US History: CH 24 The Vietnam War – Flashcards
Unlock all answers in this set
Unlock answersquestion
Domino theory
answer
The belief that if one country fell to communism, neighboring countries would likewise fall. This theory guided US foreign policy throughout the Cold War. (pg 792)
question
Vietminh
answer
Another common name for the League of the Independence of Vietnam. (792)
question
Geneva Accords
answer
"The Geneva Accords was meeting that resulted in dividing Vietnam near the 17th parallel into two different nations in July 1954.(pg. 793)
question
Viet Cong
answer
Communist guerillas in the south that gained control of territory and earned the loyalty of an increasing number of South Vietnamese people(pg.795 bottom of the page)
question
National Liberation Front
answer
Political arm of the Viet Cong. (pg. 795)
question
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
answer
a joint resolution that the United States Congress passed on August 7, 1964, in response to the Gulf of Tonkin Incident. pg 795
question
Ho Chi Minh
answer
This person liked communism ideas and fought for independence before,during, and after WWII. He also was the head of the League for the Independence of Vietnam. After defeating the French during a war, he became the president of new communist-divided, North Vietnam. (pg. 792-794)
question
Ngo Dinh Diem
answer
The first president of South Vietnam. Was supported by the U.S. Was a harsh ruler and imprisoned people who didn't support his policy.
question
Robert McNamara
answer
One of the American officials who helped create the Kennedy administration's Vietnam policy and President Kennedy's Secretary of Defense. (pg 794)
question
What events led to the war between North and South Vietnam?
answer
...not yet answered...Brooke
question
What were the Vietnam policies of President Kennedy and Robert McNamara?
answer
...not yet answered...Henry
question
What were the results of the Geneva Accords?
answer
Vietnam was divided near the 17th parallel into two separate nations.(p. 793)
question
How did President Johnson change the course of the Vietnam War?
answer
He announced that the North Vietnamese torpedo boats had attacked US destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin. (Pg. 796)
question
Why did American officials support the overthrow of Diem's government?
answer
Kennedy realized the struggle against communism in Vietnam couldn't be won under Diem's rule. {pg. 794}
question
How did the Gulf of Tonkin resolution affect the balance of power between the President and Congress?
answer
The Gulf of Tonkin resolution affected the balance of power between the President and Congress by giving the President authorization, without a legitiment declaration of war by Congress (pg. 796).
question
Land mine
answer
"An explosive device planted in the ground. (p.800)
question
Saturation bombing
answer
Dropping a large amount of bombs in a certain area. (Pg. 801)
question
Fragmentation Bombing
answer
A bomb that sends pieces if its shell flying in all directions. this maximized the damage and kill and maimed may people.
question
Agent Orange
answer
Used as a chemical weapon against the Vietnamese. Pilots dropped this herbicide on dense jungle landscapes. It killed the plants around is exposing the Viet Cong hiding spots. Later caused health problems in livestock and in humans. (pg 801)
question
Napalm
answer
Highly flammable chemical dropped from U.S. planes in firebombing attacks during the Vietnam War (p. 801)
question
Escalation
answer
Expansion of a war. Started by President Johnson in 1964. (pg 801)
question
Ho Chi Minh Trail
answer
"Troops and supplies poured into this supply route that passed through Laos and Cambodia (pg 802)
question
Hawks
answer
pg 802- these were those who supported the war.Opposite of doves
question
Doves
answer
"Doves were people who opposed the war (pg. 802)"
question
Tet Offensive
answer
This was a large offensive launched by the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese during the Vietnamese New Year, Tet. The offensive involved surprise attacks on major cities and towns and American military bases located all over South Vietnam. In South Vietnam's capital, Saigon, the American embassy and presidential palace were attacked by the Viet Cong, resulting in a violent fight in Saigon that continued for weeks. (Page 803)
question
Lt. William L Calley
answer
pg 803-804 United States heard about My Lai sheltering 250 members of the Viet Cong, so the US looked for them. Instead of finding enemy soldiers they found woman, children, and old men. Lieutenant William L. Calley told them to come with them. Later he ordered them to be killed. This caused the My Lai massacre. The case remained covered up until 1971 where he served life in prison. Nixon learned about the case and reduced it to 20 years. Lieutenant William L. Calley got out of prison 3 years earlier for good behavior.
question
What did American Soldiers encounter when they first arrived in Vietnam?
answer
The soldiers encountered all the frustrations of guerrilla warfare. They also found that the people of South Vietnam seemed indifferent to to the American efforts.(pg.799)
question
What did American Soldiers experience on the battlefield?
answer
...not yet answered...Cameron R
question
What happened to Vietnamese people?
answer
Vietnam's new leaders also forced hundreds of thousands of South Vietnamese soldiers, civil servants, and other professionals into "re-education camps". Meanwhile, more than 1.5 million Vietnamese fled their country by boat, leaving behind all personal possessions in their determination to escape. (pg. 816)
question
What happened to the land?
