Unit 11 Lesson 2: The Vietnam War Flashcards
How did the role of American miliraty in Vietnam begin
The role of the American military in Vietnam began in 1950. President Truman sent 35 military advisers to assist the French in their war with the Viet Minh in the French colony of Indochina.
What wasthe outcome of the Geneva Conference
It temporarily divided Vietnam at the 17th parallel. Communist leader Ho Chi Minh and the Viet Minh controlled the north. In the south, the anticommunist Ngo Dinh Diem became prime minister of the Republic of Vietnam.
Who were the Viet Cong
Soon after, open fighting broke out between Diem’s forces and the Viet Cong.
In late 1955, President Eisenhower sent 400 military advisers to train the South Vietnamese army. Why did he do that
This act was intended to support Diem and South Vietnam against communist North Vietnam.
The role of the American military in Vietnam began in 1950. President Truman sent 35 military advisers to assist the French in their war with the Viet Minh in the French colony of Indochina. What was this conflcit all about
The Viet Minh wanted independence from French rule. U.S. involvement in Vietnam grew over the years that followed.
In late 1955, President Eisenhower sent 400 military advisers to train the South Vietnamese army. What happened soon after this
. Soon after, open fighting broke out between Diem’s forces and the Viet Cong. On July 8, 1959, the Viet Cong killed two American advisers. These advisers became the first American battle deaths in Vietnam.
The initial war ended in 1954 when Viet Minh forces defeated the French. what was the Geneva Conference
The Geneva Conference then convened to determine the postwar future of the former French colony.
Increase in US involvenment in Vietnam during Kennedy’s presidency
In May 1961, Kennedy authorized sending an additional 500 Special Forces troops and military advisers to assist South Vietnam. By the end of 1962, there were some 11,000 military advisers in Vietnam. By November 1963, there were 16,000 U.S. troops in Vietnam.
. In addition to training the South Vietnamese military, what did Americans start to do in Vietnam
In addition to training the South Vietnamese military, Americans began flying air missions that dumped chemicals on the countryside. These chemicals cleared lands to show the locations of North Vietnamese and Viet Cong supply routes.
When President Kennedy took office, Diem’s government was faltering. Continuing the policies of the Eisenhower administration, Kennedy supplied Diem with money and military advisers. Why did he do that
. He hoped to help the anticommunist government in power.
What was the role of the United States in Vietnam during the 1950s?
The U.S. sent advisers to help train the South Vietnamese army and support Diem against communist North Vietnam.
President Johnson continued operations in Vietnam after Kennedy’s assassination. What led congress to pass the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
In early August 1964, reports came in that North Vietnamese forces had fired on two U.S. ships near the coast of North Vietnam in the Gulf of Tonkin. In response, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.
What did the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution do
The resolution gave President Johnson the authority to send combat forces to Vietnam without asking Congress for a declaration of war.
What was the impact/outcome of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
It dramatically increased the authority of the U.S. president. It also transformed the American role in Vietnam from adviser to combatant.
On March 8, 1965, two U.S. Marine Corps battalions waded ashore on the beaches at Da Nang, South Vietnam. Why was this significant
Those 3,500 soldiers were the first combat troops President Johnson sent to support the South Vietnamese government in its effort to defeat an increasingly dangerous Viet Cong insurgency.
How did men respond to the draft as the conflict wore on
As the conflict wore on, the draft became increasingly unpopular. Protesters burned their draft cards or refused to register. To evade the draft, some protesters made up health conditions or moved out of the United States.
To supply more soldiers to fight in Vietnam, Congress reinstated the military draft.
Men between 18 and 26 years old were most likely to be drafted.
On March 8, 1965, two U.S. Marine Corps battalions waded ashore on the beaches at Da Nang, South Vietnam. What did Johnson do after that
On April 3, Johnson authorized 20,000 troops to serve in support roles. . The military buildup continued in the weeks and months that followed. By November 1965, there were 175,000 U.S. troops in Vietnam. By 1966, there were an additional 100,000. The number would surge to some 535,000 by the end of Johnson’s presidency.
How did US involvement in the Vietnam War change under President Johnson?
Under President Johnson, United States involvement in the Vietnam War expanded from a support role to offensive operations.
In March 1965, large-scale sustained U.S. bombing of North Vietnam began. The campaign lasted until 1968. Why did they do this?
