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 by 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
