Vietnam War Flashcards

1
Q

why did US fails to win Vietnam War?

A
  1. Got involved too late; SV already deteriorating; US worses situation; fails to ensure land reform and win hearts/minds of majority due to supporting to the corrupt Diem Regime
  2. ARVN poor in quality and lacked support
  3. Search and Destroy ineffective
  4. Warfare not adjusted to rural and tropical Vietnamese forests; troops drafted, lacked morale, prone to narcotic use
  5. Collapse of Home Front due to confidence of winning and choose to televise war; expenses rise and hurt american taxpayers (violation of human rights= international dissent)
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2
Q

Paris Peace Agreement;

A

US, USSR and CHINA all go into negotiation

Agree to release/return prisoners of war

Withdrawal of forces from Vietnam

Ceasefire between SV government and Vietcong

Led to split region Communist and Noncommunist governing in South

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3
Q

origins of sv/nv

A
Vietnam gets split:
France, Japan fighting against Vietnam (they were fighting for their independence
SV and NV split
NV: communist
SV: capitalist
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4
Q

context of vietnam war

A

1954; Us declares its support for SV providing monetary aid and military advice

Context:
Two dominos had fallen; China and NK
WW2: Japan controlled Vietnam; HCM of VM supported by USA overthrew japanese rule

HCM declared Vietmanese indepdence

Soon after; Vietnam colonized by French

VM fought French for Communist Indenpedence

US spported French colonial regime militarily to contain communism

Despite military support, French beat at Dien Bien Ph

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5
Q

Geneva Agreements;

A

DBP defeat furthered Geneva Agreements of 1954

17th temporary parallel; splitting North Communist and South Capitalist Vietnam
= Geneva agreements; free elections in an attempt to reunify the two countries

NV falls under domino (under USSR sphere); communist winning in Asia?

US and SV don’t sign; not bound to agreement

US violates Agreements by forming alliance with SV (Bao Die replaced with Diem) via SEATO

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6
Q

Eisenhower’s involvment

A

Eisenhower (1954-60)
Battle of Dien Bien Phu; French destroyed by Vietnamese

Geneva Agreements/Accords 1954; suggest free elections should happen to unify country; US doesn’t sign (to stop communist spread; allows for them to remain involved)

Domino Theory; Eisenhower is a key believer
Doesn’t want US to be seen as ‘soft on communism’

As republic; took military approach by supporting French
Escalation of involvement; Doesn’t sign Geneva; Sets up SEATO alliance + wants to stop communist election from winning

Supporting Diem; to maintain capitalist + catholic upheld,

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7
Q

SEATO alliance

A

Southeast Asia Treaty Organization

  • signed by Western Powers to protect SOutheast Asian from foreign aggresion
  • 1954-1988
  • southeast asian states themselves not part of agreement
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8
Q

SV under Diem

A

SV predominantly Buddhist; DIEM cancels Agreement

Election; Eisenhower funds Diem’s government (500 million a year to train ARVN primary army)

Diem’s regime: corruption, nepotism, isolation and bigotry with refusals to implement land reforms as its echoed communism
Refusal of land reform; CIA assassinates him
NLF creates to liberate SV from Diem

→ isolated Buddhists (Catholic Middle Class evacuation; JFK Crusador); REgime led to Buddhist suicide demonstration due to religions censorship= Angers peasant majority and made them sympathetic to Vietcong
—-> Diem continues to refuse land reforms
Both US + SV military recognized Diem issues; Diem is assassinated in November ‘63

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9
Q

SV under Diem

A

SV predominantly Buddhist; DIEM cancels Agreement Elections (doesnt do anything to try to reunify; AS SV AND US DIDNT SIGN)

Election; Eisenhower funds Diem’s government (500 million a year to train ARVN primary army); economic and military advisors
+ Eisenhower also creates anti-vietnam propaganda that Diem propagates; claims NV are killing innocent SV

Diem’s regime: corruption, nepotism, isolation and bigotry with refusals to implement land reforms as its echoed communism

  • anti-budhist
  • catholic ‘western’
  • hunted vietminh supporters

Refusal of land reform; CIA assassinates him
NLF creates to liberate SV from Diem

