Viet Nam

Nationalism or Communism?

A Study on Vietnam

By Jacob Hebner

A History of Occupation

Vietnam has a long history, especially occupied

• Vietnam was historically under Chinese rule for significant periods, dating back to 111 BCE

  • China, France, Japan, United States are all foreign powers in charge of Vietnam

    • Historically resists outside domination

    • Almost 1000 years of foreign control

• Focus today is on the last 150 years or so.

A tradition of resistance

• For the Vietnamese, fighting against foreign is a national tradition.

  • Repeatedly rising in revolts like the one led by the Trung Sisters in 40 AD against Chinese rule.

• Despite centuries of foreign rule, the Vietnamese people maintained a distinct language and identity.

  • This "cultural core" of resistance would later be used against the French and the Americans.

1858-1954: French IndoChina

• Education is open to more than in the past, still limited

• ​Aimed to produce "colonial servants" to uphold French interests

  • Literacy at 15% in 1930

  • Erasing Vietnamese Culture

• French IndoChina benefitted France

Social and Cultural impacts

• Raw Materials: Rice, Rubber, Coal, etc.

• Seized 80% of the land to create massive plantations.

• New market for French goods

• Taxing population for money

• Forced Labor, working on plantations and mines.

  • death rates as high as 25% due to overwork and malnutrition.

Colony of Economic Exploitation

Multiple Choice

What Language do you think all the Vietnamese were forced to learn?

• English

• French

• Vietnamese

• Chinese

• Ho Chi Minh is the Father of Vietnam

  • Means "he who is enlightened"

• ​Spent his entire life opposing foreign control

  • Created the Viet Minh (independence league) in 1941

• Following end of WWII, Viet Minh and Ho declare independence

  • Uses Declaration of Independence as inspiration

  • Primary interest was always the independence of his own country.

Nationalism and Ho Chi Minh

​1890-1969

Nationalism for Vietnam

What is the best path?

• Ho is educated in the United States, and traveled the world

  • He has seen the best and the worst of governments

  • Comes to a conclusion, that the only successful path for Vietnam is Communism.

• Ho does not see eye to eye with other Communists, it is a means to an end

• Goes to the United States seeking assistance and friendship

  • Denied because he is Communist

• Grew up in Colonial Vietnam

  • Firsthand experiences of brutality of capitalism

• Saw Communism as the tool for liberation

  • Only way to "reorder society"

• Life in USA and France teaches nature of capitalism

Communism

• Viet Minh founded as a United Front to end foreign control

• "My life has only one purpose, which is to struggle for the Fatherland's interest and our people's happiness"

• Taught by his father about how to resist French Oppression

  • Grew up learning about the fight

Nationalist

Nationalist or Communist?

Word Cloud

How do you define Ho Chi Minh?

• 17th Parallel Divides Vietnam

  • North Communist

  • South Capitalist

• United States dedicated to fighting Communism across the world

  • USSR supported wars of "National Liberation"

• United States fears growth of Communism

Vietnam and the Cold War

Domino Theory and Red Scare

• Domino Theory

  • The loss of one country will lead to the neighboring countries falling as well

  • Domino Theory dominated American Foreign Policy

  • Either funded "capitalist" governments, or took military action.

  • Do you believe it?

• Red Scare

  • Intense public fear and suspicion of communism in America

  • Americans were persecuted and threatened for any leftist ideas

  • Many individuals being blacklisted and their careers destroyed

    • Sometimes was about people you knew

Open Ended

Define Domino Theory in your own words

Word Cloud

What Does the Red Scare make you think of?

• Election to decide fate of Vietnam

  • Communists win vote, USA doesn't accept it

• Conflict starts small, but grows as years go on

  • United States originally "Advisors"

  • As years go by, American investment increases

• The war is defined by Guerilla combat

  • Large scale bombing campaigns

  • Napalm

  • Violence against Civilian populations

• "Peace with Honor" ends American involvement, 1975

  • Without USA, S Vietnam falls to Communists

• Until 2019, it was known as "America's Longest War

Vietnam War. 1955-1975