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Ho Chi Minh

Leader of North Vietnam, also known as "Uncle Ho," he led the fight for Vietnamese independence and later against the U.S.-backed South Vietnam.

Domino Theory

The belief that if one country (like South Vietnam) fell to communism, neighboring countries (like Laos and Cambodia) would follow, justifying U.S. involvement.

Viet Cong

Guerrilla fighters in South Vietnam who supported North Vietnam and fought against the South Vietnamese government and U.S. forces.

Tonkin Gulf Resolution

Passed in response to the Gulf of Tonkin Incident (1964), this granted President Lyndon B. Johnson unlimited "war powers" to escalate U.S. military involvement in Vietnam.

Tet Offensive

A massive, coordinated attack by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces in 1968, targeting U.S. bases and cities across South Vietnam, including Saigon.

Doves vs. Hawks

The Doves were Americans who opposed the war, while the Hawks supported it and wanted to escalate U.S. involvement.

Kent State

A 1970 anti-war protest at Kent State University where the Ohio National Guard shot and killed four students, further fueling anti-war sentiment.

Pentagon Papers

Secret government documents leaked in 1971, revealing that U.S. officials had misled the public about the Vietnam War's progress

War Powers Act

A 1973 law limiting the president's power to send troops into combat without congressional approval, created in response to the overreach of the Tonkin Gulf Resolution.

Democratic National Convention, 1968

A political event in Chicago marked by violent clashes between anti-war protesters and police, exposing deep divisions over the Vietnam War.

My Lai

A massacre in 1968 where U.S. soldiers killed over 300 unarmed Vietnamese civilians, further eroding public trust in the war effort.

Paris Peace Accords, 1973

Officially called the "1973 Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam," this treaty led to the withdrawal of U.S. forces and a ceasefire between North and South Vietnam.