Conflict and Tension in Asia: Nixon's War and the Ending of Conflict in Vietnam

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers key terminology, tactical campaigns, and political events surrounding the withdrawal of US forces and the conclusion of the Vietnam War.

Vietnamisation

Nixon's 1969 policy of a gradual withdrawal of US ground forces, shifting the responsibility of fighting the war from the USA to the ARVN (South Vietnamese authorities).

ARVN

The army representing the South Vietnamese authorities that was intended to replace US ground forces during Vietnamisation.

Agent Orange

A toxic chemical defoliant dropped from USAF planes to strip away tree canopies; it caused serious illness and genetic defects in the offspring of those exposed.

Napalm

A jelly-like liquid used by US forces that would burn for hours, causing massive environmental destruction and painful deaths.

Operation Linebacker

A massive air attack by B52 bombers on North Vietnam ordered by Nixon in April 1972, targeting roads, railways, and ports.

Ho Chi Minh Trail

A supply route running through Cambodia and Laos used by North Vietnam to provide weapons to the Vietcong.

Kent State University

The site of a 1970 anti-war demonstration in Ohio where panicking National Guardsmen opened fire, killing 4 students and injuring 9 others.

Walter Cronkite

A trusted TV reporter who declared in February 1968 that he believed the Vietnam War was "unwinnable" during the Tet Offensive.

Fulbright Hearings

Senate Foreign Affairs Committee sessions in 1971 that officially recorded evidence of atrocities and war crimes committed in Vietnam.

John Kerry

A representative of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War who provided damning testimony about war crimes during the Fulbright Hearings.

Winter Soldier Investigation

An investigation carried out by Vietnam veterans that revealed critical information regarding atrocities committed during the conflict.

Watergate complex

An office building in Washington DC where 5 men working for CREEP were caught bugging the Democratic Party HQ in June 1972.

CREEP

The Campaign to Re-elect the President; its workers were involved in the 1972 Watergate break-in.

Paris Peace Agreement

The 1973 settlement involving the withdrawal of US forces within 60 days, the release of POWs, and the recognition of the South Vietnamese government by the North.

Fall of Saigon

The event on April 30th, 1975, when the capital of South Vietnam fell to Communist forces, effectively ending the Vietnam War.