Exercises on the Indochina War

The division of Vietnam into two entities (North Vietnam and South Vietnam), starting at the 17th parallel, was established by whom and when?

a) by the Japanese, during the invasion of Indochina in 1940.

b) by the French, during the annexation of Conchinchina in the 19th century.

c) by the Vietnamese themselves, during their independence in 1954.

d) by the Allies at the Potsdam Conference during World War II.

e) by the Chinese, when they invaded the country as a result of the Chinese Revolution.

The final battle, which defeated the French in the Indochina War and forced them to negotiate a ceasefire with the Vietnamese, took place:

a) in Cochinchina.

b) in Annam.

c) in Phnom Penh.

d) in Ho Chi Minh.

e) in Dien Bien Phu.

(UEL) In international relations after 1945, the Geneva Treaties of 1954 represent:

a) the end of the presence of French colonialism in Indochina.

b) the end of the Korean War.

c) the definitive division of Vietnam into two independent states.

d) the start of preparations for the general elections, for the reunification of Vietnam.

e) the beginning of Peaceful Coexistence between USSR and USA.

The Indochina War was a conflict between the French and the Vietnamese, with the former fighting to maintain their colonial rule and the latter fighting to get rid of it. From 1949, the United States began to support the French financially, coming to bear three-quarters of France's expenditure in the conflict. This stance of the United States is explained:

a) for the American interest in maintaining French colonization to guarantee the validity of the agreement for the exploitation of latex from rubber trees existing in Vietnam.

b) the fear of the United States with the advance of communism in Southeast Asia, especially after the Chinese Revolution.

c) with American support for the French as a way of punishing the Vietnamese for having supported the Japanese during World War II.

d) by the fear of the United States that the independence of Indochina could motivate a similar movement on the Philippines, American dominion in the Pacific.

e) because the American support in the form of loans was intended to guarantee the return of this money from the payment of interest in about ten years, as had been stipulated in the agreement.

Letter D

The division of Vietnam at the 17th parallel and the creation of the two separate entities were determined by the Allies at the Potsdam Conference at the end of World War II. The southern part of Vietnam would be occupied by the British and later given back to the French. The northern part would be occupied by the Chinese. The Chinese occupation in the north was not ratified because of the occupation carried out by the Ho Chi Minh Communists, who proclaimed North Vietnam an independent republic.

Letter E

The final battle of the Indochina War took place at Dien Bien Phu, near the mountains of northern Vietnam. The 16,000 French army troops occupying the Vietnamese city were silently surrounded by more than 100,000 guerrillas, led by Vo Nguyen Giap. These guerrillas carried out an intense attack on the city, which resulted in the French fleeing and in two thousand deaths.

Letter A

The Geneva Conference was organized in 1954, shortly after the French were defeated at Dien Bien Phu. As public opinion in France regarding the war was unfavorable, and as the French had suffered a heavy defeat at Dien Bien Phu, the French chose to negotiate a ceasefire and an end to their rule in Indochina. Thus, it was established that Laos, Cambodia, North Vietnam and South Vietnam would become independent nations and that the French should withdraw from the region.

Letter B

American support for the French came about out of fear of the United States with the expansion of communism in the region. After the establishment of a communist regime in China, the United States – already motivated by the ideological dispute of the Cold War – began to act to prevent other Asian nations from also becoming communists. The existence of a strong communist core in Vietnam, supported by the Chinese, alarmed the Americans, who came to support the French during the Indochina War.