Vietnam War

Question 1

What was the Domino theory?

Answer 1

Americans believed that if SV fell under communism, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand would all follow. This meant that more and more countries would continue to fall under communism and eventually America would be defeated

Question 2

Who were the Viet Cong?

Answer 2

A communist guerilla army who fought against the Americans in the war, which took place in the jungles of Vietnam

Question 3

What type of warfare did the Viet Cong use?

Answer 3

Booby traps, ambush and underground tunnels

Question 4

How was Vietnam organised from 1954?

Answer 4

Followiung the defeat of the French colonial forces, the country was divided into North Vietnam (led by Ho Chi Minh) and South Vietnam (led by Diem)

Question 5

How did US involvement increase under JFK from 1961?

Answer 5

Under JFK the number of ‘advisers’ in SVrose to 11,000. Also, in 1963 the US decided that Diem was too corrupt and allowed an assassination by army officers to take place

Question 6

What was the Tet Offensive?

Answer 6

In Jan 1968 Viet Cong fighters attacked over 100 cities and military targets in South Vietnam. They tried to capture the US embassy in Saigon. Despite the US successfully retaking many of the towns, Tet Offensive proved to Americans that they were not winning war in Vietnam. It convinced Johnson that the war could not be won by the military

Question 7

What was Operation Rolling Thunder?

Answer 7

In Feb 1965 Johnson ordered a massive bombing campaign against NVfor 8 months. The idea was that heavy bombing meant less troops were needed on ground. This failed as number of troops increased and there were 500,000 by 1968

Question 8

Why was Diem so unpopular?

Answer 8

His government was dominated by a Catholic minority who did little to help Buddhist population. He did little to help majority who were poor peasants, who increasingly began to support the VC

Question 9

What happened at My Lai?

Answer 9

In March 1968 a unit of US soldiers massacred around 300-400 civilians. 12 months later the incdient was investigated by Congress, although only Lt William Calley was found guilty

Question 10

What tactics did the Americans have to try and win the war?

Answer 10

Strategic hamlets, agent orange, napalm, search and destroy, and bombing

Question 11

Why did the US tactics fail to have an effect?

Answer 11

The VC continued to receive supplies from NV and they built extensive tunnel networks which were protected from weapons (agent orange/napalm)

Question 12

How did US involvement increase under Johnson in 1963?

Answer 12

He launched Operation Rolling Thunder

Question 13

What impact did My Lai have on America?

Answer 13

Attracted a lot of attention and publicity in US and many Americans were convinced the war in Vietnam was going wrong

Question 14

Identify 4 reasons why the USA became involved in Vietnam

Answer 14

Containment, domino theory, ARVNs and the US was attacked

Question 15

What was the result of the Golf of Tonkin?

Answer 15

When NV torpedo boats attacked US ships in the Gulf of Tonkin in 1964 this provided an excuse for Johnson to increase US involvement

Question 16

Why did the US fail to win the support of the people in SV?

Answer 16

US military tactics killed many innocent civilians (over 1.3million Vietnamese were affected). Strategic hamlets also angered many Vietnamese people who were forced to move

Question 17

What was Agent Orange?

Answer 17

A defoliant which destroyed areas of the jungle and prevented villagers from leaving in certain areas

Question 18

What were Strategic Hamlets?

Answer 18

The US moved villages to the new sites behind barbed wire - entry was carefully controlled by villagers resented leaving their ancestors’ bones

Question 19

Where did the VC get their weapons and supplies from?

Answer 19

The VC received supplies from the government in NV (who were themselves supplied by China and the USSR). By 1963 the VC controlled 40% of the countryside in SV

Question 20

What happened at Kent State university in 1970?

Answer 20

300 students gathered to protest against the war. Four students (not involved in the demo) were shot dead

Question 21

Why did protests in the USA increase?

Answer 21

Protests were fuelled by the media’s coverage of the war e.g My Lai, or the innocent victims of the napalm attacks, as well as the rising level of US casualties, which rose to 300 per week. Vietnam was Americas first televised war

Question 22

What was Napalm?

Answer 22

A type of petroleum jelly which destroyed jungle or suspected VC villages - however thousands of innocent villagers were also killed

Question 23

Did Vietnamisation work?

Answer 23

Yes, at first. Over half the males in SV were recruited into the army and a major offensive by NV was successfully resisted by SV and US troops. However, following renewed fighting in 1974 the USA failed to maintain their support to the SV and the country fell to communism in 1975. Containment had failed

Question 24

What was Vietnamisation?

Answer 24

The process of training the SV army to fight the VC - this policy was adopted by President Nixon

Question 25

Why was Vietnamisation adopted by Nixon?

Answer 25

He knew the USA was suffering from this war but couldnt be the President who admitted defeat

Question 26

How expensive was the Vietnam war for the USA?

Answer 26

By 1968 this war was costing $30 billion - a great burden for the tax paying voters. It was suggested that it cost the USA $400,000 for each VC guerilla killed. The total number of American deaths was 58,202 and 60% of the men killed were under 21

Question 27

Why did the USA support Diems government?

Answer 27

The US based their policy on the domino theory - if the VC were successful, and SV fell under communism then other countries would ‘fall’ to communism, like a row of dominoes

Question 28

Why did US troops find this war so frustrating?

Answer 28

• They rarely encountered the VC
• Their friends were killed by booby traps laid by unseen enemies
• The villagers often refused to help them find the VC

Question 29

What are guerilla tactics?

Answer 29

• Hiding in the jungle and conducting sudden ambushes on US troops
• Laying out booby traps for US troops
• Relying on villagers for support, e.g. providing food/hiding weapons
• Blending in with villagers when needed - the US troops could not tell the difference

Question 30

Why did superior US firepower fail to gain a victory in Vietnam?

Answer 30

The VC fought a guerilla war and avoided any large pitched battle

Question 31

How many Vietnamese were killed?

Answer 31

300,000 South Vietnamese and 900,000 North Vietnamese and VC

Question 32

How did the Tet Offensive affect public opinion?

Answer 32

Despite the US successfully re-taking many of the towns, the Tet Offensive proved to many Americans that they were not winning the war in Vietnam. It convinced Johnson that the war could not be won by the military

Question 33

By 1968 the war was costing…

Answer 33

$30 billion

Question 34

How much did it cost to kill each VC soldier?

Answer 34

$400,000

Question 35

What were the total american deaths?

Answer 35

58,202

Question 36

What % of the men who were killed under 21?

Answer 36

60%