The conflict in Vietnam 1954-1964 Flashcards
The Tet Offensive 1968
• What happened?
The Vietcong and North Vietnamese Army launched a massive attack on over 100 cities and towns in South Vietnam
The significance of the Tet Offensive 1968
•Why was it a turning-point
1) It showed that the Vietcong could strike at the heart of the American-held territory, especially the capture of the US Embassy in Saigon.
2) It brought a further loss of US military moral.
Television and the Vietnam war in US
Name 3 facts
1) By mid-1960s television was the most important source of news for the American public.
2) By 1966, 93% of homes had televisions and there was an estimated daily television audience of 50 million
3) By 1967, 90% of the evening news was devoted to the war
Reasons for US involvement
Part of America’s policy of containment to stop the spread of Communism.
When did America increase their involvement?
1954-1964
The domino theory
The USA was convinced that if Vietnam fell to Communism it would be followed by its neighbouring states.
Johnson’s desire to increase military involvement 1964
Johnson used attacked in the Gulf of Tonkin to persuade Congress to support greater US involvement.
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution 1964
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution that gave Johnson the power to take any military measures he thought necessary to defend South Vietnam.
Public opinion on increased military involvement in Vietnam
In 1964, 85% of people supported greater military involvement in Vietnam and no one in the House of Representatives and only 2 members of the Senate opposed the Resolution.
Reasons for US defeat
• The strengths of the Communists
Name 3 points
1) They were fighting for a cause and were prepared to accept heavy casualties.
2) Successful guerrilla tactics, which avoided pitched battles
3) Many people living in the South supported the North stemming from US tactics and brutality
How much did the US spend on the war?
$30 billion each year on the war, which undermined Johnson’s spending on the Great Society.
The effect of the Vietnam on Johnson’s popularity
Johnson became very unpopular, which influenced his decision not to seek re-election as president in 1968
The effects of the Vietnam war
• The Nixon Doctrine
It stated that the USA expected its allies to take care of their own military defence.
The effects of the Vietnam war on the US foreign policy
The failure pushed Nixon into considering different diplomatic strategies
There was an unwillingness to become involved in future conflicts.
The terrible human cost of the Vietnam War for the USA
50,000 American deaths in Vietnam and a further 300,000 wounded.
