Vietnam War Key Terms

Viet Minh

Vietnamese resistance group which fought with the French against the Japanese during occupation. Led by Ho Chi Minh.

Ho Chi Minh

Leader of the Viet Minh and North Vietnam. Communist who followed the teachings of Mao, was seen as a hero, and appealed to the peasants.

First Indochina War

Vietminh were now free of Japanese but were still faced with the French. The US aids the French but Vietnam wants freedom. Ended by Dien Bien Phu.

Dien Bien Phu

Ends 1st Indochina War where French lure Vietnamese out of the forest to avoid guerilla warfare but the French are faced with a much stronger force than expected and are defeated. Should’ve warned the US that they were strong willed.

Geneva Accords

Planned peace agreement for French and Vietnam however Vietnamese were not invited. Temporarily divided Vietnam with North and South with plans to reunify in 1956.

Democratic Republic of Vietnam (NV)

Communist side aided by China and led by Ho Chi Minh who was a hero at the time who appealed to the peasants.

Republic of Vietnam (SV)

Aided by the US saying it was democratic, but really authoritarian. Diem led them since the US liked him but not the SV.

Ngo Dinh Diem

Leader of SV which was chosen by the US.

Viet Cong/National Liberation Front

Rebel group of communists who were against Diem in the South. The US felt the need to stop them.

Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN)

Ground military force of SV to defend from NV and the VC. Received lots of US training and supplies.

John F. Kennedy

President of the US towards the beginning of Vietnam. Was interested in supporting SV but really wants to keep much of Vietnam on DL. Knows Diem is bad, and when he is assassinated, __ is held responsible.

Lyndon B. Johnson

Was the president for much of the war. Came in when the US was failing in SV without a good leader. Got the US more involved with Tonkin.

Gulf of Tonkin Incident/Resolution

NV shoots at US ship and US says if it happens again they will fight back. The US fakes a second time in order to get involved. Through the resolution, LBJ is now given unchecked power for the rest of the war and his approval rating is very high.

Robert McNamara

Defensive secretary who was heavily criticized. Did not have a military background and therefore little strategy. Will not be humiliated.

Operation Rolling Thunder

The plan to bomb Ho Chi Minh trail since NV uses it to transport supplies. US bombs a lot including their people and they only gain enemies.

Ho Chi Minh Trail

The trail that NV used to give materials to the VC in SV.

Agent Orange

Easily destroyed all jungles from above but it was really toxic to people.

Napalm

Sticky flammable substance which was used to burn villages quickly. Also harmed people greatly.

General William Westmoreland

Believed in attrition (last man standing) who developed the idea that the US is only fighting to defeat the communists.

Attrition Strategy

Last man standing wins. The US should try to kill off as much of the NV and VC as possible.

Crossover Point

When the US is killing more people than the Vietnamese can replace. Very high casualties.

Body Count

US counts how many people they have killed, but the problem was that they were counting their own people which they killed which was not the point. The US just destroyed to get their numbers up.

“Hearts and Minds”

US strategy to get more people to vote for their form of government when reunification would come around. Need to get people to like them.

Nation Building

When the US went to another country and destroyed all to rebuild it on a US system. The point is to build the economy and infrastructure. Fuels Vietnam economy but only gains more enemies. Does not win “hearts and minds.”

The Draft/Lottery System

Originally was a biased and unpredictable system with local drafts. Then shifted to the Lottery system which based on your birthday you would be given a number and drafted when it's your turn. Less people excused and more predictability.

POWs/Hanoi Hilton

POWs were kept in very poor conditions. US POWs prison in NV which had brutal conditions with high levels of solitary confinement.

Living Room War

With new media levels, there was little restriction for what was broadcasted. People became more critical of the war.

Credibility Gap

People started to see with the media that what they were being told was not true about war. They then started questioning what else they were being lied about.

Hawks and Doves

Hawks wanted the US to get more involved since they said half in half out wasn’t working. Doves were the peace people, this was the growing group.

Fulbright Senate Hearings

Senator who pushed LBJ to release more information to the senate to reduce hidden information. Starts broadcasting live hearings to publicize information from hearings.

New Left

The radicals of the time who not only fought for anti-war but also civil rights and more of the time.

Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)

Part of New Left students who protected the democratic society. They organized the first March on Washington.

Nguyen Van Thieu

Head of SV air force and was the last president of SV.

Khe Sanh

Warmup of Tet where US saw more movement on trail so they found out NV was planning an attack at this US base. The US is able to prepare so hold of thinking this was the last attack.

