Key Terms for Vietnam War

Counterculture/Hippies

A culture that defies norms and expectations imposed by mainstream society, advocating for peace, love, and personal freedoms, and opposing US involvement in the Vietnam War.

Yippies

Youth International Party

Communism

A societal structure where all property is publicly owned and individuals are compensated based on their abilities and needs.

Domino theory

The belief that if one country falls to communism, neighboring countries will also succumb to communism introduced by Eisenhower.

Guerilla warfare

A style of combat involving small, irregular groups utilizing unconventional tactics such as ambush and sabotage against larger, conventional military forces.

Napalm

A highly flammable gel made of gasoline thickened with special soaps, used in bombs and flamethrowers.

Agent Orange

A chemical herbicide and defoliant employed to destroy Vietnam’s dense vegetation, aiding the US military in locating Viet Cong.

Ho Chi Minh Trail

A covert trail through Laos and Cambodia used to supply weapons and move soldiers into South Vietnam.

Punji sticks

Wooden spears with feces-dipped tips hidden in traps, intended to injure and infect South Vietnamese soldiers.

Hawks vs. Doves

A division of opinions during the Vietnam War where 'hawks' advocated for intensified military action, while 'doves' sought to reduce or halt it.

New Left

A political movement that sought change within the system, inspired by the Civil Rights Movement, opposing US involvement in Vietnam and protesting against reductions in deferments.

Reduction in deferments

A policy requiring individuals to maintain good academic performance to receive federal educational funds.

Vietnamization

Nixon’s strategy to gradually withdraw US troops while increasing reliance on the South Vietnamese army for ground operations.

Draft

Initially a selection process of men from a large pool, evolving into a lottery system based on birthdates by 1969.

Credibility gap

A term describing public skepticism about the Johnson administration's claims of success in the Vietnam War, exacerbated by the Tet Offensive and controversial incidents like the My Lai Massacre.

Silent Majority

A term describing the majority of Americans who quietly supported Nixon's military strategies but were hesitant to voice their opinions publicly.

Hanoi/Saigon/Hue

Hanoi is the capital of North Vietnam, Saigon is the capital of South Vietnam, and Hue is a SV city that saw significant battle during the Tet Offensive.

Attrition

A strategy that monitored military success through body counts aimed at debilitating North Vietnamese forces.

Hamlets

Enclosed towns where thousands of South Vietnamese citizens were forcibly relocated and assumed Viet Cong if found outside.

Detente (easing of tensions)

A period where the US and USSR aimed to reduce tensions under Nixon, including efforts to neutralize the Ho Chi Minh trail.