US History Exam Notes

Vietnam War

• Tet Offensive:
  • Guerrilla fighters attacked American airbases in South Vietnam and most of the South’s major cities.
• Napalm:
  • American soldiers dropped napalm, a jellied gasoline that explodes on contact, from airplanes.
• Ho Chi Minh Trail:
  • The North Vietnamese used the Ho Chi Minh Trail to get supplies to the Vietcong fighting in South Vietnam.
• Credibility Gap:
  • Many Americans felt a credibility gap existed between the government's claims and what they saw in the news.
• Vietnamization Policy:
  • President Nixon initiated Vietnamization, gradually withdrawing U.S. troops while the South Vietnamese took on more combat duties.
• Geneva Accords Effects:
  • The Geneva Accords had multiple effects:
    • They created a temporary division of Vietnam.
    • They called for elections to be held in Vietnam in 1956.
• Gulf of Tonkin Resolution:
  • With the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, Congress essentially handed its war powers to the president.
• Agent Orange Goals:
  • Agent Orange was used with the goals:
    • to devastate the Vietcong’s food sources
    • to destroy the Vietcong’s ability to hide in forested areas
• Event Leading to Increased Troops:
  • The Tet Offensive led to a dramatic increase of U.S. troops in Vietnam.
• Cronkite's Stance:
  • Cronkite was against the war in Vietnam.
• Anti-Vietnam War Protests:
  • The anti-Vietnam War protests in the United States often focused on the unfair draft system.

Cold War

• Bay of Pigs Failure:
  • The Bay of Pigs operation in Cuba failed because a popular uprising against Fidel Castro never materialized.
• Cuban Missile Crisis Outcome:
  • The most significant outcome of the Cuban Missile Crisis was the removal of long-range missiles from Cuba.
• Kennedy's Motive for Space Race:
  • President Kennedy’s motive for proceeding with the space race against the Soviets was political.
• Détente:
  • Détente is a policy involving relaxed tensions between nations.
• Cold War Definition:
  • The term Cold War applies to a period of tension that does not involve a military action.
• Eisenhower's Brinkmanship:
  • President Eisenhower’s foreign policy of brinkmanship threatened war, hoping an opponent would back down.
• NATO Formation:
  • After World War II, NATO was formed between the United States and Western Europe.
• Cold War Event:
  • The Cuban missile crisis is a key Cold War event.
• Berlin Wall:
  • The Berlin Wall was constructed to keep Germans from traveling between communist and capitalist areas.
• Nixon's Visit to China:
  • Richard Nixon visited China in 1972 to attempt to normalize relations.
• Korean War Purpose:
  • The Korean War was fought mainly to prevent communism from spreading to South Korea.
• Covert Operations:
  • Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy both authorized the use of covert operations by the CIA.
• Bay of Pigs Target:
  • The Bay of Pigs invasion was President Kennedy’s attempt to stop communism from spreading to Cuba.
• Containment of Russia:
  • The United States believed that containment of Russian expansion would result in the defeat of communism.
• Truman Doctrine:
  • The Truman Doctrine promised that the United States would aid any group fighting communism.
• Warsaw Pact:
  • Eastern European countries formed the Warsaw Pact in response to the formation of NATO.
• China-Soviet Alliance:
  • An alliance between China and the Soviet Union in 1950 was a threat to the United States because the United States feared the two countries would support communist revolutions elsewhere.
• CIA Operations:
  • The CIA was known for covert operations.
• Truman's Pledge:
  • President Truman pledged to help other countries resist communism.
• Truman's Action:
  • President Truman asking Congress for funds to fight communism in Greece and Turkey was an example of his carrying out this pledge.

Vietnam War & 1960s Protests

• Nixon’s Vietnamization Plan:
  • included slowly withdrawing troops from Vietnam
  • helping organize elections in South Vietnam
• 1960s Protests:
  • During the decade of the 1960’s, young people, Black people, American Indians, Hispanic Americans, and women were among the groups protesting various aspects of American society.
  • All of the following were protested against by one or more of these following groups EXCEPT the excessive cost of the social security system.
• Gulf of Tonkin Justification:
  • Accounts of North Vietnamese torpedo-boat attacks on United States destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin during the summer of 1964 were used to justify escalation of the American war effort.
• Kent State University Event:
  • Kent State University was the site in 1970 of an antiwar demonstration in which four students were killed by members of the National Guard.
• Tet Offensive Significance:
  • The 1968 Tet Offensive was significant because it led to increased antiwar sentiment in the United States.
• Key Difference between Korean War and Vietnam War
  • The press was more adversarial toward United States policy during the Korean War.
• War Powers Act Context:
  • Presidents deepened United States military engagement in Vietnam without a declaration of war.
• Pentagon Papers:
  • The Pentagon Papers refer to documents that suggested the American government was lying about the Vietnam War.
• My Lai Highlighted:
  • To many antiwar activists, the events at My Lai highlighted the immorality and secrecy of the war.