Vietnam Overview Flashcards
What happened in the Gulf of Tonkin in 1964?
US destroyer Maddox allegedly attacked by North Vietnamese patrol boats.
Who controlled Vietnam before 1939?
France - French Indo China
At which battle were the French defeated by the Vietminh in 1954?
Dien Bien Phu
What was the ‘Domino Theory’?
The American idea that if communism was not stopped, countries in South East Asia would fall like a row of dominoes.
What help did the USA provide to South Vietnam 1954-1964?
Economic and military aid. Also military advisers sent.
What was the difference between the Vietminh & the Vietcong?
Vietminh were Communists in the north, Vietcong were Communists in the south.
Give 2 examples of the rules in the Vietcong Code of Conduct.
Polite / Fair / Return anything borrowed / No damage to crops / No flirting with women.
How long was the trail used to supply the Vietcong and what was it called?
600 miles and Ho Chi Minh Trail
The US tried to win over the Vietnamese by investing money into the south. Give an example of how they tried to improve conditions there.
Digging drainage ditches / improving communications by building roads, canals & bridges / building schools & clinics in the towns / providing homes for refugees / encouraging local democracy.
What tactic did the USA do to try and find the Vietcong?
‘Search and Destroy’.
In what year was napalm first used?
1965
How many Vietnamese children are estimated to have been born with birth defects linked to chemical poisoning?
Over half a million.
Why were Agent Orange and napalm used?
To destroy the leaves and undergrowth of the rainforest to reveal the enemy.
Who led the Americans on the ‘search and destroy’ mission in My Lai in 1968?
Lt. Calley.
How many people were killed in My Lai Massacre?
Approximately 500 men, women and children.