Tet Offensive

Massive communist offensive on 30 cities in SV where all cities break out in attacks at the same time. Lasts for months and technically the US kills more people but since it was broadcasted in the US people think we are losing now.

Eugene McCarthy

From Wisconsin trying to get democratic nominee. Less progressive with civil rights and anti-war

Robert F. Kennedy

JFK’s brother who was fighting for democratic nominee. Likely would have won but he was assassinated. Anti-war sentiments.

Hubert Humphrey

LBJ’s VP and is anti-war. Ends up getting nominated but does not win the election.

1968 Democratic Convention

No clear leader at the time without Bobby Kennedy so many people are watching to see who receives the nominee and its broadcasted live.

Battle of Michigan Avenue

Illegal anti-democratic protests which get shot at by the national guard and police. Outside the democratic convention so many watch on TV.

Election of 1968

Humphry, Nixon, and Wallace. Nixon wins by secretly getting NV to drop out of the peace talks promising them a better way out when he is president. Denies the call when asked.

Richard Nixon

Sneakily wins election of 1968. Interested in withdrawing troops and reaching a good negotiation for the US.

George Wallace

Gets the independent nomination in the election of 1968.

Vietnamization

Nixon’s plan to withdraw US troops from SV and turn the war over to them. Still sends supplies.

Henry Kissinger

US secretary of state who is controversial so secretly engages in negotiations to get out with embarrassment while still acting like he is participating in public peace talks.

Madman Theory

Nixon was new and Vietnam did not know him, so straight off the bat Nixon wanted to come off as a lunatic to scare. Said the US would bomb if they did not come to negotiations but he was never going to.

Vietnam Veterans Against the War

Spoke through experiences for anti-war. Protested legally and when the government would not respond, they started throwing things through their windows to gain attention.

Silent Majority

Nixon’s way to comfort the law and order people. Said the protesters were just loud, not really the majority.

Kent State

University in Ohio which had an anti-war protest and although it was peaceful, the national guard shot at them killing four.

Jackson State

HBCU which was in Lockdown after Kent State. The National guard shot at students in their dorm due to pure racism.

Hardhat Riot in NYC

Kent protestors who came across construction workers who initiated violence with the protestors. Protestors were arrested and Nixon commended hard hats.

My Lai Massacre

SV village which had many VC. The US didn't find many VC’s but assumed they were hiding so they killed almost everybody quickly. Very few survived. Exposed well after it happened so the US becomes suspicious of what their hearing versus what's happening.

Pentagon Papers

Released by Ellsberg who found the US stayed in Vietnam to not humiliate even though they knew they’d lose. Tried under espionage acts.

Counterculture

Those against mainstream ideas.

Hippie Movement

White middle class baby boomers. Were mainly anti-war and used drugs to see life a different way.

Summer of Love 1967

Came to San Francisco to be yourself. Center of movement but after summer ended people had to return to normal lives.

Woodstock

huge weekend music festival which had unanticipated high attendance. Conditions were awful but people had so much fun and was overall a success to movement and peace.

Charles Manson

Used drugs to brainwash vulnerable people to get them to murder people. Took advantage of counterculture.

Christmas Bombing

US bombed civilians (many of which own people) to get back to the negotiation table. Other countries lose respect for the US.

Paris Peace Accords (1973)

Only resulted in peace for the US. NV and SV kept fighting since they signed two different peace treaties.

Fall of Saigon

NV invades SV with help of VC there very quickly. Quick communist victory.

Vietnamese Refugee Crisis

Many left the country through sea to be accepted by another but no matter what they were not safe. On overcrowded boats which were often attacked by pirates.

Re-Education Camps

High labor camps which were intended for short term but ended up being long-term.

Pathet Lao

New communist government of Laos. The US achieved the opposite of containment.

Amerasian Homecoming Act

Allowed Amerasian children and their immediate family to go to the US.

Operation Baby Lift

Allowed vulnerable children if left behind to leave Vietnam. Really only traumatized kids more since they were split.

Pol Pot & Khmer Rouge

He was the new communist leader who wanted a classless society in Cambodia. Led to the mass genocide.

POW/MIA

Many POWs were not recovered and there were no files of them. For a while the question remained if they were still held.

26th Amendment

Lowered voting age to 18 since if you can get drafted you should be able to vote.

War Powers Act

President could send troops but after 60 days congress would have to withdraw them or to keep, they’d have to declare war