answer
Nixon ordered the most intensive bombing to North Vietnam during the war. They also mined the North Vietnamese harbor. The landscape itself would long bear the scars of war. (p.815-816)
question
Why did the early military action result in a stalemate?
answer
The early military action resulted in a stalemate because there had been an increase in American soldiers from 25,000 to 184,000. The American objective was not to conquer North Vietnam but to force the enemy to stop fighting. (p.802)
question
How were Agent Orange and Napalm used during the War?
answer
Pilots dropped Agent Orange, a herbicide, on dense jungles. By killing the leaves and think undergrowth, the herbicide exposed Viet Cong hiding places. Napalm was used during the war because when it was dropped, it splattered and burned uncontrollably. It could also stick to human flesh and burn it right off. (pg.801)
question
Why was the Tet Offensive a turning point in the war? Support your answer with examples.
answer
The Tet was a turning point because it allowed the U.S to launch surprise attacks on major cities and towns along with military bases. This gave the U.S a big lead to help end the war in Saigon. (pg.803)
question
Generation Gap
answer
A term used to describe the widening difference in values between a younger generation and their parents (p. 806)
question
New Left
answer
"New political movement of the late 1960s that called for radical changes to fight poverty and racism. Members believed that problems such as poverty and racism called for radical changes. (p. 806)
question
Teach-In
answer
"This first took place at the University of Michigan in March in 1965 when a group of faculty members decided to make a public statement against the war. (Pg 807)
question
Conscientious Objector
answer
This is a person who opposes war on a moral or religious ground. (807)
question
Deferment
answer
"A official postponement of the soldiers call to serve (pg.808)
question
Middle America
answer
A term used to describe normal middle class mainstream Americans pg811
question
Students for a Democratic Society
answer
An organization that had a major influence on the new left political movement.
question
Paris Peace Talks
answer
The Paris peace talks began in 1958 and was the cutback on bombing of North Korea and a call for peace negotiations(pg.812)
question
Vietnamization
answer
...not yet answered... Alaina
question
Silent Majority
answer
A large group of Americans that expressed their patriotism that Nixon reffered to as Pg.814
question
POW
answer
prisoners of war (p. 816)
question
MIA
answer
Missing in action (p.816)
question
Kent State.
answer
It was a college that reacted badly after the invasion of Cambodia in 1970. The students protested here by burning the army Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC). The governor of Ohio(state where the college is located) got the National Guard to stop them. They thew tear gas and starting shooting at the students. 4 students died and 9 were injured. pg 814
question
Jackson State
answer
(pg. 814) a nearly all-black college in Mississippi where a confrontation between student and police left two students dead and eleven wounded
question
What did Nixon claim during the presidential campaign of 1968?
answer
During his campaign, Nixon backed law and order and boasted of a secret plan to end the war in Vietnam. (Pg. 810)
question
What was the basic idea behind the policy of Vietnamization?
answer
The idea was to get american soldiers out of Vietnam (pg 813)
question
Why did Nixon withdraw troops from Vietnam and order bombing raids at the same time?
answer
He did this so he would not look weak.(813)
question
Why did Nixon widen the war by sending ground forces into Cambodia?
answer
"Nixon widened the war by sending troops to Cambodia because his goal was to clear out Communist camps there. Nixon knew the invasion of Cambodia would not win the war, but he thought it would help at the bargaining table. Nixon was willing to intensify the war in order to strengthen the American position at peace talks. This action instead brought chaos and civil war in Cambodia and protests in the states. (pg. 813)
question
What did Nixon's invasion into Cambodia lead to?
answer
Nixon wanted to invade cambodia because he thought it would help at the bargaining table. It just brought chaos and civil war in Cambodia.
question
After the United States withdrew from Vietnam, what happened to South Vietnam?
answer
After United States withdrew from Vietnam, the north began a major assault on south Vietnam. (pg.814,815)
question
What was the final legacy of the Vietnam War: US Deaths?
answer
The Americans had suffered a cold defeat to the americans with deaths of 58,000 as well as 300,000 wounded and 2,500 prisoners taken captive. The vietnamise suffered so many in the millions the toll was uncountable. The total costs averaged out to around 150 Billion dollars. (PG. 816)
question
What was the final legacy of the Vietnam War: POWs and MIAs?
answer
The end of the Vietnam War resulted in 2,500 American POWs (prisoners of war) and MIAs (missing in action). (Pg 816)
question
What was the final legacy of the Vietnam War: Money Spent?
answer
"In the end, the United States ended up spending at least 150 billion dollars on the Vietnam war, this resulted in economic instability. it was the least successful war in American history. (Pg. 816)
question
What was the final legacy of the Vietnam War: Vietnamese Casualties?
answer
...not yet answered...Morgan
