Vietnam War Flashcards
When did it begin?
1 November 1955
When did it end?
30 April 1975
What is the 17th parallel?
Provincial military demarcation line between North and South Vietman
When was Vietnam colonised?
Late 19th century
When did the French lose control?
After WW2 - Japanese troops invaded
What did France and Japan fight over?
Fought over Vietnam
Who formed the independence movement?
by Ho Chi Minh
Who was Ho Chi Minh?
founder of IndochineseCommunist Party and leader of Viet Minh forces
At the end of WW2, what did Viet Minh do?
seized north Vietnam, and Ho became president (he was known as “Uncle Ho”
When did he become known as Uncle Ho?
When he became president
What did Ho declare Vietnam as?
Independent state
What happened when the French tried to claim their colony back?
Lost to the Viet Minh
What happened in 1954?
Geneva Accords divide Vietnam into North Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh and communist rule) and South Vietnam (ruled by emperor Bao Dai and capitalist system
Who was North Vietnam ruled by?
Ho Chi Minh - communist rule
Who was South Vietnam ruled by?
Emperor Bao Dai
There was supposed to be an election 2 years after, for what?
To unify Vietnam
Why didn’t Vietnam unify?
US made sure it didn’t happen – they did not want communism to spread
Define the Domino Theory
communist government in one country would quickly lead tocommunist “takeovers” in neighbouring states
Define Proxy War
superpower instigates or plays a major role in supporting a party in an armed conflict, but does not itself fight, or only does a small portion of the actual fighting
Why was Vietnam War part of the Cold War?
America wanted to stop the spread of communism
Who and when became president of South Vietnam?
1955: an anti-communist politician named Ngo Dinh Diem
Why did Ngo Dinh Diem become president?
Push Bao aside
Who was the American president?
Eisenhower
What did Eisenhower pledge?
pledged his support to Diem - military, training, equipment
What did Diem’s forces do in the south?
Diem’s forces cracked down onViet Minh sympathizers orVietnamese Communist (VietCong) in the south
Who established the National Liberation Front? When?
Diem’s political opponents andthe Viet Cong established the NLF(National Liberation Front) in1960
When did the NFL fight South Vietnam?
Began to fight against South Vietnam
What did Diem do in 1963?
Diem killed via a coup from his own generals
When was President Kennedy assassinated?
1963
Who succeeded Kennedy?
Lyndon Johnson
What did Johnson increase?
Military and economic support
What happened to US ships in 1964?
2 US ships attacked by torpedos in the Gulf of Tonkin
What did Johnson order after 2 US ships were attacked
Johnson ordered bombing of military targets in North Vietnam
US parliament passed “Gulf ofTonkin resolution”, what did this do?
giving Johnson more war-making power
Operation Rolling Thunder
regular bombing raids in 1965
What was The Gulf of Tonkin Incident?
North Vietnamese warships purportedly attacked United States warships
What did Johnson do in 1965?
Johnson sent combat troops to assist the south Vietnamese
What was growing in the US?
Anti-war movement
What did Johnson do, even with the anti-war movement?
Johnson kept sending reinforcements
Who did Viet Cong continue fighting against?
South Vietnamese and American troops
How were Viet Cong resupplied with man-powerand supplies?
from China and the SovietUnion via the Ho Chi Minh Trail
What type of tactics did the Viet Cong used?
guerrilla war tactics and the knowledge of their home to their advantage
What were most booby traps like?
Most booby traps were cheap to make,.
The intention of maiming American forces
What were Punji sticks?
sharpened bamboo sticks covered in urine and faeces, were pointed upright from a hole and then camouflaged
What were Swinging mace?
Spikes in a heavy clay ball
How was the swinging mace triggered?
Trip wire would be triggered to release the hidden ball, which inflict upper body damage
Why was there a growing mistrust among solders for the USA government?
Claimed USA was winning the war
Mutiny
attack upon military (including naval) authority by two or more persons subject to such authority.
What was there?
Mutiny and Desertion
Why was there huge anti-war protests in the USA?
People saw the horror of war on their TVs
What happened in 1968?
Viet Cong forces co-ordinated a series of violent attacks on more than 100 towns in South Vietnam
US sent even more troops, the USA publicwere horrified
US sent even more troops, the USA publicwere horrified
Why did Johnson open peace talks?
Johnson was worried about his approval ratings, so he opened peace talks with North Vietnam in 1968 – these failed
Who won the US election?
Johnson lost the US election to Nixon
What program did Nixon start?
USA troops were systematically withdrawn, but he increased aerial and artillery bombardment - supporting South Vietnam with training and weapons
What did Nixon reopen?
He reopened peace talks with the DRV - they insisted on an unconditional and complete withdrawal from the USA
When was a peace agreement concluded?
1973 - USA and North Vietnam
Who withdrew?
USA
Who continued fighting?
North and South Vietnam
When did they continue fighting until? vietnamese
1975
Which Vietnamese won?
North Vietnam
When was Vietnam unified?
1976
What was Vietnam unified as?
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
