Vietnam

Question 1

What was the background of the conflict in vietnam

Answer 1

After the Second World War Vietnam was returned to the French, the former colonial power.

The French became involved in a struggle with the communist Vietminh.

In 1950 the French government appealed to the US for support.

French defeated at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu 1954 -many reasons (Vietminh had support from locals, French underestimated them)

Question 2

Why did the US support south Vietnam

Answer 2

Eisenhower continued to support the south, even though the new leader in the south, Ngo Dinh Diem, was corrupt and very unpopular

US believed in Domino Theory

Eisenhower sent US military advisers to help the South Vietnamese army against the VC

Question 3

What did JFK do in Vietnam

Answer 3

JFK increased the number of military advisors from 700 to 15,000. Kennedy also ordered the building of ‘strategic hamlets’that South Vietnamese people were moved to to ‘protect’ them from the VC.

Diem’s faced continuous opposition e.g Buddhist monks burned themselves to death

JFK threatened to withdraw military aid and then backed a plot by South Vietnamese generals to arrest Diem. He was murdered just three weeks before Kennedy’s own assassination.

Question 4

Why was there an increasing threat of the Vietcong

Answer 4

VC very rarely fought pitched battles. They used guerrilla tactics. Therefore, it was impossible to identify Viet Cong soldiers, because as they did not wear uniform.

After a fight they would scatter and it would be impossible to find them

Question 5

What was the Gulf of Tonkin incident, 1964,

Answer 5

In August 1964 the USA claimed that US warships had been attacked in the Gulf of Tonkin.

This gave the US the excuse they needed and Congress gave Johnson the power to send US combat troops to Vietnam

Question 6

When was the arrival of combat troops in Vietnam

Answer 6

Many believe that the Gulf of Tonkin incident was probably invented by the US government to justify US intervention in Vietnam.

In March 1965 the first combat troops arrived

Question 7

What where the VC tactics

Answer 7

They built thousands of miles of tunnels, with whole camps underground, so that they could hide..

They were experts at building booby traps, using pits, sharpened sticks and mines. This meant that US soldiers could never relax.

Question 8

What was the Ho Chi Min Trail

Answer 8

The Viet Cong were supplied from the north by the Ho Chi Minh trail, which ran through Laos and Cambodia.

The Soviet Union and China sent up to 6,000 tonnes of supplies a day

Question 9

What was the USA response to the Ho Chi Min Trail and the VC tactics

Answer 9

‘Search and Destroy’ missions were sent into the jungle. Their success depended on the body count. (number of dead Vietnamese).

Operation Rolling Thunder from 1965 led to heavy bombing of North Vietnam Chemical weapons: The US Air Force began to use defoliants like ‘Agent Orange’. These stripped leaves from trees to deprive the VC from hiding places. Napalm was also used to burn villages.

These tactics did enormous damage to Vietnam and did not enable the US to win the hearts and minds of the people

Question 10

What was the Tet Offensive 1968

Answer 10

This was a massive attack by the North Vietnames upon South Vietnam, which began on 30 January 1968. All the major cities of South Vietnam were attacked

The North Vietnamese suffered very high casualties but many in the US were shocked by this attack particularly as they got into US embassy in Saigon.

The South now seemed more vulnerable than ever and many in America saw it as a humiliating defeat

Question 11

What did Nixon change and what was Vietnamisation

Answer 11

In 1969 Nixon began peace talks, and started the withdrawal of US forces, but stepped up attacks on North Vietnam.

The Nixon Doctrine of 1969 said that the US would honour its commitments. This led to the policy of Vietnamisation.

This was an attempt to make sure the South Vietnamese could defend the country on their own with help from the US. Nixon hoped that they could withdraw with honour, without it looking like a defeat.

Vietnamisation was not successful as the South Vietnamese felt abandoned and this gave a boost to the North.

Question 12

What was the Attack on Cambodia

Answer 12

Attacks on Cambodia, 1970 - Bombing continued under Nixon, including attacks on neighbouring countries to target the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

Damage was done but it did not stop the trail operating
Huge outcry in US about the bombing – Congress was furious and called for less funding for war and faster withdrawal

Question 13

What happened at Laos in 1971

Answer 13

US provided air support for South Vietnamese invasion to defeat communist groups in Laos and destroy the Hi Chi Minh trail.

Battle of Tchepone was bloody and eventually resulted in the ARVN retreating

Invasion of Laos raised serious doubts about Vietnamisation – howver the trail and North Vietnamese bases in Laos remained secure

Question 14

What was operation Linebacker 1972

Answer 14

This was the heavy bombardment of North Vietnam. Linebacker severely damaged industry, supplies and communications in the North and China and the USSR urged the North to look for a peace settlement.

