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The USA: Vietnam Flashcards

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1
Q

When was the Vietnam War?

A

1965-1973

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2
Q

Who fought against each other in the Vietnam War?

A

America and South Vietnam VERSUS communist Vietcong and North Vietnam

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3
Q

Who ruled Vietnam before the Second World War (before 1939)?

A

France

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4
Q

What was the name of the region that Vietnam was a part of before the Second World War?

A

Indochina

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5
Q

What group was formed in Vietnam during the Second World War, in response to Japanese occupation?

A

The Viet Minh

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6
Q

Who was the leader of the communist Viet Minh?

A

Ho Chi Minh

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7
Q

What area of Vietnam did the Viet Minh control by 1945?

A

`North

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8
Q

What broke out in Vietnam between 1945 and 1954?

A

a war between France and the Viet Minh (France wanted control back)

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9
Q

How did America get involved in the war between France and the Viet Minh? (45-64)

A

They gave $500 million each year to France to help their war effort (this was approx. 80% of the cost of the war)

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10
Q

What happened at the battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954?

A

the French built a fortified base at Dien Bien Phu to lure the Vietminh in battle but had not accounted for the forestry in which 50,000 Vietminh surrounded them in with heavy artillery. After 55 days the French surrendered.

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11
Q

Why were the French defeated at the battle of Dien Bien Phu?

A
  • they did not have easy access to war supplies
  • China supplied the Vietminh with weapons and ammo
  • The Vietminh had local support
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12
Q

What happened in Geneva after the battle of Dien Bien Phu?

A

a peace agreement was signed.

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13
Q

What was agreed at Geneva?

A
  1. To withdraw French troops
  2. to temporarily divide Vietnam into North and South along the 17th parallel
  3. elections would be held in 1956 to reunify Vietnam
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14
Q

Who was appointed leader of South Vietnam and supported by the USA?

A

Ngo Dinh Diem

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15
Q

Who was the ARVN?

A

The Army of South Vietnam - supported by the US

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16
Q

Why was Diem’s government weak?

A
  • Many communists still controlled areas of South Vietnam
  • Diem was Catholic and persecuted the majority Buddhist population
  • Diem did little to gain support from the peasants
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17
Q

Why did the situation in South Vietnam get worse after 1955?

A
  • Diem was growing more unpopular due to corruption and persecution of Buddhists
  • Diem refused to hold elections in 1956, with support from the USA
  • Diem refused to make reforms, and instead arrested political opponents and sent the ARVN to find and arrest communists
  • Communist groups in the South continued fighting against Diem - they became known as the Vietcong. By 1960 they had formed the National Liberation Front (NLF).
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18
Q

What image was given worldwide publicity in 1963?

A

A Buddhist monk setting fire to himself in response to increased persecution

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19
Q

What happened to President Diem in 1963?

A

He was overthrown and killed by his own troops (this was supported by the USA)

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20
Q

What were Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson’s aims in Vietnam?

A
  • set up a democratic government in South Vietnam
  • keep South Vietnam separate to stop it becoming communist
  • stop the war escalating/avoiding nuclear war
  • winning over the hearts and minds of the South Vietnamese people
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21
Q

How did Eisenhower get involved in Vietnam between 1954 and 1960?

A
  • sent equipment and military advisors to South Vietnam
  • prevented elections from taking place in South Vietnam, as he feared the Communists might win
  • supported Diem with about $1.6 bn.
  • Domino theory.
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22
Q

What happened in the Gulf Of Tonkin and what was the result?

A
  • two US ships were patrolling the Gulf of Tonkin on 1964 and one was fired upon by North Vietnamese torpedo boats
  • Johnson would only declare war if there were at least two attacks
  • 2 days later in a bad storm the US ships claimed they had been fired on again although reports were not clear
  • Johnson told Congress and asked them to give him money to stop future attacks
  • 7th August - Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin resolution, which gave Johnson power to take ‘all necessary measures to prevent further aggression and achieve peace and security’ in Vietnam
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23
Q

Why did the US become increasingly involved in Vietnam before 1965?

