in South Vietnam. Each contained several thousand peasants, most driven there at the point of a gun, from villages which had previously contained just a few families. The Agroville resettlements caused enormous social and economic disruption.
When did Ngo Dinh Diem meet Eisenhower?
Ngo Dinh Diem meets President Eisenhower in Washington, 1957. The newly appointed Diem was determined to deal with all of these problems, despite his lack of political experience. When Diem assumed power, however, South Vietnam was bankrupt and without the organs of government.
How many strategic hamlets were there in Vietnam?
By late 1963, the South Vietnamese government claimed to have completed 8,600 strategic hamlets, however, a subsequent American investigation found four-fifths of these were incomplete. American funding dried up and the program soon faded away. Many strategic hamlets were abandoned, stripped of whatever was useful and left to rot.
What happened to the French during the withdrawal from Indochina?
During their withdrawal from Indochina, the French had dismantled the apparatus of colonial government. In some cases, entire buildings and departments had been cleared, their contents packed and shipped back to France, all in the space of a few months. The French also stripped South Vietnam of important resources, from military equipment down to telephones and typewriters.
Who was the central government of Vietnam in 1948?
Nguyễn Văn Xuân (1947–48) 1948–49 Provisional Central Government of Vietnam ( Chính phủ lâm thời Quốc gia Việt Nam ). This "pre-Vietnam" government prepared for a unified Vietnamese state, but the country's full reunification was delayed for a year because of the problems posed by Cochinchina's legal status.
Who was the President of South Vietnam in 1957?
US President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Secretary of State John Foster Dulles greet President Ngô Đình Diệm of South Vietnam in Washington, 8 May 1957. In July 1955, Diệm announced in a broadcast that South Vietnam would not participate in the elections specified in the Geneva Accords.
How many North Vietnamese left Vietnam?
About 1 million North Vietnamese refugees left the newly created communist North Vietnam during Operation "Passage to Freedom" (October 1954). Before World War II, the southern third of Vietnam was the concession (nhượng địa) of Cochinchina, which was administered as part of French Indochina.
What is the name of Vietnam?
It is a variation of " Nam Việt " ( 南 越, Southern Việt ), a name used in ancient times. In 1839, Emperor Minh Mạng renamed the country Đại Nam ("Great South"). In 1945, the nation's official name was changed back to "Vietnam". The name is also sometimes rendered as "Viet Nam" in English.
How many US soldiers were in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive?
Fighting peaked up to that point during the Tet Offensive of February 1968, when there were over a million South Vietnamese soldiers and 500,000 US soldiers in South Vietnam. What started as a guerrilla war eventually turned into a more conventional fight as the balance of power became equalized.
What is the official name of Vietnam?
Etymology. Main article: Names of Vietnam. The official name of the South Vietnamese state was Việt Nam Cộng hòa (Republic of Vietnam) and the French name was referred to as République du Viêt Nam. The North was known as the " Democratic Republic of Vietnam ".
Why did the North Vietnamese sail south?
When Vietnam was divided, 800,000 to 1 million North Vietnamese, mainly (but not exclusively) Roman Catholics, sailed south as part of Operation Passage to Freedom due to a fear of religious persecution in the North.
What did the South Vietnamese government do?
The South Vietnamese government, on the other hand, fought to preserve a Vietnam more closely aligned with the West. U.S. military advisers, present in small numbers throughout the 1950s, were introduced on a large scale beginning in 1961, and active combat units were introduced in 1965.
What was the Vietnam War?
Vietnam War, (1954–75), a protracted conflict that pitted the communist government of North Vietnam and its allies in South Vietnam, known as the Viet Cong, against the government of South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States. Called the “American War” in Vietnam (or, in full, the “War Against the Americans to Save the Nation”), ...
How many people died in Vietnam?
The human costs of the long conflict were harsh for all involved. Not until 1995 did Vietnam release its official estimate of war dead: as many as 2 million civilians on both sides and some 1.1 million North Vietnamese and Viet Cong fighters. The U.S. military has estimated that between 200,000 and 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died in the war. In 1982 the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated in Washington, D.C., inscribed with the names of 57,939 members of U.S. armed forces who had died or were missing as a result of the war. Over the following years, additions to the list have brought the total past 58,200. (At least 100 names on the memorial are those of servicemen who were actually Canadian citizens.) Among other countries that fought for South Vietnam on a smaller scale, South Korea suffered more than 4,000 dead, Thailand about 350, Australia more than 500, and New Zealand some three dozen.
How many Vietnamese soldiers died in Vietnam?
The U.S. military has estimated that between 200,000 and 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., lists more than 58,300 names of members of the U.S. armed forces who were killed or went missing in action.
How many soldiers did Johnson send to South Vietnam?
Johnson raised the number of South Vietnam deployments to 23,000 U.S. soldiers by the end of his first year in office. Political turbulence there and two alleged North Vietnamese attacks on U.S. naval vessels spurred Johnson to demand the passage of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution in 1964.
What did the Soviet Union and China do to help the North?
Meanwhile, the Soviet Union and China poured weapons, supplies, and advisers into the North, which in turn provided support, political direction, and regular combat troops for the campaign in the South. The costs and casualties of the growing war proved too much for the United States to bear, and U.S. combat units were withdrawn by 1973.
Who led the North and South in Vietnam?
