Vietnam War Flashcards
What country originally had a colony in Vietnam?
France
Who led the Vietminh in guerrilla warfare against the French and what party was he in?
A communist revolutionary call Ho Chi Minh
When and where was the split between North and South Vietnam decided
Paris 1954
Along what latitude was Vietnam split?
The 17th parallel
Who controlled the North and South
The North was controlled by the Vietminh, the South was controlled by the anticommunist Ngo Dinh Diem
Why was Diem assassinated?
His regime was brutal and corrupt, the government was also made up of Catholics when most of the people were Buddhists
What was the Tonkin incident?
It was when North Vietnamese attacked the UUS Maddox a US destroyer, in the Gulf of Tonkin
What did the Tonkin incident allow President Lyndon B Johnson to do?
It allowed him to get the US congress to back his war against the North Vietnamese
What was operation Rolling Thunder, and who was it done by?
It was repeated bombing raids done by the US Air Force
What chemicals were used in the Vietnamese War by the US against the Vietcong?
Napalm which burned people to a crisp, and Agent Orange a gas used to clear the forests to allow the US soldiers to see the Vietcong but it wounded countless civilians
What was the My Lai massacre and when did it happen?
A US atrocity where a company of US soldiers killed nearly 350 Vietnamese villagers, this happened in March 1968
What tactics did the US use against the Vietcong?
“Search and Destroy” focused on the ‘body count’ not how to best defeat the enemy
Rolling Thunder also misfired when it was sometimes dropped on non communist villages
Conscription was high in the US meaning that many first time soldiers were against the Vietcong who has perfected guerrilla tactics
Strategic Hamlets these were when US troops force Vietnamese to live in villages to avoid the Vietcong entering the village
What was the Tet Offensive and when did it take place?
January 1968, Vietcong troops attacked Us forces on the Vietnamese new year (Tet) and made it to South Vietnam’s capital Saigon
How did the Tet Offensive work?
Militarily it was a failure as it failed to capture Saigon, however it reduced the morale of US troops and reduced support for the Vietnam War
What did Communist China provide to North Vietnam?
170,000 soldiers and military equipment
