Vietnam War, 1945-75

French Indochina

A group of French dependant territories in Southeast Asia from 1887 to 1954.

Ho Chi Minh

Vietnamese revolutionary and politician who served as the founder and first president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam from 1945 until his death in 1969.

Dien Bien Phu, 1954

Decisive engagement in the First Indochina War between the French Union and the Viet Minh. The battle resulted in a significant French defeat and effectively ended French colonial rule in Indochina.

Geneva Agreement

Ended the First Indochina War and temporarily divided Vietnam.

Viet Cong

Communist-led military and political force that fought against the South Vietnamese government and its allies.

Guerilla Warfare

Small, mobile groups use unconventional tactics, like ambushes and hit-and-run attacks, to harass and weaken larger, more conventional forces.

Containment

Aimed to prevent the spread of communism by supporting anti-communist regimes and preventing communist expansion.

Domino Theory

If South Vietnam fell to communism, other countries in Southeast Asia, like Laos and Cambodia, would follow.

Ngo Dinh Diem

The first president of South Vietnam from 1955 until his capture and assassination during the CIA-backed 1963 coup d'état.

Gulf of Tonkin Incident, 1964

A series of events in August 1964, involving reported attacks on U.S. naval destroyers by North Vietnamese forces.

Lyndon Johnson

The 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969.

Draft

A system where individuals are legally obligated to serve in the military.

Muhammad Ali

Refused to be drafted into the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War in 1967, citing his religious beliefs and opposition to the war.

Operation Rolling Thunder

A gradual and sustained aerial bombing campaign that began on 24 February 1965 and lasted until the end of October 1968.

Napalm

A highly flammable gel, was widely used by US and South Vietnamese forces to destroy enemy hideouts, often causing horrific burns and civilian casualties.

Tet Offensive

A coordinated series of surprise attacks launched by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces during the Vietnamese lunar new year (Tet) in January 1968, against South Vietnamese and American forces.

Ho Chi Minh Trail

A vital supply route for North Vietnam during the Vietnam War, running through Laos and Cambodia to reach South Vietnam.

My Lai Massacre

A United States war crime committed on 16 March 1968, involving the mass murder of unarmed civilians.

Battle of Khe Sahn

fought between January 21 and July 9, 1968, fought between US Marines and ARVN troops against North Vietnamese Army (PAVN) forces, a prolonged siege, with the Marines under siege for several months and facing heavy artillery barrages and ground attacks.

Anti-war Movement

A significant social and political force that arose from growing opposition to US involvement in the Vietnam conflict.

Woodstock, 1969

A landmark three-day music festival held from August 15-18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, a defining moment of the counterculture movement.

Hippies

Actively protested against the war, advocating for peace and challenging the government's policies.

Kent State

Ohio National Guard fired on a crowd of unarmed students protesting the Vietnam War, deaths of four students and wounded nine others.

Peace with Honour

A phrase coined by President Richard Nixon to describe the Paris Peace Accords, the agreement that officially ended the Vietnam War in 1973.

Richard Nixon

The 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until his resignation in 1974, only US President to resign, because of Watergate Scandal.

Vietnamization

A policy implemented by the Nixon administration to gradually reduce US troop involvement and transfer the responsibility of fighting the war to South Vietnamese forces.

Henry Kissinger

An American diplomat and political scientist who served as the 56th United States secretary of state from 1973 to 1977.