The Vietnam War

Date of the Battle of Diem Bien Phu ?

March - May 1954

What happened at Diem Bien Phu?

The Vietnam forces crush the French and remove French influence from the country

When was the Geneva Convention?

July 1954

What happened at the Geneva Convention?

Vietnam was split into two separate regions in the north and south with elections in both

When was President Diem put in charge of South Vietnam?

1955

Who took control of North Vietnam after the Geneva Accords were signed?

Ho Chi Minh

How did the US provide South Vietnam with to help combat communism in North Vietnam?

Helped to create the ARVN and sent American military advisors (almost 1000 by 1961)

How many US troops were there in South Vietnam by 1963?

17,000

Who were the Viet Cong?

Guerrilla forces in South Vietnam supporting the communist North

What did the Green Berets do?

Trained ARVN soldiers to oppose the Viet Cong’s Guerrilla tactics

What was the Strategic Hamlet program?

It set up fortified villages which villagers were moved into to protect them from and prevent them helping the Viet Cong

Why was President Diem seen as corrupt and disliked?

He was very prejudiced against Buddhists and discriminated them. One monk committed self-immolation in protest.

When was President Diem assassinated?

2nd November 1963

Why was the US partially responsible for the revolving door government in South Vietnam?

Because Kennedy had helped the Coup depose Diem as President

What were the main problems in South Vietnam after Diem’s assassination?

The Viet Cong controlled 30-40% of South Vietnam and the ARVN was unmotivated and inefficient

When was the Gulf of Tonkin Incident?

August 1964

What happened during the Gulf of Tonkin Incident?

It was alleged that North Vietnamese patrol boats fired on two US warships

What did The Gulf Of Tonkin incident cause?

The Gulf Of Tonkin Resolution was passed, authorising Johnson to do whatever necessary to end conflict in Vietnam

How many US troops were there in Vietnam by 1965?

184,000

What was the aim Of Operation Thunder?

To cut off the Ho Chi Minh Trail and stop the supply of resources from North Vietnam to The Viet Cong

When was Operation Rolling Thunder?

March-October 1965

What was Operation Rolling Thunder?

US Military heavily bombed North Vietnamese cities in order to get the government to surrender

Was Operation Rolling Thunder successful?

No because it was very expensive and most people lived in farming communities so the supply of troops was not affected.

What were the US troops main tactics?

Search and destroy - destroyed any South Vietnamese villages thought to contain Viet Cong

What Happened at the My Lai Massacre?

300 civilians were killed by US troops

When was the Tet Offensive?

30th January 1968

What was the Tet Offensive?

A major attack on South Vietnamese cities where the Viet Cong temporarily occupied the Saigon embassy before Us troops and the ARVN took control again

What were the Consequences of the Tet Offensive?

Despite the recovery of South Vietnamese cities by US troops the reaction in America was outraged and a Huge anti-war movement developed causing Johnson’s popularity as President to plummet

What did Johnson do after the Tet offensive?

He announced that he was halting bombing in Vietnam and would not run for President again