Vietnam test kissen

What countries made up Indochina?

Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia

What was Viet Minh?

Political party of independence

Who was Ho Chi Minh?

Communist leader of Vietnam

Why did the French want to control Vietnam?

Economic reasons, prestige/national pride, and national survival

What were the three territories that France divided Vietnam into?

North - Tonkin

Central - Annam

South - Cochin China

Which area of Vietnam was most important to France? Why?

South/Cochin China; where all of the national resources were

How did the French rule North/Central Vietnam?

Indirect rule

How did the French rule South Vietnam? What impact did this have on Vietnamese culture?

Direct rule, France participated in everything, lead to a cultural transformation where French culture and education was idealised and admired

What was the problem with Vietnamese elite traveling to France for College?

They learned about Marxist and anti-imperialist ideas

Who helped created the Indochinese Communist Party? What did it used to be called?

Ho Chi Minh; VIetnamese Communist Party

When does Vietnam declare independence?

September 2, 1945 - Vietnam declares independence the day WWII ends

Who does the US support: Vietnam or France? Why?

France, Minh is communist and France was a WWII ally

When was the first Indochina War?

1945-1954

Where was the crucial battle of the first Indochina war where 50k Vietnamese soldiers ambushed French troops?

Dien Bien Phu

What conference ended the First Indochina War?

Geneva Conference

At what line is Vietnam divided?

17th paralell

Who was Ngo Dinh Diem?

Leader of South Vietnam

Why was Ngo Dinh Diem's election controversial?

More people voted for Diem then were registered to vote.

Why did no one like Ngo Dinh Diem?

Favored Catholics in a buddhist country, family controlled much of the government, killed/tortured/imprisoned political opponents

Why did JFK want to aid South VIetnam?

help the US's image and demonstrate the US's power

Who were the Viet Cong?

South Vietnamese communists - one of the groups fighting the U.S. in addition to the North Vietnamese Army.

How did many Buddhist leaders demonstrate against Diem? Why?

Setting themselves on fire; they would have been killed for protesting anyway

When was Diem and his brother assassinated?

Nov 1, 1963

When was JFK assassinated, and by who?

November 22, 1963 - Lee Harvey Oswald

What was Lyndon B. Johnson's motivation for escalating Vietnam?

He didn't want to be the president that lost Vietnam.

What was the Gulf of Tonkin "incident?"

U.S. ships were spying on North Vietnam. North Vietnamese ships might have fired on us, might not have. Either way, LBJ claimed they attacked us and used it to get the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.

What was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?

granted the president to take "all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the united states

What was Operation Rolling Thunder?

sustained bombing campaign against North Vietnam.

What was the average age of troops in Vietnam?

19

When did the military draft begin?

April 1965

Why was the Vietnam war called a "Living Room War?" Why was this important?

Much of the war was broadcast on TV, so people knew just what was going on in the war with no filter

What kinds of groups were anti-Vietnam War?

Religious leaders, pacifists. civil rights, student groups

Who were the SDS?

SDS - Students for a Democratic Society college campus groups

What two questions did the Anti-War Movement focus on?

1) Did we have the right to be in Vietnam? 2) Were the sacrifices that use US made on the home front worth it?

Why was Martin Luther King, Jr opposed to the VIetnam War?

War taking valuable resources from poverty stricken neighborhoods

Government drafted large number of African Americans but did little to end racism at home

What was the Tet Offensive? Why was this terrible for the image of the Vietnam War in the US?

North Vietnamese invaded US embassy on Vietnamese New Year; as if Vietnamese invaded US soil

Who was the "most trusted man in america" who spoke out against the war? (Hint: he announced JFK's assassination during an episode of As the World Turns)

Walter Cronkite

What was the credibility gap?

the divide in trust between the United States government and the American people

What was LBJ's foreign policy? Domestic policy?

Domestic: War on Poverty

Foreign Policy: Oops, all Vietnam

What three "P's" were the 1960s defined by?

Population, Protests, Prosperity

Who was Charles Manson?

Leader of a cult of hippies who convinced his followers to go on a murder spree

Who was the Election of 1968 between? Who won?

Richard Nixon v. Hubert Humphrey, Nixon wins

Who were the three Democratic candidates during the election of 1968?

Eugene McCarthy, Robert F. Kennedy, Hubert Humphrey

Who were the "silent majority?"

The people who didn't protest but voted diligently for Nixon

What was Vietnamization? Which president enforced this during their administration?

turn fighting over to Vietnamese while bringing US troops home; Nixon started it

What was the Ho Chi Minh trail?

supply trail for Vietcong; allowed North Vietnam to send troops and supplies to South Vietnam

Why was there outrage at the bombing of Ho Chi Minh trail? What did Congress do in response?

Because the Ho Chi Minh Trail was in Cambodia, people were outraged that other countries could be dragged into the war. Congress repealed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution in responce.

What were the Pentagon Papers?

Papers that revealed that the government had not been honest with the public about Vietnam

When were the Pentagon Papers released?

1971

Who were the candidates in the election of 1972? Who won?

Richard Nixon V. George McGovern, Nixon Wins

When was the ceasefire?

January 27th, 1973

When was the fall of Saigon?

April 30, 1975

What was the main outcome of Vietnam?

Despite the fact that the US was a world superpower, Vietnam still fell to communism.

What was the War Powers Act?

President must obtain Congress's approval to commit US troops to fight in foreign conflicts if the troops are in that specific location for over 60 days. to prevent another Vietnam, prevent Presidents from getting too much power

Why do people nowadays make it clear that they support the troops?

Vietnam vets were not respected when they returned from the war, many couldn't kick drug habits/became homeless

What was Draft dodging?

It was a crime in which men did not report for service for the Vietnam War - they were burnt in protests - this was crime that could lead to a fine of up to $10,000 or 5 years in prison.