History β³ | Vietnam and the trail against America π‘ | 5.3 Flashcards
Which countries does Indo-China refer to?
Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos
Who controlled Indo-China in the 1860s?
France
When did France lose Indo-China?
1940
Who did France lose Indo-China to?
Japan
Who was the president of North Vietnam?
Ho Chi Minh
When did Ho Chi Minh announce the independence of Vietnam?
September 2 1945
Why was there a war between France and Vietnam?
They regained control of Vietnam after brief communist leadership
How many French losses were there between 1946 and 1954?
72,000 men
How much aid did the USA give France in the first war (the war where they tried to gain control of Vietnam)?
$2.6 Billion
How did the Chinese revolution make things harder for France in the first war in Vietnam?
Mao supplied arms to the North Vietnamese forces, the Viet Minh
Define Viet Minh and Viet Cong
Names given by western politicians and journalists to Vietnamese communist forces
Where did France lose the first war in Vietnam?
At Dien Bien Phu
When did France lose the first war in Vietnam?
1954 March
Define Geneva agreements 1954
The main points set out in the peace treaty on Indo-China
What were the main points of the 1954 Geneva agreements?
- Indo China would be divided into 4: North and South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia
- Division of North and South at the 17 degrees North line of latitude
- Foreign troops to withdraw from Indo-China
- Elections to be set for 1956
- International commission ensured that measures were followed
What countries was Indo-China divided into by the 1954 Geneva agreement?
North Vietnam, South Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia
Where was the North and South divided by the 1954 Geneva agreement?
17oN line of lattitude
When were elections set for by the 1954 Geneva agreement?
1956
Who refused to sign the 1954 Geneva agreement?
The USA
Why did the USA refuse to sign the 1954 Geneva agreement?
The USA realised the communists would win so Eisenhower persuaded president Diem to not have an election.
Who was the president of South Vietnam?
Ngo Dinh Diem
Who led the Vietnamese independence movement?
Ho Chi Minh
When was the National Liberation Front / Viet Cong created?
1960
What kind of tactics did the Viet Cong use?
Guerrilla tactics
Who did the Viet Cong consist of?
A mixture of anti-government forces, including Buddhists, patriots, and communists
Define Guerrilla
A guerrilla war in which small groups use raids, assassinations, and sabotage against larger armies.
What makes Guerrilla fighters often hard to identify?
- They often passes as children or old people who passes messages and hid weapons
- Use of a complex network of tunnels and underground bases
North Vietnam was controlled by β¦ and South Vietnam was controlled by β¦
North Vietnam: USSR
South Vietnam: USA
What was the Ho Chi Minh Trail?
A logistical network of roads and trails that ran from North Vietnam to South Vietnam to infiltrate Viet Cong troops and supplies into Vietnam
It ran through Laos and Cambodia too
How did the Ho Chi Minhβs backgrounds specialise them to use the Ho Chi Minh trail?
They were born southerners but were trained by the North, which gave them insight on the land.
Define domino theory
The idea that if one country falls to communism, the neighbors also will
Why did Kennedy start aerial bombing in Vietnam?
The communist group the Pathet Lao were trying to overthrow the monarchy
Who were the Pathet Lao?
A communist political movement which worked with the Viet Minh in the French Vietnam war
When did Kennedy start aerial bombing?
1961
How did the USA respond to the Pathet Lao trying to overthrow the monarchy?
The CIA trained an anti-communist force and supplies were flown in from Thailand
In 1961 how many military advisers were sent to help Diem?
16,000 military advisers were sent
When did Buuddhist protests against Diemβs government begin?
1963
Why was a coup staged against Diem by the CIA?
Because Kennedy had gotten tired of Diem after the embarrasing defeat at Pathet Lao
What was the result of the coup against Diem?
The bloody execution of Diem
When was the coup against Diem?
November 1963
When was Kennedy assasinated?
November 1963
Who succeeded Kennedy?
Lyndon B Johnson
Which idea did Johnson believe in?
Domino theory.
Why was Johnson under political pressure to be tough on communism?
The next presidential election was due in November 1964
When was the Gulf of Tonkin?
1964
Describe the Gulf of Tonkin incident.
- The Maddox ship in the Tonkin gulf was alledged to have come under North Vietnamese fire
- Despite this have been a false alarm, congress allowed Johnson to send more military power to Vietnam
When did Total War start in Vietnam?