The unrestricted bombing campaign was very controversial and there were more protests back in the US

Question 15

What was the reasons for the growth of oppositions

Answer 15

Tet Offensive, Cambodia, rising death toll, injuries, cost and length of the war, black American opposition, Role of individuals like Muhammed Ali

Question 16

What was the draft

Answer 16

Compulsory service in the military.

Many opposed it because it was sending men who were not well trained to war and mainly poor families were least able to avoid it.

A ‘Lottery’ system was introduced in 1969 but this didn’t make it any more popular.

In total 650,000 soldiers were draftees with 1 million draftees were in reserve

How people avoided the draft: College students could delay it until graduation, Family’s only son was exempt, some workers exempt, studying or working abroad

Question 17

What was the impacts of the media on the war

Answer 17

Became known as ‘The living room war’ as many people saw footage of the war on their TV screens.

This bought the horror of the conflict closer to home

Question 18

Wat was the student movement

Answer 18

One of the most significant student groups was SDS (Students for a Democratic Society).

By 1965, it had 3,000 members over 80 College campuses.

Question 19

What was the My Lai massacre

Answer 19

Charlie Company, led by Lieutenant Calley, killed all the people and animals in My Lai village in 1968.

They claimed that they had been ordered to do so. After a cover up and then an investigation the truth emerged in 1970.

There was a huge public outcry.

Lt Calley’s trial – he was convicted of killing 22 civilians in 1971, the only one brought to trial.

Question 20

What was the Kent state university shootings in 1970

Answer 20

After invasion of Cambodia, peaceful protests began.

Several demonstrations and an Officer Training building on Campus burned down.

Mayor declared state of emergency.. After National Guards had bricks etc. thrown at them, they opened fire, killing 4 students (2 students also killed at Jackson State Uni 2 weeks later)

Question 21

What where the reasons for support for the war

Answer 21

Cold War - fear of communism – Domino Theory, Moral/religious reasons, Freedom (as above),

Patriotism - superiority of capitalism & democracy

Question 22

What was the hard hat riot of 1970

Answer 22

Construction workers that clashed with anti-war protestors in New York.

Peter J Brennan then led a pro-war rally on 20 May of 60,000 people.

They were seen to represent general working-class support for the war

Question 23

What was the silent majority

Answer 23

Nixon appealed to support for the silent majority in 1969 – those that supported his policies but didn’t campaign for or against the war.

His speech was remarkably successful and showed that a lot of people supported his policy.

Question 24

What where the attempt at peace like in 1972-73

Answer 24

Difficult for sides to agree over whether/how to unite Vietnam, what to do with the South, how to manage troop withdrawals, Secret Peace talks made it difficult for South to agree to anything, 1972 Easter Offensive by North Vietnam shocked the US.

South Vietnamese leader, Thieu, refused to sign agreement in October 1972 as he felt he had no say in the agreement.

Question 25

What was the significance at the Paris peace agreement 1973

Answer 25

US troops, bases to be withdrawn in 60 days, Ceasefire to begin, All countries accept Vietnam as a single country, US to help reconstruction of north and south.

This enabled the USA to remove soldiers, Congress cut financial support to South leaving the ARVN badly supplied

Question 26

What where the impacts of the Paris agreement

Answer 26

Both the North and South saw this ‘peace’ as little more than a ‘brief ceasefire’.

The South – economy collapsed, Thieu did not make his government any more democratic nor did he attempt to negotiate with the communists so VC gained control in villages

The North – became impatient, attacked south in December 1974. Lack of US support meant that the South was defeated quickly by April 1975.

Question 27

What was the economical and human costs of the war for the USA

Answer 27

Cost an estimated $167bn, US had lost face abroad and had failed to keep Vietnam free from Communism, 58,220 dead, Poor treatment of
returning soldiers – many treated with hostility, Suicide rate for veterans much higher than other men of a similar age, More divided society was shown by protest movements

Question 28

What where the strengths of North Vietnam

Answer 28

They understood the landscape, climate and language; North Vietnamese fully committed to the cause;

VC were popular with the South Vietnamese villagers: North had support from other countries – USSR, China

Laos and Cambodia allowed the Ho Chi Minh Trail to operate

Guerrilla tactics used by VC were very effective.

Question 29

What where the weaknesses of the US armed forces

Answer 29

Completely misunderstood the Vietnamese villagers

Did not understand the landscape, climate and language

Mistakes – area bombing, use of defoliants, focusing on the bodycount rather than gaining control of areas

Did not win the hearts and minds of the people
Growing public opposition at home made it almost impossible for the US government to continue the war;

The draft meant that soldiers were normally young and inexperienced

They were supporting a very unpopular South Vietnamese government.