Mrs Hamblin’s Johnson

Question 1

Give three reasons why Johnson might have escalated the war in Vietnam:

Answer 1

• Personal beliefs
• Domino Theory
• Public support
• Situation in SV
• Actions of previous presidents

Question 2

Who were Johnson’s main advisers?

Answer 2

• McNamara - secretary of defence
• Dean Rusk - secretary of state
Same advisers meant no new ideas.

Question 3

What happened in the Tonkin Gulf in August 1964?

Answer 3

Two American ships believed they had been fired upon by North Vietnamese.

Johnson passed the Tonkin Gulf resolution which allowed him to escalate the war.

Question 4

Which two events encouraged Johnson to escalate the war in the spring of 1965?

Answer 4

• The Brinks Hotel bombing December 1964.
• Attack at Pleiku airbase February 1965 led to 8 deaths.

Question 5

How much of SV did the VC control by 1965?

Answer 5

75%

Question 6

What was Rolling Thunder?

Answer 6

Aerial bombardment of Vietnam between 1965 and 1968.

Question 7

What three part strategy did the Americans have in order to win in Vietnam?

Answer 7

• Bombing
• Attrition
• Search and Destroy

Question 8

Where did US marines first arrive in March 1965?

Answer 8

Danang

Question 9

How many US troops were in Vietnam by July 1965?

Answer 9

75,000

Question 10

How many US troops were in Vietnam by 1968?

Answer 10

535,000

Question 11

Give three examples of new technology US used:

Answer 11

• Cluster bombs - bombs filled with 350-500 mini bombs
• Napalm - Flammable
• Agent orange - defoliant

Question 12

Who ruled Vietnam after 1965?

Answer 12

Ky and Thieu

Question 13

How did the war cause domestic problems in Vietnam?

Answer 13

• Weak corrupt government
• ARVN was poor and corrupt
• The US dollar distorted the economy
• Problems of refugees

Question 14

What was the Ho Chi Minh trail?

Answer 14

A path through the jungle between North and South Vietnam.

Question 15

What percentage of bombs hit the Ho Chi Minh trail?

Answer 15

0.23%

Question 16

How many women helped to repair the trail?

Answer 16

50,000

Question 17

What lesson did the Americans believe they had learnt from the Battle of Ia Drang?

Answer 17

They could defeat the VC by using attrition.

Question 18

What percentage of casualties were caused by booby traps?

Answer 18

11% deaths
17% wounds

Question 19

In attacks how often did the VC fire first?

Answer 19

85%

Question 20

How much were VC casualty figures padded by the US?

Answer 20

30%

Question 21

How many fraggings were there between 1969 and 1971?

Answer 21

730

Question 22

What percentage of the army was African-American?

Answer 22

28% even though they only made up 13% of the population.

Question 23

What percentage of the US army used drugs?

Answer 23

58% used marijuana
22% used heroin

Question 24

When was the Tet Offensive?

Answer 24

February 1968

Question 25

How many uprisings were there across Vietnam during Tet?

Answer 25

120

Question 26

How many protesters were in Washington in 1965?

Answer 26

70,000

Question 27

How many were arrested in Chicago in 1968?

Answer 27

668

Question 28

What was the VC casualty rate during the Tet offensive?

Answer 28

70%

Question 29

What did Johnson’s approval rating fall to after the Tet offensive?

Answer 29

36%

Question 30

What were the Cu Chi tunnels?

Answer 30

100 mile long tunnel network under Saigon that the VC occupied.