Vietnam Flashcards
when was the vietnam war?
1965-73
who fought against each other?
america + south vietnam VS vietcong and north vietnam
who ruled vietnam before ww2?
france
who conquered vietnam during ww2?
japan
which group formed in vietnam during ww2 to fight for independence?
vietminh - communist and nationalist
who was leader of the vietminh?
ho chi minh
what area of vietnam did the vietminh control?
north vietnam
what happened when ww2 ended?
a civil war (dien bien phu) between france and the vietminh
how did the USA get involved in the french-vietminh war? how much did the us contribute?
gave money to help the french - supplied 80% of the cost of the war
what happened to the french at dien bien phu in 1954?
the french were defeated - 8000 french troops killed - couldn’t fight guerrilla tactics of the vietminh
what 3 things were agreed at the geneva conference in 1954?
- to withdraw french troops from vietnam
- divide vietnam into south and north along the 17th parallel
- hold elections in 1956 to unite vietnam
who was appointed leader of south vietnam and who supported them?
Ngo Dinh Diem supported by usa
how did diem rule SV?
corruptly - prosecuted buddhists
which communist guerrilla group formed in SV?
viet cong
by 1963, what percentage of SV’s countryside had been taken over?
40%
what happened to diem in 1963?
he was assassinated
give 3 ways eisenhower got involved in vietnam between 1954-61
- sent equipment and military advisors
- prevented 1956 elections
- supported diem with $1.6bn
give 3 ways kennedy got involved in vietnams between 1961-63
- increased military advisors to more than 11,000
- allowed diem to be assassinated and supported his replacement
- set up strategic hamlets
what event in 1964 increased us involvement?
gulf of tonkin incident
give 3 ways johnson got involved in vietnam between 1963-65
- passed gulf of tonkin resolution in 1964
- started operation rolling thunder in february 1965
- sent in more troops
list 5 american tactics
- strategic hamlets
- search and destroy
- bombing campaigns
- herbicides (agent orange)
- napalm
what was strategic hamlets? what effect did it have on the vietnamese?
it moved whole villages to american controlled areas –> peasants were angry as they lost their homes and villages
what were search and destroy missions? how effective were they?
involved infiltrating/raiding villages to find viet cong members –> not very effective - only 1% raids were effective and 6% of civilians were killed for every vietcong member
what was rolling thunder and how effective was it?
bombed ho chi minh trail and n. vietnam bases - VC were able to hide supplies in tunnels though - $400,000 to kill one VC
how much napalm was dropped and how effective was it?
20,000 tonnes was dropped and killed many innocent civilians
overall, why were american tactics a failure?
didn’t win hearts and minds of the vietnamese people
name 2 countries that supported NV and the VC and why was their support a problem for the US?
cambodia and laos - strengthened the communist forces
how many american soldiers died in the war?
58,000
what was fragging?
killing your superior officers
how long were soldiers conscripted for? why was this problematic?
one year - new inexperienced troops kept coming in and didn’t know what they were doing
why were african american troops demoralised?
there were more of them in comparison to white troops
what did many us troops resort to?
drugs and alcohol
what type of warfare did the VC use?
guerrilla tactics
name 6 VC tactics
- ambushes
- booby traps
- underground tunnels
- ho chi minh trail
- won over vietnamese people
- hanging on the belts of US troops