The Brezhnev Era, 1972-1985: the USA and SE Asia - Costs of War Flashcards
How did domestic attitudes towards US involvement in Vietnam change?
• Before the 1968 Test Offensive, there was general support for the war
• Afterwards, strong anti-war culture present
• Often divided classes, as most soldiers were working class and university students could be exempt
• Most loudest protests at universities
How many Americans died in the Vietnam
War?
•Over 58,000
How many Americans served in Vietnam?
• Around 2.7 million people
- Over 9% of the US population at the time
How were veterans affected by the war?
• Many ostracised by peace movements that believed them to be supporters of US policy
• Many rejected due to brutality of US troops and loss of war
• Physical and mental trauma
• Some felt indifference towards veterans
How many American ‘draft dodgers’ fled from the US?
•100,000 men
- Most went to Canada and were accepted as legal immigrants
How did Ford and Carter try deal with draft dodgers?
• Ford
• Ford created a Clemency Board to manage an ‘earned amnesty process
• Divided US: some saw as justifiable, others didn’t as other men had to serve
• Carter
• In January 1977, in his inauguration speech, he announced he would give amnesty to all draft dodgers
• Controversial
When did Carter announce he would grant amnesty to all draft dodgers?
•January 1977
- In his inauguration speech
How much did the war cost for the US?
•$167 billion
How did the war affect funding for domestic policies?
• Many domestic programmes suffered e.g Johnson’s ‘Great
Society’
• Included reforms to eliminate poverty and racism
Describe whether containment failed in Southeast Asia following
Northern Victory
• South Vietnam regarded as foundation of democracy in
Southeast Asia
• Loss of South Vietnam implied other countries falling to
communism through domino effect
• Cambodia and Laos fell to communism
• Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia remained capitalist
Which Southeast Asian countries fell to communism after Northern victory and which countries didn’t?
• Communist
• Cambodia
• Laos
• Capitalist
• Thailand
• Malaysia
• Singapore
• Indonesia
How many estimated casualties did Vietnam face?
• 1.3 to 9 million killed during all hostilities
How many NLF and NVA fighters were killed and how many ARVN fighters were killed?
• NLF and NVA
- 1.1 million
• ARVN
- 100,000 to 330,000
How many civilian casualties were there?
•Around 250,000
How did US actions affect Vietnam’s economy and foreign relations?
• Ford opposed Vietnam’s entry into United Nations, isolating
Vietnam from international community
• Ford imposed trade embargo formally lasting until 1995
• Slowed Vietnam’s economic growth
When did the US trade embargo on Vietnam formally end?
•1995
How did the war affect Vietnam’s infrastructure?
• Bombing
• 643,000 tons of bombs on North Vietnam
• 700.000 tons on South Vietnam
• Massive destruction of agricultural land
• Chemical warfare
• Operation Ranch Hand was defoliation programme to expose guerrilla fighters
• Agent Orange and Napalm used to poison over 6 million acres of South Vietnamese land
How many tons of bombs were dropped on
North and South Vietnam?
• North Vietnam
- 643,000 tons
• South Vietnam
- 700,000 tons
Which US military operation involved the defoliation of South
Vietnamese jungles? When did this operation occur?
• Operation Ranch Hand
- 1962-1971
How many acres of South Vietnamese land were poisoned?
• Over 6 million acres
Did the US provide reparations?
•No
How was presidential powers affected by the war?
• In 1973, the US Congress passed the War Powers Act
• Gave Congress the right to declare war, preventing presidents from acting without Congress’ consent
• Reversed Gulf of Tonkin Resolution of 1964
When was the War Powers Act passed?
•1973
When was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution passed?
•1964
Give examples of Vietnam’s reforms following the war
• Many southerners forced into ‘re-education camps’
• In March 1978, southern resentment increased after Hanoi hastily imposed a communist-style economic system in the South
• Collectivisation of agriculture was introduced and many
Southern farms lost their livelihoods
What is collectivisation?
• The practice of combining farming units into large single units
• These would be controlled b the state and each would have production targets
How many people left Vietnam? How many went to the US?
• About 1.5 million people
- Approx. two-thirds went to the US
What ideology does Vietnam currently have? How are relations with the US?
• Socialist republic that has embraced capitalism
- Now has positive relationship with US, which benefits it financially