1965
Why did American bombing intensify with Operation Rolling Thunder in the Vietnam war?
The Viet Cong attacked the US base at Pleiku.
When was Operation Rolling Thunder?
March 2 1965
Why was the USA afraid of bombing the port of Haiphong?
They feared it would hit Soviet ships
What were the USAβs tactics for victory during total war?
- Heavy use of aerial bombing to destroy Viet Cong strongholds
- Use of chemical weapons such as napalm and agent orange to destroy trees and jungle (hiding places for enemy)
- βSearch and destroyβ missions. Combat units would go out into the countryside to locate Viet Cong bases and supplies, punishing villages helping the enemy.
When did Operation Rolling Thunder end?
November 2, 1968
When was the Tet Offensive?
1968
What was the Tet Offensive?
An offensive where on Vietnamese New Year, Viet Cong troops almost captured the US embassy in Saigon. It failed.
Why did Anti-War protests in the USA start in 1968?
- Reporters and TV started publishing horrifying images of the search and destroy missions
- The Tet offensive failed, showing that the US government was lying about winning the war.
- (Though the next year), the reveal of the My Lai Massacre
How did Johnson react to the 1968 protests?
He announces he wouldnt seek re-election as president
What was the My Lai Massacre?
The brutal killing and rape of many unarmed civillians in the small village of My Lai the USA.
Who led the search and destroy mission of the My Lai Massacre?
Charlie Company
How many people were slaughtered in the My Lai Massacre?
374
When was the My Lai Massacre?
March 1968
How did the My Lai Massacre end?
When USA helicopter pilot Hugh Thompson landed and threatened to shoot the American soldiers unless they stopped
When was the My Lai Massacre publicised?
1969
Who is the commanding officer found guilty in the My Lai Massacre?
William Calley
Define Vietnamisation
The reduction of US troop levels and getting the South Vietnamese army to do more of the fighting
Who replaced Johnson?
Richard Nixon
Which policy did Richard Nixon follow?
Vietnamisation
When did Nixon extend the aerial bombings to Cambodia?
1970
When did some war veterans start protesting against Nixon?
1972
Why did people criticise Nixon?
- He extended aerial bombing to Cambodia without telling Congress
- He replaced the Cambodian ruler with the corrupt and unpopulat Lon Nol
Who led the 1972 peace talks?
Nixonβs National Security dviser, Henry Kissinger
What actions did Nixon take in 1972?
- He launched the heaviest aerial bombardments yet: Operation Linebacker I and II
- He made a secret promise to the South that the USA would support them if they were invaded by the North again
He did this without telling Congress
What actions did Nixon take in 1972?
- He launched the heaviest aerial bombardments yet: Operation Linebacker I and II
- He made a secret promise to the South that the USA would support them if they were invaded by the North again
He did this without telling Congress
When was the peace treaty signed in Vietnam?
January 1973
Who won the Vietnam war?
The North / Communists
Why did Nixon resign?
Because of the watergate scandal
What was the watergate scandal?
A scandal where a group of men were arrested breaking into the Watergate hotel in Washington DC to steal documents from the Democratβs offices in the USA presidential campaign. They were caught and it was found that Nixon was involved
When did the North invade South Vietnam for the final time?
March 1974
When did the North win the Vietnam War?
April 1975
Effects of the war
How many Civillians were lost in South Vietnam
2.5 million
Effects of the war
How many citizens of South Vietnam were tortured in re-education camps after the war?
300,000
Effects of the war
How many men did North Vietnam lose?
650,000
Effects of the war
How many men did the Viet Cong lose?
1 million
Effects of the war
How many men did the USA lose?
58,220
Effects of the war
What happened to Vietnamβs economy after the War?
It was destroyed by bombing and chemical weapons. (Increased cancer and deformed babies)
How did the failure to stop communism in Vietnam lead to murder?
Communism in Cambodia under Pol Pot leed to the mass murder of 2 million people
What are the two reasons why the USA lost the Vietnam War?
- Military factors; Viet Cong was too well organised and Ho Chi Minh trail was well hidden. Use of modern tech by the USA would have cost public opinion.
- Domestic factors; Public was more and more against the war, the USA couldnβt afford to be seen killing innocent people. With many changes of presidents, it was unstable. Propaganda was not that important in the cold war.
How was the domino theory proved incorrect by the Vietnam War?
Cambodia and Laos fell to communism but Thailand and Philippines did not.