Its intent was to force the North to end its support for the Viet Cong insurgency in the South.
In March 1965, large-scale sustained U.S. bombing of North Vietnam began. The campaign lasted until 1968. How did Viet Cong respond
. However, with the help of anti-aircraft defenses from China and the Soviet Union, the North was able to shoot down more than 900 U.S. aircraft, and the Viet Cong continued to attack U.S. bases in the South.
Was General William Westmoreland, commander of U.S. troops in Vietnam susccesful
. General William Westmoreland, commander of U.S. troops in Vietnam, tried various tactics to secure territory in the South and force out insurgents. None were very successful.
All of General William Westmoreland’s plans failed. What did the Johnson adminsitration publicy state abot the state of the war?
Nevertheless, the Johnson administration publicly claimed that the war was going well and would soon be over.
On January 30, 1968, the North Vietnamese launched their most aggressive assault on the South, deploying close to 85,000 troops. Known as the
Tet Offensive
How did the Tet Offensive american view on the war
Public opinion in the United States turned against the war. Americans’ opinions were mainly fueled by graphic images provided in unprecedented media coverage. Disastrous surprise attacks like the Tet Offensive persuaded many that the war would not be over soon. Doubts arose about whether Johnson’s administration was telling the truth about the real state of the conflict.
On March 16, 1968, soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 23rd Infantry Division committed one of the most notorious atrocities of the war. What did they do and what is this incident called?
Approximately 100 soldiers were sent to destroy the village of My Lai. The villagers were suspected of hiding Viet Cong fighters. The platoon leaders believed that the order to destroy the enemy included killing women and children. Hundreds of unarmed civilians were murdered. My Lai massacre
How did civilicans responnd to the My Lai massacre
Hundreds of unarmed civilians were murdered. Americans at home were horrified at the graphic footage of the My Lai massacre. The incident confirmed a growing belief that the war was unjust and not being fought on behalf of the Vietnamese people.
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What was the Tet Offensive
. Known as the Tet Offensive, these attacks were carried out in nearly 100 cities in South Vietnam, including the capital, Saigon. North Vietnamese forces suffered far more casualties than did those of the United States.
How did the Tet Offensive affect the role of the United States in the Vietnam War? Why?
Although the North Vietnamese forces suffered more casualties, the Tet Offensive turned public opinion against U.S. involvement in the Vietnamese War. The surprise attack and graphic images of war led many to conclude the war would not be an easy American victory. More Americans began to question U.S. involvement.
” For the first time in American history, news from a war zone was brought straight into living rooms across the country. How this affect Ameircnas veiw of the war
Coverage was unprecedented and helped shape public opinion against the war. This was largely due to uncensored news footage and a tendency toward negative reporting. Watching the fighting unfold raised doubts that the war would end soon and that the administration was being truthful as it continued to claim the U.S. soldiers were winning the day
How did the televisioation of the war affect americans trust with the Johnson adminsitration
A so-called credibility gap grew between the words of the Johnson administration and the images reaching Americans at home on the nightly news.
The Vietnam War has been referred to as the
“first television war.”
Those who opposed the war showed their dissatisfaction in a variety of ways, including public protests and marches. Many war protests were peaceful. What was the Vietnam Out Now rally
The Vietnam Out Now rally in Washington, D.C., on April 24, 1971, attracted more than 200,000 people without a major incident
At times, however, peaceful protests turned violent. The most tragic and politically damaging protest occurred on May 4, 1970, at Kent State University in Ohio. What happened
Violence erupted when the mayor of the town of Kent asked Ohio’s governor to send in the National Guard after a student war protest. Guard members with bayonets attached to their rifles approached the students. After forcing most of them to disband, the troops seemed to be departing. But for unknown reasons, they halted, turned, and shot at the protesters. Nine students were wounded; four were killed. On May 15, a similar tragedy took place at Jackson State College, an African American college in Jackson, Mississippi.
In 1965, several teenagers decided to wear black armbands to school to protest the war. After their school suspended them, they took their cause all the way to the Supreme Court in the Tinker v. Des Moines case.
In the 1969 decision, the court reaffirmed the teenagers’ right to protest and practice free speech in public schools.
