CS

Key Terms for Vietnam War

Key terms:

  • Counterculture/Hippies

A culture of defying norms and expectations pushed onto society by mainstream norms. Yippies: Youth International Party. Hippies all for peace, love, and personal freedoms. Against US involvement in V. war. 

  • Communism

A society in which all property is publicly owned and everyone is paid according to their abilities and needs. 

  • Domino theory

The belief that if Vietnam were to fall to communism, the rest of southeast asia would. 

  • Guerilla warfare

A type of fighting where small, irregular groups use unconventional tactics like ambushes or sabotage against a larger, conventional military force in order to prolong conflict or disrupt operations. 

  • Napalm

A highly flammable gel used in some bombs and flamethrowers made of gasoline thickened with special soaps. 

  • Agent Orange

A chemical herbicide and defoliant used to kill and destroy Vietnam’s thick vegetation so the US military could locate VC easier. 

  • Ho Chi Minh Trail

A trail hidden in the forests starting from NV through Laos and Cambodia used to supply weapons and move soldiers into SV. 

  • Punji sticks

Pointed wooden spears with the tips dipped in feces and hidden in traps with the purpose of not only cutting SV soldiers, but infecting the cuts as well. 

  • Hawks vs. Doves

People who wanted to step up the fighting in Vietnam vs people who wanted to slow it down. 

  • New Left

Working within the political system for change, took inspo from the Civil Rights Movement, believed US involvement in Vietnam was wrong, and protested reduction in deferments. 

  • Reduction in deferments

You have to have very good grades/be passing your classes to receive federal funds for your education. 

  • Vietnamization

Nixon’s secret plan to gradually remove US troops while increasing the air war in Vietnam. Relied more heavily on SV army for ground attacks, however SV didn’t really want to keep their govt (Thieu) in power.

  • Draft

Began as US picking men out of a large pool, and then turned into a lottery system based on birthdates in 1969. 

  • Credibility gap

Began with Senator Fullbright accused and held hearings over LBJ lying about war success. The Tet Offensive killed US belief in us “nearing the light at the end of the tunnel”. My Lai Massacre being revealed by Seymoure Hersh caused an uproar against US troops by US citizens. Walter Kronkite exposed US lies about winning, Nixon expanded war into Cambodia and Laos, and Pentagon Papers leaked by Daniel Ellisburg. Watergate also raises concerns but doesn’t kill Nixon’s chances at winning re-election (but he dropped out anyway). 

  • Silent Majority

A majority of the US secretly supported Nixon’s expansion of the war into Cambodia and Laos but didn’t speak on it for fear of retaliation by the left. 

  • Hanoi/Saigon/Hue

Hanoi: capital of North Vietnam

Saigon: capital of South Vietnam

Hue: city where a battle under the Tet Offensive in SV took place. Viet Cong executed civilians they considered anti-revolution.

  • Attrition

Kept track of who was winning or losing through body count, trying to kill enough NV soldiers  so they couldn’t replenish troops, and didn't gain support from Vietnamese citizens. 

  • Hamlets

Enclosed towns/camps where 1000’s of South Vietnamese citizens were forced to live. Anyone found outside of the hamlets were assumed to be Vietcong and were killed. 

  • Detente (easing of tensions)

The US and USSR easing tensions with each other under Nixon with the goal of shutting down the Ho Chi Minh trail.