Key Terms Vietnam

The Trung Sisters

Led revolt against chinese rule, inspiration for resistence against french and Americans

Trieu Au (Lady Trieu)

3rd century Vietnamese female warrior who resisted chinese rule. Similar to Trung sisters. Propoganda for vietnamese resistence movements.

Mongols

Invaded and occupied vietnam in the 13th century.

Le Loi

A 15th‑century Vietnamese leader who successfully expelled the Chinese Ming dynasty’s forces and founded the Lê dynasty; his example provided a historical precedent for Vietnamese nationalist and revolutionary leadership (including during the 20th century) resisting foreign powers.

Alexander de Rhodes

A French Jesuit missionary in Vietnam in the 17th century who developed the Romanized Vietnamese script (quốc ngữ) and helped spread Christianity; in later times the use of quốc ngữ became central to Vietnamese education, journalism and nationalist politics (including in the lead‑up to and during the Vietnam War).

Tourane

• The colonial name used by the French for the city of Đà Nẵng (in central Vietnam), a strategic port and later an important base during the Vietnam War; its history reflects the layers of colonial and wartime geopolitics in Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh

• The founding leader of North Vietnam and a central figure in the Vietnamese communist revolution; his ideas, leadership and symbolic status were critical in shaping the war against the French and then the Americans.

Nguyen Sinh Cung

: The birth name of Ho Chi Minh — this reminds us of his early life and the continuity of his revolutionary identity from colonial times into the major conflict of the Vietnam War.

Nghe An

• A province in central Vietnam which is Ho Chi Minh’s birthplace; regional origins like this were often emphasized in propaganda and nationalism, and provide a socio‑geographic anchor for nationalist identity.

non quoc

The development and use of the quốc ngữ (Romanized Vietnamese script) enabled wider literacy, nationalist mobilization, and the spread of revolutionary ideas in the 20th century, which fed into the Vietnam War era.

Nguyen Ai Quoc

He used this name when abroad as a revolutionary activist; the use of various pseudonyms shows the clandestine, international nature of Vietnamese communist activism which set the stage for later war‑time organization.

Nguyen O Phap

again, underscores the anti‑colonial, revolutionary trajectory of Vietnamese leadership that blossomed into the large‑scale conflict of the Vietnam War.

Vladimir Lenin’s Thesis on the National and Colonial Questions

A crucial Marxist‑Leninist document that informed how communist movements (including in Vietnam) thought about colonialism, national liberation and revolution — thus providing intellectual underpinnings of the Vietnamese communist struggle.

Revolutionary Youth League of Vietnam

A precursor organization to the Vietnamese Communist Party, mobilizing youth in anti‑colonial activity; such organization‑building in the 1920s‑30s created the structure which later sustained war‑time mobilization.

Tydings‑McDuffie Act

A 1934 US law providing a path to independence for the Philippines — its example showed how colonial powers could chart transitions, and the global decolonization context affected Vietnam’s own struggle for independence and thus its war dynamics.

General Douglas D. Gracey

A British general, commander in Burma during WW2, he later interacted with Southeast Asia in the decolonization era; his mention shows the multi‑national military/colonial context surrounding Vietnam’s wars.

Peter Dewey

The first US casualty in Vietnam (1945) while working for OSS in Saigon; his death is a symbolic early marker of US involvement in Vietnam, signaling how the conflict escalated over decades.

Georges Thierry d’Argenlieu

A French admiral and Vichy figure involved in French colonial Indochina affairs; France’s colonial role in Vietnam laid the groundwork for the war between the French and Viet Minh, which in turn set up the later American phase.

Etienne Valluy

A French general involved in Indochina (First Indochina War) operations; his role reminds us that the Vietnam War did not start with the Americans but was preceded by French colonial‑military conflict.

Guerrilla warfare

A dominant method used by the Viet Minh and later the Viet Cong — small‑unit, irregular tactics versus conventional armies — central to understanding how the Vietnam War unfolded.

