The Close of War Flashcards
What was the Tet Offensive 1968?
The NVA attacked over 100 areas but were defeated in 2 days
Why was the Tet Offensive not considered a victory by the American public?
They had seen the destruction of Saigon and thousands of civilian casualties due to the media
What was Operation Linebacker?
Started in May 1972 - bombing to make up for the lack of troops that remained in Vietnam
How many bombs were dropped during the Christmas period?
200,000 over 11 days
When did Vietnamisation begin?
1969
What was Vietnamisation?
Nixon bringing the boys home from Vietnam and replacing them with the ARVN
How many troops had left Vietnam by 1971?
400,000
What were the terms of the Peace Conference in January 1973?
US army completely withdraw
American prisoners of war released
N. Vietnam must recognise the South’s government but could keep some areas
A future vote could unite Vietnam
Who benefitted most from the Peace Conference?
North Vietnam, as they could rebuild the army and attack later
What was the Fall of Saigon?
The North made a 3 pronged attack just as many ARVN were giving up
What was the name given for the floods of refugees fleeing South of Vietnam?
The Convoy of Tears
When was Saigon taken?
By the end of April 1975
How were the remaining US advisors saved from Vietnam in 1975?
They were airlifted from the embassy
Who negotiated for each side of the Peace Conference?
Le Duc Tho and Henry Kissinger
Why did the Tet Offensive happen?
The Communists wanted to collapse the government of Saigon
They hoped this would encourage peasants from the South to support the communists
How many NVA/VC troops died in the Tet Offensive?
58,000
What did Kissinger want from the Paris peace talks?
An independent, non-communist South
What were Nixon’s aims?
Bomb Cambodia
Don’t let Saigon fall to the Communists
Vietnamisation
Why did Nixon organise Operation Linebacker?
The NVA had recovered and were taking advantage of the reduced amount of US ground troops
What was the Madman Theory?
The US administration claimed Nixon was unstable and would use nuclear weapons
Invented to speed up peace talks with the North
What were the terms of the Paris Peace Conference 1973?
US armed forces to completely withdraw
US prisoners of war to be released
North Vietnam must recognise the South’s government but could remain in control of the cities they had
Future elections may reunite Vietnam
