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Edexcel History GCSE > Vietnam > Flashcards

Vietnam Flashcards

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1
Q

When was the Vietnam War?

A

1965-1973

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2
Q

Who fought against each other in the Vietnam War?

A

America and South Vietnam VERSUS communist Vietcong and North Vietnam

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3
Q

Who ruled Vietnam before the Second World War (before 1939)?

A

France

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4
Q

What was the name of the region that Vietnam was a part of before the Second World War?

A

Indochina

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5
Q

What group was formed in Vietnam during the Second World War, in response to Japanese occupation?

A

The Viet Minh

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6
Q

Who was the leader of the communist Viet Minh?

A

Ho Chi Minh

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7
Q

What area of Vietnam did the Viet Minh control by 1945?

A

The North

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8
Q

What broke out in Vietnam between 1945 and 1954?

A

A war between France and the Viet Minh (France wanted control of Vietnam back)

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9
Q

How did America get involved in the war between France and the Viet Minh (1945-1954)?

A

They gave $500 million each year to France to help their war effort (this was approximately 80% of the cost of the war).

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10
Q

What happened at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954?

A

The French built an airstrip at Dien Bien Phu to lure the Vietminh into battle. But they were surrounded by 50,000 Vietminh with anti-aircraft guns. After 55 days the French surrendered.

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11
Q

Why were the French defeated at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu (1954)? (3)

A
  • The French did not have easy access to war supplies.
  • China supplied the Vietminh with weapons and ammunition
  • The Vietminh had local support
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12
Q

What happened in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1954 after the Battle of Dien Bien Phu?

A

A Peace Agreement was signed.

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13
Q

What was agreed at Geneva, 1954? (3)

A
  1. To withdraw French troops.
  2. To temporarily divide Vietnam into North and South along the 17th parallel (the North would remain communist under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh).
  3. Elections would be held in 1956 to reunify Vietnam
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14
Q

Who was appointed leader of South Vietnam, and supported by the USA, 1954?

A

President Ngo Dinh Diem

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15
Q

Who was the ARVN?

A

The Army of South Vietnam. Supported by the Americans.

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16
Q

Why was Diem’s government weak? (3)

A
  • Many communists still controlled areas of South Vietnam
  • Diem was Catholic and persecuted the majority Buddhist population
  • Diem did little to gain support from the peasants
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17
Q

Why did the situation in South Vietnam get worse after 1955? (4)

A
  • Diem was growing more unpopular due to the reasons above
  • Diem refused to hold elections in 1956, with the support of the USA
  • Diem refused to make reforms. Instead, he began to arrest opponents and sent the ARVN to find and arrest communists
  • Communist groups in the South continued fighting against Diem – they became known as the Viet Cong (VC). By 1960 they had formed the National Liberation Front (NLF).
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18
Q

What image was given worldwide publicity in 1963?

A

A Buddhist monk set fire to himself in response to increased persecution (Buddhists were banned from flying flags for Buddha’s birthday).

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19
Q

What happened to President Diem in 1963?

A

He was overthrown and killed by his own troops (this was supported by the USA).

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20
Q

What were Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson’s aims in Vietnam? (4)

A
  • Set up a democratic government in South Vietnam
  • Keep South Vietnam separate to stop it from becoming communist
  • Stop the war escalating/avoiding nuclear war
  • Winning over the hearts and minds of the South Vietnamese people
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21
Q

How did President Eisenhower get involved in Vietnam between 1954 and 1960? (4)

A
  • Sent equipment and military advisors to South Vietnam even though he could have stopped involvement after the French lost.
  • Prevented elections from taking place in South Vietnam, as he feared the Communists might win.
  • Supported Diem with about $1.6 billion.
  • Domino theory. Eisenhower feared that if one country fell to communism others like Laos and Cambodia would follow. This led him to set up SEATO.
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22
Q

How did President Kennedy get involved in Vietnam between 1961 and 1963? (3)

A
  • Increased the number of advisers to more than 16,000 by 1963.
  • Allowed Diem to be assassinated and supported his replacement by anti-communist army generals.
  • Strategic hamlets programme to stop VC from recruiting peasants. 5,000 built by 1962.
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23
Q

Describe the Gulf of Tonkin incident (1964), and its results. (4)

A
  • Two US ships were patrolling the Gulf of Tonkin on 2nd August 1964 and one, the Maddox, was fired on by North Vietnamese torpedo boats
  • On 4th August in a bad storm the US ships claimed they had been fired on again although reports were not clear.
  • Johnson told Congress and asked them to give him money to go stop future attacks.
  • On 7th August, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which gave Johnson the power to ‘take all necessary measures to prevent further aggression and achieve peace and security in Vietnam (i.e. declare war).
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24
Q

Identify four reasons which explain why the USA became increasingly involved in Vietnam before 1965.

