Stats + Quotes Flashcards
first aid package when, how much worth
1955, $320 military support, technicians + weaponry (from US to South Vietnam)
Karnow, on consequences of Geneva for Vitet
“lost more in negotiations than they had gained in combat”
popularity of Diem’s regime in South by 1954 - opposed by who (not stat)
“opposed by virtually all sections of South Vietnam society” - Wood
agroville program consequences social quote
“unleashed social discontent and created… enemies” - Kolko
economic growth rate of Nth by 1960 (NOT a stat)
highest economic growth rate of any country by 1960
south inequality in society (land ownership)
2.5% of landowners owned 50% of all arable land to 1955
% countryside controlled by NLF in Sth when
NLF controlled 80% of countryside by 1961
how much was Kennedy in favour of containment
“fully subscribed to… containment” - Karnow
What price to assure liberty?
“We shall pay any price… to assure… liberty” - Kennedy, inauguration speech 1961
aim of america in vietnam under eisenhower and jfk (not containment). Determined to…
“determined to restore its prestige”- karnow
LBJ, on losing a war against communists
“Nothing would be worse”
eisenhower’s characterisation of the domino theory + m/y
“like a set of dominoes”, Eisen April 1954
how many US military + political advisors in SV by 1962?
January 1962, there were 4000 US advisers in RVN
roots of vietnam war?
“The real roots… lie in the policies the Eisenhower administration adopted towards Southeast Asia after 1954” - David Kaiser
LBJ characterisation of Vietnam (very nice)
“damn little pissant country”
escalation of combat troop amount from end 65-68
End of 1965: 200 000 US combat troops @ Vietnam –> 1968: 550 000 (‘68 WAS PEAK)
johnson’s actual motivations?
“political self-defence as much as defence of the free World” - Maclear
Johnson approval ratings drop post-Tet
Dropped 12% (Feb 1968)
when + where do peace talks begin?
May 1968 Paris
by when, how many US troops had been withdrawn?
1972, >400k troops had been withdrawn
christmas bombings - when, under what campaign name (unofficial)
NV in December 1972, nixon’s madman bombings
Peace treaty finally signed when/where?
january 1973 Paris, ends direct American involvement
how many litres of defoliants dropped on indochina, from when + under what operation name
~75 million litres, from 1961 Operation Ranch Hand
US helicopters
1968: 5500 helicopters
political Tet, impact for DRV
“brilliant political victory” - Dean Rusk
Giap, on aims of Tet
“both military and political” objective
Tet: attack on US embassy = impact
US is “vulnerable despite its immense power” - Karnow
HCM’s statement during the French oui oui period of the first indochina war
“You can kill ten of my men for every one I kill of yours. But even at those odds, you will lose and I will win.”
tv war - civilians saw…
“Unprecedented brutality” - Karnow
what did anti-war movements lead to? (conditions)
“civil war conditions” - Henry Kissinger
Walter said what?
We are mired in a stalemate… the only… way out [is to] … negotiate” - Walter Cronkite
Washington moratorium against the Vietnam war when
november 15 1969
nixon’s policy on civilians dictating policy
policy will not be “made on the streets”
why extricate? - karnow
politicians were reflefting “the overwhelming majority of Americans favoured no further aid to SV government” - Karnow
from whence did american battles become iffy
1967: 96% of American military engagements involved enemy forces no larger than ~150 men (which Westmoreland was not prepared for/comfortable to fight)
thieu, reflecting on US leaving
“The United States sold out South Vietnam at Paris. At best we could survive one year, maybe two”
HCM on nationalism
“Our secret weapon is nationalism”
McNamara on underestimation
“The US underestimated the power of nationalism to motivate the North Vietnamese”
who was DRV getting aid from?
China + USSR
due to North increasing supply lines + mobilising resources, how long could they continue the war?
“Indefinitely” - Pach
quote on DVN position @ end of period of consolidation
“in a strong position” - Harpur
article 1 of peace accords
“respect the independence… of Vietnam as recognized by the 1954 Geneva Agreements”
democratic elections needed by which agreements?
BOTH OF THEM (Geneva + Paris oui oui)
number of US fatal casualties total, = to total no that Australia sent
60k
Gallup public opinion polls 1969: what % saw war in vietnam as a ‘mistake’?
60%
kent state shooting m/y, how many killed
May 1970, 4 killed
My Lai year, what happened, when found out?
1968, US troops murdered >300 civilians in SV: My Lai. Find out: nov 1969
banh mi thuot m/y
march 1975
Norodom Sihanouk comment on US in Vietnam 1967
It would be immoral to support… the aggression of the United States against… Vietnam
characterisation of Cambodia bombing campaign
“reckless” - Douglas Brinkley
khmer rouge in charge of what % country 1973
Jan 75%
within 6 months of the ceasefire ending the vietnam war, how many tonnes bombs had the US dropped on Cambodia?
¼ million tonnes
some historians have gone so far as to call Democratic Kampuchea a what state?
“slave state” - Philip Short
kampuchea - what % secondary school teachers remained after 1979?
10%
kampuchea - how much $$$ received from China
1975, >$1b US from China
how could the US have assured a victory? (preventing a communist victory required what)
Anthony Joes: “preventing a Communist victory, required stopping… the flow of men and supplies into the South”
how much US aid to Cambodia 1970-75
almost $2bn
Ben Kiernan, Khmer Rouge wouldn’t have won power without what?
“would not have won power without U.S” - Ben Kiernan
cambodia what fraction population refugees by 1972
1/3
cambodia agricultural mechanisation goal
80% agricultural mechanisation within 5-10 years
how much aid from china to Khmer Rouge regime in 1976?
> $1bn US
jan to feb 1968 how much did LBJ approval rating fall
by 12 percentage points
