Vietnam War

Hi Chi Minh

Communist leader of North Vietnam

Vietminh

Group that fought France for independence

Domino Theory

Fear that communism would spread country to country

Down Bien Phu

Battle where France lost Vietnam

Geneva Accords

Agreement dividing Vietnam into North and South

Ngo Dinh Diem

U.S backed leader of South Vietnam

Vietcong

Communist fighters in South Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh Trial

Supply route from North to South Vietnam

Tonkin Gulf Resolution

Law letting U.S expand the war, to repel attacks and prevent further communist aggression, serving as the primary reason for escalating the war

Robert McNamara

Secretary of Defense during the war

Dean Rusk

Secretary of State during the war

William Westmoreland

U.S general in Vietnam

Army of the Republic of Vietnam

South Vietnam’s army

Napalm

Firebomb weapon

Agent Orange

Chemical that destroyed jungle cover

Search and Destroy Mission

Mission to find and kill enemy forces, increased support for the vietcong

Credibility Gap

Public distrust of government, government lied about progress, Tet Offensive contradicted official reports, pentagon papers exposed deception, rising death toll with no win, media coverage showed war’s brutality

Draft

Forced military service

New Left

Youth movement against the war

Students for a Democratic Society

Student anti war group

Free Speech Movement

College movement for free expression

Dove

Person against the war

Hawk

Person for the war

Tet Offensive

Major surprise attack in 1968, proved U.S claims of victory were false, turned public opinion against the war

Clark Clifford

Defense Secretary who opposed the war

Robert Kennedy

Anti war senator and candidate

Eugene McCarthy

Anti war presidential candidate

Hubert Humphrey

Democratic candidate in 1968

George Wallace

Segregation candidate

Richard Nixon

President who needed U.S involvement, set up the withdrawal

Henry Kissinger

Nixon’s advisor on foreign policy

Vietnamization

Plan to withdraw U.S troops

Silent Majority

Americans supporting Nixon quietly

My Lai

Mass killings of Vietnamese civilians, attempted cover up by the military, when revealed it shocked americans, increased distrust in the government and military

Kent State University

Protest where students were killed

Pentagon Papers

Leaked documents exposing government lies

War Powers Act

Law limiting presidential war powers without congress

Dog Tags

identification worn by soldiers, used to identify wounded or killed troops, became a symbol of sacrifice and loss

Tunnel Rats

U.S soldiers who crawled into vietcong tunnels, extremely dangerous job, faced traps, darkness, and close combat, shows intensity of guerrilla warfare

Hippies

Counterculture youth movement, promoted peace, love, and non violence, anti war, anti establishment, expressed beliefs through music, clothing, and protests

Chicago democratic convention

violent clashes between police and and protesters, protesters opposed vietnam war, Braodcast on TV, shocking the nation, highlighted political and generational conflict

“Burst of Joy” Photo

shows POW returning home to his family, symbol of relief, emotion, and human cost of war, contrasts joy at home with trauma of war (John mccain

Fall of Saigon

North vietnam captured South vietnams capital, marked the end of the vietnam war, vietnam became commmunist, chaotic evacuation of americans

Gulf of Tonkin Incident

alleged attack on U.S ships, gave link power to escalate the war without congress, later evidence showed incident was exaggerated or false

Guerrilla warfare

a military tactic using ambushes, booby traps, tunnels, hit and run tatics, blended in with civilians, frustrating U.S troops

Presidential involvement

JFK sent military advisers, supported south vietnam, LBJ major escalated of the war, approved gulf of revelation, sent hundreds of thousands of troops, Richard Nixon promised “peace with honor”, introduced withdrawal, expanded into cambodia

“Born in the USA” -Bruce Springsteeen

often misunderstood as patriotic, actually highlights the mistreatment of vietnam vets, shows vets returning to no jobs, no support, and no respect, reflects frustration and betrayal felt by many vets

Why 1968 was a “Tumultuous” year

Tet Offenive shocked americans by showing the war far from over, My Lai massacre revealed U.S soldiers killed vietnam civilians, asssainations of martin luther king jr and robert f kennedy, mass protests and riots