A
  1. Helping the French until 1954
  2. Their policy of containment due to fear of communism
  3. The weakness of the South Vietnamese government and the ARVN
  4. The Gulf of Tonkin incident
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25
Q

Describe America’s Strategic Hamlets Programme.

A

Started by JFK. Whole villages in Viet Cong areas were moved to new sites controlled by the South Vietnamese government. American soldiers controlled who entered and left, and gave building materials, food and money to the villagers to build new farms and homes.

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26
Q

What evidence is there that the Strategic Hamlets Programme was ineffective? (2)

A

Peasants did not like having to leave their homes and villages and were forced to build new villages without pay.

Many did not see the Viet Cong as a threat and did not like constantly being stopped and searched. The programme helped to increase support for the Viet Cong.

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27
Q

What happened on “search and destroy” patrols?

A

American troops were sent on patrols from helicopters. They would target villages and destroy any Viet Cong forces found.

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28
Q

What evidence is there that “search and destroy” patrols were ineffective? (2)

A

Patrols and raids were often based on inadequate information.

Innocent villages were mistaken for Viet Cong bases, leading to civilian casualties and deaths. This made the US army unpopular amongst the Vietnamese population. The proportion of civilians to VC killed was 6:1.

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29
Q

What is a good example of a failure of a search and destroy mission? When?

A

Operation Cedar Falls: 1967

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30
Q

Describe the bombing campaigns used by the US army. When?

A

Operation Rolling Thunder began in February 1965 and targeted North Vietnam, the Ho Chi Minh trail and suspected Viet Cong bases. It ended in 1968.

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31
Q

What evidence is there that the bombing campaigns were effective? (2)

A

It damaged North Vietnam’s war effort and destroyed supply routes.

It affected North Vietnamese industry

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32
Q

What evidence is there that the bombing campaigns were ineffective? (2)

A

The bombing only slowed down the communists – Ho Chi Minh Trail was rebuilt and continued to operate.

The financial cost of the campaigns was enormous – it cost $400,000 to kill one Viet Cong fighter.

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33
Q

What were Agent Orange and Agent Blue, and why were they used during the war?

A

Highly toxic weed killers were used to destroy the Vietnamese jungle and crops where Viet Cong fighters and bases were hidden.

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34
Q

What was the name of the operation which dropped herbicides like agent orange on South Vietnam?

A

Operation Ranch Hand. Between 1964 and 1970 over 24% of South Vietnam was sprayed with herbicides.

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35
Q

Why did Herbicide Operations fail to win over the hearts and minds of the people? (3)

A

The herbicides were up to 50% stronger than the ones used in the USA

Over 3,000 villages were sprayed without warning the inhabitants first.

Caused many health problems for people.

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36
Q

What was napalm, and why was it used during the war?

A

Napalm was another chemical weapon. It was dropped from planes and destroyed Vietnamese jungles/villages.

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37
Q

How many tons of napalm were used?

A

20,000 tons

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38
Q

What evidence is there that napalm was ineffective?

A

The chemical weapon killed many US soldiers and innocent civilians.

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39
Q

Why did the US army become weaker after 1967? (4)

A

Increasing numbers of troops were conscripted and were not professional soldiers. Many were very young and often did not care about defeating communism.

The army also struggled to recruit soldiers. There were widespread attempts to dodge conscription and desertion during the war. E.g. There were over 500,000 incidents of desertion.

The morale of the US army was very low. Many soldiers were not committed to fighting in Vietnam.

Drug abuse amongst US soldiers was widespread.

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40
Q

What proportion of soldiers killed in the Vietnam War were aged 17-21 years?

A

60%

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41
Q

What type of warfare did the Ct Viet Cong use during the war?

A

Guerrilla warfare

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42
Q

Identify five Viet Cong tactics used during the Vietnam War?

A
  1. Ambushes (“hanging onto American belts”)
  2. Booby traps
  3. Underground tunnels
  4. Ho Chi Minh trail
  5. Winning over the Vietnamese people
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43
Q

What evidence is there that the ambushes were effective? (3)

A

Ambushes caused 51% of all US casualties during the war.

Ambushes led to close-quarter fighting between the US and Viet Cong. This meant that US airpower could not be used because of the danger of killing their own troops.

It undermined the morale of US soldiers, who lived in fear of ambushes.

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44
Q

Name two booby traps used by the Viet Cong.

