vietnam war 1945-75

French Indochina

French colony including Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia

Containment

US policy aimed at preventing the spread of communism. Justified US involvement in the Vietnam War

Ho Chi Minh

leader of Viet Minh & North Vietnam, communist, fought for Vietnamese independence

Vietcong (NLF)

National Liberation Front, South Vietnam used guerrilla tactics and played a major part in the war

Peter Dewey

journalist in Vietnam, first casualty in the war

Vo Nguyen Giap

North Vietnamese general who led victories against the French and Americans in Dien Bien Phu and the Tet Offensive

Dien Bien Phu

1954 battle where Viet Mihn defeated the French

Domino Theory

belief that if one country fell into communism, then all countries would

Geneva Accords

July 21 1954, agreement that divided Vietnam at the 17th parallel

Ngo Dinh Diem

leader of south vietnam, assasinated by us coup

Date of Diem death

Nov 1, 1963

flexible response

JFK's military stragety to use military and non-militaru tools to combat communism

Green Berets

U.S. Army Special Forces trained in unconventional warfare. They worked with local populations and counterinsurgency efforts in Vietnam.

Insurgents

Guerrilla fighters like the Vietcong.

Counterinsurgents

Forces like the U.S. and ARVN who tried to suppress guerrilla tactics.

Battle of Ap Bac

1963 battle in South Vietnam where the Vietcong defeated a larger ARVN force, showing weaknesses in the South's military.

Dean Rusk

U.S. Secretary of State under JFK and LBJ. He strongly supported U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

Robert McNamara

Secretary of Defense under JFK and LBJ. Architect of U.S. escalation in Vietnam, later admitted the war was a mistake.

Maxwell Taylor

U.S. general and diplomat who served as Ambassador to South Vietnam. Advocated for military escalation.

William Westmoreland

Commander of U.S. forces in Vietnam (1964–68). Advocated for "war of attrition" and high troop levels.

Napalm

Highly flammable gel used in bombs. Caused devastating burns and destruction to forests and villages.

Agent Orange

Chemical defoliant used by the U.S. to destroy jungle cover. Caused health problems for Vietnamese civilians and U.S. veterans.

ARVN

Army of the Republic of Vietnam. South Vietnamese military forces supported by the U.S.

NVA

North Vietnamese Army, also known as the People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN). Fought a conventional war alongside the Vietcong.

Quang Duc

Buddhist monk who self-immolated in 1963 to protest Diem’s anti-Buddhist policies. His death drew global attention.

Strategic Hamlets

U.S. and South Vietnamese plan to isolate rural populations from Vietcong influence. It was unpopular and often counterproductive.

George McBundy

National Security Advisor under JFK and LBJ. Supported increased military involvement in Vietnam.

Pleiku Air Base

Site of a 1965 Vietcong attack on U.S. troops, used as justification for Operation Rolling Thunder.

Operation Rolling Thunder

Sustained U.S. bombing campaign against North Vietnam (1965–68) to weaken the enemy's will and supply lines.

Le Duan

North Vietnamese leader who took over from Ho Chi Minh. Advocated for aggressive military tactics against the South.

Everett Alvarez

First U.S. pilot shot down and held as a POW in North Vietnam. Imprisoned for over 8 years.

USS Maddox

U.S. destroyer allegedly attacked by North Vietnamese torpedo boats in the Gulf of Tonkin.

USS Turner Joy

Involved in the second (disputed) Gulf of Tonkin incident. Sparked U.S. congressional support for military escalation.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

Passed by Congress in 1964. Gave LBJ broad war powers without a formal declaration of war.

Battle of the Ia Drang Valley

First major battle between U.S. and NVA forces (1965). High casualties on both sides. Led to use of helicopters and air mobility tactics.

Cross Over Point

The moment when NVA/Vietcong killed or wounded U.S. troops faster than they could be replaced — a turning point in the war.

War of Attrition

Strategy to wear down the enemy through continuous losses. Relied heavily on body counts.

Search and Destroy Missions

U.S. military operations aimed at locating and killing Vietcong, often at high civilian cost.