→ isolated Buddhists (Catholic Middle Class evacuation; JFK Crusador); REgime led to Buddhist suicide demonstration due to religions censorship= Angers peasant majority and made them sympathetic to Vietcong
—-> Diem continues to refuse land reforms
Both US + SV military recognized Diem issues; Diem is assassinated in November ‘63

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10
Q

JFK involvment

A

Seen as soft on communism (failure of CUBA and draw-colistin in Laos; no victory during Presidency so he wants to prove himself)

Committed to monolithic, Cold War, Domino Theory
Catholic Crusader

Escalation: The enemy (Vietcong; determined to overthrow US/Diem and win with communist); US needs to hold onto South and prevent another communist surge)

US involvement causes surge of drugs and prostitution (SOCIAL)

Kennedy; wants to improve foreign policy; sends military advisors + Green Berets (continues training of ARVN)

Urged creation of Strategic Hamlets; failure due to Diem’s nepotism

–> Diem continues to refuse land reforms
Both US + SV military recognized Diem issues; Diem is assassinated in November ‘63
—> JFK 3 weeks later; his involvement in VIETNAM COMMITTED US FULLY TO VIETNAM WITHOUT CHOICE (giving into communism if they pull troops and stuff)

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11
Q

Green berets

A

to reinforce Diem, the new American president, John F. Kennedy, dispatched Green Beret “advisers” in 1961 and provided increased military aid, including American-piloted armed helicopters, as the guerrilla war expanded.

GREEN BERETS= US army uniform

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12
Q

ARVN

A

Army of Republic of Vietnam; south vietnamese army

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13
Q

Vietcong

A

Vietnamese Communists

  • also known as National Liberation Front against Diem government (mainly SV members in SV) and for ho Chi Minh’s ‘united vietnam’
  • assosiated with patriosm and nationalism= bady guys

aim; overthrow corrupt, unfair government of Diem and reunify Vietnam (as Geneva agreements had proposed); thought communist was best poliitical solution

-most members are poor, but professional people like teachers/doctors join

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14
Q

Viet Minh

A

national liberation movement formed to fight against French and Japanese control of Vietnam

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15
Q

Strategic Hamlets

A
  • Kennedy inherits it
  • started in 1960 under Diem and CIA; designed to stop Viet Cong winning over SV vietnamese cillages
  • villages under ‘Viet Cong influence” reolcated to camps with barbed wires/frences; new villages called stragetic hamlets and guarded by non-commnists
  • Diem + US; say its a policy to ‘help and defend’ the villagers

Issues:

  • diiffiuclty to tell which villagers support Viet Cong and which don’t
  • realistically, SV/US had no way of konwing if policy was working
  • relocated peasants have to pay for relocation and rebuilding of homes= creates anger and form of imprisoment of peasants
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16
Q

force draft

A

Force drafts; only rich people can dodge it (as uni students aren’t drafted); Social discrimination against poorer classes (often black)

17
Q

role of media

A
  • interntional dissent
  • showed true coverage of US failure; issues for Johnson
  • pressures nixon to end war
  • results in protests; shows government is lying
18
Q

ho chi minh trail

A
  • supply route from N to S

- maintained by 100,000 peasants moving supplies through the jungle

19
Q

ho chi minh

A

Ho Chi Minh who led the Vietminh was a communist and wanted independence for Vietnam.
- seen as father of revolution and french indepedence

20
Q

tet offense 1968

A

TeT; being major Vietnamese NYE celebration

The Tet Offensive was a series of surprise attacks by the Vietcong (rebel forces sponsored by North Vietnam) and North Vietnamese forces, on scores of cities, towns, and hamlets throughout South Vietnam. It was considered to be a turning point in the Vietnam War.

