U.S. History Vietnam

Which country controlled Vietnam prior WWII?

France

What country took over Vietnam when WWII started?

Japan

The idea that countries on the brink of communism were waiting to fall one after the other was called the...

Domino Theory

who was the leader that formed the Viet Minh?

Ho Chi Minh City

Where did the French lose a key battle to the Vietnam?

Dien Bien Phu

What was the Peace agreement which divded Vietnam between communist control and democratic?

Geneva Accords

The communist controlled which part of the Vietnam?

The North

Who took over South Vietnam in 1955?

Anti- communist

Who were the Viet Cong?

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

How were the Viet Cong different than national liberation front (NLF)?

The National Liberation Front (NLF) was the overall political and organizational entity, while the Viet Cong (VC) was its military wing

What was the Gulf of Tonkin Incident?

A North Vietnamese boat fired on the U.S. Maddox

What did the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution do?

Allowed the USA to send more than 180,000 troops into Viet Cong to fight

Who commanded the US troops in Vietnam?

General William Westmoreland

What was the Ho Chi Minh Trail?

An infiltration trail for a military supply route running from North Vietnam through Laos and Cambodia to South Vietnam.

what were the three major issues the U.S. military's had fighting the Viet Cong?

1. Vietcong guerilla fighting style

2. They never surrendered

3. American troops didn't have support from Vietnamese

What are three tactics the U.S. Military used to combat the Viet Cong?

1. Napalm- Gasoline based gel that set fire to jungle

2. Agent orange- Chemical defoliant which was sprayed on jungle

3. Search and Destroy- missions in which soldiers would destroy villages

What was the Tet Offensive?

a massive surprise attack by the Vietcong on South Vietnamese towns and cities in early 1968.

What was Operation Rolling Thunder?

sustained bombing campaign against North Vietnam. march 1965 to October 1968

what was the difference between hawks and doves?

- Hawks supported the war

- Doves wanted peace and wanted to withdraw

The ______ was the term given to the growing youth movement of the 1960's

New Left

What organization called for greater individual freedom in America?

Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)

What was the draft lottery? what was the goal?

based on birthdays, conscription using the selective service system. to make those serving in the Vietnam more diverse

What tactics were used by those drafted to get out of going to Vietnam?

Burning draft cards , and deferments- by joining colleges

Did the draft accomplish its intended goal?

Not really because they wanted more upper class people drafted but from lower class/working class and 20% from middle class

What decisions regarding Vietnam and re-election did Lyndon Johnson make in 1968?

he chose not to run for re-election, Johnson declared he would seek peace in the Vietnam

Who were the prominent candidates for the 1968 Presidential Election?

Democrat:

1. McCarthy

2. Kennedy

3. Humphrey

Republican: 1. Richard Nixon

Who won the Election of 1968?

Richard Nixon

Explain the main three features of Nixon's Vietnamization.

1. Reduce the amount of troops

2. By increasing the amount the South Vietnamese fought

3.Bomb the Vietnamese

What was the My Lai Massacre?

massacred innocent civilians in a small village/ 500 villagers were massacred

What happened at Kent State and Jackson State in May of 1970?

Ken State- May 4th, the Ohio national guard fired into a crowd killing 4 and wounding 9.

Jackson State- May 15th, city and state police confronted students outside the dorms and shot and killed 2

Who negotiated peace with North Vietnam in 1972?

Henry Kissinger

what year did the United States withdraw ground troops from Vietnam?

March of 1973

When did the southern capital of Saigon fall to northern forces?

April 1975

What revealed the U.S. had no plans for ending the war as long as North Vietnam continued to fight?

Pentagon Paper

What law prevented the president from committing troops in a foreign conflict without the approval of congress?

War Powers Act