Mao Zedong

Chinese communist leader whose writings and strategies about revolution and guerrilla war (including “protracted people’s war”) influenced Vietnamese communists’ tactics and strategy in the Vietnam War.

Chiang Kai‑Shek

Leader of the Chinese Nationalists; his presence in China and the Chinese Civil War affected US and Chinese policy in Asia, which indirectly shaped Vietnamese war‑time alignments and the Cold War context of Vietnam.

Domino Theory

A Cold‑War concept articulated by US policymakers that if one country in Southeast Asia fell to communism, neighboring ones would follow; this theory was used to justify major US intervention in Vietnam.

Vo Nguyen Giap

The chief military strategist of North Vietnam; his leadership in both the First Indochina War and the Vietnam War made him a central figure in how the communist side fought and sustained the war.

General Henri Navarre

A French general who commanded French forces in Indochina (notably at Dien Bien Phu); his campaign’s failure in 1954 led to the Geneva Accords and the partition that set the scene for the Vietnam War.

Colonel Christian de Castries

The French officer who commanded the French garrison at the pivotal Battle of Dien Bien Phu, the defeat of which marked the end of major French colonial military involvement and the beginning of the American era in Vietnam.

Dien Bien Phu

The site in 1954 of the decisive French defeat in Indochina; the resulting Geneva Conference partitioned Vietnam and created the conditions for the later U.S.‑influenced Vietnam War.

Colonel Charles Piroth

A French artillery officer at Dien Bien Phu whose miscalculations contributed to the French defeat; illustrates how military decisions in the colonial era had major consequences for what followed.

Quagmire

A metaphor often used to describe the Vietnam War (especially from the US perspective) — a conflict characterized by uncertain progress, large commitment, and few exits; it captures the nature of US involvement in Vietnam.

Bao Dai

The last emperor of Vietnam (under French colonial rule) and later Chief of State of South Vietnam; his role indicates the colonial transition to “independent” but heavily influenced state structures that the Vietnam War confronted.

Hao Hao

A Vietnamese Buddhist reform movement founded in 1939 which had its own armed militia; during the Vietnam War era such religious‑militia groups (including Cao Dai, Binh Xuyen) added to the complexity of allegiances and conflict beyond the main north/south divide.

Cao Dai

A syncretic Vietnamese religious/political movement with its own militia; during the 1950s and early 60s in South Vietnam, it operated as a semi‑independent power centre, framing how the war in Vietnam was not just between North and South but involved multiple internal factions.

Binh Xuyen

A Vietnamese crim‑militia group in the 1950s that controlled Saigon’s underworld and private armies; their existence illustrates the fragmented authority and weak state structures which the war exploited.

Khmer

The ethnic group native to Cambodia; their historical and geographical proximity to Vietnam (and later involvement in the Vietnam War and its spill‑over into Cambodia) shows how the conflict in Vietnam was part of a broader regional conflict.

Montagnard

• Indigenous highland peoples in Vietnam (Central Highlands) who were drawn into the war, often recruited by US/South Vietnamese forces, and whose experience reveals the ethnic and regional dimensions of the Vietnam War beyond the Kinh majority.

Roman Catholics

A significant religious community in Vietnam whose alignment (often with South Vietnam and the US) and experiences (including persecution under some North Vietnamese regimes) were part of the war’s ideological and religious stakes.

Ngo Dinh Diem

• The first president of South Vietnam (1955‑63) whose authoritarian rule, anti‑communist orientation and eventual downfall in a US‑supported coup were central to the early phase of the Vietnam War.

Tran Le Xuan (Madame Nhu)

The sister‑in‑law and de facto First Lady of South Vietnam under Ngo Dinh Diem; her political activism, symbolic role and association with the regime’s repression made her a controversial figure in the lead up to the 1963 coup.

Ngo Dinh Nhu

The younger brother of Ngo Dinh Diem and head of the secret police in South Vietnam; Nhu’s power and link to the regime’s oppressive tactics contributed to the instability that deepened the war.

