Unit 4: w 3 & 4

George Washington’s Farewell Advice

Presidents should avoid entangling alliances and foreign conflicts.

Spanish American War

Conflict in 1898 between Spain and the U.S. resulting in American territorial gains.

League of Nations

International organization founded after WWI to promote peace and cooperation.

Neutrality Acts

Series of laws passed in the 1930s aimed at preventing U.S. involvement in foreign wars.

Liberal International Order

Post-WWII international system aimed at promoting democracy, free trade, and collective security.

World Bank

International financial institution that provides loans for development projects.

United Nations

Global organization founded in 1945 to promote peace, security, and cooperation.

NATO

Military alliance formed in 1949 for mutual defense against aggression.

The Berlin Airlift

Operation in 1948-1949 to supply West Berlin amidst a Soviet blockade.

The Truman Doctrine

U.S. policy to support countries resisting communism.

Korean War

Conflict from 1950-1953 between North and South Korea with U.S. involvement.

Pax Americana

Period of relative peace in the Western Hemisphere influenced by U.S. power.

First Indochina War

Conflict from 1946 to 1954 between the French and Vietnamese nationalists.

The Geneva Accords

Agreements that temporarily divided Vietnam at the 17th parallel.

Domino Theory

The idea that the fall of one country to communism would lead to the spread to neighboring countries.

Viet Cong

Communist insurgents in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

Gulf of Tonkin Incident

1964 event leading to increased U.S. military involvement in Vietnam.

USS Maddox

U.S. Navy destroyer involved in the Gulf of Tonkin Incident.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

Legislation passed in 1964 granting President Johnson authority to escalate U.S. military presence in Vietnam.

The Tet Offensive

A major attack by North Vietnamese forces in 1968 that shocked the American public.

The Pentagon Papers

Government documents revealing miscalculations about the Vietnam War.

Martin Luther King

Civil rights leader who opposed the Vietnam War on moral grounds.

Muhammad Ali

Boxer and activist who refused military service on religious grounds.

John Kerry

Vietnam veteran and anti-war activist who criticized U.S. policy in Vietnam.

Kent State Incident

1970 shooting of students protesting the Vietnam War, leading to national outrage.

Anti Vietnam War Movement

Collective efforts against U.S. involvement in Vietnam during the 1960s and 1970s.

Lyndon Johnson

U.S. President who escalated American involvement in the Vietnam War.

Richard Nixon

U.S. President who implemented Vietnamization and sought peace with honor.

Peace with Honor

Nixon's strategy to withdraw from Vietnam while preserving U.S. dignity.

Carrot and Stick Approach

Policy of offering incentives and threats to gain compliance.

Vietnamization

Nixon's strategy to reduce American soldiers in Vietnam and increase South Vietnamese forces.

Paris Peace Accords

1973 agreement to end U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.

Prisoners of War

Military personnel captured by enemy forces.

Fall of Saigon

Event in 1975 marking the end of the Vietnam War with the capture of Saigon by North Vietnamese forces.

Walter Cronkite

Trusted journalist whose anti-war stance influenced public opinion.

Senator William Fulbright

Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who opposed the Vietnam War.

Case Church Amendment

Legislation passed in 1970 that limited U.S. military involvement in Cambodia.

Why did President Lyndon Johnson decide to not seek reelection in 1968?

Growing opposition to the Vietnam War and declining public support.

How did President Nixon change America’s involvement in the war in Vietnam?

He began to withdraw American troops and implement Vietnamization.

Why, ultimately, did America exit the Vietnam War?

Increasing domestic pressure and failed military strategies led to withdrawal.

Why did American public opinion turn against the war in Vietnam?

The perception of a prolonged, unwinnable conflict and graphic media coverage.