A
  • Helping the French until 1954
  • Policy of containment due to fear of communism
  • weakness of the South Vietnamese government and the ARVN
  • Gulf of Tonkin
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24
Q

What were the US military tactics used during the Vietnam war?

A
  • Strategic Hamlets Programme
  • “Search and destroy” patrols
  • bombing campaigns (Operation Rolling Thunder)
  • Agent Orange and Napalm
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25
Q

Describe America’s strategic hamlet programme.

A

Started by JFK. Whole villages in Vietcong areas were moved to new sites controlled by the South Vietnamese government.
American soldiers controlled who entered and left, and gave building materials, food, and money to the villagers to build new farms and homes.

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26
Q

What was the Strategic Hamlets programme ineffective?

A

Peasants did not like having to leave their homes and villages, and were forced to build new villages without pay - increased support for VC.
many did not see the Viet Cong as a threat, and did not like constantly being stopped and searched.

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27
Q

What happened on “search and destroy” patrols?

A

US troops were sent on patrols from helicopters. They would target villages and destroyed any Viet Cong forces found.

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28
Q

Why were search and destroy patrols ineffective?

A

Patrols and raids were often based on inadequate information.

-innocent villages were mistaken for Viet Cong bases, leading to civilian casualties and deaths. This made the US army unpopular amongst the Vietnamese population.

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29
Q

What is a good example of a failure of a search and destroy mission?

A

Operation Cedar Falls: 1967

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30
Q

Describe the bombing campaigns used by the US army

A

Operation Rolling Thunder began in February 1965 and targeted North Vietnam, the Ho Chi Minh trail and suspected VC bases. It ended in 68.

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31
Q

Why were bombing campaigns effective?

A

It damaged North Vietnam’s war effort and destroyed supply routes

It affected North Vietnamese industry

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32
Q

Why were bombing campaigns ineffective?

A
  • The bombing only slowed down the communists - Ho Chi Minh Trail was rebuilt and continued to operate
  • financial cost of bombing was enormous
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33
Q

What was agent orange and why was it used?

A

Highly toxic weed killer - used to destroy the Vietnamese jungle and crops where VC fighters and bases were hidden.

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34
Q

What was the name of the operation which dropped herbicides like agent orange on South Vietnam?

A

Operation Ranch Hand. Between 64 and 70 over 24% of South Vietnam was sprayed with herbicides.

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35
Q

Why did the fail to win over the hearts and minds of the people?

A

The herbicides were extremely strong
Over 3,000 villages were sprayed without warning the inhabitants first
caused many health problems

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36
Q

What was napalm and why was it used?

A
  • a chemical weapon

- dropped from planes to destroy Vietnamese jungles / villages.

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37
Q

How many tonnes of napalm were used?

A

20,000 tonnes

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38
Q

What evidence is there that napalm was ineffective?

A

It killed many soldiers and innocent civilians.

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39
Q

Why did the USA army become weaker after 1967?

A
  • increasing number of troops were conscripted and not professional soldiers. They were young and often did not care about defeating communism
  • army struggled to recruit soldiers - widespread attempts to dodge conscription and of desertion during the war.
  • morale was very low. Many soldiers were not committed to fighting in Vietnam
  • drug abuse amongst US soldiers was widespread.
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40
Q

What proportion of soldiers killed in the Vietnam War were aged 17-21?

A

60%

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41
Q

What type of warfare did the VC use?

A

Guerilla warfare

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42
Q

What were the Viet Cong tactics used in the Vietnam war?

A 
ambushes
booby traps
underground tunnels
Ho Chi Minh trail
winning over the Vietnamese people
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43
Q

Why were that ambushes were effective?

A
  • caused 51% of all US casualties
  • led to close quarter fighting between US and VC, so air power could not be used in danger of killing their own troops
  • undermined the morale of US soldiers, who lived in fear of ambushes
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44
Q

name two booby traps used by the VC.