Ngo Dinh Thuc

The eldest brother of Ngo Dinh Diem who was Archbishop of Huế; his role illustrates how the Diệm regime’s intertwining of politics and Catholic religious authority played into the war’s religious and ideological dimensions.

Roving Tribunals

Refers to non‑standard, often mobile judicial or quasi‑military panels used in counter‑insurgency efforts; such mechanisms were part of how South Vietnam and US forces attempted to control insurgency, sometimes raising human‑rights issues that further delegitimized the war.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

US President (1953‑61) whose administration laid the groundwork for large‑scale US involvement in Vietnam, providing military and economic aid to South Vietnam based on the domino theory.

John F. Kennedy

US President (1961‑63) under whom US “advisors” in Vietnam grew significantly and whose decisions escalated American involvement, setting up the conditions for greater war.

Robert S. McNamara

US Secretary of Defense (1961‑68) who was central to planning and executing the American war effort in Vietnam, including major increases in US troops and resources.

Fidel Castro

Cuban leader whose 1959 revolution inspired many in the Third World and influenced US perceptions of global communism; his example helped shape US policy in Vietnam (i.e., seeking to block “another Cuba” in Southeast Asia).

Lyndon B. Johnson

US President (1963‑69) during whose administration the Vietnam War escalated dramatically — including the Gulf of Tonkin incident and the ramping up of US ground troops.

Ap Bac

A major engagement in 1963 in South Vietnam where Viet Cong forces defeated a better‑equipped South Vietnamese unit; it signalled that conventional military superiority would not guarantee victory, alarming US policymakers.

Thinch Quang Duc

• A Buddhist monk who self‑immolated in Saigon in 1963 in protest of the Diệm regime’s persecution of Buddhists; his act became a powerful symbol of religious protest and helped erode South Vietnam’s legitimacy.

Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr

• US Ambassador to South Vietnam (1963‑64) who played a key role in US policy, including the 1963 coup against Diệm; illustrates US diplomatic and covert involvement in the war.

Operation Bravo

This term is less familiar in common Vietnam War historiography (it might refer to a lesser‑known operation or codename); broadly, operations like this reflect the many named military efforts in the war.

General William C. Westmoreland

Commander of US military operations in Vietnam (1964‑68), overseeing the large expansion of US troop deployments and the “search‑and‑destroy” phase of the war.

Gulf of Tonkin Incident

A 1964 naval incident involving US destroyers and North Vietnamese forces that provided the pretext for the US Congress to authorise full‑scale military intervention in Vietnam (via the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution).

Senator George McGovern

• US Senator and anti‑war advocate who opposed US Vietnam War policy; his stance reflects the growing domestic US opposition to the war which influenced policy shifts.

Ernest Gruening

One of the only two US Senators who voted against the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution; his action symbolises early congressional resistance to unchecked executive war powers in Vietnam.

Wayne Morse

Another US Senator who opposed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution; his dissent is part of the larger story of US domestic political backlash against the Vietnam War.

Duong Van “Big” Minh

A South Vietnamese general and political figure who led the South’s military and later briefly the government during the 1963 coup against Diệm; the internal politics of South Vietnam were deeply entwined with the war.

A.J. Muste and David Dellinger

US pacifists and activists who strongly opposed the Vietnam War; they represent the domestic US anti‑war movement which changed the context of the war effort.

War Resisters League

One of the oldest US pacifist organisations; during the Vietnam War era such groups mobilised public opinion and challenged the legitimacy of the war.

Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN)

The military forces of South Vietnam, central in the ground combat of the war and the conflict’s internal dimension (not just US vs North but ARVN vs Viet Cong/North).

Nguyen Van Thieu

• President of South Vietnam (1967‑75) who led the South’s government during much of the war; his leadership is tied to the war’s domestic and political dimensions.

Nguyen Cao Ky

A South Vietnamese general and politician who served as Prime Minister and later Vice President under Thieu; his role illustrates the overlapping military‑political leadership in South Vietnam during the war.

