Key Events and Figures of the Vietnam War Era

Lyndon B. Johnson

President _______________escalated U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, significantly increasing troop deployments and military action.

Ho Chi Minh

Communist leader of North Vietnam who fought for Vietnamese independence from France and later against the United States.

Vietcong

South Vietnamese communist insurgents who fought against the U.S.-backed South Vietnamese government.

Ho Chi Minh Trail

A network of supply routes used by North Vietnam to transport troops and supplies to the Vietcong in South Vietnam.

Napalm - Agent Orange

___________ is a flammable gel used in bombs;__________________ is a chemical defoliant used by the U.S. to destroy jungle cover.

Search & destroy missions

U.S. military tactic in Vietnam to seek out enemy forces and destroy them rather than securing territory.

Credibility gap

Public skepticism about the government's honesty regarding the Vietnam War, especially between official reports and reality.

VC Tunnel systems

Extensive underground networks used by the Vietcong for hiding, communication, and surprise attacks.

Topography of Vietnam

Dense jungles, mountains, and rivers that made combat difficult and favored guerrilla warfare tactics.

Vietnam Draft

Compulsory military service that disproportionately affected young, working-class Americans during the Vietnam War.

New Left

A political movement of the 1960s focusing on civil rights, anti-war activism, and broader social reforms.

Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)

Major New Left organization known for its anti-war protests and advocacy for participatory democracy.

Free Speech Movement

Student protest at UC Berkeley demanding the right to free political expression on campus.

Doves v. Hawks

____________ opposed the Vietnam War; ___________ supported military escalation to achieve victory.

Tet Offensive

1968 massive coordinated attack by Vietcong and North Vietnamese forces on South Vietnam; it shocked Americans and shifted public opinion against the war.

Walter Cronkite

Respected CBS news anchor who criticized the Vietnam War, influencing public opinion.

My Lai Massacre

The 1968 killing of hundreds of unarmed Vietnamese civilians by U.S. soldiers, fueling anti-war sentiment.

1968

A turbulent year marked by the Tet Offensive, assassinations of MLK and RFK, protests, and political unrest.

Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy

What two prominent figures were assassinated in 1968, causing national grief and unrest.

Election of 1968

Richard Nixon won by appealing to the 'Silent Majority' and promising 'law and order.'

Richard Nixon

37th U.S. president who pursued 'Vietnamization,' détente with the USSR and China, and resigned after Watergate.

Cambodian "incursion"

U.S. expansion of the Vietnam War into Cambodia to attack North Vietnamese bases, sparking protests.

Henry Kissinger

Nixon's National Security Advisor and Secretary of State who helped negotiate the end of U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

Vietnamization

Nixon's policy to gradually withdraw U.S. troops from Vietnam and transfer combat responsibilities to South Vietnam.

Silent Majority

Term Nixon used to describe Americans who supported his policies but did not publicly protest.

Rise of Conservatism

The shift in American politics during the late 1960s and 1970s toward more conservative values and policies.

Kent State

1970 shooting of unarmed college students by National Guardsmen during a protest against the Cambodian invasion.

Pentagon Papers

Secret government documents leaked in 1971 showing the U.S. government had misled the public about the Vietnam War.

War Powers Act

1973 law limiting the president's power to send troops into combat without congressional approval.

The Fall of Saigon

April 1975 capture of South Vietnam's capital by North Vietnamese forces, marking the end of the Vietnam War.

Television & Vietnam

Media coverage, including graphic footage, that heavily influenced public opinion against the Vietnam War.

Counter Culture

1960s movement rejecting mainstream American values, promoting peace, love, and alternative lifestyles.

Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights

Major push for racial equality through legislation, protests, and activism.

Women's Liberation

1960s and 70s movement seeking equality for women in work, education, and society.

Betty Friedan

Feminist author of The Feminine Mystique and founder of the National Organization for Women (NOW).

Gloria Steinem

Influential feminist leader, journalist, and founder of Ms. magazine.

Shirley Chisholm

First Black woman elected to U.S. Congress and the first Black woman to run for a major party's presidential nomination.

Roe v. Wade

Landmark 1973 Supreme Court case legalizing abortion nationwide.

Sexual Revolution

1960s-70s social movement challenging traditional codes of behavior related to sexuality and relationships.

Gay Rights/Liberation Movement

Movement seeking equal rights and societal acceptance for LGBTQ+ individuals, gaining momentum in the 1960s and 70s.

Stonewall Inn Uprising

1969 protests by LGBTQ+ individuals against police raids at a New York bar, considered the start of the modern gay rights movement.

Harvey Milk

One of the first openly gay elected officials in the U.S., serving on San Francisco's Board of Supervisors.

California Prop 6

1978 proposed law to ban gays and lesbians from working in California public schools, defeated with Harvey Milk's activism.

Cesar Chavez

Labor leader who co-founded the United Farm Workers (UFW) and fought for better rights for farmworkers.

AIM (American Indian Movement)

Native American advocacy group that fought for indigenous rights and against government mistreatment.

Title IX

1972 law prohibiting sex discrimination in federally funded education programs, boosting women's athletics and rights.

New Federalism

Nixon's policy of shifting power from the federal government back to the states.

Détente

The easing of Cold War tensions between the U.S., Soviet Union, and China during the 1970s.

Realpolitik

Political realism or practical politics based on power and national interest, championed by Nixon and Kissinger.

Southern Strategy

Nixon's strategy to gain political support in the South by appealing to disaffected white voters.

Stagflation

1970s economic condition of stagnant growth, high inflation, and high unemployment.

Nixon's visits abroad

Nixon's historic trips to China and the Soviet Union in 1972, part of his détente strategy.

Watergate

Scandal involving the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters and the cover-up by Nixon's administration.

Bob Woodward

Washington Post reporter who helped uncover the Watergate scandal.

Carl Bernstein

Washington Post reporter who worked with Woodward to investigate Watergate.

Committee to Reelect the President (CREEP)

Nixon's campaign organization implicated in the Watergate scandal.

United States v. Richard Nixon

Supreme Court case that ordered Nixon to release the White House tapes, leading to his resignation.

Gerald R. Ford

Nixon's vice president who became the 38th president after Nixon's resignation and later pardoned Nixon.