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History GCSE Unit 2 > Guerrilla Warfare > Flashcards

Guerrilla Warfare Flashcards

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1
Q

Why did the VC use guerrilla tactics?

A

Had little chance in pitched battle against US troops

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2
Q

What was the aim of guerrilla warfare?

A

To avoid engaging in pitched battle

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3
Q

Why was guerrilla warfare successful?

A
  1. US troops weren’t trained in this kind of combat 2. Felt they were fighting an invisible enemy, so was demoralising for US troops. This would allow VC to take over cities were Americans had more control
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4
Q

What was the average age of a US soldier in Vietnam?

A

19

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5
Q

How many Vietnamese soldiers died during the war in Vietnam?

A

Between 500,000 and 900,000

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6
Q

What were ambushes?

A

VC attacking enemies suddenly then escaping into countryside or into the safety of their villages

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7
Q

Why were ambushes successful?

A

Difficult for US soldiers to engage in pitched battle in short amount of time. This lowered morale as soldiers felt they were fighting an invisible enemy.

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8
Q

What were booby traps?

A

Hidden traps designed to injure or kill American soldiers

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9
Q

Why were booby traps successful?

A

They were cheap and easy for the VC to make.

Easily injured American soldiers because they were hidden in unfamiliar territory

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10
Q

What percentage of deaths were caused by booby traps?

A

11%

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11
Q

What was the Vietminh Code of Conduct?

A

Rules for Vietminh to follow to ensure they did not alienate the local people in the villages they lived and worked in

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12
Q

Why was the Vietminh Code of Conduct important?

A

Guerrilla tactics relied on the villagers supporting the VC so that they would give them food, shelter and places to hide

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13
Q

What was the Ho Chi Minh trail?

A

Thousands of routes going from North to South Vietnam and through Laos and Cambodia to supply the VC with weapons and supplies

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14
Q

How long was the Ho Chi Minh trail?

A

600 miles

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15
Q

How wide was the Ho Chi Minh trail?

A

50 miles in some places

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16
Q

Why was the Ho Chi Minh trail successful?

A
  • Routes were never closed
  • Dense forest provided good coverage
  • Dummy routes confused the Americans’ aerial photography
  • Americans couldn’t bomb routes used by China and USSR going through Laos and Cambodia because it would lead to an escalation in the war
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17
Q

How many anti-aircraft guns were provided to the VC by the USSR?

A

8000

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18
Q

How many anti-aircraft missile sites were provided to the VC by the USSR?

A

200

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19
Q

How did the VC use disguise?

A

They did not wear uniforms, had no known base or headquarters, worked in small groups. This made them hard to distinguish from villagers

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20
Q

Why were disguises successful?

A

Made it hard for American soldiers to fight the VC without harming innocent villagers, which made them unpopular

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21
Q

What were tunnels?

A

Underground networks of tunnels which the VC could live in, hide in, store food and weapons in and use as hospitals

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22
Q

Why were tunnels successful?

A

They were almost impossible to target because they were well hidden, booby trapped and trip wired

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23
Q

How many cases of fragging were there between 1970 and 1971?

A

700

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25
Q

How long did most conscripted soldiers serve in Vietnam for?

A

1 year

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27
Q

How many US troops were treated in hospital for combat wounds in 1971?

A

5000

29
Q

How many US troops were treated in hospital for drug abuse in 1971?

A

20,000

31
Q

How many cases of desertion were there in the US army between 1966 and 1973?

A

503,000

33
Q

What was “hearts and minds”?

A

USA trying to win over the hearts and minds of the Vietnamese by building roads, bridges, schools and clinics to improve the standard of living

35
Q

Was hearts and minds successful?

A

Only in towns and cities

37
Q

What made hearts and minds unsuccessful?

A

Was contradicted by search and destroy missions and US bombing

38
Q

What was Operation Rolling Thunder?

A

Bombing campaign against North Vietnam involving military and industrial targets

39
Q

Why was Operation Rolling Thunder unsuccessful?

A
  • Didn’t bomb major North Vietnamese cities such as Hanoi to avoid Soviet intervention
  • Weren’t many military and industrial targets to bomb
40
Q

What percentage of North Vietnam’s industry was safe from surgical bombing in Operation Rolling Thunder?

A

80%

41
Q

What percentage of North Vietnam’s population was safe from surgical bombing in Operation Rolling Thunder?

A

75%

42
Q

When did the US abandon Operation Rolling Thunder and begin blanket bombing?

A

1966

43
Q

Why was the bombing campaign unsuccessful?

A
  • Made the VC more determined
  • Few industrial and military targets to be bombed
  • China and the Soviet Union could replace most of what was bombed by the US
44
Q

How much explosive was dropped on North Vietnam?

A

Three times as much as what was dropped on Germany and Japan during the whole of WWII

45
Q

On what date did the bombing campaign stop?

A

1st of November 1968

46
Q

What was “search and destroy”?

A

Surprise attacks on VC-controlled villages

47
Q

What happened in a search and destroy mission?

A
  • helicopters brought small numbers of troops to a village
  • villagers and VC had little time to organise resistance
  • if any sign of VC presence was found, the village was completely destroyed
  • VC suspects were interrogated to find out information on any other VC in the village
48
Q

Why were search and destroy missions unsuccessful?

A
  • During interrogations, Americans soldiers sought revenge for their colleagues by torturing or murdering villagers
  • Vietcong retaliated with “find and kill” an American
  • Innocent villages being destroyed and civilians being killed made Americans unpopular and villagers more likely to support VC
  • Left no one behind after missions to hold onto territory
49
Q

When were search and destroy missions used?

A

1966-1967

50
Q

When did the US begin to use chemical warfare?

A

1966

51
Q

Why was Agent Orange used?

A

Destroyed leaves and undergrowth of the jungle, which would force VC out of hiding and into pitched battle

52
Q

How much Agent Orange was used?

A

82million litres

53
Q

How much rainforest and cropland was destroyed by Agent Orange?

A

25,000 square kilometres

54
Q

What was napalm?

A

Jelly like substance which could spread widely and burn at a very high heat for up to ten minutes when ignited by a bomb explosion

55
Q

Why was napalm used?

A

Caused huge damage to enemy positions and fortifications and severe burns to skin

56
Q

On what date did the My Lai Massacrre occur?

A

16th of March 1968

57
Q

What was My Lai’s population?

A

700

58
Q

Who led the search and destroy mission on My Lai?

A

Lt. William Calley

59
Q

How long did the My Lai Massacre last?

A

2 hours

60
Q

How many people were killed in the My Lai massacre?

A

500

61
Q

How many VC did the US military claim to have killed in My Lai?

A

90

62
Q

When did Life magazine publish details of the My Lai massacre?

A

November 1969

63
Q

Who was charged for murder after details of My Lai were published?

A

Lt. Calley and ten other officers

64
Q

How many people was Calley charged for murdering?

A

109

65
Q

What sentence was Calley given?

A

20 years of hard labour, was released after 3 years

66
Q

When was Calley sentenced?

A

1971

67
Q

Why was the My Lai Massacre significant in the US?

A
  • It shocked America and most were horrified by the brutality and the extent of the cover-up by the US military
  • Proved for most Americans that the Vietnam War was going wrong, this fuelled anti-war sentiment
68
Q

Why was the My Lai Massacre significant for soldiers fighting in Vietnam?

A

Further lowered morale and contributed to increased drug abuse

69
Q

What fraction of US troops were estimated to be drug addicts in 1971?

A

At least 1/3

History GCSE Unit 2 (5 decks)

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