A
  • bouncing Betty land mine

- Punji pits filled with sharpened bamboo staves

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45
Q

Why were booby traps effective?/

A

they were cheap and easy to make, and disrupted US “search and destroy” patrols
they caused 11% of all US casualties
it undermined the morale of US soldiers, who lived in fear of booby traps

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46
Q

How big was the underground tunnel network used by the VC?

A

240km

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47
Q

Why were the underground tunnels effective?

A
  • made VC soldiers/bases difficult to locate

- it avoided the worst effects of US air power

48
Q

What was the Ho Chi Minh trail?

A

a route from North Vietnam to the South to provide supplies to VC fighters

49
Q

Why was the Ho Chi Minh trail effective?

A

The VC depended on supplies from North Vietnam to fight the war.

50
Q

How did many VC fighters treat the Vietnamese population?

A

They were expected to be polite and respectful. Many were disciplined and often helped Vietnamese people, such as farming and education. This helped them to win support from the South Vietnamese people.

51
Q

What evidence is there that the VC used violence and terror?

A
  • many were forced into supporting the VC
  • the VC killed peasants who opposed them or cooperated with their enemies
  • they targeted the police, tax collectors, teachers and other employees of the South Vietnamese government.
52
Q

How many VC and North Vietnamese soldiers died during the Vietnam War?

A

approx. 1 million

53
Q

How many VC and North Vietnamese soldiers died during the Vietnam War?

A

approx. 1 mil

54
Q

Why were the VC successful during the war?

A
  • effectiveness of their military tactics
  • support from the Vietnamese people
  • weakness of the American army
55
Q

Who launched the Tet Offensive?

A

VC

56
Q

When did the Tet Offensive take place?

A

January 1968

57
Q

What was the Tet Offensive?

A

The VC attacked the US base of Khe Sanh to distract the US soldiers. The VC and North Vietnamese army then attacked cities and US bases in South Vietnam. They got to Saigon and captured the US embassy and the ARVN headquarters. The old city of Hue was also captured. After 3 weeks of fighting, however, most cities and bases were re captured by the Americans.

58
Q

Did the Tet Offensive succeed?

A

No - the Americans and the ARVN managed to regain all the bases and towns that had been captured. 50,000 VC were killed.

59
Q

Why was Tet an important turning point in the war?

A
  • although the US pushed the VC back, it was still a humiliation. Large cities had been attacked and taken on a huge scale.
  • propaganda victory for the VC as the US public were shocked by what happened
  • the US public were shocked by media images of the VC in the US embassy - it led to a rise in opposition to the war in America
  • the media turned against the war. Walter Cronkite, a reporter, started to report negatively.
  • Americans were angry that this could happen - they thought the war was winnable
  • Congress started to turn against the war and decreased funding for the war
  • When elected, Nixon began a process of de - escalation and withdrawal
60
Q

Why did the US withdraw troops in 1973?

A
  • military failures
  • VC success
  • Tet Offensive
  • Human and economic cost of the war
  • negative media coverage
  • rise of anti-war protests/political opposition
61
Q

How many US soldiers died during the war?

A

approx. 58, 000

62
Q

How much was America spending every year on the war?

A

$167 billion by 1973

63
Q

How did the cost of the war impact US society?

A

-money could not be spend on Johnson’s Great Society programme/more divided society in terms of race and poverty

64
Q

What were American attitudes towards the war before 1968?

A

most people were supportive

65
Q

What evidence of opposition to the war was there before 1968?

A

MLK privately criticised the war from 1965

in 1965 a Quaker burned himself to death outside the Pentagon

66
Q

How did the media portray the Vietnam War in 1965-1967?

A

The media was positive about the war

US newspapers, television and journalists largely showed their support for the war

67
Q

What happened to the attitude of the media towards the war from 1967/1968?

A

It began to change. Journalists began to question whether the war was winnable (eg. after Tet) and criticised US involvement in Vietnam

68
Q

What did Walter Cronkite say about the war following Tet Offensive?

