Vietnam 60's Study Guide

Viet Minh

This Vietnamese guerilla force fought both the Japanese and the French.

The Great Society

President Johnson’s numerous programs aimed at helping American citizens.

Project Head Start

Created to help underprivileged preschool children prepare for school.

Desire for independence and national self-determination

The major factor that drove the Vietnamese to fight the French and the Americans.

Ho Chi Minh

A communist leader opposed by the US; the US supported Ngo Dinh Diem to stop the spread of communism.

France

The European nation that colonized Vietnam and was despised by the Vietnamese.

Ho Chi Minh

The Vietnamese leader whose number one priority was independence, not communism.

Geneva Accords

Temporarily divided Vietnam at the 17th parallel and called for elections to reunite the country.

The Battle of Dien Bien Phu

The military action that finished the French in Vietnam.

Truman and Eisenhower

American presidents who gave over $330 million to fight the communists in Vietnam.

Vietcong (National Liberation Front)

The communist opposition and military group in South Vietnam.

To stop the spread of communism in Southeast Asia

The reason Americans fought the Vietnam War (containment policy).

Barry Goldwater

The presidential candidate in 1964 who said that the US would not do the fighting that the Vietnamese should be doing for themselves.

The Ho Chi Minh Trail

The route used by North Vietnam to supply the Vietcong through Laos and Cambodia.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

The congressional action that gave President Johnson the power to expand the war in Vietnam.

Guerrilla warfare

Combat tactics most used by the Vietcong, including ambushes, booby traps, and hit-and-run tactics.

China and the Soviet Union

Nations that helped supply the North Vietnamese and Vietcong.

The Tet Offensive

The major action that proved the US government wrong in saying the enemy was close to defeat.

Use of force and civilian casualties

Factors that made winning the hearts and minds of South Vietnamese villagers difficult for American soldiers.

It was seen as unjust, immoral, and unwinnable

One of the most common reasons for protesting the Vietnam War.

Hawks

Group that advocated for unleashing the US military power to win the Vietnam War.

Richard Nixon

The presidential candidate in 1968 who promised to restore law and order and end the war.

Vietnamization

Nixon's plan to gradually withdraw U.S. troops and hand over combat to South Vietnam; considered a failure.

The US agreed to a ceasefire and partial troop withdrawal

Compromise made at the Paris peace talks before North Vietnam backed out of negotiations.

Intense bombing campaigns (e.g., Christmas Bombings)

How Nixon planned to punish North Vietnam for backing out of the Paris peace talks.

Ceasefire, U.S. withdrawal, return of POWs

What the Paris Peace Accords called for and its impact upon the US.

Domino theory

The belief that if one country fell to communism, neighboring countries would follow.

Crossover point

The point at which enemy casualties exceed their ability to replace losses.

Body count strategy

The idea that the US was winning the war in Vietnam because more enemy combatants were killed.

Containment without escalation

The American desire to keep the US and China out of the war in Vietnam.

The credibility gap

The reality that the American people had a hard time believing the Johnson administration's statements about the war.

Disproportional draft

The reason why poor and minority communities were drafted at higher rates.

Teach-ins

Gatherings at universities that strengthened opposition to the Vietnam War.

Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy

Two popular leaders killed in 1968.

Violent clashes between protesters and police

What happened inside and outside of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Black Power

A movement emphasizing racial pride and self-reliance; it scared some Whites due to its challenge to the status quo.

Chicano Mural Movement

Artistic movement that expressed Chicano culture, history, and political struggles through murals.

Cesar Chavez

Latino labor leader who co-founded the United Farm Workers and fought for farm workers’ rights.

Dolores Huerta

Co-founder of UFW and civil rights leader who negotiated contracts and organized workers.

La Raza Unida

Political party that sought to increase Chicano representation and power in politics.

Sal Castro

The Los Angeles teacher who organized the student walkout in 1968.

Dragon Lady: the derogatory term used for Dolores Huerta during negotiations.

League of United Latin American Citizens

Organization aimed at fighting discrimination and promoting civil rights for Latinos.

American GI Forum

Organization advocating for the rights of Latino veterans and challenging discrimination.