Vietnam War Flashcards
why did the United States fight in Vietnam
to hold the line against the spread of world Communism
In the 1950s, America became involved again
How many Americans died/were injured in the Vietnam war
58,000 Americans lost their lives.
The oldest man killed was 62 years old; the youngest, 16.
61% of the men killed were 21 or younger.
304,000 were wounded.
75,000 were severely disabled.
The United States spent over $200 billion dollars on the war.
How did the Vietnam war grow
It grew out of the long conflict between France and Vietnam
the Geneva Peace Accords
The Geneva Peace Accords, signed by France and Vietnam in the summer of 1954, provided for the temporary partition of Vietnam at the 17th parallel, with national elections in 1956 to reunify the country.
In the North, a communist regime, supported by the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China, set up its headquarters in Hanoi under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh.
Opposition to the Geneva Accords
The United States prevented the elections that were promised under the Geneva conference because it knew the communists would win
this was accomplished through formation of the Southeast Asia treaty organisation (SEATO)
What did the Americans do to create a new capitalist nation in Vietnam
Using SEATO for political cover, the Eisenhower administration helped create a new nation in southern Vietnam.
In 1955, with the help of massive amounts of American military, political, and economic aid, the government of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) was born.
The following year, Ngo Dinh Diemwon an election that made him president of South Vietnman
What was the Domino theory
This theory stated, “If South Vietnam falls to the Communist, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma, India and Pakistan would also fall like dominos. The Pacific Islands and even Australia could be at risk”.
South Vietnam under Diem
Diem claimed that his newly created government was under attack from Communists in the north.
In late 1957, with American military aid, Diem began to counterattack.
Operation Phoenix
CIA backed operation to identify those who sought to bring Diem’s government down and arrested thousands
The National Liberation Front
On December 20, 1960, the National Liberation Front (NLF) was born.
It brought together Communists and non-Communists in an umbrella organisation that had limited, but important goals
Anyone could join as long as they opposed Ngo Dinh Diem and wanted to unify Vietnam.
White papers
In a series of government “White Papers,” Washington insiders denounced the NLF, claiming that it was merely a puppet of Hanoi. They called it the “Viet Cong,” a derogatory and slang term meaning Vietnamese Communist
December 1961 white paper
In 1961, President Kennedy sent a team to Vietnam to report on conditions in the south and assess future American aid
the December 1961 white paper argued for: An increase in military, technical, and economic aid
The introduction of large-scale American “advisers” to help stabilize the Diem regime and crush the NLF.
The Kennedy response to the December 1961 white papers
As Kennedy weighed the merits of these recommendations, some of his advisers urged him to withdraw from Vietnam. JFK chose a middle route. Instead of a large-scale military buildup or a negotiated settlement, the United States would increase the level of its military involvement in South Vietnam through more machinery and advisers, but no military troops.
The strategic hamlet program
To counteract the NLF’s success in the countryside, Washington and Saigon launched an ambitious military effort in the rural areas.
Called the Strategic Hamlet Program, the new counterinsurgency plan rounded up villagers and placed them in “safe hamlets” controlled by the government of South Vietnam.
The idea was to isolate the NLF from villagers, which was its base of support
By the summer of 1963, what was clear about the government of South Vietnam
It was clear that the government of South Vietnam was on the verge of political collapse.
Why were buddhists self immolating themselves
Diem’s brother, Ngo Dinh Nhu, had raided the Buddhist pagodas of South Vietnam, claiming that they had harbored the Communists that were creating the political instability.
The result was massive protests on the streets of Saigon that led Buddhist monks to self-immolation.
The pictures of the monks engulfed in flames made world headlines and caused considerable consternation in Washington
Military coup in Vietnam and the assassination of JFK
By late September, the Buddhist protest had created such dislocation in the south that the Kennedy administration supported a coup.
In 1963, some of Diem’s own generals approached the American Embassy in Saigon with plans to overthrow Diem.
