US History Final Exam Review

Vietnam War

Key Events & Concepts

• Tet Offensive:
  • Guerrilla fighters attacked American airbases and major cities in South Vietnam.
  • A significant event in 1968 that showed the Vietcong could launch large-scale attacks; it led to increased antiwar sentiment in the US.
• Use of Napalm:
  • American soldiers dropped napalm, a jellied gasoline that explodes on contact, from airplanes during the war.
• Ho Chi Minh Trail:
  • The North Vietnamese used this trail to supply the Vietcong fighting in South Vietnam.
• Credibility Gap:
  • Many Americans perceived a gap between the government's claims and what they saw in the news.
• Vietnamization Policy:
  • President Nixon's policy involving the gradual withdrawal of U.S. troops as South Vietnamese assumed more combat duties.
• Geneva Accords Effects:
  • The accords created a temporary division of Vietnam.
  • The accords called for elections to be held in Vietnam in 1956.
• Gulf of Tonkin Resolution:
  • Congress, in effect, handed its war powers to the president.
  • 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 an escalation of the American war effort.
• Agent Orange Goals:
  • To devastate the Vietcong’s food sources.
  • To destroy the Vietcong’s ability to hide in forested areas.
• Event Leading to Troop Increase:
  • The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution led to a dramatic increase of U.S. troops in Vietnam.
• Walter Cronkite's Position:
  • Cronkite was against the war in Vietnam (a dove).
• Anti-Vietnam War Protests:
  • These protests often focused on the unfair draft system.
• Bay of Pigs Failure:
  • A popular uprising against Fidel Castro never materialized.
• Cuban Missile Crisis Outcome:
  • The most significant outcome was the removal of long-range missiles.

Cold War

• Kennedy's Motive in the Space Race:
  • President Kennedy's motive for proceeding with the space race against the Soviets was ideological.
• Détente Definition:
  • Détente is a policy involving relaxed tensions between nations.
• Cold War Definition:
  • The 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 (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) was formed between the United States and Western Europe.
• Berlin Wall Purpose:
  • 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 Aim:
  • The Korean War was fought mainly to prevent communism from spreading to South Korea.
• Covert Operations:
  • Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy authorized the use of covert operations by the CIA.
• Bay of Pigs Invasion Target:
  • The Bay of Pigs invasion was President Kennedy’s attempt to stop communism from spreading to Cuba.
• Containment of Russian Expansion:
  • The United States believed it would result in the defeat of communism.
• Truman Doctrine Promise:
  • The United States would aid any group fighting communism.
• Warsaw Pact Formation:
  • Eastern European countries formed the Warsaw Pact in response to the formation of NATO.
• China-Soviet Union Alliance Threat:
  • The United States feared the two countries would support communist revolutions elsewhere.
• CIA's Role:
  • The CIA was known for covert, or secret, operations.
• Truman's Pledge:
  • President Harry Truman was pledging to help other countries resist communism.
• Truman's Action:
  • Asking Congress for funds to fight communism in Greece and Turkey.

Nixon & Vietnamization Plan

• Vietnamization Included:
  • Slowly withdrawing troops from Vietnam.
  • Helping organize elections in South Vietnam.

Protests in the 1960s

• Protest Themes:
  • During the 1960s, groups protested various aspects of American society except the excessive cost of the social security system.

Kent State University

• Kent State Event:
  • Kent State University was the site of an antiwar demonstration in which four students were killed by members of the National Guard.

Tet Offensive Significance

• 1968 Tet Offensive:
  • It led to increased antiwar sentiment in the United States.

Korean War vs. Vietnam War

• Key Difference:
  • Public opposition was more significant for the Vietnam War than for the Korean War.

War Powers Act of 1973

• Reason for Passage:
  • Presidents deepened United States military engagement in Vietnam without a declaration of war.

Pentagon Papers

• Pentagon Papers:
  • The Pentagon Papers refer to documents that suggested the American government was lying about the Vietnam War.

My Lai Massacre

• Significance:
  • To many antiwar activists, the events at My Lai highlighted the immorality and secrecy of the war.

Reagan Era

Reaganomics

• Reaganomics Results:
  • Led to large increases in the incomes of wealthy Americans.

Conservatism

• Similarity between Arguments:
  • Conservatism had a widespread impact beyond the election of Reagan.

Reagan's Foreign Policy

• Focus:
  • Conservatives were willing to increase government spending in order to support Cold War military interventions.

Watergate Scandal

• Turning Point:
  • June 1972 (the time of the Watergate break-in).

Reagan's Deregulation Belief

• Reagan Encouraged Deregulation Because:
  • He believed excessive regulations hurt the economy.

Reagan's Appeal to Voters in 1980

• Reasons for Appeal:
  • He promised to cut taxes.
  • He planned to increase defense spending.

Goals of the Reagan Administration

• Reagan's Goals Did NOT Include:
  • Promoting equality for gay and lesbian Americans.

Reagan's Ideology

• Limitation:
  • The agreement reached with the Soviet Union to limit nuclear arms.

Reagan's Anti-Communist Implementation

• How Reagan Admin Implemented Anti-Communism Ideology:
  • Conducting a buildup of nuclear and conventional weapons.