AS: Vietnam Flashcards
Revise for AS exam
List the French colonies in Indo-China (3 points)
Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam
List the British colonies in Indo-China (3 points)
Burma, Malaya, Singapore
Years of Japan’s takeover of Indo-China
1941 - 1942
Population of Vietnam in 1945
35m
Population of Laos in 1945
2m
Population of Cambodia in 1945
6.5m
Date of the establishment of the Indo-Chinese Communist Party
1930
Aims of the ICCP (2 points)
- Independence
2. Communism
Date of the establishment of the Viet Minh
1941
Name of the coalition formed to fight for Vietnamese independence
Viet Minh
What did the Viet Minh do during World War 2, and whose help did they have?
Fight the Japanese occupation; USA
Why was it particularly difficult for the French to reassert control in Vietnam after World War 2?
The Viet Minh had proclaimed independence
Factors which helped the French in Vietnam in 1945 (4 points)
- Had help from Great Britain
- Ho Chi Minh lacked influence in the South
- Ho Chi Minh was willing to negotiate
- USA wouldn’t help the Viet Minh
Dates of the First Indo-China War
December 1946 - August 1954
Why was USA concerned about Vietnam?
Domino theory
Why was it difficult for the USA to support the French in Vietnam, despite being a French ally?
Anti-colonialist ideology
Name the leader of the French puppet government in Vietnam until 1955
Bao Dai
Date that USA officially recognised the Bao Dai government
February 1950
In late 1950, what aid did USA send to the French in Vietnam?
A ship full of military hardware
By December 1953, how many tons of equipment per month was USA sending to the French in Vietnam?
10k
By December 1953, how much financial aid per year was USA sending to the French in Vietnam?
$500m
By December 1953, what percentage of the costs of the First Indo-China War was USA paying?
75% - 80%
Reasons why USA became involved in the First Indo-China War (2 points)
- Containment policy
2. Wanted French support in NATO
Why did Eisenhower cut defence spending?
‘I will go to Korea’ election promise
Name the first conventional battle in the First Indo-China War
Dien Bien Phu
Date of the Battle of Dien Bien Phu
March - May 1954
Outcome of the Battle of Dien Bien Phu
The French lost
Dates of communist insurgency in Malaya
1948 - 1962
Factors for the communist insurgency in Malaya (3 points)
- Ideology (communism v. capitalism)
- Colonialism (British v. Malayans)
- Inter-racial conflict (Chinese v. Malayans)
Which two countries contributed to the feeling of domino theory in S.E.Asia?
China and Malaya
Dates of the Geneva Conference
May - July 1954
Which two countries chaired the Geneva Conference?
Great Britain and USSR
During the Geneva Conference, which country wasn’t directly involved, yet exercised considerable influence?
USA
What change enabled the deal made at the Geneva Conference between France and China in June?
Change in French government
Terms of the 1954 Geneva Accords (6 points)
- First Indo-China War over
- Vietnam divided at 17th Parallel:
a. DRV under control of Viet Minh
b. RVN under control of Bao Dai - Laos and Cambodia were to be independent and neutral
- To be re-unifying elections in 1956
- No foreign troops allowed in Vietnam, Laos, or Cambodia
Who was expected to win the 1956 elections, and why?
Ho Chi Minh, because DRV had a larger population
Date that Ngo Dinh Diem was made Prime Minister of RVN
June 1954
Date that USA extended massive aid to South Vietnam under MAAG
September 1954
What was the purpose of the MAAG?
To train the ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam)
Elements in RVN which Diem dealt with effectively (2 points)
- Binh Xuyen (criminal organisation)
2. 2 powerful sects
Name of the US organisation which gathered support for Diem
The American Friends of Vietnam
Date that Bao Dai abdicated
October 1955
Date that Diem was President of RVN
October 1955
Which group migrated en masse from North to South Vietnam up to 1956, encouraged by priests and CIA propaganda?
Catholics
Why didn’t Viet Minh supporters migrate from South to North Vietnam up to 1956?
Assumption that Viet Minh would win 1956 elections
Why did the reunifying 1956 election fail to take place?
Diem refused to discuss it
Name of Diem’s brother, head of RVN security forces
Ngo Dinh Nhu
What did Nhu do as Head of the Security Forces?