With Washington’s tacit approval, Diem and his brother were captured and later killed.
Three weeks later, President Kennedy was assassinated on the streets of Dallas.
How many military advisors were in Vietnam at the time of the Kennedy assassination
16,000
The Kennedy administration had managed to run the war from Washington without the large-scale introduction of American combat troops.
The continuing political problems in Saigon, however, convinced the new president, Lyndon Baines Johnson, that more aggressive action was needed
When did President Johnson argue for expansive war powers in Vietnam
After a dubious North Vietnamese raid on two U.S. ships in the Gulf of Tonkin
What led to the US calling in airstrikes on vietnam
The attack on the Gulf of Tonkin, where the ships C. Turner Joy and the U.S.S. Maddox were attacked
Operation Rolling Thunder
In early 1965, the NLF attacked two U.S. army installations in South Vietnam, and as a result, Johnson ordered sustained bombing missions over North Vietnam.
The bombing missions, known as “Operation Rolling Thunder,” caused the Communist Party to reassess its own war strategy
Phosphorous and Napalm Bombs
“Operation Rolling Thunder” was backed up by phosphorous and napalm bombs – the latter causing dreadful burns to thousand of innocent civilians.
Operation Ranch Hand
When this failed to break down the jungle cover the USAF started “Operation Ranch Hand” – the defoliation program, using Agent Orange.
What did Agent Orange don
This deadly chemical cocktail, containing dioxin, killed off millions of acres of jungle to try to weaken the Vietcong – but left a horrendous legacy in Vietnam.
The dioxin got into the food chain causing chromosome damage to humans. There were hundreds of cases of children born with deformities.
What were helicopters used for in Vietnam
the helicopter was the most useful, dropping platoons in the jungle clearings and out again. They were excellent air ambulances.
How did the North Vietnamese Fight Back Against the U.S. Invaders
The North Vietnamese used classic guerrilla tactics. “Guerrillas must move through the peasants like fish through sea,” i.e., the peasants will support them as much as they can with shelter, food, weapons, storage, intelligence, recruits.
North Vietnamese tactics
They had cheap and reliable weapons - AK47 rifle was better than American M16
The portable rocket launcher took out many US vehicles & aircraft.
They recycled dud bombs dropped by the Americansr
rat tunnels
The Vietnamese built large tunnel complexes such as the ones at Cu Chi near Saigon. This protected them from the bombing raids by the Americans and gave them cover for attacking the invaders.
Search and Destroy tactics
The United States countered the Vietnamese with “Search and Destroy” tactics. In areas where the NLF were thought to be operating, troops went in and checked for weapons. If they found them they rounded up the villagers and burned the villages down
negatives of the S&D tactics
As one marine said – “If they weren’t Vietcong before we got there, they sure as hell were by the time we left”.
Protracted War Strategy
After “Operation Rolling Thunder,” the Communist Party moved to a protracted war strategy: the idea was to get the United States bogged down ina war that it could not win militarily and create unfavorable conditions for political victory.
Vietnam war impact on Ameircan life
The Vietnam War had a major impact on everyday life in America, and the Johnson administration was forced to consider domestic consequences of its decisions daily.
Since there were not enough volunteers to continue to fight a protracted war, the government instituted a draft.
Anti-war sentiments and protests
As the deaths mounted and Americans continued to leave for Southeast Asia, the Johnson administration was met with the full weight of American anti-war sentiments.
Protests erupted on college campuses and in major cities at first, but by 1968 every corner of the country seemed to have felt the war’s impact.
1968 democratic convention
One of the most famous incidents in the anti-war movement was the police riot in Chicago during the 1968 Democratic National Convention.
Hundreds of thousands of people came to Chicago in August 1968 to protest American intervention in Vietnam and the leaders of the Democratic Party who continued to prosecute the war.
The Tet Offensive
By 1968, things had gone from bad to worse for the Johnson administration. In late January, North Vietnam and the NLF launched coordinated attacks against major southern cities.
