The Fall of South Vietnam

Question 1

When was the fall of South Vietnam?

Answer 1

1975- almost 3 years after the US had withdrawn most of its combat troops

Question 2

By early 1972, what fraction of US servicemen had Vietnamisation removed?

Answer 2

More than 2/3

Question 3

How many US personal remained in country?

Answer 3

Fewer than 135,000

Question 4

How many men were in the AVRN and other military branches?

Answer 4

More than 1 million

Question 5

What had brought an end to fighting?

Answer 5

The January 1973 Paris Peace Accords

Question 6

Why had the 1973 Paris Peace Accords stopped fighting?

Answer 6

US promised to stop bombing if the North recognised the government of South Vietnam

Question 7

What would failure to follow the Peace Accords?

Answer 7

US resuming bombing campaign on the North

Question 8

How did Nixon convince Thieu to agree to the peace treaty?

Answer 8

Promising the resumption of US bombing if NV breached the agreement and resumed hostilities

Question 9

What event in January 1973 made it unlikely that the US would resume bombing?

Answer 9

Massive stock market crash that lasted for 2 years

Question 10

What did Congress pass in June 1973?

Answer 10

Case-Church Amendment

Question 11

What did the Case Church Amendment prohibit?

Answer 11

US military action in south east Asia after August 1973

Question 12

What did Congress pass in July 1973?

Answer 12

The War Powers Resolution

Question 13

What did the War Powers Resolution limit?

Answer 13

The president’s ability to deploy the military without a congressional declaration of war

Question 14

What happened in October 1973?

Answer 14

An oil embargo by Arab states that caused oil prices to more than double

Question 15

What did the oil embargo increase?

Answer 15

The cost of military transport

Question 16

What was the feeling of the South Vietnamese in 1973?

Answer 16

Abandonment by the USA who had informed the NV violations of the accords

Question 17

What opened divisions and lowered morale in the AVRN?

Answer 17

Smaller VC operations and sabotage continuing

Question 18

What did the North prepare itself for through 1974?

Answer 18

A final invasion of South Vietnam

Question 19

When and why did Nixon resign?

Answer 19

August 1974

Watergate scandal

Question 20

Who was Nixon’s successor?

Answer 20

Ford

Question 21

What did General Ford go to congress seeking?

Answer 21

$1.45 billion in aid for SV

Question 22

How much did Congress give Ford?

Answer 22

$700 million

Question 23

When did Hanoi test the new president’s strength?

Answer 23

December 1974

Question 24

How did Hanoi test Ford’s strength?

Answer 24

Launching an attack in Phuoc Long province- clear violation of the Paris treaty

Question 25

What did Ford do in response to the attack in Phuoc Long? What could the North now do?

Answer 25

Protested but took no military action | North free to invade the south

Question 26

On January 1st 1975, how far had NV troops advanced?

Answer 26

Within 75 miles of Saigon

Question 27

Why had Saigon escaped major action and damage?

Answer 27

It was so far south

Question 28

When did the final North Vietnamese offensive begin?

Answer 28

March 10th 1975

Question 29

What did Hanoi’s military leadership anticipate?

Answer 29

That the reunification of Vietnam would be a long and bitter struggle

Question 30

What was Hanoi struck by when their offensive began?

Answer 30

A rapid collapse of South Vietnam’s military resistance

Question 31

Why did the AVRN scatter, flee or were quickly captured?

Answer 31

They were without US air support

Question 32

How long did it take for Saigon to surrender two more northern provinces?

Answer 32

A week

Question 33

By when had the major cities of Hue and Da Nang been captured?

Answer 33

The end of March 1975

Question 34

How many AVRN had been taken prisoner by the end of March 1975?

Answer 34

Over 100,000

Question 35

What happened over the next 3 weeks after Hue and Da Nang had been captured?

Answer 35

Several divisions of NVA and VC moved south towards Saigon

Question 36

When did Thieu resign? What did he say?

Answer 36

April 21st 1975 “The US has not respected its promises. It is in inhumane. It is untrustworthy. It is irresponsible... you ran away and left us to do the job that you could not do”

Question 37

Why did the North have no reason to negotiate?

Answer 37

Thieu fled to Taiwan

Question 38

What happened in April 1975?

Answer 38

The first rockets in nearly ten years landed on Saigon

Question 39

Why was evacuation of staff from the US Embassy difficult?

Answer 39

The city had no defence against the rockets It could only be done using helicopters The garden of the embassy made the landing nearly impossible

Question 40

Why was landing of helicopters nearly impossible?

Answer 40

Helipad on food if embassy could only accommodate small helicopters such as Huey

Question 41

By when was Saigon surrounded and under fire from North Vietnamese rockets?

Answer 41

April 27th 1975

Question 42

Why were the AVRN troops in Saigon uneffective?

Answer 42

Lacked orders and effective leadership

Question 43

When did Operation Frequent Wind begin?

Answer 43

30th April 1975

Question 44

What was Operation Frequent Wind?

Answer 44

The evacuation by helicopter of several thousand US and South Vietnamese military, diplomatic and civilian personnel

Question 45

What guarded the US embassy?

Answer 45

A few marines

Question 46

Why did thousands of Saigon residents rush the US embassy?

Answer 46

They feared a communist massacre

Question 47

By when did the NVA and Vietcong control Saigon?

Answer 47

Midday on 30th April 1975

Question 48

Who was Thieu’s successor as president?

Answer 48

Duong Van Minh

Question 49

What is Saigon now called?

Answer 49

Ho Chi Minh City