Vietnam War and Activism Overview

A set of vocabulary flashcards based on themes from a lecture on the Vietnam War, notable figures, and civil rights activism.

Green Beret

Special forces in the U.S. Army trained to conduct unconventional warfare.

Anti-war movement

A social movement against the Vietnam War and U.S. involvement in it.

Eldridge Cleaver

A former Black Panther Party member who shifted to conservative politics later in life.

Angela Davis

A civil rights activist and former member of the Black Panther Party known for her advocacy for racial justice.

Black Panthers

A revolutionary socialist organization founded to advocate for self-defense and civil rights for African Americans.

UCLA

University of California, Los Angeles; where Angela Davis was a philosophy professor.

Humboldt University

A university in Berlin where Angela Davis earned her PhD.

The Geneva Accords

The 1954 agreement that divided Vietnam into North (communist) and South (non-communist) at the 17th parallel.

Ho Chi Minh

The communist leader of North Vietnam who fought for Vietnamese independence.

Proxy War

A conflict where opposing powers support combatants that serve their interests instead of waging war directly.

South Vietnam

The non-communist government in Vietnam supported by the United States.

North Vietnam

The communist government in Vietnam led by Ho Chi Minh.

Martin Luther King Jr.

A leader of the civil rights movement who promoted nonviolent protest against racial discrimination.

Civil Rights Movement

A struggle for social justice by African Americans to gain equal rights under the law.

Communism

A political ideology advocating for a classless society and collective ownership of the means of production.

Draft Resistance

Actions taken by individuals to protest against the military draft during the Vietnam War.

Fort Hood 3

Three U.S. soldiers who were court-martialed for refusing to serve in Vietnam.

National Liberation Front (NLF)

Also known as the Viet Cong; a South Vietnamese political organization and army that fought against U.S. forces.

Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces (ARVN)

The military forces of South Vietnam.

Agent Orange

A herbicide used by U.S. forces in Vietnam linked to severe health issues.

Vietnam War

A conflict in Vietnam from 1955 to 1975 involving the U.S. military supporting South Vietnam against North Vietnam.

24th Amendment

An amendment abolishing the poll tax in federal elections; significant in voting rights.

Decolonization

The process by which colonies gain independence from colonial powers.

Televised War

Refers to Vietnam as the first war extensively broadcast on television, shaping public perceptions.

POW/MIA

Prisoners of War/Missing in Action; classifications used for military personnel unaccounted for during conflicts.

Angelo Davis' Ideology

Beliefs centered on race equality, socialism, and feminism alongside communist ideals.

Eugene Debs

A historical figure associated with the Socialist Party who ran for President multiple times in the early 20th century.

Militarism

The belief or desire of a government or people that a country should maintain a strong military capability.

Birmingham, Alabama

A key location for civil rights activism and the childhood home of Angela Davis.

Free Angela Davis Campaign

An international campaign advocating for the release of Angela Davis during her trial in the early 1970s.

Vietnamization

A policy aimed at ending U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War by transferring military responsibilities to South Vietnam.

War Powers Act

A 1973 law intended to limit the president's ability to engage U.S. troops in military actions without congressional approval.

Dynamite Hill

A neighborhood in Birmingham, Alabama, known for racial violence and bombings during the Civil Rights Movement.

Rightward shift in American politics

The conservative movement in U.S. politics that gained momentum in response to civil rights activism and the Vietnam War.

Women's Army Corps (WAC)

A World War II unit that allowed women to serve in non-combat positions in the military.

Nixon Doctrine

A policy articulated by President Richard Nixon that aimed to reduce American involvement in Vietnam.