Following France’s defeat in the First Indochina War, an international agreement divided Vietnam in two. Ho led the North, whereas the U.S.-backed Ngo Dinh Diem took charge of the South.
Which country was the first to support North Vietnam?
As the original communist state, the Soviet Union aided North Vietnam, with increasing support in the late 1960s. While the U.S.S.R. supplied some troops, their biggest contribution was in weaponry.
Why didn't China and the Soviet Union do as much as the Americans?
China and the Soviet Union didn’t have to do as much as the Americans, Moise explains, because they were buttressing the stronger side. Nonetheless, “if there had been no Chinese or Soviet support, the North Vietnamese could not have won,” he says, pointing out that the U.S. military budget was roughly 30 times greater than the entire gross national product of North Vietnam.
What did the French learn from Vietnam?
Yet, as Moise points out, they both learned one important lesson: “It’s dangerous to get in a fight when the other side cares about winning more than you do.”
What was the role of the Chinese in the Vietnam War?
For the most part, the Chinese stayed in the background, rebuilding areas destroyed by U. S. bombs and manning anti-aircraft batteries. But perhaps their biggest role was preemptive: They made it clear that if U.S. ground troops invaded North Vietnam, then they would respond in kind.
How many Australians served in the Vietnam War?
In the end, almost 60,000 Australians served (521 of whom died), about 40,000 Thais served (321 of whom died), and over 3,000 New Zealanders served (37 of whom died). The Philippines, Taiwan and Spain likewise aided the U.S. war effort, whereas on the communist side North Korea and Cuba purportedly sent token support.
Why did France occupy Vietnam?
After World War II, France reoccupied Vietnam as part of its attempt to reclaim its prewar empire. “The French had controlled Vietnam for a couple of generations,” explains Ed Moise, a professor of history at Clemson University and author of Tonkin Gulf and the Escalation of the Vietnam War. “They were determined to go on holding it, both as a matter of national pride and because if they let one colony go loose, then the others might get ideas.”
Who was the leader of Vietnam in 1955?
Ngo Dinh Diem, president of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam), 1955–63. Diem’s early success in consolidating power did not result in concrete political and economic achievements. Plans for land reform were sabotaged by entrenched interests.
When did the communists enter Saigon?
Thieu’s effort to stabilize the situation was too late, however, and on April 30, 1975, the communists entered Saigon in triumph. The Second Indochina War was finally at an end.
What was the Viet Cong?
With support from the north, communist-led forces —popularly called the Viet Cong —launched an insurgency movement to seize power and reunify the country. The insurrection appeared close to succeeding, when Diem’s army overthrew him in November 1963. Diem and his brother Nhu were killed in the coup.
What were the problems of Hanoi in the 1970s?
During the late 1970s the country also suffered major floods and drought that severely reduced food production. When the regime suddenly announced a program calling for the socialization of industry and agriculture in the south in early 1978, hundreds of thousands of people (mainly ethnic Chinese) fled the country on foot or by boat.
When did the fall of Saigon happen?
fall of Saigon during Vietnam War. Air America helicopter evacuating Vietnamese officials and their families from the roof of an apartment building at 22 Gia Long Street in Saigon, South Vietnam, April 29, 1975. Hubert Van Es—UPI/Newscom.
What was the theatre of the Vietnam War?
Vietnam War theatre. A map of North and South Vietnam during the Vietnam War showing major air bases and the communists' supply routes, including the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. The war continued under a new U.S. president, Richard M. Nixon, who began gradually to withdraw U.S. troops.
When did the Tet Offensive start?
The continuing strength of the insurgent forces became evident in the so-called Tet Offensive that began in late January 1968, during which the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese attacked more than 100 cities and military bases, holding on to some for several weeks.
Who was the leader of South Vietnam in 1964?
Khanh was the South Vietnamese general who overthrew coup leader Duong Van Minh in 1964 to become prime minister of South Vietnam. He held the position for only about a year, before being exiled to France by another general, Nguyen Cao Ky, who became prime minister in 1965. Nguyen Van Thieu.
How did Ngo Dinh Diem rule South Vietnam?
After refusing Ho Chi Monh's invitation to join the Communist movement, Ngo Dinh Diem led South Vietnam from 1954 to 1963, when he was killed by his generals in a coup. His autocratic rule, exemplified by the imprisonment and execution of hundreds of Buddhists, and his refusal to institute land reforms, probably contributed to increasing popular ...
When did the last emperor of Vietnam go to exile?
Vietnam's last emperor ascended to the throne in 1932 and cooperated with the Japanese occupying Vietnam during World War II. After the war, he briefly joined ranks with Vietnamese communist leader Ho Chi Minh and the Vietminh, only to flee into exile in Hong Kong and France from 1949-1955.
Who was the leader of the Can Lao regime?
The younger brother and chief political advisor of South Vietnamese leader Ngo Dinh Diem, Nhu ran his brother's regime of secret political movements, the Can Lao. He was assassinated, along with his brother, during the 1963 coup. Nguyen Khanh. Khanh was the South Vietnamese general who overthrew coup leader Duong Van Minh in 1964 ...
How long did Duong rule?
In 1963, he became leader of South Vietnam after a coup in which Diem was murdered. Duong's rule lasted after only two months, but he briefly led South Vietnam again in 1975 before surrendering the nation to Communist forces.