A

The Bouncing Betty land mine.

Punji Pits filled with sharpened bamboo staves.

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45
Q

What evidence is there that booby traps were effective? (3)

A

They were cheap and easy to make and disrupted the US “search and destroy” patrols.

Booby traps caused 11% of all US casualties during the war.

It undermined the morale of US soldiers, who lived in fear of booby traps.

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46
Q

How big was the underground tunnel network used by the Viet Cong?

A

Around 240km

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47
Q

What evidence is there that the underground tunnels were effective? (2)

A

It made Viet Cong soldiers/bases very difficult to locate.

It avoided the worst effects of US airpower.

48
Q

What was the Ho Chi Minh trail?

A

A route from North Vietnam to the South to provide supplies to Viet Cong fighters.

49
Q

Why was the Ho Chi Minh trail effective?

A

The Viet Cong depended on supplies from North Vietnam to fight the war against America and the ARVN.

50
Q

How did many Viet Cong fighters treat the Vietnamese population?

A

They were expected to be courteous (polite) and respectful. Many Viet Cong fighters were disciplined and often helped the Vietnamese people, such as in farming and education. This helped them to win support from the South Vietnamese people.

51
Q

What evidence is there that the Viet Cong used violence and terror?

A

Many were forced into supporting the Viet Cong. The Viet Cong killed peasants who opposed them or cooperated with their enemies. They targeted the police, tax collectors, teachers and other employees of the South Vietnamese government.

52
Q

How many Viet Cong and North Vietnamese soldiers died during the Vietnam War?

A

Approx. 1 million

53
Q

Identify three reasons which explain why the Viet Cong were successful during the war.

A
  1. The effectiveness of their military tactics
  2. Support from the Vietnamese people
  3. Weakness of the American army
54
Q

Who launched the Tet Offensive?

A

The Viet Cong

55
Q

When did the Tet Offensive take place?

A

January 1968

56
Q

What was the Tet Offensive?

A

Before Tet, the VC attacked the US base at Khe Sanh to distract the US soldiers. The VC and North Vietnamese army then attacked cities and US bases in South Vietnam. They got to Saigon and captured the US embassy and the ARVN headquarters. The old city of Hue was also captured. After three weeks of fighting, however, most cities and bases were recaptured by the Americans.

57
Q

Did the Tet Offensive succeed?

A

No – the Americans and the ARVN managed to regain all the towns and bases that had been captured. 50,000 VC were killed.

58
Q

Why was Tet an important turning point in the war? (8)

A
  • Although the USA pushed the VC back, it was still a humiliation for the US. Unusually cities had been attacked on a huge scale.
  • It was a propaganda victory for the VC as the US public was shocked by what had happened.
  • The US public was shocked by media images of the VC in the US embassy – it led to a rise in opposition to the war in America.
  • The media turned against the war. Walter Cronkite, a reporter started to report the war negatively.
  • Johnson decided not to stand for re-election in 1968 – his approval rating decreased.
  • Congress started to turn against the war and decreased funding for the war.
  • When elected, Nixon began a process of de-escalation and withdrawal.
59
Q

Identify six reasons which explain why America withdrew its troops from Vietnam in 1973.

A
  1. America’s military failures.
  2. The success of the Viet Cong.
  3. The Tet Offensive (January 1968).
  4. Human and economic cost of war
  5. The role of the media
  6. The rise of anti-war protests/political opposition
60
Q

How many American soldiers died during the Vietnam War?

A

Approximately 58,000

61
Q

How much was America spending every year on the Vietnam War?

A

$167billion by 1973

62
Q

How did the cost of the war impact US society?

A

Meant money could not be spent on Johnson’s Great Society programme/a more divided society in terms of race and poverty.

63
Q

What were American attitudes towards the war before 1968?

A

Most people were supportive of the war.

64
Q

What evidence of opposition to the war was there before 1968? (2)

A
  • Martin Luther King privately criticised the war from 1965

* IN 1965 a Quaker burned himself to death outside the Pentagon in Washington.

65
Q

Describe how the media portrayed/reported on the Vietnam War in the early years of the war (1965-1967).

A

The media was positive about the war. American newspapers, television and journalists largely showed their support for the war.

66
Q

What happened to the tone/attitude of the media towards the Vietnam War from 1967 / to 1968?

A

The tone of the media began to change. Journalists began to question whether the war was winnable (e.g. after the Tet Offensive) and criticise America’s involvement in Vietnam.

67
Q

What did reporter Walter Cronkite say about the war following the Tet Offensive?

A

Walter Cronkite (a famous reporter) declared that he thought the war was unwinnable.

