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Other names for Vietnam War & why
Johnson’s War (escalated the war the most), TV War (extreme presence of the war in media)
What did Ho Chi Minh want when he returned to Vietnam in 1941
Free Vietnamese people from Japanese and French
What were the names of Ho Chi Minh’s government
Vietnam Independence League, Vietminh
Who was Ho Chi Minh’s military commander
General Giap
How was Ho Chi Minh involved in WWII
Ho Chi Minh and General Giap fought with USA against Japan (believed US would help them get freedom from Japanese)
What happened in Vietnam after WWII
Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnamese independence and created Democratic Republic of Vietnam
Why did the USA not help Ho Chi Minh and Vietnam
Monolithic View of Communism; Ho Chi Minh was educated in Communism → US believed him to be communist
Who did Ho Chi Minh seek aid from and why (First Indochina War)
USA and USSR against French and Republic of China
Who supported Ho Chi Minh during the First Indochina War
Vietnamese people
Who supported Bao Dai during the First Indochina War
French
Who was Bao Dai
French puppet emperor of Vietnam (Vietnamese hated him)
When was the First Indochina War
1946-1960
When was the Second Indochina War
1960-1963 (US involvement ended in 1973)
How did the First Indochina War start
Ho Chi Minh declared war on French in Vietnam
How did General Giap defeat the French (battles in 1952)
Guerilla tactics, helped by Mao and People’s Republic of China (PRC), supported by Vietnamese people
What was the USA’s involvement in the early Indochina War (1950)
President Harry Truman sent financial aid and arms to French through Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG)
Why did Truman help the French in 1950
Believed Ho Chi Minh was puppet leader of Moscow and he needed to support the French against the spread of communism in Europe and Asia
Who won the Chinese Civil War in 1949 and what were the effects of this on the Vietnam War
Mao Zedong, established People’s Republic of China, Truman became tougher on communist spread in Asia
Why did Eisenhower support the French in Vietnam
Wanted to stop China’s influence, secure French ally, and appear tough on communism
How did the US get further involved in the First Indochina War from 1953-1961
Increased financial aid to French, sent military advisers to Vietnam, became politically involved in democratic freedom for South Vietnam, and gave Diem support
What was Dienbienphu and what occured during 1954 (Battle of Dienbienphu)
As Ho’s army became stronger, French hid in Dienbienph (stronghold) to force a face-to-face battle, General Giap and army disassembled artillery and attacked Dienbienphu, cut off parts of the stronghold → forced French to surrender through attack
What were the factors that weighed against further intervention in the First Indochina War (1954)
Korean war just ended, Vietnam was unknown and not very important, French was unlikely to win, Congress & Britain didn’t support intervention, could cause war in/with China
What was agreed at the Indochina Geneva Conference 1954
Geneva Accords were created, but no documents were signed
What did the Geneva Accords state and what were the impacts of it
Vietminh would rule North Vietnam and Bao Dai would rule South Vietnam (divided by 17th parallel); prevented Vietminh from becoming directly involved in the war until 1964
When did Vietminh first send PAVN soldiers to Vietnam
1964
What was the PAVN
People’s Army of Vietnam, North Vietnam
What was the ARVN
Army of the Republic of Vietnam
What did the US and France want during the Indochina Geneva Conference and why
Truce, didn’t want to lose control/influence over Vietnam
What did China want during the Indochina Geneva Conference and why
Truce, keep USA from entering Vietnam & away from Chinese borders
What did the USSR want during the Indochina Geneva Conference and why
Divide of everyone involved, avoid threat of US & France and Mao & Ho alliances
What did Ho Chi Minh want during the Indochina Geneva Conference
Communist control of Vietnam, settled for truce to reorganize forces because of Chinese and USSR pressure
What was the capital of North Vietnam
Hanoi
What was the capital of South Vietnam
Saigon
Who did the Geneva Accords apply to and how did this impact the Vietnam War
North Vietnam & France, US continued to support Bao Dai and Diem in South
Who was Diem and what was his full name
Prime Minister Ngo Dinh Diem, ruled South with Bao Dai until South Vietnamese election in 1955 (ruled after election)
When was the Republic of Vietnam created and why
1955, refused to recognize Geneva Accords (Diem created them)
What were the beliefs of the USA relating to Ngo Dinh Diem
Believed he can’t wage war or govern South alone
Why did the USA support Ngo Dinh Diem during the First Indochina War
To resist spread of communism in Vietnam
What were the differences in amount of support in North and South Vietnam (1961)
Eisenhower and US invested billion to Diem and South, USSR and China didn’t spend any resources in Vietnam
