Vietnam Society And Culture Post Ww2

Vietnam society and culture Post WWII – an overview

Presenter: Paul O’Connor

School of Property, Construction & Project Management

RMIT University © 2010 Paul O'Connor 2

Introduction to the speaker

• Undergrad degree BA (Asian Studies)

• I have been visiting or living in Vietnam since late 1994 and have a house here

• 5 years working as a journalist/editor(I speak pretty good Vietnamese)

• +10 years in the Federal, Northern Territory and Victorian public sectors

• Post Grad Cert in PPPs (Melb.)

• Master of Public Infrastructure (Melb.)

• Candidate in Doctor of Project Management program (RMIT)

• Sessional lecturer in the School of Property, Construction and Project Management


Scope of this presentation…

1. Key dates and events from 1945-present

2. Japanese occupation by consent of Vichy French

3. Declaration of independence by Ho Chi Minh in 1945

4. French re-invasion and First Indo China War (the French War)

5. 1954 Paris Peace Accords and temporary partition of North and South

6. Second Indochina War (the American War)

7. Fall/Liberation of Sai Gon in 1975

8. Cambodia intervention by VN and Chinese Border War of 1979

9. doi moi (renovation) policies from 1989 and opening up of economy

10.20 years of economic growth – from deep poverty to middle-income nation

11.How do we conceptualise Vietnam as a “country” not a “war”


Key dates and events from 1945-presentAug 1945 Defeat of Japanese in WW2 (Hanoi occupied by Kuomintang troops)

2 Sep 1945 Declaration of Independence by Ho Chi Minh in Ba Dinh Square, Ha Noi

Nov 1946 French re-invasion and start of First Indochina War (the French War)

27 April 1954 1954 Geneva Agreement call for temporary partition of North and South

7 May 1954 French forces defeated at Dien Bien Phu and withdraw from Indochina

Oct 1955 Establishment of “Republic of Vietnam” (South Vietnam) by Ngo Dinh Diem

2 Aug 1962 Tonkin Incident and start of Second Indochina War (the American War)

30 Apr 1975 Fall/Liberation of Sai Gon (end of the American War)

Dec ’78-Mar ’79 Cambodia intervention by VN and Chinese Border War of 1979

Dec 1986 Launch of Doi Moi (renovation) policies to liberalise the economy

Sep-Dec 1989 Withdrawal from Cambodia by VN military forces

7 Nov 2006 VN joins as a member of the WTO


Japanese occupation under Vichy French

• Prior to WW2, Viet Nam was part of France’s Indochina colonies (Tonkin, Annam, Cochinchina)

• After Germany defeated France in 1939, the French colonials switched allegiance to the Vichy (Nazi-sympathetic) regime

• Japan, as ally of Germany, occupied Viet Nam for resources, food, ports and airbases

• Air raids on Singapore were launched from Sai Gon

• Japanese maltreatment of farmers plus removal of food crops from the country triggered a massive famine killing a million people in 1944-45


Independence declared by Ho Chi Minh

• The Viet Minh (led by Ho Chi Minh and other nationalist communists) resisted the Vichy and Japanese through guerilla warfare

• The US OSS (precursor to the CIA) para-dropped instructors, weapons and supplies to assist the Viet Minh forces

• After Japanese were defeated, Ho Chi Minh led the Viet Minh into Hanoi and declared independence on 2 Sep 1945. Many words in his speech echoed the American Declaration of Independence.

• Allies did not recognise the declaration and gave northern Vietnam to Kuomintang to administer (using re-armed Japanese troops).

• “Free French” demanded return of their colonies for vital materials to rebuild France. Foreign legion despatched to Viet Nam.

• Viet Minh and Ho Chi Minh, withdrew back to the hills embittered by this betrayal.


First Indochina War (the French War)

• French troops commenced re-occupation of VN in late 1946

• Viet Minh started a low-scale insurgency which quickly picked up in intensity due to support from and local population

• Conflict eventually spread throughout the country from the North

• Geneva Peace Conference in 1954 attempted to bring an honourable peace for France in Vietnam

• French soundly defeated at Dien Bien Phu in April 1954, triggering total withdrawal from the country as per the Peace Accords


Temporary partition of North & South

• Geneva Peace Accords called for temporary demarcation of pro- and anti- French forces along the 17th parallel

• 360 days of “free movement” led to many Catholics and other pro-French in the north heading south and Viet Minh fighters in south heading north

• Temporary partition was first step for new national elections to decide government

• Ngo Dinh Diem (Prime Minister under Emperor Bao Dai) used a sham referendum in the South to declare establishment of “Republic of Vietnam”

• New government carried out repressive policies against former Viet Minh, as well as militant Buddhists causing social and political instability

• Rise of coalition of anti-Diem forces (National Liberation Front) colloqiually known as the Viet Cong (Vietnamese Communists)

• US government supported the new country politically and economically (due to its anti-Communist nature) and also commenced military assistance


Second Indochina War (the American War)• The Gulf of Tonkin Incident of 2 Aug 1964 escalated the conflict and

brought the US and North Vietnam into direct battle

• The Incident was used to sponsor a resolution by Congress giving power to the US President to dramatically increase US combat forces