68
Q

What did some news stations begin to report on from 1968?

A

The media began to report on villages being napalmed, civilian massacres (such as My Lai) and casualties, teenage American soldiers killed, and Vietnamese towns/cities destroyed.

69
Q

What massacre took place in Vietnam in March 1968?

A

The My Lai massacre

70
Q

What happened in My Lai in March 1968?

A

American soldiers on a ‘search and destroy’ mission killed nearly 400 civilians in the village of My Lai, Vietnam. Most were women, children, and the elderly.

71
Q

At first, how was the massacre officially recorded?

A

It was recorded as a success. US troops were reported to have killed 90 Viet Cong fighters

72
Q

What happened in November 1969 (18 months later)?

A

The American press (newspapers) got hold of the story of the massacre and published photographs of the incident.

73
Q

Which US officer was trialled and imprisoned for the massacre?

A

Lieutenant William Calley

74
Q

How did the massacre affect the attitudes of the American people towards the war?

A

It helped to change public opinion against the war.

75
Q

Why did the media and anti-war protests encourage America to withdraw from the war?

A

The negative, anti-war feeling which arose in America put pressure on the US government to end America’s involvement in Vietnam, in order to keep the public on their side (e.g. for future elections).

76
Q

How did students protest against the war? (4)

A

Students were part of a counter-culture generation in America. They protested by:
• Burning their draft cards
• Sit-ins/boycotts
• Marches and demonstrations
• Demonstrations became more violent as the war went on.

77
Q

What was the draft?

A

Compulsory service in the armed forces. Men were drafted from 18.

78
Q

Why did the draft create opposition?

A

Many felt it was unfair as poor white and black families were often drafted in greater numbers.

79
Q

What protest took place on 4th May 1970

A

Kent State University protest

80
Q

What happened at the Kent State Protest? (5)

A
  • In the days before the protest there were several anti-war protests that were broken up by the National Guard with tear gas.
  • They were protesting against the invasion of Cambodia.
  • On 4 May the protesters carried on demonstrating
  • The National Guard fired into the crowd
  • 4 students were shot dead.
81
Q

What impact did Kent State have on attitudes towards the war?

A

It horrified the public and helped to turn more people against the war.

82
Q

How did attitudes toward the war from Congress change over time?

A

There was more opposition as time went on.

83
Q

What impact did congress’s attitude have on the war?

A

Congress began to limit funding for the war. After the Paris Peace Accords of 1973, it refused to give much funding to the South Vietnamese government leading to the collapse of South Vietnam by 1975.

84
Q

Summarise the reasons why opposition towards the war increased over time. (10)

A
  • Tet Offensive made the public and politicians realise the war was not winnable.
  • Invasion of Cambodia in 1970 led to more protests and opposition within Congress.
  • Human cost – 58,000 US dead
  • Economic cost - $167 billion
  • African American opposition increased as less was spent on solving poverty
  • Rise of the student movement
  • The draft
  • Media turned public opinion against the war
  • Atrocities like Kent State and My Lai fuelled opposition
  • Johnson lied to Congress
85
Q

Why did some Americans support the war? (2)

A
  • Fear of communism (main reason) – Red Scare

* Patriotism/loyalty to the US government

86
Q

Who supported the war? (4)

A
  • Some students
  • Hard Hats (Construction workers)
  • Ex-soldiers
  • Hawks in government
87
Q

What evidence is there that people supported the war?

A
  • Hard Hat riots, 1970 – on 8 May construction workers beat up anti-war protesters during their lunch break in New York
  • 20 May 1970 the riot leader, Peter Brennan led a pro-war rally outside city hall, New York.
88
Q

What speech did Nixon make in November 1969?

A

Silent Majority speech

89
Q

What impact did Nixon’s speech have? (4)

A
  • Led to 77% of people showing support for Nixon’s policy in Vietnam
  • Over 30,000 letters of support were sent to Nixon
  • House of Representatives and Senate passed resolutions supporting the war
  • Meant Nixon could try and get the North Vietnamese to agree to the peace that he wanted.
90
Q

What did the Nixon Doctrine of 1969 state?

A
  • The USA would honour any treaty commitments it had made in South East Asia
  • It would help any ally against nuclear threats with aid but not troops
91
Q

What was Vietnamisation?

A

The USA would withdraw troops from Vietnam slowly by training up the ARVN to take over the fighting.

92
Q

Why did Vietnamisation allow America to withdraw from Vietnam?

A

It meant that America could withdraw their soldiers without making it look like they had lost the war (withdraw ‘with honour’). The USA wanted South Vietnam to stay independent.