General Giap sends 4 NVA regiments as diversion to Khe Sanh; US troops send in 30,000 troops

US/SV bases destroyed including helicopters, supplies and buildings

Sudden attack deeply America

Vietcong attacks Saigon and embassies in US

Media reveals credibility gap; Johnson’s false optimistic assurance

MEDIA involved; sparked shock and disgust; US home front; brutality towards Communists = growth of anti-war parties and movements grew, opposed Johnson upcoming presidential election

Force drafts

President Nixon pressured for negotiation and ultimately end the war

21
Q

vietnaminization

A

vietnamese should fight by themselves; pull out troops; ARVn fights instead of US

22
Q

peace with honour

A

nixon wants to end peace with honour
Promises he’ll end the war with peace with honour
Peace with honour;
use of VIETNAMIZATION

23
Q

result of vietnam war (vietnam)

A

NV invades SV and Vietnam becomes communist

24
Q

CHINA involvment

A
  • supply equipment/supplies
  • gives moral support to ho chi
  • condems US involvement as ‘imperialism’
25
Q

USSR involvment

A

-supply equipment/supplies-
- USS and PRC want to win vietnamese communists on ‘their side’;
- USSR wins contest and has formal relations with vietnam
=comecon

26
Q

result of vietnam war (vietnam)

A

NV invades SV and Vietnam becomes communist

27
Q

result of vietnam war (vietnam)

A

NV invades SV and Vietnam becomes communist during 1975 “Fall of Saigon” battle

  • MANY casualties and human rights violations (1 in 7 vietnamese killed)
28
Q

communist fighters

A

NORTH VIETNAM: Democratic Republic of Vietnam

  • NLF; national liberation front
  • NVA; north vietnamese army
  • Viet Cong; US/SV term for NLF fighters
  • USSR and China support
29
Q

capitalist fighters

A

SOUTH VIETNAM: republic of vietnam

ARVN; army of republic of vietnam

30
Q

cambodia effects

A

Cambodia; causes civil war; Communist regime rises and kills ⅓ of population
= failure of vietnam fosters growth of communist regimes in cambodia and alos

31
Q

cold war development

A
  • US defeat by vietnam; failure of containment and humiliation
  • Domino theory
  • Nixon exit streatgey and Johnson failure to rally public
  • US suppor tof violent dictator
  • communist v capitalist idology
  • chinese support of NV
  • US initail detachment du eto US-France Nato relations
32
Q

VIETNAM; formation of Socialist Republic of VIetnam; POST WA

A
  • united, communist state of vietnam
  • opposition parties banned, cesnorship and forced collecvitization
  • Ho Chi minh as war hero
  • vietnam joins COMECON to make market revenue
  • CONG AN secret policy; capitalism is banend and religion under state control
  • censorship of arts and media
  • poor relations to china after cambodia incident
  • had soviet patronage (economi and military): lose it when USSR collapses
  • 20 years later; US establishes trade relations
33
Q

gabriel kolko orthodox

A
  • Diems assasisanation as a result of his refusal of US social policies
34
Q

why did the us even get involved?

A

Why did America become involved?

Their suspicion of Ho
Fought against the Japanese during WW2 1942-1945

Japanese surrender speech was based on the US declaration of independence

Roosevelt was an anti imperialist but wanted to inspire the French to defeat the Nazis

French were to be involved in steering Indochina to independence

Truman despite advice restored French rule in Indochina. Why??

Vietminh began to clash with French troops
France wanted to retain her control over wealthy south Vietnam

French maintained the Ho was a puppet of communism
Truman believed this analysis

When China fell in 1949 Truman was blamed and started to invest in French colonialism to stop the spread of communism in Indochina

There was also the Korean war and McCarthyism to contend with
France was very important in NATO and the Euro

35
Q

why did the us even get involved?

A

Why did America become involved?

Their suspicion of Ho
Fought against the Japanese during WW2 1942-1945

Japanese surrender speech was based on the US declaration of independence

Roosevelt was an anti imperialist but wanted to inspire the French to defeat the Nazis

French were to be involved in steering Indochina to independence

Truman despite advice restored French rule in Indochina. Why??

Vietminh began to clash with French troops
France wanted to retain her control over wealthy south Vietnam

French maintained the Ho was a puppet of communism
Truman believed this analysis

When China fell in 1949 Truman was blamed and started to invest in French colonialism to stop the spread of communism in Indochina

There was also the Korean war and McCarthyism to contend with
France was very important in NATO and the Euro

36
Q

Jim Rohwer

A

‘the broader aims of America’s effort in Vietnam were to keep the capitalist semi-democracies of Southeast Asian from falling to communistm”
= american accompliahsed the broader aims of asian staiblity that the intervention intended to serve