Vietnam Flashcards
When did Vietnam become a French colony?
1860
What did the Japanese government do during ww2?
Took control of Vietnam and forced out the Vietnamese by 1945.
During 1945 - 1955 what did the French do to regain their territories in Vietnam?
They fought
Where were the French defeated?
At Dien Bien Phu
When were the French defeated?
8th May 1954
What was decided at the conference in Geneva about Vietnam?
That it would be divided on the 17th parallel
Was North communist or democratic?
Communist
Was South communist or democratic?
Democratic
Who was the leader of North Vietnam?
Ho Chi Minh
Who was the leader of South Vietnam?
Ngo Din Diem
Why was Ngo Din Diem unpopular?
He never held elections. he was catholic and 92% of the population was Buddhist
Who were many opponents of Ngo Din Diem organised by?
South Vietnam - The Vietcong
As Ngo Din Diem’s government was becoming unpopular who backed him up?
The USA
In 1963 what did Kennedy fear in Vietnam?
A communist takeover
What did he do in 1963 to ‘prevent’ a communist takeover?
He sent in military advisers to help
Explain the Domino theory (2 marks)
The USA thought that Ho Chi Minh’s success was a threat. (1 mark)
If Vietnam became communist then other neighbouring countries will. (1 mark)
Why were Ngo Dinh Diem’s people turning against him?
Because of his corruption and brutality
What did the south Vietnamese army do to the Ngo Dinh Diem with the help of the CIA?
They executed him
When was Ngo Dinh Diem executed?
Nov 1962
When is Kennedy assassinated?
Nov 1963
Who replaced Kennedy as president?
Lyndon B. Johnson
Between 1965 and 1968 what were the USA doing to Vietnam?
Having bomb raids and increasing their troops in Vietnam
When was the Tet offensive?
30th Jan 1968
What was the Tet offensive?
A massive counter attack involving more than 80,000 troops
Why did the Tet offensive come as a shock to the US soldiers?
It was Vietnamese new year so they were granted a holiday and they weren’t ready to fight.
What did the Tet offensive show Americans?
That the Vietnamese were unbeatable
What year were six American students killed during clashes with the national guard about protesting against the war?
1970
Did the Vietnamese have the peoples support?
Yes
What did they use to frustrate American troops?
Climate and terrain
How were supplies passed to Vietnam?
Down the Ho Chi Minh trail
Which two countries supplied Vietnam?
The USSR and China
What was guerilla tactic?
‘hit, run and hide’
What did Guerilla warfare force the US army to do?
Adopt unfamiliar tactics
How did the VC and NVA attack the American soldiers?
In small groups with repetitive attacks
How did the VC and NVA dress and why?
In normal clothes so they could blend in with civilians
On average how much was the USA spending on fighting Vietnam everyday?
66 Million
What was the minimum age for a USA soldier going to Vietnam?
19
Were the soldiers going to Vietnam conscripted?
No
What bothered the US troops
Climate
What did US troops find difficult?
To find the enemy
What did a US commander say about the Vietnam war?
“This was the type of war that we’d no experience with”
What did lots of US troops result to?
Committing suicide or using hard drugs to numb the fear
How many weeks did the US soldiers get for basic training?
6 weeks
Which country was at an advantage financially? VN OR USA
USA
What was napalm?
Jellied petrol and flame that causes burns
What was agent orange?
Chemical weed killer that caused cancer and deformities
What was the death toll for the USA
300 a day
When did Nixon come into power?
Late 1968
Who did Nixon work together with to end the war in Vietnam?
Henry Kissinger
What was vietnamisation?
Training ARVN to regain the defence of the South Vietnam so that US troops could gradually be withdrawn