• From this point onwards, extensive fighting between US and Allied forces against Viet Cong, as well as North Vietnamese main forces

• Turning point was Tet Offensive of 1968, which saw nearly every major city in South Vietnam under attack (and sometimes overrun)

• Public opinion in US turned away from war as people became appalled by loss of life and the carnage arriving in their living rooms via TV every day

• From 1969, Nixon initially escalated conflict (by bombing Hanoi, Laos and Cambodia) but also commenced withdrawal of US troops and started secret peace talks


Fall/Liberation of Sai Gon in 1975• ‘Nixon doctrine’ saw prosecution of ground war move to the South

Vietnamese forces, with US providing air and logistics support

• Henry Kissinger sponsored Paris Peace talks of 1973, which resulted in an agreement for North and South to respect each other's sovereignty and cease hostilities, similar to the 1954 agreement

• However by early 1975, South Vietnam was in political turmoil after numerous coups and extremely weakened as a functioning state

• North VN saw an opportunity and commenced a final victory campaign

• South VN forces quickly collapse and North VN forces surround and begin to enter Sai Gon in late April

• US evacuates 50 000 people from Sai Gon to Thailand/offshore carriers

• Gen Minh gives unconditional surrender of the South on steps of the Presidential Palace on 30 Apr 75

• Vietnam officially declared as re-unified country on 2 Jul 1976


Cambodia intervention & China Border War

• From 1975 Khmer Rouge forces under command of Pol Pot commit a number of incursions into Vietnam, executing thousands of civilians in VN towns

• Relations between Vietnam and Pol Pot’s Kampuchea deteriorate, in part due to the Sino-Soviet split (KR supported by China, while VN by Soviets)

• VN decides to remove threat of Khmer Rouge and on 25 Dec 1978 launches a blitzkrieg invasion into Cambodia, taking Phnom Penh by 7 Jan 1979

• VN forces control most of Cambodia and reach Thai border by end of Mar 79

• China, as sponsor of Khmer Rouge, conducts retaliatory attack upon VN and crosses border with 400,000 troops and 400 tanks on 17 Feb 1979

• Deng Xiao Peng famously stated that “Children who don't listen have to be spanked“ when forecasting the incursion to US President Jimmy Carter

• VN and China normalised relations by late 1991 and finalised border in 2001

• Extensive trade, culture, political and transport links increasing each year


doi moi (renovation) policies from 1989

• Reformers within the Viet Nam Communist Party concerned that the long years of war and austerity weren’t being paid back by economic advances

• 6th Party Congress of Dec 1986 agrees to a range of economic reforms known as Doi Moi (renovation) similar to the perestroika reforms of USSR

• These market reforms designed to manage the transition from a centrally-planned economy to a "socialist-oriented market economy”

• Reforms see massive expansion in food production, and improvements in living standards, although some state industries become moribund

• New markets stimulate an emerging entrepreneurial class in cities

• Massive inflows of cash from foreign capital, ODA and expatriate Vietnamese

• Increase in export dollars from oil/gas, coffee, coal, textiles, rice and seafood

• Focus on macro-economic stability while capitalising on high GDP growth


from deep poverty to middle-income nation

Since doi moi VN has achieved impressive socio-economic results:

• Reduction of poverty rate from 58% in 1993 to 16% in 2006 (source=ADB)

• People living below the official poverty line fell from 20.2% in 2005 to 12.3% in 2009 (source=ADB)

• Expanded exports to account for 40% of GDP

• Averaged 7% GDP growth p.a. between 1990 and 2009 (source=ADB)

• Achieved bilateral trade agreement with USA in 2000

• Joined WTO in 2006

• FDI of $1.3-1.8 billion in 2002–06, soared to $6.6 billion in 2007 and $9.3 billion in 2008

• The current Socio-Economic Development Plan of Viet Nam (SEDP) 2006–2010 sets Viet Nam’s goal of becoming a middle income country by 2010 and an industrialized nation by 2020


Vietnam is a “country” not a “war”• This is a key reflection point for Viet Nam – as so much of its modern history

has been defined by conflict, with popular culture defining views of Viet Nam as a tragic outcome of western aggression and imperialism

• The reality is that Viet Nam has moved on the war(s) ended 30 years ago

• A new generation is emerging, with no memory of this recent history

• The current generation is largely defined by its interest in making money, rather than getting caught up in politics or ideology

• However strong national pride and identity underpins this commercialism

• Human capital is becoming a major issue, with advanced professional skills now in greater demand, causing an explosion in higher education services

• Urban-rural wealth gap is also widening, although targeted economic development in rural areas has assisted, along with rural urban migration

• Rapid economic growth leads to greater environmental and infrastructure pressures sustainability will be the key challenge for the next 10 years


Questions and discussion…

Any questions?

• My contact details:

Paul O’Connor DipPer&OpsMgt, DipGovMgt, BA(AsianStudies), GradCertPPPs (Melb.), MPubInfra (Melb.)

School of Property, Construction and Project Management

RMIT University

E: <[email protected]>

M: +61 438 077 469

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