Johnson foreign policy

Who replaced Nikita Khrushchev as the leader of the Soviet Union in 1964, and what was the coup called?

Leonid Brezhnev, who took power after Khrushchev was pushed out in the "Wednesday Conspiracy."

What was the "Spirit of Glassboro" in 1968?

A period of highly positive relations resulting from a meeting between President Johnson and Soviet Premier Kosygin.

What did the United States and the USSR agree to under the 1967 Outer Space Treaty?

They agreed that nuclear weapons would not be used or stationed in space.

What was the core agreement of the 1968 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons?

The US, UK, and USSR agreed not to share nuclear weapons technology with nations that did not already possess it.

What 1967 event caused diplomatic anger from the Soviet Union toward the Johnson administration?

The United States helped the daughter of former Soviet dictator Josef Stalin defect from the country.

Why did President Johnson choose to ignore the Soviet Union brutally crushing the 1968 Prague Spring in Czechoslovakia?

He prioritized securing and protecting the numerous arms control treaties being negotiated with the USSR.

How did the 1964 Wednesday Conspiracy temporarily benefit the United States in the Space Race?

The political chaos limited Soviet space efforts between 1964 and 1966, allowing America's Project Gemini to catch up.

What major milestone did Apollo 8 achieve in 1968, and what famous visual came from it?

It became the first manned spacecraft to orbit the moon, capturing the iconic "Earthrise" (Moonrise) photo.

What tragic setbacks did both the US and Soviet space programs suffer in 1967?

The entire crew of Apollo 1 died in a launchpad fire, and the Soviet Soyuz 1 malfunctioned, causing the first human death in space.

What major space milestone did the USSR achieve in 1969 during the final days of Johnson's presidency?

Soyuz 4 and 5 completed the first successful docking of two spacecraft and transferred cosmonauts between vessels.

What was the Mann Doctrine, and how did it alter the Kennedy Doctrine in Latin America?

Proposed by Thomas Mann, it ruled that the US would actively overthrow communist regimes but would tolerate right-wing military dictatorships.

In which two Latin American countries did the US help military dictators overthrow elected leaders between 1964 and 1966?

Brazil (1964) and Argentina (1966), because the elected leaders were not deemed hostile enough toward communists.

What was the 1966 Tricontinental Congress in Havana, and why was it a humiliation for the US?

A meeting hosted by Fidel Castro bringing together Chinese, Soviet, Cuban, and anti-American leaders right off the US coast.

What major anti-communist victory did the US achieve in Bolivia in 1967?

American forces successfully tracked down and killed the famous Argentine communist guerrilla leader Che Guevara.

What political system replaced the dictatorship of President Diem in South Vietnam after the 1963 coup?

A democratic system (established after Diem's overthrow and assassination).

What directive did Johnson issue in 1964 to give General Westmoreland and US forces greater authority in Vietnam?

NSAM 288 (National Security Action Memorandum 288), which allowed a much greater use of force by Americans.

What specific event triggered the escalation of the US role in Vietnam from advisory to direct combat in August 1964?

The Gulf of Tonkin incident, where North Vietnamese torpedo boats fired upon American naval ships.

How overwhelming was congressional support for the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?

Near-unanimous, with only 2 out of 535 total congressmen voting against the resolution.

What was "Operation Rolling Thunder," and how long did it last?

A sustained American aerial bombing campaign against North Vietnam that lasted from 1965 to 1968.

How drastically did US troop deployments in Vietnam grow between 1965 and 1968?

US forces escalated rapidly from 175,000 soldiers in 1965 to 535,000 troops by 1968.

What 1968 media event marked a turning point in American public approval for the Vietnam War?

CBS news anchor Walter Cronkite delivered a televised report presenting the war as a permanent stalemate.

What was the Tet Offensive of 1968, and what was one of its initial communist successes?

A massive joint North Vietnamese and Viet Cong surprise attack on southern cities; insurgents successfully captured the US Embassy for six hours.

Why was the Tet Offensive considered a military disaster for the communist forces despite initial scares?

Over 60,000 Vietnamese communists were killed, which crippled the Viet Cong insurgency and forced North Vietnam to seek peace talks.

What was the "McNamara Line," and what happened to it during the 1968 Battle of Khe Sanh?

A heavily fortified line of defenses on the North Vietnamese border; it held out against a brutal 75-day communist siege.

How did major European allies respond when Johnson escalated direct military action in Vietnam?

West Germany, France, and the UK all completely refused to join the war, despite Britain and France being SEATO members.

What drastic action did French President Charles de Gaulle take regarding NATO in 1966?

He withdrew France from NATO’s military command structure to stop French soldiers from being controlled by foreign commanders.