The Nationalist Movement in Indo-China
Social Science Ten
Independence of Vietnam
Japan Occupied Vietnam and Independence of Vietnam
As a part of imperial drive to control Southeast Asia; Japan occupied Vietnam in 1940. Now Vietnamese had to fight against Japan along with French.
The league for Independence of Vietnam named 'Viet Nam Doc Lap Dong Minh' which was known as Vietminh fought with Japan and recaptured Hanoi in September 1945.
The New Republic of Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam was formed in 1945 and Ho Chi Minh became Chairman. But, Vietnam as a new republic had to face many challenges.
French were trying to regain control over by using emperor Bao Dai as their puppet. Because of French offence, Vietminh had to retreat to hills. This fight continued for eight years and finally French were defeated in 1954 at Dien Bien Phu.
On 7th May 1954 in this fight, Vietminh captured more than 16000 French soldiers, the entire commanding staff, including a general, 16 colonels and 1749 officers and were taken prisoner.
After French defeat; in peace negotiation; in Geneva, Vietnamese were forced to accept division of the country. And Vietnam divided into two parts i.e. North Vietnam and South Vietnam.
Ho Chi Minh and the communist took power in the North while Bao Dai was put in power in the south.
Vietnam as a New Battlefield
After division Vietnam turned in battlefield because of series of events resulting in death and destruction to people and environment.
A coup led by Ngo Dinh Diem overthrown the Bao Dai regime. Ngo Dinh Diem formed a repressive and authoritarian government in South Vietnam. Anyone who oppose Diem were put in jail and killed calling them as communist.
French imposed an Ordinance 10, which permitted Christianity and outlawed Buddhism. Ngo Dinh Diem did not abolish that Ordinance 10.
Dictatorial rule of Ngo Dinh Diem was opposed at broad level. And people united under the banner of the National Liberation Front (NLF).
NLF started fighting for the unification of Vietnam and against the rule of Ngo Dinh Diem with the help of Ho Chi Minh government in the North.
The Entry of the US into the War
United States considered this alliance of North and South Vietnam as threat. He did not want communist to gain power in this region. So US decided to stop the formation of union and sent troops and arms in the favour of Ngo Dinh Diem of South Vietnam and jumped in war with NLF in Vietnam.
America had advanced technology instead of that he also had to bear severe loss in the war in Vietnam as well as Vietnam.
War continued from 1965 to 1972. Instead of better medical supplies available to the US army casualties were high in this war. About 3403100 US services personal served in Vietnam in this battle. About 47244 died and 303,704 were injured in this battle. 23014 persons were listed to 100 percent disabled among injured by the Administration.
US were brutal in this battle. They used heavy weapons, tanks and the most powerful bombers of the time B52s. They used chemical weapons, such as Napalm, Agent Orange and phosphorous bombs at wide level also. These weapon destroyed many villages and decimated jungles. Large number of civilians died in this war.
The Ho Chi Minh Trail
US underestimated the power of small country to fight the most technologically advanced country in the world. US underestimate the power of nationalism to move people to action, inspire them to sacrifice their home and family, live under horrific conditions and fight for independence. In fact US army defeated at the front of courage and patriotic feeling for nation of Vietnamese.
The Ho Chi Minh Trail is nothing but an immense network of footpaths and roads and tells the story of using limited resources to great advantage by Vietnamese. Most of the trails were outside Vietnam in neighbouring Laos and Cambodia with branch lines extending into South Vietnam. This Ho Chi Minh Trail was used to transport men and materials from the north to south. From 1967 about 20000 North Vietnamese troops came south each month on this trail.
The trail has support base and hospitals along the way. In some parts supplies were transported in trucks, but mostly they were carried by porters, who were mainly women. These porters carried about 25 kilos on their backs, or about 70 kilos on their bicycles.
US bombarded regularly at the trail to disrupt the supplies, but efforts to destroy this important supply line failed because they were rebuilt quickly by Vietnamese.
The Nation and Its Heroes
The National movements affect different groups of society. Women played an important and unmemorable role in the National Movement of Vietnam.
Women as Rebels
Women traditionally enjoyed greater equality in Vietnam than China, especially in lower classes but they had had only limited freedom in determining future and in public life.
With the growth of nationalist movement a new image of womanhood emerged in Vietnam. Writers and political thinkers began idealizing women who rebel against social norms. A famous novel written by Nhat Linh caused turmoil in society. Because in novel it was showed that a woman denied a forced marriage and marrying someone other of her choice who was involved in nationalist politics.
This rebellion against social traditions marked the arrival of new woman in Vietnamese society.
Heroes of Past Times
In 1913 the nationalist Phan Boi Chau wrote a play based on the lives of the Trung sisters. Trung sisters fought against Chinese domination to save the Vietnamese nation.
After that play Trung sisters came to be idealized and glorified. They were depicted in paintings, plays and novels representing them the indomitable will and the intense patriotism of the Vietnamese.
Trieu Au was the other women rebels of the past. She orphaned in childhood. On growing she organized a large army and resisted Chinese rule. Finally when her army crushed, she drowned herself. She became a sacred figure. Her image popularized by nationalists to inspire people to action.
Women as Warriors
In 1960s, women were portrayed as young, brave and dedicated by media. Stories were written to show how happy they felt when they joined the army. Nguyen Thi Xuan was one of them. She reputed to have shot down a jet with just twenty bullets she had.
Women were working not just a warrior but as a great workers while war. They were shown with rifle in one hand and a hammer in other.
Whether women were young or old they contributed selflessly and at great level to save the country. As casualties were increased in war in 1960s, women were urged to join the struggle in large numbers.
Many women joined the resistance movement. Many helped in nursing the wounded, constructing underground rooms and tunnels and fighting the enemy. Along the Ho Chi Minh trail young volunteers kept open 2195 km of strategic roads and guarded 2500 key points. Between 1965 and 1975 while war with US; of the 17000 youth who worked on the trail, about 70 to 80 percent were women. It was said that there were 1.5 million women in regular army, the militia, the local forces and professional teams.
Women in Times of Peace
By 1970s when peace talks began and the end of the war seemed near, women started represented as workers begins predominance. They no longer represented as warrior rather they are shown working in agriculture, factories and production units.
The End of the War
The prolongation of war created strong reaction in US. Media from USA started giving different reaction about war. Some films were also made in the support and against the war.
After getting real picture from media voice were started raising against war in USA. It became clear that US could not crush the resistance of Vietnamese and even US did not gain the support of Vietnamese peoples. In war thousands of soldiers from both sides lost their lives along with many Vietnamese civilians. Scene of war was showing on television also. This war was called the first television war. Many of the people around the world got disillusioned with what the US was doing. Some of the writers of US visited the Vietnam and praised the bravery and heroic defense of Vietnamese for their country. The scholar Noam Chomsky called the war 'The Greatest Threat to Peace, to national self determination and to international cooperation'.
With widespread questioning negotiations to end of war started. A peace settlement was signed in Paris in January in 1974. And conflict between US and Vietnam ended.
But fighting between the Saigon regime and the NLF continued.
Finally on 30 April 1975 NLF occupied the presidential palace of Saigon and unified Vietnam.
Vietnam got independence after immense bloodshed. US had bowed their head infront of bravery of Vietnamese. The bravery and patriotism of Vietnamese will remain unmemorable and will be praised for ever.