The Vietnam War- escalation of conflict

Question 1

who where the national liberation front (viet cong)

Answer 1

north veitnames fighters

Question 2

what was the veit cong tactics

Answer 2

gorilla warfare

Question 3

what where veit cong cells

Answer 3

groups of 3-10 veit cong soldiers

Question 4

what did the veit cong wear

Answer 4

they didn’t have uniform they would dress up ass villagers so they could blend in

Question 5

what was the us navy doing in the golf of tonking

Answer 5

they where helping south Vietnam with communication

Question 6

when did the USS Maddox fire at north Vietnam torpedo boats

Answer 6

3rd of august 1964

Question 7

what happend on the 4th of august 1964

Answer 7

the USS Maddox believed that they where going to be attacked by north Vietnam but this was a false alarm but they used it as an excuse to attack north Vietnam

Question 8

what is the golf of tonkin resolution

Answer 8

on the 7th of august 1964 the golf of tonkin resolution was approved by the us government this gave the president the power to tack any military measure he thought necessary in south east Asia

Question 9

what was rolling thunder

Answer 9

it was the bombing of north Vietnam it was only meant to last 8 weeks but lasted 3 years, the us dropped nearly 1 million tones of bombs on veitnam

Question 10

what was the ho chi min trail

Answer 10

it was a series of paths, tracks and roads that the veit ging used to supply there fighters with weapons

Question 11

what was the mean weapon that was used by the veit cong

Answer 11

ak47

Question 12

what was “hanging on the belts of Americans”

Answer 12

the veit cong would stay very close to american soilders and then attack them

Question 13

how many us soldiers died on there first day at Vietnam

Answer 13

900

Question 14

where was the veit cong bases

Answer 14

in tunnels that stretched over 300 kolomiters

Question 15

why did the veit cong hide in tunnels under ground

Answer 15

so they could hide from the american bombardment

Question 16

what was the Punji trap

Answer 16

sharped bamboo sticks that was hidden in a pit and covered with leaves.

Question 17

what was the veit cong terror tactics

Answer 17

they wanted tho scare people to get them to do what they wanted by treating and killing government workers. between 1966-71 the veit cong killed 27,000 civilians and government workers

Question 18

what was the average age for american soilders

Answer 18

19

Question 19

why did america pull out of the veitnam war

Answer 19

because they had spent to much money on it

Question 20

When did the gulf of Tonkin end

Answer 20

The 2nd of August 1964

Question 21

What event marked the end of French rule in Vietnam?

Answer 21

The Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954, where the French were decisively defeated by the Viet Minh, led to the end of French colonial control in Vietnam.

Question 22

What was the significance of the Battle of Dien Bien Phu?

Answer 22

The battle marked the end of French colonial rule in Indochina, leading to the Geneva Accords and the division of Vietnam into North and South.

Question 23

What were the key terms of the Geneva Accords in 1954?

Answer 23

The Geneva Accords temporarily divided Vietnam at the 17th parallel into a communist North led by Ho Chi Minh and a non-communist South, with elections planned for 1956.

Question 24

Why were the 1956 elections never held in Vietnam?

Answer 24

The South Vietnamese government, led by Ngo Dinh Diem, refused to participate, fearing the communist North would win the elections, which were supposed to unify the country.

Question 25

What led to the civil war in South Vietnam?

Answer 25

The refusal to hold reunification elections, combined with increasing resistance from communist guerilla forces in the South (Viet Cong), led to a civil war between North and South Vietnam.

Question 26

Who were the main factions in the civil war in South Vietnam?

Answer 26

The South Vietnamese government, supported by the USA, fought against the communist Viet Cong (VC) and North Vietnamese Army (NVA).

Question 27

Who was Ngo Dinh Diem?

Answer 27

Diem was the president of South Vietnam from 1955 to 1963. He was a staunch anti-communist, supported by the US, but his authoritarian rule led to widespread opposition.

Question 28

What was the nature of Diem’s government in South Vietnam?

Answer 28

Diem’s government was highly repressive, with little political freedom. He faced increasing opposition from Buddhist groups, peasants, and communist insurgents.

Question 29

Why did the USA support Ngo Dinh Diem’s government?

Answer 29

The US supported Diem because he was anti-communist and viewed as a bulwark against the spread of communism in Southeast Asia, in line with the domino theory.

Question 30

How did the US support Diem’s regime?

Answer 30

The US provided military aid, economic assistance, and advisors to support Diem’s government in its fight against communist insurgents in the South.

Question 31

Why was there opposition to Diem’s government in South Vietnam?

Answer 31

Diem’s government was unpopular due to its corruption, repressive policies, and persecution of religious groups, especially the Buddhist community, leading to widespread protests

Question 32

How did the US react to the growing opposition to Diem in the 1960s?

Answer 32

Initially, the US supported Diem, but by 1963, the US began to pressure him to reform. When Diem failed to make significant changes, the US approved a coup that led to his assassination.

Question 33

What were the aims of the Viet Cong in South Vietnam?

Answer 33

The Viet Cong aimed to overthrow the South Vietnamese government and reunify Vietnam under communist rule, supporting the North Vietnamese government.

Question 34

Who led the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces during the Vietnam War?

Answer 34

The Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces were led by Ho Chi Minh, the communist leader of North Vietnam, and his generals, including General Vo Nguyen Giap.

Question 35

What were the key guerrilla tactics used by the Viet Cong?

