Vietnam Flashcards
How did Ho Chi Minh come to power
Japan overran indochina and started vietnam but he stopped him
What happened after japan tried to overrun and failed vietnam
french started a war trying to get it back and failed at dien bien phu
when/Where was Vietnam split
1954 at the Geneva Conference Vietnam was divided at the 17th parallel into two separate countries
Who was the leader of south vietnam
Ngo Dinh Diem
What was Americas involvement pre war in vietnam
sent 1 bil over the course of a decade
Why did Johnson go to war
Wanted to get reelected
What led to US involvement in Vietnam
1964 2 US destroyers were attacked off the gulf of ton kin in north Vietnam by torpedoes
What allowed US involement
congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
What was the event chain that led to conflict
- We shot their gun boats out
- They infiltrate airbase in south Vietnam
- They got plaiku
- Operation Rolling Thunder
Operation Rolling Thunder
- bomb them into the stone age
- threat should have worked
- primarily air power
- 7 million tons of bombs
agent orange
- Very bad
- herbicides
- kill off large swaths of the jungle
Napalm
sticks and burns everything it hits
First combat troops in nam
arrived in Danang in march 1965
first conventional battle of Vienam
- in November 1965
- la drang valley
- US air calvary defeated NVA and VC forced
Who where the US troops led by
Hal Moore
When was the first use of Helicopters
La Drang
When did all the soliders come
1965-1967
General William Westmoreland
senior commander of American troops in Vietnam
What was the plan for defeating the north
bomb and kill so many of them they lose there motivation
Turning point of the war
Tet offensive
Tet offensive
- NVA and VC began a major offensive
- shift from jungle to south Vietnamese urban area
Largest Battle of Vietnam
large battle occured at an american base at Khe Sanh
hue
NVA VC overran and freed thousands; shot enemys of the state; recaptued monthes after
Khe Sanh
- siege at Khe Sanh and it lasted from January until April
- we won
Who won Tet Offensive
Both thought they lost; Millitary failure for NVA but moral failure for America
Ho Chi Minh Trail
crossed other countries in order to get supplies back and forth
What was difficult about fighting vietcong
couldnt tell who was bad or not in the towns
how did TV affect Vietnam
Worsened public opinion; Police Cheif in sygon kills man on live television
Where did protest start
College campuses
SDS
student democratic society
SDS goal
didnt want to go to vietnam but wanted poor kids to go
Port Huron Statement
called for power to be rooted in love reflections reason and creativity
Weathermen
Violent activist against vietnam
1968 Democratic National Convention
Seven men were arrested and charged with conspiracy to incite a riot; Chicago 7
What started a new wave of protest
said we were going to invade cambodia
What happened at Kent state for vietnam protest
May 1970 burned the ROTC killed 4
Jane Fonda
Hated; Hanoi Jane
Who fought against Ho chi minh trail
General Abrams; wanted to interdict to the trail
What was Americas final plan for Vietnam war
build up south forces to replace amrican troops
What ended the vietnam conflict
Jan 1973 Formal Agreement signed in Paris
Jan 1973 Formal Agreement signed in Paris statement
- US would withdraw
- prisoners released
What was the result of formal agreement in paris
Took Vietnam 2 years to regroup and take over south
Legacy of vietnam war
Legacy is over 50,000 killed
What did congress do post vietnam war
War powers act
What was War powers act
- congress realized there was a mistake with letting gulf of tonkin
- passed so no president could do what lbj did
- limited to do what hostilites come
What were the three things that congress restricted you to do if you wanted to go to war
- deceleration of war
- specific statutory authorization from congress
- respond from a national emergency
Who replaced westmooreland
Gen. Creighton Abrms after Tet
What countires did the Ho chi minh trail have
Cambodia, Laos