A

He declared that he thought the war was unwinnable

69
Q

What did some news stations begin to report on from 1968?

A
  • villages being napalmed, civilian massacres(eg. My Lai) and casualties
  • teenage US soldiers killed
  • Vietnamese towns/cities destroyed
70
Q

What massacre took place in Vietnam in March 1968?

A

My Lai Massacre

71
Q

What happened in My Lai?

A

US soldiers on a search and destroy mission killed nearly 400 civilians in My Lai. Most were women, children, and the elderly

72
Q

At first, how was the massacre officially recorded?

A

-as a success. US troops were reported to have killed 90 VC fighters

73
Q

What happened in November 1969?

A

The American press got hold of the story, and published photographs of the incident.

74
Q

Which officer was trialled and imprisoned for the massacre?

A

Lieutenant William Calley

75
Q

How did the massacre affect the attitude of American people towards the war?

A

It helped to change public opinion against the war

76
Q

Why did the media and anti war protests encourage America to withdraw?

A

The negative, anti-war feeling which arose in America put pressure on the US government to end America’s involvement in Vietnam, in order to keep the public on their side for future elections

77
Q

How did students protest against the war?

A
  • burnt their draft cards
  • Sit-ins/boycotts
  • Marches and demonstrations
  • Demonstrations became more violent as the war went on
78
Q

Why did the draft create opposition?

A

Many felt it was unfair as poor white and black families were often drafted in greater numbers

79
Q

What protest took place on 4th May 1970?

A

Kent State University protest

80
Q

What happened at this protest?

A
  • in the days before the protest there were multiple anti-war protests that were broken up by the National Guard with tear gas.
  • They were protesting against the invasion of Cambodia
  • On 4th May the protestors carried on demonstrating
  • The National Guard fired into the crowd
  • 4 students were shot dead
81
Q

What impact did this have on attitudes towards the war?

A

It horrified the public and helped to turn more people against the war

82
Q

What impact did this have on attitudes towards the war?

A

It horrified the public and helped to turn more people against the war

83
Q

How did attitudes towards the war from Congress change over time?

A

There was more opposition as time went on.

84
Q

What impact did this have on the war?

A

Congress began to limit funding.
After the Paris Peace accords of 1973 it refused to give much funding to the South Vietnamese government leading to the collapse of South Vietnam by 1975.

85
Q

Why did some American’s support the war?

A

Fear of communism

Patriotism/loyalty to the US goverment

86
Q

Who supported the war?

A
  • some students
  • hard hats (construction workers)
  • Ex-soldiers
  • Hawks in government
87
Q

What evidence is there that people supported the war?

A

-hard hat riots - 1970 - on 8th May construction workers beat up anti war protesters in New York.
20th May 1970 the riot leader, Peter Brennan led a pro war rally in New York

88
Q

What speech did Nixon make in November 1969?

A

Silent Majority speech

89
Q

What impact did the speech have?

A
  • led to 77% of people showing support for Nixon’s policies in Vietnam
  • over 30,000 letters of support were sent to Nixon
  • House of Representatives and Senate passed resolutions supporting the war
  • meant Nixon could try and get the North Vietnamese to agree to a peace that he wanted
90
Q

What did the Nixon Doctrine of 1969 state?

A
  • The US would honour any treaty commitments it had made in South East Asia
  • It would help any ally against nuclear threat with aid but not troops
91
Q

What was Vietnamisation?

A

The US would withdraw troops from Vietnam slowly by training up the ARVN to take over the fighting.

92
Q

Why did Vietnamisation allow the US to withdraw?

A

It meant they could withdraw without making it look like they had lost the war.

93
Q

Why was Vietnamisation a failure?

