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These flashcards cover essential vocabulary related to the Vietnam War and U.S. foreign policy, serving as study aids for better understanding key terms and concepts.

Vietnam War

A prolonged conflict (1955-1975) between communist North Vietnam and non-communist South Vietnam, heavily involving the United States.

Viet Minh

A national independence coalition in Vietnam led by Ho Chi Minh, primarily fighting against French colonial rule.

Dien Bien Phu

A decisive battle in 1954 where Viet Minh forces defeated French troops, leading to the end of French colonial influence in Indochina.

Geneva Accords

A series of agreements that temporarily divided Vietnam at the 17th parallel and called for elections to unite the country.

Domino Theory

The theory that a political event in one country would cause similar events in neighboring countries, particularly in reference to the spread of communism.

National Liberation Front (NLF)

A political organization in South Vietnam and Cambodia that fought against the United States and South Vietnamese governments; commonly known as the Viet Cong.

Ho Chi Minh Trail

A logistical network used by North Vietnam to supply the Viet Cong in the South, crucial for the supply of materials and personnel.

Tet Offensive

A major escalation and turning point in the Vietnam War in 1968, where North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces launched a series of coordinated attacks.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

A joint resolution passed in 1964 that authorized President Johnson to use military force in Vietnam without a formal declaration of war.

Agent Orange

A herbicide used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War, associated with severe health issues and environmental damage.

Strategic Hamlets Program

A failed initiative to combat communist influences in rural South Vietnam by relocating villagers to fortified villages.

Operation Rolling Thunder

A sustained bombing campaign conducted by the U.S. against North Vietnam from 1965 to 1968.

Napalm

A highly flammable sticky jelly used in incendiary bombs and weapons during the Vietnam War.

My Lai Massacre

The mass killing of between 347 and 504 unarmed South Vietnamese civilians by U.S. Army soldiers during the Vietnam War.

Vietnam Syndrome

A term used to describe the reluctance of the U.S. public and government to engage in military interventions following the Vietnam War.

Americanization

The process of increasing U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, including the deployment of combat troops.

Peace with Honor

Nixon's policy aimed at withdrawing American troops from Vietnam while ensuring the survival of the South Vietnamese government.

Paris Peace Accords

A treaty signed in 1973 intended to establish peace in Vietnam and end the Vietnam War.

Fall of Saigon

The capture of Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, by North Vietnamese troops in April 1975, marking the end of the Vietnam War.

The Pentagon Papers

A classified Department of Defense study regarding the U.S. political and military involvement in Vietnam, which was leaked in 1971.

Coup d'état

A sudden and illegal seizure of government power, notably referring to the overthrow of Ngo Dinh Diem in South Vietnam.

Military-Industrial Complex

The relationship between a country's military, its government, and the defense industry that supplies it.

Cold War

The geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the United States that influenced global affairs from the 1940s to the early 1990s.

Carter Doctrine

The U.S. policy declared by President Carter stating that the U.S. would use military force if necessary to defend its national interests in the Persian Gulf.

Realpolitik

A system of politics or principles based on practical rather than moral or ideological considerations.

Triangulation

A foreign policy strategy used by Nixon and Kissinger to shift relationships with other nations to create a balance of power in international relations.

Détente

A period of relaxed tensions and improved relations between the United States and the Soviet Union during the 1970s.

Al-Qaeda

A militant Islamist organization founded by Osama bin Laden, notorious for its terrorist attacks, including the September 11 attacks.

War on Terror

The international military campaign launched by the U.S. after the September 11, 2001, attacks in response to terrorism.

ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria)

A jihadist militant group that seized territory in Iraq and Syria, declaring a caliphate and known for extreme violence.

Human Rights

The basic rights and freedoms that belong to all people, which U.S. foreign policy, particularly under Carter, sought to promote.

Patriot Act

A 2001 U.S. law enhancing law enforcement's ability to conduct surveillance and prevent terrorism after the September 11 attacks.

Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF)

A resolution passed by Congress after the 9/11 attacks allowing the president to use military force against those responsible.

Operation Urgent Fury

The U.S. military operation that invaded Grenada in 1983, aiming to overthrow a Marxist government.

Libya Intervention

The U.S. military action in 2011 to prevent a massacre by Muammar Gaddafi during the Libyan civil war.

Mujahideen

Islamist fighters in Afghanistan who resisted the Soviet invasion and were supported by the U.S. during the 1980s.

Isolationism

A foreign policy stance whereby a nation avoids alliances and international commitments.

Proxy war

A conflict where two opposing countries or parties support combatants that serve their interests instead of waging war directly.

Islamic Revolution

The overthrow of the Shah of Iran in 1979 leading to the establishment of an Islamic Republic under Ayatollah Khomeini.

SALT Treaties

Strategic Arms Limitation Talks; treaties between the U.S. and USSR aimed at preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

Foreign Policy

A government's strategy in dealing with other nations, aimed at achieving national objectives.

Proxy Forces

Local groups funded or supported by a more powerful country to fight on its behalf.

Multilateralism

A system of coordinating relations between three or more states or nations.

Authoritarian Regime

A governing system characterized by the concentration of power in a leader, restricting political freedoms.

Internationalism

A political principle which advocates greater political or economic cooperation among nations.