Arrested and killed thousands of Viet Minh dissidents
Date of the establishment of SEATO
September 1954
Signatories of SEATO (8 points)
- Australia
- Great Britain
- France
- New Zealand
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Thailand
- USA
Aims of SEATO (2 points)
- Mutual defence
2. Containment
Year that Diem joined SEATO as associate member (breaking Geneva Accords)
1956
Reasons why containment policy seemed successful by 1959 (3 points)
- Communist insurgency in Malaya mostly defeated
- RVN seemed to be a viable state
- DRV hadn’t interfered in RVN
Name of native Communist group in Laos
Pathet Lao
Year that DRV sent insurgents to RVN
1959
Year that Ho Chi Minh Trail reactivated
1959
Date of the establishment of NLF (National Liberation Front - an anti-Diem coalition)
December 1960
Name of policy which aimed to move peasants to new rural towns to access welfare and guard them from Communist fighters
Agrovilles
Group, which constituted the majority of the Vietnamese population, discriminated against by the Diem regime
Buddhists
Who did Diem dedicate the new RVN to?
Virgin Mary
Date that 2 ARVN Colonels attacked the Presidential Palace with soldiers, increased Diem’s distrust of anyone outside of his family
November 1960
What did Kennedy play up in his election campaign?
His anti-communist stance
Increase in defence spending under Kennedy
$40b - $56b per year
List one type of equipment increased hugely under Kennedy
Nuclear delivery vehicles
Name of the elite US forces sent to Vietnam under Kennedy
Green Berets
Name of Secretary of Defence chosen by Kennedy
Robert McNamara
Name and date of thesis written by Kennedy showing his strong anti-appeasement stance
Why England Slept; 1940
Reasons for the increase in US involvement in Vietnam under Kennedy
- Domino Theory
- Anti-appeasement stance
- US confidence
- Red Scare
Situation inherited by Kennedy: number of military personnel in RVN by January 1960, in breach of the Geneva Accords
<1k
Name of tactic used to conceal US presence in Vietnam
Surreptitious intervention
Date of step up in surreptitious intervention
March 1961
US planes were used in Vietnam to destroy hostile aircraft. What did they officially describe any damage which occurred in combat as?
Accidental
Name, and date of publication, of the document which set out Kennedy’s policy in Vietnam: a “blueprint for escalation”
NSAM52; May 1961
Date of Johnson’s fact-finding mission in Vietnam, which convinced him that only Diem could stop a communist takeover
May 1961
Increase in US military spending in Vietnam in 1961
$220m - $262m
Date of the Taylor-Rostow fact-finding mission, which recommended increasing aid to RVN and deploying troops
October 1961
What supplies to Vietnam did Kennedy increase in response to the Taylor-Rostow fact-finding mission
- Trainers
2. Air support
Year of the Geneva negotiations between USA and USSR over Laos
1961
Year of Geneva Accords establishing a neutral Laos, after which US advisors left but DRV troops remained
1962
Number of US military personnel in RVN inherited by Johnson
> 16k
Reason for Johnson’s continuation of involvement in Vietnam (despite the fact that Kennedy himself was unsure about whether to stay in Vietnam)
Kennedy legacy
Why was Diem so incompetent at leading the ARVN?
He was over-anxious to prevent casualties
Year that Diem expelled NBC, CBS, and Newsweek journalists for reporting his defects
1962
Name of fortified villages introduced in RVN to prevent locals being intimidated by the Viet Cong
Strategic hamlets
Name and date of conventional battle between ARVN and Viet Cong, where ARVN had 4 times the troops of the Viet Cong and better hardware but still lost
Ap Bac; January 1963
Date of the banning of Buddhist religious flags in RVN
May 1963
Date of Wesak protests, where security forces killed 9 people
May 1963
Date of Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc self-immolated
June 1963
Date of Diem (and his brother) being deposed and killed (which CIA had prior knowledge of)
November 1963
Year that Nguyen Van Thieu came to prominence
1967
Year that DRV decided to increase the number of troops and hardware to the Viet Cong
1963
Year that DRV regiments began to operate in RVN, especially at the border near Laos and Cambodia
1964
Tactic used by USSR in Vietnam
Covert action
Reason for staying in Vietnam by 1964
1964 election
Date by which the Joint Chiefs of Staff wanted war in DRV
January 1964
What percentage of RVN was under Viet Cong control by March 1964?
