Vietnam War and Related Terms Flashcards

Flashcards covering key vocabulary related to the Vietnam War and various political and social movements of the 1960s and early 1970s.

Agent Orange

A herbicide used by the U.S. during the Vietnam War causing severe health issues for soldiers and civilians.

Dien Bien Phu

A major battle in 1954 where the French were defeated by the Viet Minh, ending French colonial rule in Indochina.

Domino Theory

The idea that if one country in Southeast Asia fell to communism, neighboring countries would soon follow.

Ho Chi Minh

Leader of North Vietnam and a symbol of communist resistance during the Vietnam War.

Ho Chi Minh Trail

A network of paths used by North Vietnamese forces to transport supplies into South Vietnam.

Invasion of Cambodia

A U.S. military operation ordered by President Nixon in 1970 to attack North Vietnamese sanctuaries.

Kent State

The site of a 1970 shooting where National Guard troops killed four students during a protest against the invasion of Cambodia.

Khe Sanh

A major battle in 1968 during the Tet Offensive where U.S. Marines fought against North Vietnamese forces.

My Lai

A massacre in 1968 where U.S. soldiers killed hundreds of unarmed South Vietnamese civilians.

Napalm

A highly flammable substance used in bombs during the Vietnam War, causing horrific burns.

Operation Rolling Thunder

A bombing campaign against North Vietnam from 1965 to 1968.

Pentagon Papers

A classified report leaked in 1971 revealing U.S. government deception regarding the Vietnam War.

Tet Offensive

A series of major attacks in 1968 by North Vietnamese and Vietcong forces, shifting U.S. public opinion.

Vietcong

Communist guerilla forces that fought against South Vietnam and the U.S.

Vietnamization

The U.S. policy under Nixon to transfer the burden of fighting the war to South Vietnam.

War Powers Act

A 1973 law limiting the president’s ability to engage U.S. forces without congressional approval.

Black Panthers

A militant African American organization founded in the 1960s to combat police brutality.

Malcolm X

An African American leader who advocated for black separatism and later embraced a more inclusive vision.

Robert Kennedy

A U.S. senator and presidential candidate assassinated in 1968, known for his civil rights advocacy.

Stokely Carmichael

Leader of the SNCC and later the Black Panther Party, famous for popularizing the term ‘Black Power.’

Stonewall Riots

A series of 1969 riots marking the beginning of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.

Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)

A left-wing student organization involved in anti-war protests and civil rights.

Timothy Leary

A psychologist who advocated for psychedelic drug use to expand consciousness.

Woodstock

A famous 1969 music festival representing the 1960s counterculture.

Eugene McCarthy

A U.S. senator who ran for president in 1968 on an anti-Vietnam War platform.

George Wallace

Governor of Alabama and segregationist candidate in the 1968 presidential election.

Hubert Humphrey

Vice president under Lyndon B. Johnson and the Democratic nominee for president in 1968.

Lyndon Johnson

U.S. president from 1963 to 1969 who escalated involvement in Vietnam.

Richard Nixon

President from 1969 to 1974, known for ending the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal.

Robert McNamara

U.S. Secretary of Defense during the Vietnam War who later expressed regret over the conflict.

William Westmoreland

U.S. Army general who commanded U.S. forces during the Vietnam War.

Griswold v. Connecticut

A 1965 Supreme Court case that established a constitutional right to privacy.

Roe v. Wade

The landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide.

Altamont

A 1969 music festival symbolizing the decline of the idealistic 1960s counterculture.

Counter-culture

A 1960s social movement associated with youth rebellion and anti-establishment views.

The TV War

The Vietnam War’s portrayal on television, shaping public opinion about the conflict.

National Organization for Women (NOW)

Founded in 1966 to advocate for women's rights and gender equality.

MAD doctrine

Mutual Assured Destruction, a Cold War military strategy to deter nuclear war.

Tonkin Gulf Resolution

A 1964 resolution granting President Johnson broad authority to use military force in Vietnam.