Dienbienphu, The Geneva Settlement, and the Birth of South Vietnam

Vietnam War

Fall 2005

The Status of the French Military

•      The French could not use draftees to serve in Indochina.

•      The French Command only had approximately 100,000 troops to draw upon.

•      French foreign legionnaires, colonial troops, or from the Regular Army.

•      The French would eventually use Vietnamese and that was hard for them and the Vietnamese.

The Vietminh

•      Giap made some premature mistakes on the offensive operations.

•      Eventually, the Vietminh move into the Central Highlands in an effort to drive the French out.

•      The Vietminh openly aid the Pathet Lao.

The Political Situation in Vietnam

•      The French were looking for a way out of the war in 1952.

•      With the Korean Armistice in 1953, the French didn’t want to go it alone against the Red Chinese.

•      The new French commander, Henri Navarre came up with a new, bold, and yet stupid, plan.

The Navarre Plan

•      Goal was to keep the Vietminh off balance.

•      By rapid raids in the border zones.

•      It was hoped that such moves would keep the Vietminh away from the deltas.

•      Then Navarre wanted to disrupt the Vietminh’s thrust into Laos.

•      He selected a remote and isolated base at Dienbienphu.

•      At the limit of French airpower.

The Object of Dienbienphu

•      Designed to block Giap’s moves into Laos.

•      Expand the defensive parameter.

•      Establish an airfield.

•      Overlooked the five feet of annual rain.

The Changing International Situation

•      The Korean War ends in 1953.

•      Stalin dies.

•      The French want out.

French Positions at Dienbienphu

French Paratroopers Land at Dienbienphu

Words of Wisdom from the French Arty Commander at Dienbienphu

Giap Surprised the French

•      Giap moved faster than the French estimated.

•      Giap had 50,000 men plus another 20,000 along the LOCs.

•      His men moved the arty up hill by hand and dug them in.

•      The attack began on March 13, 1954 on Fort Beatrice followed on Gabrielle.

•      The attacks were costly

The Situation Becomes Desperate

•      French airpower could not support the base.

•      Only air drops could re-supply Dienbienphu.

•      In the meantime, Giap’s troops moved closer and closer.

•      The French Chief of Staff, Paul Ely, arrived in Washington with a request on March 20.

•      He wanted air strikes in and around Dienbienphu, including possible Atomic Bombs.

The Fighting Around Dienbienphu

Operation Vulture

•      Admiral Radford, Chairman of the JCS, proposed a raid of 60 B-29s flying from the Philippines with French markings.

•      The French liked the idea and so did the USAF.

•      But the British didn’t nor did the US Army.

•      The Pentagon thought that “three nukes” could do the job.

•      LBJ, the minority leader thought otherwise.

The French Surrender

•      The French were left to their fate.

•      The last reinforcements were Vietnamese paratroopers.

•      Then on May 8, 1954, the end came.

Dienbienphu Memorial

The International Meeting at Geneva

•      The meeting took place before the fall of Dienbienphu.

•      The meeting was co-chaired by Great Britain and the USSR.

•      The other nations or states that attended included: China, USA, France, Cambodia, Laos, DRV, and RVN.

•      A truce was signed on July 20, 1954.

•      Hanoi claimed that the PRC forced them to sign.

The Geneva Accords

•      A provisional demarcation line was established at the 17^th parallel.

•      Set national elections for 1956.

•      Evacuation of French troops north and Vietminh troops south of the 17^th Parallel.

•      Freedom of movement among both zones for 300 days.

•      Both North and South Vietnam could not join foreign alliances.

•      An International Commission to monitor the accords.

On The Cover of Time November 22, 1954

The Erskine and Melby Mission to Vietnam

General Erskine on the French

Recommendations of the Melby-Erskine Mission

•      Advised to send a military advisory command to Vietnam.

•      The group, the Military Assistance and Advisory Group (MAAG) was established in 1950.

•      The first commander was Brig. Gen. Francis G. Brink.

•      The French never cooperated with the Americans.

The Collins Mission

•       Following the partition of Vietnam he urged Eisenhower to withdraw assistance from Diem.

•       When Eisenhower decided to support Diem, Collins went to Vietnam as the President personal rep.

•       Still Collins recommend aid be cut off.

•       As a result, Collins was replaced and sent home in 1955.

Matthew B. Ridgway and Vietnam

•      He opposed the Vulture.

•      He thought American intervention would increase the likelihood of Chinese to intervene.

•      He wanted to restrict American training of the Vietnamese.

•      He didn’t know if the South Vietnamese could survive.

Ridgway’s Four Essential Conditions for U.S. Aid

•      A Reasonable and strong central government in control.

•      The Governments of the Associated States of Indochina should ask for aid.

•      The French should make an orderly and phased withdrawal from Indochina.

•      The size and disposition of the military establishments should be dictated by local needs and U.S. interests.

Why did Diem Become President?

•      He had no real experience in government.

•      Bao Dai never gave him real power.

•      The French never trusted him.

•      Other South Vietnamese never cooperated with him.

•      His government revolved around his family.

Who Was Ngo Dinh Diem?

•      He was a mandarin.

•      He was educated in Hue.

•      He spent time in the Maryknoll Seminary in Lakewood, New Jersey.

•      On June 7, 1950, Bao Dai invited him to become Prime Minister.

•      He was  the leading Vietnamese anti-Communist.

Diem’s Enemies Were Many and Powerful

•      Cao Dai.

•      Hoa Hao

•      Binh Xuyen

•      ARVN

Military Assistance and Advisory Group

•      Went by MAAG.

•      Mission was to train and assist ARVN.

•      On the company level, Battalion Level, as well as both the Divisional and Corps level.

•      At first training was bi-national, but soon the US took over more of the role.

•      To reduce the logistical nightmare, the US sent over additional troops to handle the system.

The Case of Edward Lansdale

•      He was in the Air Force.

•      Worked for the CIA.

•      Did Psychological Operations.

•      Saved the Philippines.

•      Became a trusted advisor to Diem.

Corruption was rampant

•      To deal with the new regime one had to pay a gratuity to the Can Lao Party if one wanted a construction project.

•      ARVN was under the direct control of the Diem family.

•      Many so entry into the Army as a way to enrich themselves.

Rates of Pay in the ROK and ARVN

                  The Presence of ARVN

Who Were Those MAAG Advisors?

•      They served for one year.

•      During the Eisenhower administration they numbered approximately 700 and that number would grow.

•      Some could bring their families and others lived in comfortable BOQs

The Legacy of Dwight D. Eisenhower

•      An Anti-Communist Ideology, ie, The Domino Theory in 1955.

•      Substituted the Americans for the French and MAAG expanded from 300 to 900 by 1960.

•      Created a dependence of

    on the USA.

* Established an international framework for intervention – SEATO.

•      But Ike did not intervene during the Dienbienphu Crisis.