1965 - 1969

Question 1

Why did America get involved in the Vietnam war

Answer 1

Because the locals in south vietnam were turning to support the Vietcong. They feared the spread of communism and the domino effect. The USA wanted to contain the spread of communism

Question 2

How did the USA support vietnam before the Geneva conference

Answer 2

It supported the french against the Vietminh with money and equipment

Question 3

How did America support south vietnam just after the Geneva conference

Answer 3

They sent aid, equipment and military advisors

Question 4

What did Kennedy introduce and why

Answer 4

He introduced a ‘safe village’ system in an attempt to isolate the Vietcong outside

Question 5

What was the ‘safe village’ system

Answer 5

A system in which Kennedy tried to isolate peasants in villages

Question 6

Why did the ‘safe village’ system not work

Answer 6

The guerrilla fighter were peasants, and so they continued to operate from the ‘safe villages’

Question 7

Who succeeded Kennedy

Answer 7

Lyndon B Johnson (LBJ)

Question 8

What did Johnson believe about the Vietnam war

Answer 8

That it would be won quickly if he drastically increased the involvement of US troops in Vietnam

Question 9

How much land did the Vietcong manage to take

Answer 9

40 percent of the rural areas

Question 10

Who seemed to be ‘winning’ when Johnson took over from Kennedy

Answer 10

The Vietcong

Question 11

How did Johnson justify the ‘need’ for more US involvement in Vietnam

Answer 11

When an American boat was torpedoed in north Vietnamese waters.

Question 12

How many troops were there during Johnson’s presidency

Answer 12

500 000

Question 13

How did Johnson believe the way was to defeat the Vietnamese

Answer 13

He believed that America needed to cut off the supplies coming from the Ho Chi Minh trail from north vietnam to the Vietcong.

Question 14

What did Johnson launch to try and cut off supplies to the Vietcong

Answer 14

Operation rolling thunder

Question 15

What was operation rolling thunder

Answer 15

A bombing offensive

Question 16

What was the aim of operation rolling thunder

Answer 16

To cut of the Vietcong from the north Vietnamese support

Question 17

How did operation rolling thunder plan to achieve its aims

Answer 17

By destroying ports, army bases and supply lines without committing American troops to the war on the ground

Question 18

What did operation rolling thunder not achieve

Answer 18

It did not weaken the north Vietnamese economy or the Vietcong’s will to fight. It did not stop the flow of men and supplies along the Ho Chi Minh trail

Question 19

What was Tet

Answer 19

The start of the new lunar year

Question 20

What was the Tet religious festival

Answer 20

A Vietnamese new year

Question 21

What was the Tet offensive

Answer 21

The day before Tet, the Vietcong launched a surprise guerrilla attack on south Vietnamese towns and American bases

Question 22

How did the Vietcong manage to surprise American troops with the Tet offensive

Answer 22

They planned to do it during the festival while people would be going outside with fireworks and decorations so it wouldn’t look suspicious

Question 23

How did the Vietcong hide their weapons

Answer 23

There were many funerals, so they hid their guns in the coffins

Question 24

What were the results of the Tet offensive

Answer 24

Both the Vietcong and Americans suffered heavy casualties. It showed that the Vietcong had the capacity to strike the centre of American-held territory thus negatively affecting the morale of American troops and rendering them ineffective. It also indicated to the American public that they could not win the war

Question 25

What did the US do to help prevent the spread of communism to South vietnam

Answer 25

It sent 15 advisors

Question 26

Who were the four American presidents in the Vietnam war

Answer 26

Eisenhower
Kennedy
Johnson
Nixon

Question 27

What did the Vietnam war represent to the Americans

Answer 27

A fear that if one nation fell pray to communism then others would too.

Question 28

How many American soldiers were sent and how many died

Answer 28

500 000 were sent and 45 000 died

Question 29

What two negative effects did the Vietnam war have on America

Answer 29

There was a physical confrontation between communist and non-communist. It cause a median society to become deeply divided over the conflict.

Question 30

Was America attempt to stop the spread of communism successful

Answer 30

No

Question 31

In the Vietnam war, what were the Vietnamese trying to do

Answer 31

Determine the future of their their country after the struggle against colonialism had ended

Question 32

Which three factions of Vietnamese nationalists battled over which ideology would be best for a unified independent Vietnam

Answer 32

Vietminh a
National Liberation Front
Republic of vietnam

Question 33

What was the strongest of the three factions

Answer 33

Viet Minh

Question 34

What did the Vietnam war become as a result of America’s involvement in it

Answer 34

Instead of just a civil war between north and south vietnam, it became a battle against the global spread of communism. It became an extension for the Cold War

Question 35

What was the Vietnam war

Answer 35

It was a civil war an a proxy war that was fought during the Cold War