Vietnam 60's Study Guide

Q: This Vietnamese guerilla force fought both the Japanese and the French.
A: Viet Minh

Q: What was the name given to President Johnson’s numerous programs aimed at helping American citizens?
A: The Great Society

Q: Project Head Start was created to help:
A: Underprivileged preschool children prepare for school

Q: What was the major factor that drove the Vietnamese to fight the French and the Americans?
A: Desire for independence and national self-determination

Q: Why did the US oppose Ho Chi Minh and support Ngo Dinh Diem?
A: Ho Chi Minh was a communist; the US supported Diem to stop the spread of communism

Q: This European nation colonized Vietnam and was despised by the Vietnamese.
A: France

Q: The number one priority of this Vietnamese leader was not communism but Vietnamese independence.
A: Ho Chi Minh

Q: What did the Geneva Accords do?
A: Temporarily divided Vietnam at the 17th parallel and called for elections to reunite the country

Q: What military action finished the French in Vietnam?
A: The Battle of Dien Bien Phu

Q: These American presidents gave over $330 million to fight the communists in Vietnam.
A: Truman and Eisenhower

Q: The communist opposition and military group in South Vietnam was known as the:
A: Vietcong (National Liberation Front)

Q: Why did the Americans fight the Vietnam War?
A: To stop the spread of communism in Southeast Asia (containment policy)

Q: This candidate for president in 1964 said that the US would not do the fighting that the Vietnamese should be doing for themselves.
A: Barry Goldwater

Q: How was North Vietnam able to supply the Vietcong?
A: Via the Ho Chi Minh Trail through Laos and Cambodia

Q: This congressional action gave President Johnson the power to expand the war in Vietnam.
A: Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

Q: What combat tactics were most used by the Vietcong?
A: Guerrilla warfare: ambushes, booby traps, and hit-and-run tactics

Q: Which nations helped supply the North Vietnamese and Vietcong?
A: China and the Soviet Union

Q: The US government said the enemy in Vietnam was close to defeat. This major action proved it wasn’t.
A: The Tet Offensive

Q: What made winning the hearts and minds of South Vietnamese villagers so difficult for American soldiers?
A: Use of force, destruction of villages, and civilian casualties led to distrust

Q: One of the most common reasons for protesting the Vietnam War was:
A: It was seen as unjust, immoral, and unwinnable

Q: This group said that America should unleash much of its greater military power to win the war.
A: Hawks

Q: This candidate for president in 1968 promised to restore law and order and promised to end the war.
A: Richard Nixon

Q: What is Vietnamization and why was it a failure?
A: Nixon's plan to gradually withdraw U.S. troops and hand over combat to South Vietnam; it failed because South Vietnam was not strong enough to defend itself

Q: This compromise was made at the Paris peace talks before North Vietnam backed out of negotiations.
A: The US agreed to a ceasefire and partial troop withdrawal

Q: How would Nixon punish North Vietnam for backing out of the Paris peace talks?
A: Ordered intense bombing campaigns (e.g., Christmas Bombings)

Q: What did the Paris Peace Accords call for and what was its impact upon the US?
A: Ceasefire, U.S. withdrawal, return of POWs; led to U.S. exit from Vietnam but fighting resumed soon after

Q: What is the domino theory?
A: The belief that if one country fell to communism, neighboring countries would follow

Q: What is the crossover point?
A: The point at which enemy casualties exceed their ability to replace losses

Q: The idea that the US was winning the war in Vietnam because we were killing more of them than they were of us is known as:
A: Body count strategy

Q: The American desire to keep the US and China out of the war in Vietnam is known as:
A: Containment without escalation

Q: The reality that the American people had a hard time believing what the Johnson administration was telling them about the war became known as:
A: The credibility gap

Q: What made the draft disproportional to Americans?
A: Poor and minority communities were drafted at higher rates

Q: The gatherings at universities between professors and students that strengthened opposition to the war were known as:
A: Teach-ins

Q: These two popular leaders were killed in 1968.
A: Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy

Q: What happened inside and outside of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago?
A: Violent clashes between protesters and police; chaos hurt the Democratic Party’s image

Q: What is Black Power and why did it scare Whites?
A: A movement emphasizing racial pride and self-reliance; it scared some Whites because it challenged the status quo and promoted militancy

Q: What was taught by the Black Panthers and how did they help their community?
A: Self-defense, community service, free breakfast programs, education, and health clinics

Q: What does “bullets or ballots” mean?
A: Malcolm X’s phrase meaning Black Americans would achieve change either through voting or by force if necessary

Q: What happened at My Lai?
A: American soldiers massacred hundreds of unarmed Vietnamese civilians; led to widespread outrage

Q: Why were the secret bombings of Cambodia alarming to many Americans?
A: They were unauthorized and escalated the war without Congressional approval

Q: What happened at Kent State and Jackson State?
A: National Guard/police shot and killed student protesters; sparked national outrage

Q: What are the Pentagon Papers and who leaked them to the American media?
A: Classified documents revealing U.S. government deception in Vietnam; leaked by Daniel Ellsberg

Q: What factors contributed to the decrease of American casualties?
A: Vietnamization, troop withdrawals, and shift to air war

Q: What was the experience of veterans upon returning home?
A: Often faced hostility, neglect, PTSD, and lack of support

Bracero Program
A: A program that brought Mexican laborers to work temporarily in the U.S. during WWII

Cesar Chavez
A: Latino labor leader who co-founded the United Farm Workers (UFW) and fought for farm workers’ rights through nonviolent protest

Dolores Huerta
A: Co-founder of UFW; civil rights leader who negotiated contracts and organized workers

United Farm Workers
A: A union of farm workers advocating for better wages, working conditions, and labor rights

Chicano Mural Movement
A: Artistic movement that used murals to express Chicano culture, history, and political struggles

La Raza Unida
A: Political party that sought to increase Chicano representation and power in politics

Why were high school students protesting in Los Angeles?
A: To demand better education, more Mexican American teachers, and an end to racism in schools

This Los Angeles teacher organized the student walkout in 1968.
A: Sal Castro

What name did California growers and farm owners give to Dolores Huerta while farm workers were negotiating for better wages and working conditions?
A: "Dragon Lady" (intended as a derogatory term for her fierce advocacy)

What were the main criticisms of President Eisenhower's deportation program?
A: It was seen as inhumane, led to family separations, and violated civil rights

What was the primary purpose of the League of United Latin American Citizens?
A: To fight discrimination and promote civil rights for Latinos, especially through legal means

What was the primary purpose of the American GI Forum?
A: To advocate for the rights of Latino veterans and challenge discrimination