Body Counts

U.S. metric for success — number of enemy killed. Led to inflated numbers and criticism of dehumanizing war tactics.

Glassboro Summit

1967 meeting between LBJ and Soviet Premier Kosygin in New Jersey. Discussed reducing tensions, including Vietnam.

Alexei Kosygin

Soviet Premier who met with LBJ at the Glassboro Summit. Supported North Vietnam diplomatically.

SDS (Students for a Democratic Society)

Student activist group that opposed the Vietnam War and pushed for civil rights and social reforms.

New Left – Weatherman

Radical faction of SDS. Advocated for violent protests and bombings to oppose the war and U.S. government.

Protest Movement

Widespread opposition to the Vietnam War, including student protests, draft resistance, and public demonstrations.

Teach-ins

University-based events where professors and students debated and educated others on the war’s morality and politics.

Silent Majority

Term Nixon used to describe Americans who supported the war or stayed quiet, in contrast to vocal protestors.

Free Speech Movement

Student movement starting at UC Berkeley that protested for civil liberties and expanded into antiwar activism.

Events of 1968

Tet Offensive, My Lai Massacre (not revealed until later), LBJ announces he won’t run, MLK and RFK assassinated, Democratic National Convention protests, Nixon elected president

Vietnamization

Nixon’s strategy to gradually withdraw U.S. troops and train South Vietnamese forces to take over combat.

Four Days of Rage

1970 antiwar protests at Kent State and other campuses following Cambodia invasion.

Woodstock

1969 music festival symbolizing the counterculture and antiwar movement.

Cambodia Invasion

1970 U.S. invasion to destroy Vietcong/NVA sanctuaries. Sparked widespread protests.

Kent State

Four students killed by National Guard during antiwar protest on May 4, 1970.

Détente

Period of easing Cold War tensions between U.S. and USSR/China. Included Nixon’s visits and arms agreements.

Henry Kissinger

Nixon’s National Security Advisor and later Secretary of State. Key figure in Vietnam peace talks.

Le Duc Tho

North Vietnamese negotiator who worked with Kissinger on the Paris Peace Accords. Refused Nobel Peace Prize.

Zhou Enlai

Premier of China who met with Nixon during détente. Helped facilitate U.S.-China relations.

Leonid Brezhnev

Soviet leader who promoted détente and met with Nixon during U.S.-Soviet peace efforts.

1968 Election

Richard Nixon won, promising “peace with honor.” Beat Democrat Hubert Humphrey and independent George Wallace.

1972 Election

Nixon reelected in a landslide against George McGovern. Campaign overshadowed by Watergate.

26th Amendment

Lowered the voting age to 18, partly due to the draft and Vietnam War protests.

Paris Peace Accords

1973 agreement that led to U.S. withdrawal. Ceasefire declared, but fighting continued until 1975.

Watergate – Nixon Resignation

Political scandal involving Nixon’s campaign spying and cover-up. Led to his 1974 resignation.

Gerald Ford

Nixon’s successor. Oversaw final stages of U.S. involvement and fall of Saigon.

Spiro Agnew

Nixon’s first VP who resigned in 1973 due to corruption charges.

Easter Offensive (Linebacker I)

1972 North Vietnamese offensive. U.S. responded with heavy bombing

Christmas Bombing (Linebacker II)

1972 U.S. bombing campaign over Hanoi and Haiphong to pressure North Vietnam in peace talks.

War Powers Act

1973 law that limited the president’s ability to deploy troops without congressional approval. Reaction to Vietnam.

Daniel Ellsberg – Pentagon Papers

Whistleblower who leaked secret government documents showing deception in Vietnam policy.

Pacification

Program to win “hearts and minds” of South Vietnamese civilians by combining military action and aid.

Khmer Rouge – Pol Pot

Communist group that took over Cambodia in 1975. Led by Pol Pot, they committed genocide.

Operation Frequent Wind

Final U.S. evacuation from Saigon in April 1975 as North Vietnamese forces captured the city.

Carrot and Stick Diplomacy

U.S. strategy combining rewards (carrots) and threats (sticks) to influence North Vietnam during negotiations.