USA Vietnam C1 (USA Involvements up to 1975) Flashcards
Why did French rule end in Vietnam?
- Japan surrendered after war
- France wanted it back
- Ho Chi Minh in North wanted independence called Vietminh
What Happened at Dien Bien Phu in 1954?
- french airstrip to lure Vietminh
- surrounded by many more men
- French surrendered
5 reason for Vietminh win in 1954
- Local conditions
- Local support
- Help from China
- French mistakes
- Commitment
What were the Geneva Accords in 1954?
- divided Vietnam 17th Parallel
- Vietminh in north (communists) and Bao Dai in south (Capitalists)
- people move for 300 days
- elections for united state
Failures of the Geneva Accords
- South Vietnam failed to follow
- North Vietnam wanted Parallel further down
- elections too long away (6 months)
Domino Theory
Americans believed if Vietnam fell to Communism, countries around them would follow
SEATO
- South East Asia Treaty Organisation set up to contain Communism, with force
3 reasons why Diem (south leader) was unpopular
- Catholic, most Vietnamese were Buddhist
- Government jobs to family and Catholics
- No respect for peasants (most of Vietnam)
4 reasons why Diem made it worse
- referendum that was fixed by Americans
- refused to hold elections
- sent AVRN troops to kill Communists
- called people against Communist Government
Ways Kennedy tried to improve things
- 40 mil to train troops
- report to send troops
- chemicals to kill crops
- USA aircraft
- more advisors
- isolate and hunt VC
- pacification to persuade villages
Hearts and Minds
Trying to win over the people of Vietnam, as people preferred not being poor under Communist
Stragetic Hamlets
- modern villages, guarded by AVRN to stop VC recruiting
- could kill anyone not in them on the outside
Why were Strategic Hamlets a failure?
- people didn’t want to move from their homes
- Diem underfed them
- poor sanitation
Importance of Battle of Ap Bac
- media reported it as US loss
- despite outnumbering VC
Importance of Quang Duc’s protest
- set himself alight
- shown globally and showed failure of South Vietnam rule
Importance of Overthrow of Diem
- Diem overthrown and executed by AVRN
- US knew
- showed falling government
Importance of Kennedy Assassination
- Johnson stepped in
- struggled as South weaker and North stronger
- come into unstable government
6 reasons why VC became more of a threat
- local support
- South government
- Foreign aid from SU and China
- VC aims to stop poverty
- organised
- time
What happened + significance of Golf of Tonkin?
- 1st day North fired as in their waters
- 2nd day was unclear if they fired
- Johnson used this as a reason for Congress to send troops and increase military action
- North saw this as declaration of war, even though not official so they increased threat
Escalation under Johnson
- advised badly didn’t know wether to increase bombing, increase troops of war was already won
- naive
5 main VC tactics
- hit and run, hard to defend
- stayed close to US troops to know where they were
- tunnel system to hide
- dressed like Peasants
- ambush traps so US couldn’t retaliate
USA Operation Rolling Thunder key features + effect
- heavy bombing using Napalm (petrol) and Pineapple bombs that targeted Ho Chi Min trail
- caused some damage, HCM trail repaired and made north more determined
USA Search and Destroy key features + effect
- search with helicopters to target certain places
- destroyed tunnels and killed some men buy VC prepared
USA Operation Ceder Falls key features + effect
- 30,000 troops in iron triangle where VC strongest and burned villages
- became free area, but people moved back in
USA Operation Ranch Hand (chemical warfare) key features + effect
- chemicals to destroy jungle
- poisoned water in streams and caused starvation and food shortages
What was the Tet Offensive?
- North attacked 26 cities in South
- on lunar new year AVRN troops off
- north suggested negotiations, south false sense of security
Success of Tet Offensive
- got into significant areas (eg. US embassy)
- humiliating for government
- Saigon considered safest area attacked
- Defeat in US people eyes, more protest
- VC rebuild
- Johnson didn’t run for president
Failure of Tet Offensive
- VC captured and defeated many were killed
- US won battle on the ground as they restored order
5 ways Nixon lived up to his election running promises 1963-73
- peace talks
- secret peace talks
- troop withdrawal
- AVRN training
- bombing of Cambodia
Nixon Doctrine
- USA honor treaties
- help against nuclear threat
- USA provide training for AVRN
