How effectively did the USA contain the spread of communism? - The Vietnam War Flashcards
Why did America become involved in Vietnam?
- Diem’s government was weak and needed support
- US policy was based on the idea of “containment”. The French were supported to avoid the spread of communism across Asia
- President Eisenhower believed in the “domino theory” - if South Vietnam was allowed to become communist, then Laos, Cambodia, Burma, India, Thailand and Pakistan would quickly follow
- American airforce pilots were sent to support France
- After France had left, military and economic aid was offered to the South. Additionally 900 military advisers were sent to South Vietnam
- By 1963, the communist Vietcong controlled 40% of South Vietnam
Why ddi Kennedy decide to increase American military presence?
He wanted to look strong after the failed Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis
What did Kennedy send to South Vietnam to increase their strength?
He sent money to increase the size of the South Vietnamese army and he increased the number of advisers he sent to Vietnam by 100
The role of the advisers was to train the South Vietnamese army
By 1963, how many advisers and helicopter did South Vietnam have?
16,000 advisers
300 helicopters
What happened in November 1963?
President Diem was overthrown by a military coup
President Kennedy was assassinated
What was “The Gulf of Tonkin Incident”?
American warships were attacked by North Vietnamese gunboats while in international water.
When was The Gulf of Tonkin Incident?
August 1964
What did the American Senate do in response to The Gulf of Tonkin Incident?
He granted Johnson permission to give armed support to South Vietnam
What was Operation Rolling Thunder?
This was a US plan to stop North Vietnam suppling the Vietcong.
They bombed factories, military bases and the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The idea was to make the bombing so heavy that ground troops would not be required
What was Vietnamisation?
This was support given by the US to strengthen the South Vietnamese army to allow the gradual withdrawal of American combat troops
What strategy was used by the Vietcong during the Vietnam War?
Ho Chi Minh based the Vietcong guerrilla warfare strategy on the methods used by the communists to gain power in China
What was guerrilla warfare?
A method of fighting employed by the Vietcong. It involved hit-and-run tactics in an attempt to reduce the morale of the opposition
What were the features of Vietcong guerrilla warfare?
- Guerrilla fighters did not have a base camp
- They did not wear a uniform, making it difficult to differentiate between villagers and Vietcong
- They used the element of surprised
- They ambushed American troops and set booby traps using trip wires and mines
What was the impact of Vietcong guerrilla warfare?
- Reduced the morale of the American troops whose average age was only 19
- Increased the number of American casualties
What were the strategies used by the USA during the Vietnam war?
- Strategic bombing
- Chemical weapons
- Search and destroy
- Strategic villages
What was strategic bombing used by the USA during the Vietnam war?
During the war the US bombed Vietcong strongholds, supply lines and key cities
Operation Rolling Thunder started in 1965. Bombing continued after Operation Rolling Thunder stopped in 1968
What were the chemical weapons used by the USA during the Vietnam war?
The Americans developed Agent Orange and also used napalm
What is Agent Orange?
A strong chemical which killed living vegetation, much like a weedkiller does
What is Napalm?
A fiercely burning form of petroleum jelly which sticks to the skin causing burns that go down to the bone
What was the “search and destroy” tactic used by the USA during the Vietnam war?
In response to the guerrilla tactics of the Vietcong the Americans carried out raids using helicopter.
The helicopters would land near Vietnamese villages.
The US forces would then kill hiding Vietcong fighters and set fire to the Village
What was strategic villages used by the USA during the Vietnam war?
Whole villages were moved to a new site
The new site was enclosed by barbed wire
What was the impact of strategic bombing done by the USA?
- Supply lines were disrupted but not stopped.
- South Vietnamese targets were still attacked
- Executive bombing of Hanoi encouraged the commencement of peace discussion
- the cost of bombing to the US was huge
What was the impact of Agent Orange used by the USA?
Agent Orange was used to carry out defoliation of the jungle in South Vietnam
The chemical was dropped from the air and removed the leaves from the trees in an attempt to prevent the Vietcong hiding in the jungle
The Vietcong underground supply lines were not affected
What was the impact of Napalm?
Napalm was often dropped on villages to destroy them
Thousands of innocent Vietnamese civilians received terrible burns and often died
This shocked the American people back in the USA