30% - 40%
Date of the drafting of a bill which would enable the President to act against enemies without consulting Congress
March 1964
Date that USS Maddox attacked by DRV patrol boats
2 August 1964
Date that USS Maddox, and another destroyer, claimed to have been attacked (a claim supported by their radar, but not by any actual sightings)
4 August 1964
What caused Congress to pass the bill drafted in March 1964 which gave the President the power to “take all necessary measures to repel armed attacks against the forces of USA and to prevent further aggression”
Gulf of Tonkin incident
Date of the Viet Cong attack on US Pleiku air base
February 1965
Name of advisor sent on 1965 fact-finding mission during the attack on Pleiku air base, who advised bombing of the Viet Cong to force talks
McGeorge Bundy
Date that Operation Rolling Thunder (bombing DRV) began
March 1965
Date that Operation Steel Tiger (bombing the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos) began
April 1965
What percentage of Americans were in favour of the Vietnam War according to a 1965 Gallup poll?
67%
How much did USA spend on bombing in Vietnam for each $1 of damage caused?
$9.60
List 4 reasons why US bombing in Vietnam was ineffective
- Unexploded bombs gave enemy weapons
- Napalm and defoliates ineffective
- Few suitable targets in rural DRV
- Border and Haiphong Harbour were off-limits
Date that 2 US marine battalions were sent to protect Da Nang air base
March 1965
Who argued in 1965 that USA should either pull out of Vietnam or send more men?
General Westmoreland
In 1965, President Johnson increased the number of military personnel in Vietnam to how many men?
125k
What method was used in 1965 to gather more US troops, instead of sending out the reserves (which would signal an emergency)?
The draft
Name and date of first conventional battle between USA and DRV
Ia Drang; November 1965
Tactic used by USA at Ia Drang
Search and destroy
DRV tactic at Ia Drang
Beat ARVN before US forces arrived
Number of DRV troops killed at Ia Drang, compared to US troops
3651 v. 305
Where did DRV retreat to after Ia Drang?
The Cambodian border
What 2 things proved effective for USA at Ia Drang?
- Air power
2. Fire power
After Ia Drang, what tactics did DRV revert to, to try to wear down US forces?
Guerrilla tactics
Number of US troops in Vietnam by 1967
<500k
2 notable US allies who refused to support the Vietnam War
- Britain
2. France
Date that General Westmoreland assured Congress that the enemy was losing in Vietnam
November 1967
4 problems in RVN by 1967
- Thieu was dictatorial
- Number of DRV insurgents was growing
- Equipment from USSR was improved
- The Ho Chi Minh Trail hadn’t been cut
What percentage of Americans favoured immediate withdrawal from Vietnam before 1968, compared to after 1968?
<10% v. 25%
What increased public awareness of, and opposition to, the Vietnam War?
It was the first televised war
Location and date of first ‘teach-in’ to protest the Vietnam War
University of Michigan; March 1965
Location of biggest ‘teach-in’, and number of participants
Berkeley, California; >20k
Number of ‘teach-ins’ in 1965
120
Name of US Quaker who self-immolated in protest of the Vietnam War, and date of self-immolation
Norman Morris; November 1965
Date that Martin Luther King publicly criticised the Vietnam War (for sending a disproportionate number of black men through the draft)
February 1967
Number of anti-war demonstrations in New York in 1967
200k
Number of anti-war demonstrations in Washington DC in 1967
100k
Number of anti-war demonstrations in San Francisco in 1967
50k
Ratio of US public anti-demonstrations compared to pro-demonstrations
3 to 1
During the 1965 ‘teach-ins’, what percentage of US public was in favour of the Vietnam War?
70%
Which age group were the strongest supporters of the Vietnam War in 1965, according to a Gallup poll?
21 - 30
Name of politician who proposed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and chaired the Foreign Relations Committee, but by 1966 was organising televised hearings to mobilise opposition to the Vietnam War
Senator Fulbright
Name of Cold War expert who created containment policy, but later argued that Vietnam wasn’t a vital interest and the war jeopardised US interests elsewhere
George Kennan
Name of retired general who was a former Assistant Chief of Staff, but testified that the Vietnam War was a misuse of US resources
General Gavin
Name of committee which acted as an umbrella group against the Vietnam War
NCCEWVN (National Coordinating Committee to End the War in Vietnam)
By 1967, how many Senators openly opposed the Vietnam War (although many more did in private)?
12
3 pronged plan of DRV for the Tet Offensive
- Assault RVN cities to cause anti-Thieu uprising
- Dig miles of tunnels to hide troops and weapons
- Lure US army away with border fighting
Name and date of failed DRV campaign of surprise attacks on RVN
Tet Offensive; January - February 1968
Name and date of major assault on remote US marine base near Laos border; the first assault of the Tet Offensive
Khe Sanh assault; 20 January 1968
Number of DRV troops at Khe Sanh, compared to US marines
20k v. 6k
How long did the Khe Sanh assault last for?
