Vietnam War Flashcards
Background
vietnam became a french colony (along with neighboring countries) became known as indochina
Vietnam split
Japan tookover vietnam
At the end of world war 2 Ho chiminh declared vietnam as a independent nation
With US aid France wanted to recognize Vietnam.
Where did vietnam split
Seventeenth parallel north is communist south is non communist
Who is Diem(s)
Political leader of south vietnam
What was Vietnam like under President Eisenhower.
Repressive dictoral rule by diem
- Diem has all power
- wealth is horded by the elite
Buddhist majority is persecuted
- tortured
- lack of political freedoms
U.s aided Diems gov.
Eisenhower sent financial and military aid
Vietnam under kennedy
Increased military advisions
Supported South Vietnamese Military take over
Dien and his brother are murdered kennedy was assinated weeks later
Vietnam under johnson
Truman’s domino theory is revived
Golf of tonkin resolution
U s committed to fight in south vietnam
Gulf of tokin resolution
Passed by Congress and radically altered the war in Southeast Asia it gave president Johnson the blank check
The air war
Constant bombing of north vietnam
Operation rolling thunder
Vietcong
Vietcong
Founded in south vietnam who were communist and supported by the native vietnam
Farmers by day gureillas by night
very patient people and willing to accept many casualties
u.s severly underestimated them
The ground war
No territorial goals and the body counts were on the tv every night
Tet offensive
Vietnamese army and Vietcong attacked 100 cities, bases, and the US embassy in saigon they took every major city in the South
Us + arvn beat back the offensive but the u s shows this as a defeat
What is the army in south vietnam called
Army of the republic of vietnam
Impact of the tet offensive
Domestic u.s reaction is disbelief anger and distrust of them of the johnson administration
Vietnam under nixon
His campaign promised an end to the war
Appealed to the “silent majority”
Vietnamization
Expansion of conflict “the secret war” (bombing of cambodia)
Vietnamization
U.s policy of withdrawing troops from vietnam
