Vietnam War Background Review Flashcards
What three countries have controlled Vietnam before 1954?
China, Japan, France
Who was the American puppet leader in South Vietnam following the countries’ division in 1954?
Ngo Dinh Diem
What was the name of the American special forces in Vietnam?
Green Berets
Who was the Communist head of North Vietnam?
Ho Chi Minh
What was the dividing line between North and South Vietnam?
17th parallel/DMZ
What communist superpower borders Vietnam and provided the Communists with military aid?
China
What is the name of the South Vietnamese guerrilla fighters who aided the Communists?
Vietcong
What did SEATO stand for?
Southeast Asia Treaty Organization
What was SEATO?
Tied US to defense of South Vietnam to protect it from Communism
What was the Domino Theory?
A theory about the spread of Communism in Asia that we need to stop all the dominoes from falling in Asia to Communism.
What is MAAG?
advisory group that we used with our allies that we fought for in the Cold War. It was established under Truman and we sent in advisors.
What did MAAG stand for?
Military Assistance Advisory Group
What did MACV stand for?
Military Assistance Command in Vietnam
Who founded MACV?
JFK
What was MACV?
We began sending in Green Berets, taking on an act of fighting role.