The Brezhnev Era, 1972–1985: the USA and SE Asia - Costs of War

Question 1

How did domestic attitudes towards US involvement in Vietnam change?

Answer 1

• 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

Question 2

How many Americans died in the Vietnam War?

Answer 2

• Over 58,000

Question 3

How many Americans served in Vietnam?

Answer 3

• Around 2.7 million people

- Over 9% of the US population at the time

Question 4

How were veterans affected by the war?

Answer 4

• 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

Question 5

How many American ‘draft dodgers’ fled from the US?

Answer 5

• 100,000 men

- Most went to Canada and were accepted as legal immigrants

Question 6

How did Ford and Carter try deal with draft dodgers?

Answer 6

• 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

Question 7

When did Carter announce he would grant amnesty to all draft dodgers?

Answer 7

• January 1977

- In his inauguration speech

Question 8

How much did the war cost for the US?

Answer 8

• $167 billion

Question 9

How did the war affect funding for domestic policies?

Answer 9

• Many domestic programmes suffered e.g Johnson’s ‘Great Society’
• Included reforms to eliminate poverty and racism

Question 10

Describe whether containment failed in Southeast Asia following Northern Victory

Answer 10

• 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

Question 11

Which Southeast Asian countries fell to communism after Northern victory and which countries didn’t?

Answer 11

• Communist

• Cambodia
• Laos

• Capitalist

• Thailand
• Malaysia
• Singapore
• Indonesia

Question 12

How many estimated casualties did Vietnam face?

Answer 12

• 1.3 to 9 million killed during all hostilities

Question 13

How many NLF and NVA fighters were killed and how many ARVN fighters were killed?

Answer 13

• NLF and NVA
- 1.1 million

• ARVN
- 100,000 to 330,000

Question 14

How many civilian casualties were there?

Answer 14

• Around 250,000

Question 15

How did US actions affect Vietnam’s economy and foreign relations?

Answer 15

• 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

Question 16

When did the US trade embargo on Vietnam formally end?

Answer 16

• 1995

Question 17

How did the war affect Vietnam’s infrastructure?

Answer 17

• 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

Question 18

How many tons of bombs were dropped on North and South Vietnam?

Answer 18

• North Vietnam
- 643,000 tons

• South Vietnam
- 700,000 tons

Question 19

Which US military operation involved the defoliation of South Vietnamese jungles? When did this operation occur?

Answer 19

• Operation Ranch Hand

- 1962-1971

Question 20

How many acres of South Vietnamese land were poisoned?

Answer 20

• Over 6 million acres

Question 21

Did the US provide reparations?

Answer 21

• No

Question 22

How was presidential powers affected by the war?

Answer 22

• 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

Question 23

When was the War Powers Act passed?

Answer 23

• 1973

Question 24

When was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution passed?

Answer 24

• 1964

Question 25

Give examples of Vietnam’s reforms following the war

Answer 25

• 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

Question 26

What is collectivisation?

Answer 26

• The practice of combining farming units into large single units
• These would be controlled by the state and each would have production targets

Question 27

How many people left Vietnam? How many went to the US?

Answer 27

• About 1.5 million people

- Approx. two-thirds went to the US

Question 28

What ideology does Vietnam currently have? How are relations with the US?

Answer 28

• Socialist republic that has embraced capitalism

- Now has positive relationship with US, which benefits it financially