US History Unit 9 Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh

Vietnamese revolutionary leader and Communist who fought for independence from France during WWII.

Dien Bien Phu

The place where the French were defeated in 1954 by the Vietnamese forces, leading to the Geneva Peace Conference.

17th parallel

The line that divided Vietnam into Communist-led North Vietnam and democratic South Vietnam after the Geneva Peace Conference.

Domino Theory

The US policy of containment that viewed Vietnam as a domino and aimed to prevent the spread of communism.

National Liberation Front (NLF)

Also known as the Viet Cong, the Southern resistance group supported by North Vietnam.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

Passed in 1964, it gave President LBJ the authority to send American troops to Vietnam.

Tet Offensive

A surprise offensive launched by the Vietnamese in 1968 during the Tet holiday, leading to increased antiwar sentiment in the US.

My Lai

A village where a massacre of Vietnamese civilians by US soldiers occurred during the war.

Hippies

Counterculture movement embracing peace, love, and opposition to the war through protests and alternative lifestyles.

Kent State

University where National Guard troops fired on student protesters, resulting in the death of four students.

Pentagon Papers

Classified documents revealing government deception about the Vietnam War, leading to public distrust of the government.

War Powers Act

Passed in 1973, it restricted the President's power to send troops into military action without congressional approval.