93
Q

Evidence that Vietnamisation was a success: (2)

A
  • US troops began to withdraw between 1969 and 1973

* Fewer US deaths

94
Q

Evidence that Vietnamisation was a failure: (4)

A
  • Morale of US soldiers decreased as they knew they were withdrawing anyway.
  • Many ARVN troops deserted – 150,000 by 1971
  • Training of ARVN troops was often ineffective as it was hurried/troop shortages to train ARVN too.
  • ARVN failed in an invasion of Laos in 1971, leaving weapons and equipment behind
95
Q

What countries did the US invade under Nixon, which bordered Vietnam? When?

A

Cambodia (1970) and Laos (1971)

96
Q

Why did Nixon invade Cambodia and Laos?

A

To destroy Vietcong bases in Vietnam’s neighbouring countries and the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

97
Q

What were the consequences of Nixon’s invasion of Cambodia? (4)

A
  1. North Vietnam withdrew from the peace talks.
  2. Protests erupted in America in response to the invasions.
  3. Ho Chi Minh trail was partly destroyed BUT could be rebuilt
  4. Congress was outraged and called for less funding of the war
98
Q

What was Operation Linebacker, 1972? (3)

A
  • US reaction to the Easter Offensive
  • The US bombed North Vietnam
  • Bombed Hanoi and Haiphong in order to stop ships from China and USSR from bringing in supplies
99
Q

What were the consequences of Operation Linebacker? (3)

A
  • North Vietnamese industry
  • Disrupted supplies from China and the USSR
  • Led China and the USSR to urge North Vietnam to agree to peace with the USA.
100
Q

What happened to American relations with communist China and the USSR under President Nixon?

A

It made negotiations with communist North Vietnam easier.

101
Q

Why had peace talks failed before 1972?

A

At the Paris Peace talks in 1969 the USA wanted an independent South Vietnam, whereas the North Vietnamese wanted to reunite Vietnam under communism. North Vietnam did not want Thieu to remain President of South Vietnam.

102
Q

When were secret peace talks held?

A

1969

103
Q

When were further peace talks?

A

1972

104
Q

Why did Thieu (President of SV) refuse to agree to peace terms?

A

He was furious that the talks had been secret and he had not been involved.

105
Q

How did America finally press for a new peace settlement in January 1973? (3)

A
  • Further bombing of North Vietnam
  • Further talks with the USSR
  • Making concessions to Thieu
106
Q

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

A

January 1973

107
Q

What did the Paris Peace Accords state? (3)

A
  1. Immediate ceasefire (end of fighting)
  2. Withdrawal of US forces
  3. All countries to accept Vietnam as a single country. Reunification to happen without outside interference.
108
Q

What happened after the Peace accords? (2)

A
  • South Vietnam’s government and the economy began to collapse
  • North Vietnam invaded South Vietnam. Saigon fell to communism in April 1975.
109
Q

How many people died because of the Vietnam War?

A

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

110
Q

How many South Vietnamese people were displaced (forced to leave) from their homes?

A

5 million people

111
Q

What were the geographical and cultural strengths of the North Vietnamese/Viet Cong? (2)

A
  • They knew the landscape – good for guerrilla warfare

* Many VC had contacts and family in the South

112
Q

What were the political and economic strengths of North Vietnam? (4)

A
  • The people were determined and committed to reunification
  • The VC were well organised
  • North Vietnam had financial help from China/USSR ($3bn)
  • Laos and Cambodia allowed the Ho Chi Minh trail in their countries
113
Q

What were the military strengths of the North Vietnamese/Viet Cong? (3)

A
  • Guerrilla tactics in jungle conditions
  • Tunnel networks
  • North Vietnam’s army was more successful than the VC after Tet.
114
Q

What were the geographical/cultural weaknesses of the USA? (2)

A
  • Didn’t understand the country or environment

* Understand the peasants/villagers

115
Q

What were the political and economic weaknesses of the USA? (2)

A
  • The US backed government in South Vietnam was corrupt and unpopular and did not seem to be democratic
  • Opposition to the cost of the war in the USA. By 1971 Congress was limiting funding.
116
Q

What were the military weaknesses of the USA? (4)

A
  • High tech war of attrition (helicopters/bombs) did not work against guerrilla soldiers
  • Napalm/chemicals/search and destroy failed to win over the hearts and minds of the peasants.
  • The draft led to soldiers serving for just a year = inexperience
  • US soldiers morale dropped as the war dragged on.
117
Q

How did opposition in the USA contribute to failure?

A

• Protests influenced the governments to act/withdraw.

Edexcel History GCSE (4 decks)

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