Who were the Vietcong
National Liberation Front created in 1960 (Diem called them Vietcong), Vietnamese in South secretly loyal to Ho Chi Minh but were told to remain secret because Geneva Accords
What was the Vietcong army’s official name
People’s Liberation Armed Forces
Who was believed to have started the Vietnam War
John F. Kennedy
What influenced Kennedy’s involvement in the Second Indochina War
Catholic
Anti-communist
Believed USA should be involved in foreign affairs (to contain & destroy communism)
Believed he needed to prove Democratic strength in Asia (Redeem Democrats after Truman’s failure in China that lead to Eisenhower winning next election)
Believed he needed to make up for failure in Bay of Pigs
Why did Kennedy not want nationwide elections in Vietnam
Ho Cho Minh would win, without US involvement there would be a domino effect leading to South-East Asia falling to communism
Who was in Kennedy’s National Security Council (NSC)
Secretary of State Dean Rusk, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara
What was Kennedy’s NSC’s role in the escalation of the Second Indochina War
Rusk and McNamara gave Kennedy updates on Vietnam that lead him to believe they were succeeding in Vietnam when they weren’t (to justify their original commitment to the Vietnam War)
Who were the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Kennedy’s significant military generals in Vietnam (ex. General Maxwell Taylor)
Who told Kennedy about what was actually going on in Vietnam (contradicting the NSC’s reports) & South Vietnam wouldn’t succeed without USA intervention
WWII hero General Maxwell Taylor
What did the Military Assistance Command in Vietnam do
Coordinate increasing US involvement (Kennedy created it)
Hawks vs. Doves and influences on Vietnam War
Hawks want President tough on communism & aggressive with containment, Doves believe aggression against communism is waste of resources and soldiers’ lives; Press influenced public opinion, president needs public support of actions by appeasing to hawks and doves
What did USA advisors do in Vietnam (Second Indochina War)
Didn’t do anything because of extensive military operations, helicopters were already helping ARVN hunt down Vietcong
Why did Kennedy continue to support Diem during Second Indochina war
Didn’t trust him & believed he was too weak to rule South Vietnam, wanted to help Diem gain control over South Vietnam & eliminate Vietcong & establish democratic government
Why was Diem hated by the Vietnamese
Catholic in Buddhist region (hated Catholics because of French), refused to provide social support that would benefit Vietnamese people
Who was Diem’s brother and his wife?
Ngo Dinh Nhu & Madame Nhu
What were Ngo Dinh Nhu and Madame Nhu’s roles in the Second Indochina War
Nhu served as Diem’s Prime Minister & oversaw South Vietnam social structure and military operations of ARVN (Diem was incapable, Nhu was out of touch with common people); Nhu & Madame Nhu created Strategic Hamlet Program; banned worship practices of Buddhists & activities popular with common people
What was the Strategic Hamlet Program
Kicked people out of homes to fortify South Vietnamese villages militarily and keep them from communist influence
What was the impact of the Strategic Hamlet Program on the Vietnam War
Lead to people joining the Vietcong (did the opposite of what they wanted to happen; wanted to prevent communism in South Vietnam)
What battle occurred in January 1963 and who won
Battle of Ap Bac; Vietcong won because ARVN soldiers refused to fight (many tanks got stuck & didn’t want to fight without cover)
What happened for the Buddhists of Vietnam to protest against Diem’s government’s treatment of them (1963)
Buddhist priest set himself on fire; Kennedy claimed unaware of Catholic vs. Buddhist conflicts
Who was the Ambassador of Vietnam 1963
Henry Cabot Lodge II
What did Henry Cabot Lodge II do
Outlined failures of Diem & belief major reforms were needed to succeed in Vietnam
Why did Kennedy support ARVN’s coup against Diem (1963)
Too dedicated to war to withdrawal, believed Diem incapable of governing South Vietnam and leading ARVN
When was Diem chased out of government
November 2, 1963
When was Diem & Nhu found dead
November 3, 1963
What was Kennedy’s response to Diem and Nhu being found dead in 1963
Claimed shock, stated he wished coup could’ve been done without deaths, human life is valuable (contradicts Castro assassination attempts)
When was John F. Kennedy assassinated
November 22, 1963
Who succeeded Kennedy after his assassination
Lyndon B. Johnson
Who was Kennedy’s Vice President
Lyndon B. Johnson
What was Johnson’s role in the Vietnam War
Seen as the president who began the war due to increase of US military involvement in Vietnam & escalation of conflict during his presidency
Why did Johnson increase US influence in Vietnam War
Believed he needed to continue US involvement in Vietnam to continue Kennedy’s legacy, hated communism, believed USA couldn’t fail in Vietnam
Why did Johnson keep Kennedy’s advisors and his NSC
Continue his legacy and ensure he’d win the next election
