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History > The Vietnam War (1965-73) > Flashcards

The Vietnam War (1965-73) Flashcards

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1
Q

When was the Vietnam war?

A

1965-73

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2
Q

Who fought against each other?

A

America and South Vietnam versus communist Vietcong and North Vietnam

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3
Q

Who ruled Vietnam before WW2?

A

France

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4
Q

Who conquered Vietnam during WW2?

A

Japan

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5
Q

What group was formed in Vietnam during WW2 to fight

for independence?

A

Vietminh — they were communist and nationalist

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6
Q

Who was the leader of the Vietminh?

A

Ho Chi Minh

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7
Q

What area of Vietnam did the Vietminh control?

A

The North.

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8
Q

What happened after WW2 ended?

A

A civil war between the French and the Vietminh

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9
Q

How did America get involved in civil war between France and the Vietminh?

A

Gave money to help the French defeat the Vietminh (80% of the cost of the war).

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10
Q

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

A

The French were defeated. 8000 French troops were killed. They could not match the guerrilla tactics of the Vietminh.

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11
Q

What was agreed at the Geneva Conference of 1954?

A

To withdraw French troops from Vietnam.
To divide Vietnam North and South along the 1 7th parallel.
Elections to be held in 1956 to unite Vietnam

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12
Q

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

A

Ngo Dinh Diem.

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13
Q

What was Diem’s rule like?

A

Corrupt- persecuted Buddhists

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14
Q

Which communist guerrilla group was formed in the South?

A

Viet Cong

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15
Q

What proportion of the countryside in South Vietnam was taken over by the Viet Cong by 1963?

A

40%

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16
Q

What happened to Diem in 1963?

A

He was assassinated?

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17
Q

How did Eisenhower get involved in Vietnam between 1954 and 61?

A
  1. Sent equipment and military advisers to South Vietnam
  2. Prevented elections taking place in 1956
  3. Supported Diem with $1.6bn
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18
Q

How did Kennedy get involved between 1961 and 1963?

A
  1. Increased the number of military advisers to more than 1 1,000
  2. Allowed Diem to be assassinated and supported his replacement
  3. Set up strategic hamlets
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19
Q

What event happened in 1964 that increased American involvement in
Vietnam?

A

The Gulf of Tonkin incident.

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20
Q

How did Johnson get involved in Vietnam between 1963 and 1965?

A
  1. Passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution 1964
  2. Began Operation Rolling Thunder Feb 1965 (mass bombing campaign
  3. By July 1965, 180,000 US troops were sent to Vietnam (500,000 by 1968)
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21
Q

Identify 5 American tactics

A 
Strategic hamlets 
Search and destroy 
Bombing campaigns 
Herbicides (agent orange) 
Napalm
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22
Q

How effective was the Strategic Hamlets Programme?

A

Whole villages were moved to American controlled zones. Peasants were angry
they had to leave their homes and villages

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23
Q

How effective were search and destroy patrols?

A

The Americans sent soldiers to infiltrate villages/helped them find the VC but only 1% of search and patrol raids were effective and 6% of civilians were killed for every VC.

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24
Q

How effective was Operation Rolling Thunder and other bombing campaigns?

A

Targeted Ho Chi Minh trail and North Vietnam military bases but VC were able to hide supplies in tunnels. Did damage some supply
routes but very expensive. 400,000 to kill one VC fighter.

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25
Q

How effective was Agent orange?

A

82 million litres dropped and 4 million acres of forest destroyed

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26
Q

How effective was napalm?

A

20,000 tons was dropped but killed many innocent civilians.

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27
Q

Why were all American

tactics ineffective overall?

A

Failed to win over the hearts and minds of the Vietnamese peasants.

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28
Q

Which countries supported North Vietnam and the Viet Con?

A

Cambodia and Laos

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29
Q

Why did this cause problems for the Americans?

A

Strengthened the Viet Cong forces.

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30
Q

How many American soldiers died in the war?

A

58,000

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31
Q

What proportion of US soldiers killed were between 17-21 years old?

A

60%

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32
Q

What was fragging?

A

Killing your officer(s)

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33
Q

How long were US soldiers

conscripted for?

