US Active Involvement in Vietnam

Question 1

What were the failures the strategic hamlets programme?

Answer 1

• Many Vietcong infiltrated them anyway
• US troops even burned down villages to force villagers to relocate
• Many joined the Vietcong (300% increase in 2 yrs) out of hatred for the US

Question 2

How did Kennedy escalate involvement in Vietnam without using the military?

Answer 2

Sent more military advisors, started strategic hamlets programme, sent 1000 military advisors

Question 3

What was the strategic hamlets programme?

Answer 3

An effort to stop the spread of communism across Vietnam. Involved forcibly moving South Vietnamese villagers into fortified hamlets, which was unsuccessful

Question 4

What were the successes of the strategic hamlets programme?

Answer 4

• Planned to teach self-defence classes
• Would protect S.V from the Vietcong
• Easier to locate Vietcong

Question 5

What was the main goal of strategic hamlets?

Answer 5

To prevent Vietcong spreading communism through S.V rural populations and to win the support of the Vietnamese people

Question 6

When/what was the Gulf of Tonkin incident?

Answer 6

• 1964
• A ship called the USS Maddox was spying on N.V
• It was attacked by N.V torpedo boats (seen on RADAR, doubted if was actually an attack or a mistake)
• Congress gives Johnson emergency powers to take necessary action against North Vietnam (resolution)

Question 7

What/when was Operation Rolling Thunder?

Answer 7

1965
A massive bombing campaign against N.V., used chemical warfare such as Agent Orange and napalm

Question 8

What was the Ho Chi Minh trail?

Answer 8

A trail that supplied the Vietcong with soldiers, weapons, and supplies.
At first bikes were used, then USSR trucks
Went through Laos and Cambodia - neutral countries that the US couldn’t attack

Question 9

How successful was Operation Rolling Thunder?

Answer 9

• Destroyed much of the North’s supplies
• Disrupted trade
• Supplies had to be diverted away from Vietcong + focused on reconstruction
• N.V volunteers repaired roads, bridges, etc. quickly

Question 10

What were the goals of Operation Rolling Thunder?

Answer 10

• Destroy N.V’s military capabilities
• Demonstrate the US’s firepower
• Encourage the N.V to stop the war

Question 11

What tactics did the Vietcong use?

Answer 11

• Didn’t wear uniforms
• Cells (no soldier knew the whole plan)
• Ho Chi Minh trail (6 weeks)
• Underground tunnels
• Booby traps (morale)

Question 12

What tactics did the US use?

Answer 12

• Search and destroy
• Operation Rolling Thunder
• Defoliants

Question 13

What/when was the My Lai massacre?

Answer 13

1968
500 innocent S.V were killed by US troops in a search and destroy mission

Question 14

What was the capital of North Vietnam?

Answer 14

Hanoi

Question 15

What was the capital of South Vietnam?

Answer 15

Saigon

Question 16

What was the impact of My Lai?

Answer 16

• The US government covered it up for a year before the photographer released the photos
• Decreased trust in US government
• Increased opposition to war after seeing effect on soldiers’ mental health

Question 17

What were the causes of My Lai?

Answer 17

• Soldiers were paranoid that any Vietnamese person they encountered were Vietcong
• Many had watched friends be killed by Vietcong, and wanted revenge
• Under immense stress that an ambush could happen any moment

Question 18

What were search and destroy missions?

Answer 18

Locating Vietcong and killing them
Some US soldiers burnt down villages in ‘zippo raids’
Difficult to tell who was Vietcong

Question 19

What happened at Kent State University?

Answer 19

• 1971
• Students protested against Nixon’s widening of the war into Cambodia (neutral country)
• 4 students were shot dead by National Guard, none of whom were ever punished
• Photo of Jeffrey Miller who had been killed was used in newspapers
• Increased opposition to war

Question 20

What/when was widening the war?

Answer 20

• Nixon ordered bombing over Laos and Cambodia to destroy the Ho Chi Minh trail
• When this proved ineffective he sent 50,000 US troops into Cambodia to block the trail in 1970
• This was extremely unpopular, and caused Kent State University protests
• Encouraged communists in Cambodia (Khmer Rouge) and caused civil war