Extension of the Cold War outside Europe: Case study of Vietnam War, 1954-1975

G2 Full History - syllabus K227, 2027

Why did Vietnam stay divided after 1954, and why could US military power not save the South? Diem, the insurgency, escalation, Tet and 1975.

• Why Geneva did not reunite Vietnam

  The 1954 Geneva settlement split Vietnam for a short time and planned elections for 1956, but the elections never happened.

• Two governments, two struggles for support

  The North tightened communist control, while Diem's harsh and unfair rule in the South turned many people against him.

• A local war becomes a Cold War war

  Anger at Diem, help from the North and aid from the superpowers turned a local revolt into a long Cold War conflict.

• Why the USA sent more and more

  Fear of losing the South, and of allies losing trust in US promises, drew the USA from sending advisers to full-scale war.

• How Tet changed US policy

  The 1968 Tet Offensive failed on the battlefield, but it convinced many Americans that the war could not be won soon.

• The war ends in 1975

  After US troops left, the North defeated the South in 1975, while detente between the superpowers had already begun.

• Put it together: What kind of victory?

  Decide what a claim means by success: holding territory, ending American combat, or achieving a government's political aim. Then compare that aim with what actually happened.