A

One year— meant there was a constant supply of new recruits who were inexperienced

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34
Q

Why were African American soldiers demoralized?

A

Proportionally there were more AA soldiers fighting than white soldiers.

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35
Q

What did many US troops resort to?

A

Drugs and alcohol.

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36
Q

What type of warfare did the VC use?

A

Guerilla warfare

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37
Q

Identify VC guerrilla tactics

A
  1. Ambushes
  2. Booby traps
  3. Underground tunnels
  4. Ho Chi Minh trail
  5. Winning over Vietnamese people
  6. Hanging on to the Belts of US soldiers
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38
Q

Evidence that ambushes were effective?

A

Ambushes caused 51% of all American casualties/hard to use US air power against close quarter fighting/destroyed morale of US troops

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39
Q

How Iong was the Ho Chi Minh trail?

A

240KM

40
Q

Why was the Ho Chi Minh trail and the tunnel system effective?

A

Allowed VC to transport and hide supplies/solution to bombing by US troops

41
Q

How did the VC win over the support of the Vietnamese people in South Vietnam?

A

Provided them with education and farming techniques/also forced them with intimidation and threats/killing. Targeted teachers/police and any employees of the South Vietnamese government. Killed 27 ,000 civilians.

42
Q

Name two booby traps used by the VC

A

Punji pits

Bouncing betty

43
Q

Evidence that booby traps were effective?

A

Caused 11% of all US casualties/destroyed morale of US soldiers

44
Q

Who launched the Tet Offensive?

A

The Viet Cong

45
Q

When was the Tet Offensive?

A

January 1968.

46
Q

How many cities and bases in south Vietnam were taken over by the VC?

A

Over 100

47
Q

Who won the Tet Offensive?

A

It was a military victory for the Americans. The drove the VC back.

48
Q

How many VC fighters were killed?

A

500,000 compared to 6,000 Americans. The south Vietnamese people did not rise u to support the VC.

49
Q

How did it affect US media coverage of the war?

A

Before the war media coverage had been positive but now the media be an to question if the Americans could win the war.

50
Q

Who reported negatively on Tet?

A

Walter Cronkite.

51
Q

How did Tet affect Johnson?

A

He knew the war was not winnable now, he decided not to stand for re-election/the government now became committed to de-escalation of the war effort (not increasing troops in Vietnam) It was a psychological defeat for the US.

52
Q

What massacre happened in March 1968?

A

The My Lai massacre.

53
Q

How many civilians were killed?

A

Over 300, mostly women and children and the old.

54
Q

Why did it take so long to report it?

A

To cover it up but by 1969 newspapers had got hold of the story and published it.

55
Q

Who was put on trial for the

my Lai massacre?

A

Lieutenant William Calley

56
Q

How did it affect the public’s

attitudes towards the war?

A

It helped to turn public opinion against the war.

57
Q

Identify seven reasons why America withdrew from Vietnam.

A

l. America’s military failure
2. The success of the Viet Cong
3. The Tet Offensive
4. Human and economic cost of the war
5. The role of the media
6. Anti-war protests
7. Vietnamisation

58
Q

How many American soldiers died during the war?

A

58,000

59
Q

How much was America spending on the war by 1968?

A

$20bn a year

60
Q

Why did the human and economic
cost of the war encourage America
to withdraw?

A

It led to questions being raised as to whether the war was sustainable and worth it.
It encouraged protests and people to speak out against the war.

61
Q

What evidence is there that journalists were supportive of the war before 1968?

A

Journalists could be accredited by MACV to visit war torn areas.Only 3 journalists had their accreditation taken away.

62
Q

When and why did media attitudes towards the war change?

A

After 1968 and the Tet Offensive.

63
Q

Who began to protest against the war?

A

Civil Rights campaigners like Martin Luther King. Students thought the war was immoral.
People were angry that Johnson was funding an expensive war instead of creating his great Society

64
Q

What percentage of African

Americans were drafted in to fight?

A

30% compared to 19% of white Americans

65
Q

Which famous boxer refused to fight in the Vietnam war?

A

Muhammed Ali

66
Q

How many anti-war protests were there in 1968?

A

Over 100.