3 months
Date that unscheduled attacks began on RVN towns during the Tet Offensive, a day early
30 January 1968
Saigon building nearly captured by the Viet Cong during the Tet Offensive, to US embarrassment
US embassy
Saigon building captured by the Viet Cong during the Tet Offensive, to which the electricity was cut before a message from Ho Chi Minh could be broadcast
Radio station
Saigon building which failed to be captured by the Viet Cong during the Tet Offensive
Presidential Palace
Date by which nearly all Tet Offensive attacks were over, with the perpetrators either captured or killed
1 February 1968
City, strategically placed half way between Hanoi and Saigon, successfully captured by DRV during the Tet Offensive
Hue
Date that Hue retaken after the Tet Offensive
24 February 1968
Number of US deaths in Vietnam by 1968
14650
Number of provincial capitals attacked by the Communists in 1968
44
Number of district capitals attacked by the Communists in 1968
64
Number of Communist troops killed and wounded
50k - 60k; 100k
What event effectively finished the Viet Cong as a fighting force?
The Tet Offensive
What event turned US public opinion against the Vietnam War?
The Tet Offensive
Date that 20m US watched live as an RVN General shot a Viet Cong fighter
3 February 1968
Name of popular reporter who called for a negotiated peace in Vietnam, and who said in a report: “What the hell’s going on here, I thought we were winning this war?”
Walter Cronkite
What percentage of US public became anti-war between February and March 1968, according to a Gallup poll?
20%
In 1968, how many more troops did the Joint Chiefs of Staff request to be sent to Vietnam, a request which was flatly rejected?
206k
Name of the new Secretary of Defence in 1968, one of many who advised negotiation in Vietnam, a stance which shook President Johnson
Clark Clifford
2 things which President Johnson decided to do in Vietnam in 1968
- Reduce bombing
2. Seek negotiations
Why were negotiations with DRV difficult?
For them, takeover was the only option
Date that negotiations began between USA and DRV in Paris
May 1968
Name of Democratic candidate for the 1968 election, favoured by peaceniks, who was assassinated before the election
Robert Kennedy
Name of Democratic candidate chosen to run for the 1968 election after Robert Kennedy’s assassination, who had been President Johnson’s Vice President
Hubert Humphrey
Location and date of violence breaking out over the choice of Hubert Humphrey as the Democratic candidate for the 1968 election
Chicago Democratic Conference; August 1968
Name of Republican candidate for the 1968 election, who campaigned as both anti-Communist and anti-war
Richard Nixon
Who did President Johnson keep well briefed about the Paris negotiations, as the suspected next President?
Richard Nixon
Why did USSR pressure DRV to accept RVN at the Paris negotiations?
USSR feared Nixon
What did Nixon do in regards to the Paris negotiations, as he feared that peace would favour the Democrats in the 1968 election?
Encourage Thieu not to attend
How did President Johnson know about Nixon encouraging Thieu not to attend the Paris negotiations, which meant that he couldn’t make it public?
Illegal wire-taps
Date that Nixon stated: “Our interests must shape our commitments, not the other way round”
February 1970
Date that Henry Kissinger was appointed National Security Advisor by Nixon
1969
Date that Henry Kissinger was appointed Secretary of State by Nixon
1973
Personal ideology of both Nixon and Kissinger
Realists
USA was relatively weaker in 1969 than in 1945 or even 1960. What was a significant factor in this?
The Vietnam War
Nixon’s aim for ending the Vietnam war
Peace with honour
Event during 1960s which enabled Nixon to play off of USSR and China to improve relations with both
Sino-Soviet Split
Method used by Nixon: giving concessions in some areas, so that USSR would pressure DRV to be reasonable in negotiations
Linkage
2 advantages for USA in getting DRV to compromise in negotiations
- Viet Cong weak after the Tet Offensive
2. USSR and China could pressure DRV
Name and date of previous agreement which made DRV distrustful of a peace agreement
Geneva Accords; 1954
2 points of disagreement between USA and DRV in peace negotiations
- Status of RVN
2. DRV troops in RVN
Disadvantage for USA in getting DRV to compromise in negotiations
Public opposition
Date that US troops in Vietnam peaked, and number of troops at peak
April 1969; 543k
DRV tactic to increase US public opposition to the war and decrease US troop morale
Maximise US dead
2 problems which arose from low morale by 1969
- Fragging
2. Drug use
What percentage of US troops had used marijuana by 1971?