Why was the conflict looking bad for the USA in 1964
PAVN soldiers were sent to South Vietnam to help Vietcong (didn’t feel the need to follow Geneva Accords because of US involvement), USSR & Chinese Rocket-Propelled Grenades (RPGs) were used by PAVN and Vietcong against US helicopters
How was the CIA involved in the Vietnam War (Johnson)
Sabotage teams against North Vietnamese coasts to stop North sending supplies from North to Vietcong
What was Gulf of Tonkin incident and when was it
July & August 1964; American ships were attacked by North Vietnamese (ships were in international waters), Johnson threatened US military retaliation, Johnson used possibly false second attack to gain support from Congress to send more US military ito Vietnam
What was the Gulf of Tonkin resolution
Plan to increase US military presence in Vietnam to secure success & protect US troops
False Flag Incident
Fabricating events to justify actions
Who was Johnson running against in 1964 election
Barry Goldwater
How did Johnson win the election in 1964
Stated America wasn’t going to invade and keep the war as a “Vietnamese problem” with minimal commitment (to appease hawks and doves); avoided full commitment before election, was able to fully commit after
What was the Working Group and who created it
Johnson; combined Defense Department, State Department, CIA, and JCS (Joint Service Committee on Military Service), would update Johnson on situation in Vietnam to inform decisions
What did the Working Group tell Johnson about the situation in Vietnam (1964 or 1965)
South Vietnam couldn’t fall to communism due to domino effect, US intervention was necessary, bombing North Vietnam would force PAVN and Vietcong to surrender
What was Johnson’s role in the Working Group
Commander-in-Chief
What was Operation Rolling Thunder
Bombing raids on North Vietnamese & Hanoi (response to Vietcong attacks), bombed Vietcong & PAVN trails to South and Hanoi to stop aid in South; increased in frequency and intensity during the war, only increased tensions & conflict
Why was Operation Rolling Thunder considered limited response
Not using nukes (avoiding China’s involvement)
What was Johnson’s claims of Operation Rolling Thunder & increased ground troops in 1965
Would protect Americans
Why was increasing ground troops during the Vietnam War counter-productive
Cycle of more Americans in Vietnam meaning more troops would need to be sent to replace wounded and dead
What happened with Diem’s successors, generals, and officials
Did worse than Diem (decreased moral & faith in Vietnam)
Who became Head of State in South Vietnam in 1965
General Nguyen Van Thieu
Who was Nguyen Van Thieu’s Prime Minister
Nguyen Cao Ty
Why were Nguyen Van Thieu & Nguyen Cao Ty hated and unfit to rule South Vietnam
Nguyen Van Thieu was corrupt & took advice from an astrologer; Nguyen Cao Ty was a Hitler supporter, dressed in bright and fancy clothes (Vietnamese were mostly poor and didn’t wear that sorta stuff), drank, gambled, womanizer
Why did Johnson continue to increased US troops & bombings in 1965
Wanted to prove they could win, public and political pressure to resolve conflict
What as the Ho Chi Minh Trail
Trail for PAVN soldiers and supplies to be brought from North Vietnam to South Vietnam; went through Laos & Cambodia where US air forces couldn’t reach them, went through Gulf of Tonkin and South China Sea because of international waters (US couldn’t attack)
Where did the US focus a lot of its bombings
Ho Chi Minh trail to stop supplies from reaching South Vietnam, failed; trail was vital to PAVN, PAVN soldiers and supporters took different routes on the trail to avoid detection
What was the first major engagement between the US and the NVA
Battle of Ia Drang, November 1965
What was the Battle of Ia Drang (1965)
US troops dropped near NVA activity near Ho Chi Minh trail to stop them; 1st Engagement: 1st Battalion of 7th Cavalry Regiment fought against NVA forces; 2nd Engagement: 2nd Battalion had 50% casualties before retreatingW
Who won the Battle of Ia Drang (1965)
USA & North Vietnam claimed to have won; convinced Ho Chi Minh he could win Vietnam War
What was the CIA operation in 1967-1972
Operation Phoenix; find and eliminate top Vietcong agents, more Vietnamese always replaced eliminated ones
Why did US soldiers start committing war crimes
Became desperate, frustrated, and careless from tension of war & aggressive training tactics; started to destroy villages suspected of aiding Vietcong
Why did the South Vietnam government never win over the South Vietnamese people
Hated the government and USA, strengthening NVA & Vietcong; winning over the people could’ve won them the war
What was the My Lai Massacre (March 16, 1968)
American Unit killed hundreds of villagers in My Lai; incident covered up causing outrage in USA when it was revealed
Why were there so many Vietnamese civilian casualties during the Vietnam War
US soldiers killed villagers suspected of aiding North Vietnam, NVA & Vietcong killed villagers allied with South Vietnam
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