67
Q

Why did the Kent State University Protest take place in 1970?

A

Because Nixon invaded Cambodia in 1970.

68
Q

How many students were killed at Kent State?

A

4 students were killed by US soldiers.

69
Q

How many protesters demonstrated in Washington D.C in November 1969?

A

700,000

70
Q

Why did the media and protests encourage America to withdraw?

A

Anti-war feeling rose and put pressure on the government to end America’s involvement in order to keep the public on side.

71
Q

Is there any evidence that the protests were not actually that important in encouraging withdrawal?

A

Nixon always spoke about a ‘silent majority’ on his side. Most protests happened AFTER Nixon had decided to withdraw. Protests were
more important in speeding up withdrawal rather than the decision to withdraw.

72
Q

What was the policy of

Vietnamisation?

A

Handing over the fighting of the war to the ARVN (South Vietnamese army) so South Vietnam could protect itself. American troops could then withdraw.

73
Q

Why did Vietnamisation allow America to withdraw from Vietnam?

A

It meant America could withdraw troops without making it look like they had lost the war (peace with honour)

74
Q

What was the result of the peace talks in Paris May 1968?

A

No outcomes agreed. North Vietnam wanted a united Vietnam while America wanted a divided Vietnam

75
Q

Who led America’s negotiations?

A

Henry Kissinger

76
Q

What countries did the US invade under Nixon?

A

Cambodia and Laos

77
Q

Why did Nixon invade Cambodia and Laos?

A

To destroy VC bases in those countries.

To show America’s strength and force Vietnam to be more willing to negotiate

78
Q

What were the consequences of Nixon’s invasion of Cambodia and Laos?

A

North Vietnam withdrew from peace talks

Protests erupted in America

79
Q

When did Nixon restart bombing against North Vietnam?

A

April 1972.

80
Q

Why did he start bombing North Vietnam?

A

In March 1972 North Vietnam had invade South Vietnam. Mad man
ploy

81
Q

How did relations between America, China and the USSR change under Nixon?

A

They began to improve due to détente. Nixon visited both countries in 1972.

82
Q

Why did relations change?

A

There had been a breakdown in relations between the USSR and
China so this made it easier for America to negotiate with both countries as the were both now keen to have America on side.

83
Q

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

A

Made negotiations with North Vietnam easier as America could
pressure the USSR to help with peace talks.

84
Q

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

A

January 1973.

85
Q

What did the peace agreement state?

A

Immediate ceasefire
Withdrawal of US forces
Release of prisoners of war
South Vietnam would remain independent

86
Q

Why did it take America so long to withdraw from Vietnam?

A

Policy of Vietnamisation took time.
Invasions of Cambodia and Laos delayed peace negotiations.
Nixon was preoccupied with the Watergate scandal.
The Americans wanted eace with honour.

87
Q

What was the Watergate scandal?

A

June 1972 police working for the Democrats caught men trying to bug their building. The men were working for Nixon. The Republicans
denied this and Nixon was re-elected. Later evidence emerged that implicated Nixon to the bugging. Nixon was threatened with impeachment and resigned in August 1974.

88
Q

Why did America’s policy of

Vietnamisation fail?

A

The South Vietnamese army was no match for the communist army in the North.

89
Q

How many people died because of the war?

A

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

90
Q

How many South Vietnamese people

were displaced?

A

5 million.

91
Q

Why did millions of Vietnamese people have to leave their homes?

A

Bombing and fighting had destroyed their homes and land.

92
Q

How did America’s policy of

Vietnamisation fail in Vietnam?

A

In 1974, North Vietnam invaded South Vietnam and by 1976 North and South Vietnam were united under a communist regime.

93
Q

How was the US army affected by the war?

A

Increase in deserters in the final stages of the war

Drug addiction became widespread (30% of US troops were addicted to heroin) Man soldiers suffered from PTSD.

94
Q

What were the long term effects of the Vietnam war?

A

Vietnam took 20 years to recover from the war
Thousands of people fled the country when it became communist to live in Hong Kong and Malaysia.
Around 1 million Vietnamese people escaped to the West (mainly America).

95
Q

How many millions of acres of land was destroyed?

A

5.4 million.

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