69%
What reduced the effectiveness and discipline of US troops from 1969?
1 year tour
Change in US tactics from 1969 which increased their control of the country, from large search and destroy units to…
small-unit actions
In 1968, what percentage of RVN was under central control, compared to by September 1969?
20% v. 50%
Name of US programme which captured, tortured, and assassinated suspected Viet Cong leaders, aiming to disrupt enemy infrastructure
Phoenix Programme
Date when Phoenix Programme ended after it was discovered by the press
1972
Number of Viet Cong leaders captured under the Phoenix Programme between 1968 and 1972, compared to the number converted
29k v. 18k
Name of policy under Nixon which withdrew US troops while strengthening ARVN
Vietnamisation
Number of machine guns given by USA to ARVN as part of Vietnamisation
12k
Increase in ARVN troops due to Vietnamisation
850k - 1m
Number of ARVN deserters a year
> 100k
Problem with ARVN which meant that they would fight well locally, but would desert in distant areas
Localised units
Event which should the desertion and panic of ARVN after Vietnamisation
1971 Laos campaign
Ineffective US tactic used to block supplies to NVA in RVN
Air operations in Laos and Cambodia
Date of US and RVN troops first crossing into Laos and Cambodia, capturing huge stores (if not their aim of a major NVA headquarters) which seriously disrupted NVA operations in RVN
April 1970
US public reaction to 1970 incursion to Laos and Cambodia
Protests
Date that ARVN alone attacked NVA bases in Laos
1971
US tactic to enable troops to leave under Vietnamisation
Increase air power
Date that USA mined Haiphong Harbour to prevent USSR supplies coming through
May 1972
Name of Nixon’s Democratic opponent in the 1972 election, who lost because of his willingness to “crawl to Hanoi” to end the war, despite the public wanting peace with honour
George McGovern
Date that 2m Americans left work to protest the Vietnam War in 200 cities
15 October 1969
What percentage of US public approved of Nixon’s approach in Vietnam in October 1969?
68%
Date of Nixon’s ‘Silent Majority’ speech
November 1969
Location and date of anti-war protest where the National Guard opened fire and killed 4 people, which triggered further demonstrations
Kent State University; April 1970
Date that the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was repealed
January 1971
Date that US spending bills forbade action in Laos and Cambodia
January 1971
Dates that Congress voted 17 times to restrict the President in South East Asia
April - June 1971
Name of report detailing the history of US involvement in Vietnam, which greatly embarrassed Nixon, and date of publication
Pentagon Papers; June 1971
Date from which Kissinger was in secret peace talks with DRV
August 1969
Date of the first breakthrough in Nixon’s peace negotiations: that USA wouldn’t insist on NVA withdrawing from RVN
May 1971
Date of second breakthrough in Nixon’s peace negotiations: because DRV offensive had failed
1972
Obstacle in peace deal being struck in October 1972
Thieu thought there were too many concessions
Date that DRV left peace talks
12 December 1972
Name of bombing operation which forced DRV back to peace talks with Nixon
Operation Linebacker II
Date that ceasefire signed between USA and DRV in Vietnam
27 January 1973
Date that General Thieu’s regime collapsed
1975
Date that NVA entered Saigon as part of a lightening campaign begun in March
April 1975
2 reasons why RVN was seriously weak in 1975
- Economic crisis
2. US financial aid was scaled down by Congress
Number of RVN refugees who settled in USA in 1975
90k
Date that Vietnam reunified as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
1976
Number who left Vietnam in the late 1970s
1.5m
Name of Communists who seized power in Cambodia, and dates of time in power
Khmer Rouge; 1975 - 1978
Number of Cambodians killed by the Khmer Rouge during their time in power
1m - 2m
Name of communists who seized power in Laos, and date of rise to power
Pathet Lao; 1975
2 prosperous capitalist countries in South East Asia
- Malaya
2. Thailand
Number of dead and refugees in Vietnam as a result of the war
3m; 15m
Total cost of the Vietnam War to USA
$167b
2 effects of US spending being diverted to Vietnam
- Limited Great Society
2. Fuelled 1970s inflation
Date that the dollar left the gold standard, and was devalued against other currencies
1971
Number of US dead and wounded in Vietnam
56k; 300k
Name and date of Congressional act limiting Presidential power, in response to the misuse of power in the Vietnam War: it insisted on Congressional approval within 30 days of a President committing troops to action
War Powers Act; 1973
4 reasons why USA lost in Vietnam
- Conflicting wills
- Mobilisation
- Resources
- US mistakes