A
  • Morale of US soldiers decreased as they knew they were withdrawing anyway
  • Many ARVN troops deserted - 150,000 by 1971
  • Training of ARVN troops was often ineffective as it was hurried / troop shortages to train ARVN
  • ARVN failed in an invasion of Laos in 1971, leaving weapons and equipment behind
94
Q

What countries did the US invade under Nixon, which bordered Vietnam?

A

Cambodia(1970) and Laos(1971)

95
Q

Why did Nixon invade Cambodia and Laos?

A

-To destroy VC bases in the neighbouring countries and the Ho Chi Minh trail

96
Q

What were the consequences of Nixon’s Cambodia invasion?

A
  • North Vietnam withdrew from peace talks
  • protests erupted in the US in response to invasions
  • Ho Chi Minh trail was partly destroyed but could be rebuilt
  • Congress was outraged and called for less funding of the war
97
Q

What was Operation Linebacker (1972)?

A
  • US reaction to the Easter Offensive
  • US bombed North Vietnam
  • Bombed Hanoi and Haiphong in order to stop ships from China and USSR bringing in supplies
98
Q

What were the consequences of Operation Linebacker?

A
  • North Vietnamese industry destroyed
  • Disrupted supplies from China and USSR
  • Led China and the USSR to urge North Vietnam to agree to peace with the USA
99
Q

What happened to US relations with China and the USSR under Nixon?

A

Relations began to improve (eg. Nixon visited both countries in 1972)
The countries were much more willing to discuss issues
-a period of detente

100
Q

What impact did the improved relations with China and USSR have on ending the war in Vietnam?

A

It made negotiations with North Vietnam easier

101
Q

Why had peace talks failed before 1972?

A

At the Paris Peach talks in 1969 the US wanted and independent South Vietnam whereas the North Vietnamese wanted to reunite Vietnam under communism. North Vietnam did not want Thieu to remain President of South Vietnam

102
Q

When were secret peace talks held?

A

1969

103
Q

When were there further peace talks?

A

1972

104
Q

Why did Thieu refuse to agree to peace terms?

A

he was furious that the talks had been secret and he had not been involved

105
Q

How did the US finally press for a new peace settlement in January 1973?

A
  • further bombing of North V.
  • Further talks with the USSR
  • Making concessions to Thieu
106
Q

When was the peace agreement signed, ending the war in Vietnam ?

A

January 1973

107
Q

What did the Paris Peace Accords state?

A

_immediate ceasefire

  • withdrawal of US forces
  • all countries to accept Vietnam as a single country
  • reunification to happen without outside interference
108
Q

What happened after the Peace accords?

A
  • South Vietnam government and economy began to collapse

- North Vietnam invaded the South. Saigon fell to communism in April 1975

109
Q

How many people died in the conflict?

A

approx. 2 mil civilians, 1.1 mil communist fighters, and 58,000 US soldiers

110
Q

What were the geographical strengths of the North Vietnamese?

A
  • They knew the landscape - good for guerrilla warfare

- many VC had contacts and family in the South

111
Q

What were the political and economic strengths of North V.?

A
  • the people were determined and committed to reunification
  • the VC were well organised
  • North V. had financial help from China / USSR
  • Laos and Cambodia allowed the Ho Chi Minh trail in their countries
112
Q

What were the military strengths of the North Vietnamese?

A

Guerrilla tactics in jungle conditions

tunnel networks

113
Q

What were the geographical / cultural weaknesses of the USA?

A
  • didn’t understand the country/environment

- did not understand the peasants/villagers

114
Q

What were the political/economic weaknesses of the USA?

A
  • US backed government in South Vietnam was corrupt and unpopular
  • opposition to the cost of the war - by 1971 Congress was limiting funding
115
Q

What were the military weaknesses of the USA?

A

-HIgh tech war of attrition - bombs/helicopters did not work against guerrilla soldiers
-Napalm/chemicals/search and destroy failed to win over hearts and minds of peasants
The draft led to inexperienced soldiers
US soldiers morale dropped as the war dragged on

116
Q

How did opposition in the USA contribute to failure?

A

protests influenced the governments to act/withdraw

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