Rolling Thunder

A large‑scale US bombing campaign (1965‑68) against North Vietnam intended to interdict supplies and weaken Northern will; it is emblematic of the air‑power strategy of the war.

Meadowgold Dairies and Foremost Dairies (Madison, Wisconsin)

• These seem less obviously connected to the Vietnam War; they may refer to domestic US companies or events used in domestic political contexts or support for veterans/home front mobilization rather than front‑line war issues.

University of Michigan

• American university where substantial anti‑war activism occurred; such campuses were key sites in shaping US public opinion about the Vietnam War.

Teach-In

A method of protest/education — faculty and students held “teach‑ins” during the Vietnam War to explain the war and mobilise opposition; they show how the war influenced US civil society.

Agent Orange

A herbicide/defoliant used by US forces in Vietnam to remove jungle cover; its use had massive environmental, health and political repercussions — its legacy remains part of the war’s human cost.

Ben Tre

A province in South Vietnam where the US military once proclaimed “It became necessary to destroy the town to save it” (a controversial statement); the event symbolises the war’s devastation of Vietnamese civilians.

Free Fire Zone

Areas designated by US/South Vietnamese forces where virtually all persons could be considered enemy combatants and subject to attack; these zones illustrate how Vietnam War tactics blurred civilian/combatant distinctions and fueled controversy.

Bess Abell

• A White House social aide during the Johnson administration; she may represent the home‑front or cultural/political side of US leadership during the war era.

Robert Lowell

An American poet whose work sometimes addressed the Vietnam War; his mention shows how the war permeated American culture and arts.

White House Festival of the Arts:

• A cultural event in the US; in the context of the Vietnam War era, cultural diplomacy, domestic protest and war‑era arts were intertwined.

Charlton Heston

A US actor and political activist; his mention points to how Hollywood and public figures became involved in or commented on the Vietnam War era.

Operation Chaos

A covert CIA program (1967‑73) targeted anti‑war activists in the US; shows how the Vietnam War extended into domestic surveillance and civil‑liberties issues in America.

Silent Center

Less well‑known; likely a group or concept within the US war‑era protest/analysis community — illustrates how the war’s impact extended beyond the battlefield into ideology and activism.

Tet Offensive

A major 1968 offensive by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces across South Vietnam; it marked a turning point in the war by shocking US public opinion and raising doubts about US progress.

Viet Cong Infrastructure

A term referring to the hidden political/administrative network of the Viet Cong; understanding the war required focusing not just on combatants but on this invisible infrastructure of insurgency.

Phung Hoang (also known as Phoenix Program)

US/South Vietnamese counter‑insurgency program (1967‑72) intended to neutralise Viet Cong political infrastructure; controversial for its methods and illustrates the war’s murkier intelligence/ counter‑insurgency side.

Cadres

The Communist term for trained organizers who ran political/military units; the Vietnamese war (both sides) was as much about ideology and organisation as about battlefield tactics.

Richard Komer and Nelson Brickham

US intelligence‑officers involved in Vietnam (Komer in rural pacification, Brickham in I&C) — their roles highlight the importance of intelligence coordination, civic‑action and propaganda in the war.

Intelligence Coordination and Exploitation (ICEX)

A US programme to make use of captured Viet Cong data for intelligence; reflects the war’s dimension in intelligence/psychological operations not just kinetic combat.

Hue

Site of the 1968 Battle of Huế (during the Tet Offensive) — symbolic because of the city’s cultural importance and the intensity of fighting, civilian casualties and media coverage.

General Nguyen Ngoc Loan

South Vietnamese general who executed a Viet Cong prisoner in a famous photograph (1968) — the image became symbolic of the war’s brutality and its effect on global public opinion.

Walter Cronkite

Influential US news anchor whose 1968 broadcast declaring the Vietnam War “mired in stalemate” had major influence on US public opinion and policy; shows media’s role in the war’s outcome.