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.
What was the draft?
Young men forced to go and fight in Vietnam - often from poorer classes
How many people took part in the Vietnam Veterans March in 1971?
Over 300,000.
How many people were killed at Kent State?
4
What was the name of the most official & formal opposition to the war which took place in 1971?
Fulbright Hearings.
How many places were attacked during the Tet Offensive?
Over 100.
Why did the American people not view the Tet offensive as a success for the USA?
Shocking footage of destruction of Saigon / thousands of civilian casualties / hundreds of thousands of refugees.
How many US soldiers were left in Vietnam by 1970?
150,000
What major attack was launched by the US in April 1972 in response to the NVA invading the south?
Operation Linebacker.
How many bombs were dropped on North Vietnam by the USA throughout an 11 day period over Christmas 1972?
Over 200,000 bombs
What was the ‘Madman Theory’?
That the President Nixon was mentally unstable & so might use nuclear weapons against the north if the war continued
What was Vietnamisation?
Ending dependence of South Vietnam on the USA by training them to take over all civilian & military functions.
On what date was the ceasefire & peace agreement reached?
January 1973
Who negotiated for each side at the peace conference?
Le Duc Tho (North Vietnam) & Henry Kissinger (US)
In 1975, North Vietnam made a 3-pronged attack (against the peace agreement) on which places?
South Vietnam / Cambodia / Laos
What name was given to the refugees fleeing from the advancing army into Saigon?
Convoy of Tears
