7 Vietnam: History

How did French Colonialism lead to the Vietnam War?

• The Effects of French colonial rule in Vietnam, via Britannica
• Video: French Colonization and Vietnam
• Differences between North Vietnam & South Vietnam, via Britannica

Korea & Vietnam

• The Ups and Downs of the Korea-Vietnam Relationship, vie the Interpreter
• South Korean soldiers & the Vietnam War, via New York Times
• The Forgotten History of South Korean Massacres in Vietnam, via The Diplomat

Economic Systems

North Vietnam was Communist and South Vietnam was Capitalist

• Understand the difference between Communism and Capitalism, via DifferenceBetween

Forms of Government

• Vietnam during the War:
  • North - Communist State (A government based on the economic system of Communism)
  • South - Democratic Republic (required support from the US)
• Vietnam now
  • Socialist State/Republic led by the Communist Party
• The US during the war and now
  • Democratic 

What was 1975 Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act?

In 1975, responding to the refugee crisis, US Congress passed the Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act, setting aside $405 million for a two-year evacuation and resettlement program to assist refugees from South Vietnam and Cambodia.

What are the Long-Term Impacts of the Vietnam War? (Economic, Emotional, Physical, Environmental)

• The physical toll on generations in Vietnam, via The Conversation
• The victims of Agent Orange the US has never acknowledged, via the New York Times
• What the Vietnam War did to the American Economy, via The New York Times

What were the experiences of the war's veterans?

The soldiers who fought in Vietnam, the veterans of the war, experienced life-altering events and their lives were seriously impacted due to physical injury, emotional stress (called "post traumatic stress disorder"), and mental health issues after returning home to the US, where many people were not supporting their efforts.

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) on veterans, via VeryWellMind
• Video: The psychology of post-traumatic stress disorder via TED

Timelines of the Vietnam War

The Vietnam War began in the 1950s but the roots of the war began much earlier. 

• See the roots of the war at History.com
• See how the war developed via Britannica
• Video: Understand the roots of the Vietnam War, Via Study.com
• Video: The Vietnam War explained in 25 minutes

Which US Presidents were involved in the Vietnam War?

Leading up to the war...

• Franklin D Roosevelt (1945) 
• Harry Truman (1947) "The Truman Doctrine" means the US will support any country wishing to break up communism
• Dwight D Eisenhower (1954) warned of "The Domino Theory" in which the fall of French Indochine could spread to instability throughout the region

During the war...

• John F Kennedy (1961) Organizes secret operations against the Viet Cong
• Lyndon B Johnson becomes President after Kennedy is killed (1963) and the war officially begins with the Gulf of Tonkin attack on a US ship.
• President Nixon (1968) begins gradual withdrawal of troops from Vietnam

Who were the leaders in Vietnam?

Ngo Dinh Diem was the President of South Vietnam in the early years of the war

• Who was Ngo Dihn Diem? via Britannica.com

Ho Chi Mihn was the leader of the Communist Party in North Vietnam and later its President

• Who was Ho Chi Minh? via Britannica.com
• Ho Chi Minh, via Britannica Middle School
• Ho Chi Minh, via BBC History
• Video: Who was Ho Chi Minh? via History Channel

Ho Chi Minh, President of North Vietnam (image via The Independent)

What was the Ho Chi Minh Trail?

The Ho Chi Minh Trail was a military supply route that ran from North Vietnam south to South Vietnam and into Cambodia and Laos.

• The Ho Chi Minh Trail, via Britannica Middle School
• Video: The Infamous and Ingenious Ho Chi Minh Trail via TED

Video: Animated Map of battles in North & South Vietnam