Answer 35

The Viet Cong used hit-and-run tactics, ambushes, and booby traps, relying on knowledge of the local terrain. They also employed psychological warfare and aimed to win the support of peasants.

Question 36

Who was Ho Chi Minh?

Answer 36

Ho Chi Minh was the leader of North Vietnam and the Viet Minh. He played a key role in fighting for Vietnamese independence from France and later led the effort to reunify Vietnam under communist rule.

Question 37

What was Ho Chi Minh’s vision for Vietnam?

Answer 37

Ho Chi Minh wanted to unify Vietnam under a communist government, free from foreign domination, and promote national independence and social justice.

Question 38

What was the Domino Theory?

Answer 38

The Domino Theory was the belief that if one country in Southeast Asia fell to communism, neighboring countries would soon follow, leading to the spread of communism throughout the region.

Question 39

How did the Domino Theory influence US involvement in Vietnam?

Answer 39

The US saw Vietnam as a critical battleground in the Cold War. Fear of the spread of communism led to increasing military and financial support for South Vietnam, starting with Eisenhower.

Question 40

How did US involvement in Vietnam change under President Eisenhower?

Answer 40

Under Eisenhower, the US provided military advisors, financial aid, and support to the South Vietnamese government, but did not yet send combat troops.

Question 41

How did President Kennedy increase US involvement in Vietnam?

Answer 41

Kennedy increased the number of US military advisors and began providing more direct military support, including helicopters and equipment to combat the growing insurgency by the Viet Cong.

Question 42

What was the Strategic Hamlets Program?

Answer 42

The Strategic Hamlets Program, introduced by Diem and supported by the US, aimed to isolate rural villagers from the Viet Cong by moving them into fortified villages to prevent them from supporting the insurgents

Question 43

Why was the Strategic Hamlets Program unsuccessful?

Answer 43

The program was unpopular among the Vietnamese peasants, who felt it disrupted their lives and separated them from their families. It failed to win hearts and minds and did not prevent the Viet Cong from infiltrating.

Question 44

What was the Gulf of Tonkin Incident?

Answer 44

The Gulf of Tonkin Incident in August 1964 involved the reported attack on US naval vessels by North Vietnamese torpedo boats in the Gulf of Tonkin, which led to the US Congress passing the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.

Question 45

What was the significance of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?

Answer 45

The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution gave President Lyndon B. Johnson the authority to use military force in Vietnam without a formal declaration of war, leading to the escalation of US involvement.

Question 46

What military tactics did the US use in Vietnam?

Answer 46

The US used large-scale airstrikes (e.g., Operation Rolling Thunder), search-and-destroy missions, and chemical defoliants like Agent Orange, aiming to weaken the Viet Cong’s infrastructure

Question 47

Why were US military tactics in Vietnam ineffective?

Answer 47

The tactics were ineffective because they failed to win the support of the Vietnamese population, caused civilian casualties, and were not suited to fighting a guerrilla war in the dense jungle terrain.

Question 48

What was the Tet Offensive?

Answer 48

The Tet Offensive was a series of coordinated attacks by the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces on South Vietnamese cities and military targets during the 1968 Tet holiday, aiming to provoke a popular uprising.

Question 49

What were the consequences of the Tet Offensive?

Answer 49

Although the offensive was a military failure for the Viet Cong, it was a psychological victory. It shattered US confidence in winning the war, led to growing anti-war sentiment, and damaged Johnson’s political support.

Question 50

What happened during the My Lai Massacre?

Answer 50

In 1968, US soldiers killed around 500 unarmed Vietnamese civilians, mostly women, children, and elderly people, in the village of My Lai, believing them to be Viet Cong sympathizers.

Question 51

How did the My Lai Massacre affect public opinion of the Vietnam War?

Answer 51

The My Lai Massacre shocked the American public and intensified opposition to the war, as it exposed the brutality of US military tactics and raised ethical concerns about the conduct of the war.

Question 52

What was the role of the peace movement in the US during the Vietnam War?

Answer 52

The peace movement, made up of students, civil rights activists, and other groups, protested against US involvement in Vietnam, calling for an end to the war and highlighting the human cost of the conflict.

Question 53

How did protests against the Vietnam War affect US policy?

Answer 53

The growing anti-war protests put pressure on the US government to scale back its involvement in Vietnam. This led to the policy of “Vietnamization” under Nixon, which aimed to transfer the responsibility for the war to South Vietnam.

Question 54

What was the significance of the Kent State shootings in 1970?

Answer 54

The Kent State shootings, in which National Guardsmen killed four students during an anti-war protest, sparked nationwide outrage and further galvanized opposition to the war.

Question 55

What was the ultimate outcome of the Vietnam War for the US?

Answer 55

The US withdrew from Vietnam in 1973 following the Paris Peace Accords, and South Vietnam fell to the communist forces in 1975, leading to the reunification of Vietnam under communist rule.

Question 56

What was the long-term impact of the Vietnam War on US foreign policy?

Answer 56

The Vietnam War led to a more cautious approach in future US foreign interventions, as the war’s failure damaged US credibility and highlighted the limits of American power.

Question 57

How did the Vietnam War impact the Vietnamese population?

Answer 57

The war caused massive destruction in Vietnam, with millions of Vietnamese civilians killed or injured. The war also left long-term psychological and environmental damage, including the effects of Agent Orange.