These attacks, known as the Tet Offensive, were designed to force the Johnson administration to the bargaining table.
The My Lai Massacre
A serious blow to U.S. credibility came with the exposure of the My Lai massacre (March 1968).
Hushed up at the time and only discovered by a tenacious journalist, this involved the killing of 400 men, women and children by US troops
Who claimed he had a secret plan to end the war
Richard Nixon claimed he had a secret plan to end the war
what was Nixons secret plan
Nixon’s secret plan involved a process called “Vietnamization.” This strategy brought American troops home while increasing the air war over North Vietnam and relying more on the South Vietnamese army for ground attacks.
Expansion into Laos and Cambodia
The Nixon years also saw the expansion of the war into neighboring Laos and Cambodia, violating the international rights of these countries in secret campaigns, as the White House tried desperately to rout out Communist sanctuaries and supply routes.
What sparked intense Campus protests in 1970
the bombing campaigns and intervention in Cambodia sparked the protests
Kent State and Jackson State shooting
Four students were killed by National Guardsmen who were caled out to preserve order on campus after days of anti-Nixon protest.
students at Jackson State in Mississippi were also shot and killed for political reasons
the Christmas bombings
In December 1972, the Nixon administration unleashed a series of deadly bombing raids against targets in North Vietnam’s largest cities, Hanoi and Haiphong.
These attacks, now known as the Christmas bombings, brought immediate condemnation from the international community and forced the Nixon administration to reconsider its tactics and negotiation strategy.
the Paris peace agreement
In early January 1973, the Nixon White House convinced Saigon that they would not abandon the South Vietnamese army if they signed the peace accord.
On January 23, therefore, the final draft was initialed, ending open hostilities between the United States and North Vietnam.
The Paris Peace Agreement did not end the conflict in Vietnam, however, as Saigon continued to battle Communist forces.
How did the Vietnam war end
From March 1973 until the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, the South Vietnamese army tried desperately to save the South from political and military collapse.
The end finally came when North Vietnamese tanks rolled south along National Highway One.
On the morning of April 30, Communist forces captured the presidential palace in Saigon, ending the Vietnam War.
8 reasons why the United States lost the Vietnam war
- They underestimated the tenacity and organization of the North Vietnamese and the National Liberation Front.
- Despite dropping more tonnage of high explosive on Vietnam than the whole of World War II, the Americans could not stop the movement of troops or supplies to the south along the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
- The North Vietnamese conducted a “Peoples war” in which everyone played a part.
- At first, most Americans supported the war. But by 1970, the Peace Movement had support from all parts of society and no government could ignore it.
- After 1969, there were deep questions about the efficiency of US troops. There was a serious drug problem; desertion rates were high and morale low. Many troops were “time-servers,” i.e., counted the days until the tour was over.
- The US never really understood the culture of the Vietnamese people. Coca Cola, chewing gum, ball point pens, and ice cream cones could not dislodge their ancient beliefs.
- America was not prepared to keep losing high numbers of casualties for such limited progress in a difficult jungle war, for which they were not suited.
- The strength and resourcefulness of the NLF. For example, the highly complex Cu Chi tunnel system the U.S. never shut down.
What is another term for the Vietnam war
the 10 000 Day War
phase 1 of the Vietnam war
Vietnam had been a French colony under the name of French Indochina (along with Cambodia and Laos)
Vietnam began to fight for its independence from France during WW II ( when France was preoccupied with European conflict)
the Vietnamese revolutionary leader was Ho Chi Minh, a communist
wanted to be the leader of an independent, communist Vietnam; Ho received support from both the USSR and “Red” China
When was Vietnam split
Vietnam, a former French colony, was divided into two sections in 1954
who was north and south Vietnam led by
North Vietnam led by Ho Chi Minh (communist and backed by USSR)
South Vietnam led by Ngo Dinh Diem (democratic and backed by USA)
How many died in the Vietnam war
58,000 Americans and 1,500,000 Vietnamese died as well