Student involvement in the anti-war movement during the Vietnam War drew many young people to become more active in politics. A demand for lowering the voting age arose. Many supporters argued that if 18-year-olds were old enough to be drafted, they were also old enough to vote. what was the result of this
The result was the Twenty-Sixth Amendment
Waht did the 26th amendment do
lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.
Twenty-Sixth Amendment was proposed on March 23, 1971, and ratified on July 1, 1971. The ratification period of 107 days was the shortest in U.S. history. Why was it ratfified so quickly
The amendment was passed quickly to avert potential problems in the 1972 elections.
During his 1968 presidential campaign, Richard Nixon promised to have “an honorable end to the war in Vietnam.” What did he do when he got elected
Not long after taking office, he began withdrawing troops. The first round of withdrawals was completed in August 1969 and totaled 25,000 troops. From 1969 to 1971, there were 15 announced withdrawals. This left less than 25,000 troops by November 1972.
Example of Vietnamization
The United States military trained them and provided American weapons while withdrawing U.S. troops from the field.
On November 3, 1969, President Nixon announced his policy of Vietnamization. What is the meaning of that policy
The new policy turned more responsibility for the war over to South Vietnamese forces.
Did the people know about the bombing of Cambodia
The bombing was kept secret from both Congress and the American public.
Why did Nixon authorized the bombing of neighboring Cambodia, which had declared its neutrality?
. It was an effort to destroy North Vietnamese and Viet Cong bases within that country and cut off supply routes between North and South Vietnam.
. In January 1971, Congress revoked the notorious blanket military authorization. In June 1971, a set of documents the media dubbed the Pentagon Papers were published. What were these papaers
These were excerpts from a study prepared during the Johnson administration. The American public learned for the first time that President Johnson had meant to expand the U.S. role in Vietnam and bomb North Vietnam, despite his public statements that he had no intentions of doing so. The Pentagon Papers also revealed that his administration had tried to deliberately provoke North Vietnamese attacks to justify escalating American involvement.
In April 1970, Nixon followed up with an invasion of Cambodia. Why did he stop this?
Ongoing war protests, campus violence, and the expansion of the war into Cambodia deeply disillusioned Americans about the U.S. role in Vietnam. Understanding the national mood, Nixon dropped his opposition to a repeal of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.
Realizing that he must end the war but reluctant to make it look as though the United States was admitting failure, President Nixon began to secure favorable peace terms from the North Vietnamese.
Thanks to his diplomatic efforts in China and the Soviet Union, those two nations cautioned North Vietnam to use restraint. The loss of strong support by their patrons made the North Vietnamese more willing to negotiate.
What also made North Vietnam want to negoatiate
So did intensive bombing of Hanoi and mines placed in crucial North Vietnamese harbors by U.S. forces. Nixon’s actions also won him popular support at home.
How did President Nixon change the approach of the United States to the Vietnam War? Why did he change the approach?
President Nixon began to withdraw troops rather than send more American soldiers to fight in Vietnam. He promoted a policy of considering South Vietnam and its troops as responsible for the success of the war. Nixon also worked toward a peace agreement that would allow American troops to withdraw. Nixon changed the U.S. approach in response to public opinion and a lack of progress in the war.
On January 27, 1973, Secretary of State Henry Kissinger signed the Paris Peace Accord with Le Duc Tho, the chief negotiator for the North Vietnamese. What did that do
This act officially ended American participation in the Vietnam War. The United States was given 60 days to withdraw its troops. North Vietnam was allowed to keep its forces in places it currently occupied. This meant that more than 100,000 northern soldiers would remain in South Vietnam. The United States left behind a small number of military advisers as well as equipment. Congress continued to approve funds for South Vietnam but considerably less than in earlier years. The war continued, but it was clear the South could not hope to defeat the North.
Over President Nixon’s veto, Congress passed the War Powers Act in November 1973. What did that do
The act was more forceful than the revocation of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. Instead of taking away the president’s authority to declare war, the War Powers Act prohibited the president from committing troops in a foreign war. It did so by requiring the executive branch to consult with and report to Congress first. Many people at the time considered the War Powers Act a measure for preventing “future Vietnams.”
What was the final result of the Vietnam War? Did the United States accomplish its objectives?
The final result of the Vietnam War is that after most U.S. troops left the country, North Vietnamese forces conquered South Vietnam and unified the country under communism. The United States did not accomplish its objective of keeping South Vietnam from communist North Vietnamese control.
