Vietnam War Era Lecture Notes

This set of flashcards focuses on key vocabulary and concepts related to the Vietnam War Era, including significant battles, policies, and historical figures.

War of Attrition

A military strategy intended to wear down an enemy to the point of collapse through continuous losses in personnel and material.

Viet Minh

A communist-led resistance movement in Vietnam that fought against Japanese occupation during World War II and later against French colonial rule.

Domino Theory

The belief that the spread of communism in one country could lead to a chain reaction of communist takeovers in neighboring countries.

ARVN

Army of the Republic of Vietnam, the military ground forces of South Vietnam; supported by the U.S. during the Vietnam War.

Battle of Dien Bien Phu

A decisive battle in 1954 that resulted in the end of French colonial rule in Indochina.

Tonkin Gulf Resolution

Legislation passed by Congress in 1964 that granted President Lyndon B. Johnson the authority to use military force in Vietnam without a formal declaration of war.

Napalm

A highly flammable liquid used in warfare, especially during the Vietnam War, to create incendiary attacks.

Agent Orange

A herbicide used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War to eliminate forest cover for the Viet Cong, which had devastating health effects.

Tet Offensive

A major coordinated attack by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces during the Vietnamese New Year in 1968, which shocked the American public and media.

Kent State Shooting

A 1970 incident where Ohio National Guardsmen fired on students protesting the Vietnam War, resulting in four deaths and national outrage.

The Great Society

A set of domestic programs launched by President Lyndon B. Johnson aimed at eliminating poverty and racial injustice.

Vietnamization

President Nixon’s strategy to transfer the responsibility of the Vietnam War from American forces to South Vietnamese forces.

Fragging

The intentional killing or wounding of a soldier, typically by fellow soldiers, to eliminate perceived ineffective or unpopular leaders.

The Silent Majority

A term used by President Nixon to describe the conservative Americans who supported his policies and the Vietnam War.

The Pentagon Papers

A classified report that revealed the U.S. government's misleading information regarding the Vietnam War's progression and involvement.

Fall of Saigon

The event marking the capture of Saigon by the North Vietnamese Army on April 30, 1975, leading to the official end of the Vietnam War.

The Hanoi Hilton

A nickname for the Hoa Lo Prison in Vietnam, where American POWs were held during the Vietnam War.

Operation Rolling Thunder

A sustained bombing campaign against North Vietnam, authorized by President Johnson, aimed at weakening North Vietnam's capacity to wage war.

My Lai Massacre

A mass killing of between 347 and 504 unarmed South Vietnamese civilians by U.S. Army soldiers in March 1968, which sparked outrage and protests.

General Giap

The North Vietnamese general who orchestrated major military operations against French and later American forces during the Vietnam War.

Lyndon B. Johnson

The 36th President of the United States, known for his escalation of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War and domestic policies through the Great Society.