The USA and Vietnam : failure abroad the home front 1964-1975

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  • Created by: Ellie
  • Created on: 29-05-13 12:07
How did Vietnam declare its independence?
Vietnam was part of the french empire, Ho Chi Minh declared independence in september 1945, this led to war, America gave $3 million to support the French, the french were defeated in 1954 at Dien Bien Phu
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What were the terms of the Geneva peace accord?
Vietnam would be divided along the 17th parallel, the North would be under Ho Chi Minhs communist regime, the south would be controls by Ngo Dinh Diem, there would be an election in 1956 to decide the fate of Vietnam
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What is the domino theory?
The US thought if Vietnam fell to communism it wouldn't be long before other countries started to fall to
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How did the USA originally support South Vietnam?
they sent $1.6 billion in aid between 1954 and 1960, they sent US military advisors, they backed Diems refusal to hold elections
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Why was Diem unpopular?
he had a corrupt government and arrested Socialists, communists, journalists and train unionists. He hated Buddhists
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What did North Vietnam set up to take over parts of south Vietnam and how were supplies sent?
The National Liberation Front was set up ( called Vietcong by the Americans) supplies were sent down the Ho Chi Minh trail
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How did the Americans try to counter attack the Vietcong after they originally took over parts of South Vietnam?
sent more military advisors to train the South Vietnamese army known as the ARVN, Hamlets supporting VC were replaced by those supporting the south this boosted support for the Vietcong
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How did Buddhists and Monks protest against Diem?
They set fire to themselves in public
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How did Diem die?
He was assassinated by his army generals
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Describe the Vietcong tactics
they tried to win the support of south Vietnamese citizens, made booby traps, carried out ambushes, sabotaged US bases, hid in villages in the jungle
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Describe the Vietcongs tunnel complexes
The Vietcong built underground tunnel complexes that could not be entered by the Americans as they had booby traps and trap doors
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Who gave North Vietnam supplies?
the USSR and China
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Why did America decide to fight North Vietnam and who made the decision?
It was claimed that the North Vietnamese fired at an American ship (the maddox) in the gulf of Tonkin so president Johnson ordered attack
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describe operation rolling thunder
a series of bombing raids aiming to destroy roads, railways, VC bases and the Ho Chi Minh trail. It had little effect on the Vietcongs guerrilla tactics
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Describe operation hearts and minds
The USA spent money on materials for the south Vietnamese people this had success over towns but the Vietcong had a greater influence in rural areas
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What did the USA set up for the South Vietnamese people in operation hearts and minds?
improved roads, schools and health clinics
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Describe operation search and destroy
The US landed helicopters next to Vietcong controlled villages in a hope to surprise the Vietcong in an attack
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Why was operation search and destroy difficult?
it was hard to distinguish the Vietcong from civilians and conditions were difficult due to heat and mosquitos
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What were the consequences of operation search and destroy?
civillian casualties were high making the US less popular. Brutality was used to get information from civilians and whole villages were destroyed
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What were the consequences of agent orange?
destroyed forests and crops and caused cancer and birth defects bit the Vietnamese and the US were affected
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What were the consequences of napalm?
contains petrol and phosphorous and so burned skin right to the bone
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Why didn't using chemical weapons work?
they destroyed the countryside, they killed and wounded thousands of civilians, made the world think the US were inhumane, made south vietnamese support vietcong
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Who ordered the My Lai massacre and when was it?
Lieutenant William Calley in March 1968
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Describe the My Lai massacre?
Troops were ordered to enter My Lai where Vietcong were suspected of hiding and kill them
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What were the consequences of the My Lai massacre?
in a few hours 100's of unarmed civilians were killed and it turned americans opinions against the war
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Describe how media covered the war
It was the first war shown on TV in colour, Radio, newspapers and TV had a huge influence on civilians attitude towards the war
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Why did Martin Luther King oppose the war?
African Americans couldn't avoid being called up and the whites could, they were put in the most dangerous positions
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What did American citizens think when taxes were raised in 1967?
They thought they were spending to much money on the war and it should be spent on the country
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How did people protest against American involvement in the war?
they burnt their drafting cards in public, they raided conscription offices and burnt records, there were demonstrations and marches, they disrupted transport containing war supplies
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Who became president in 1969 and why?
President Richard Nixon as he promised an end to the war
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When was the Kent state university protest?
1970
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describe the kent state university protest
students from kent state university protested and the national guard shot 4 of them dead and injured 9
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Who was William Fulbright?
The chairman of the foreign affairs committee in 1971
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What was the foreign affairs committees job?
To give advice on how to end the war
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When did the Tet offensive occur?
1968
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Describe the Tet offensive
The Vietcong launched a surprise attack on 36 cities, they held the US embassy in Saigon, they were forced to retreat and suffered heavy losses
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Describe the process of Vietnamisation
Nixon introduced the policy of Vietnamisation, it meant training the South Vietnamese army to fight on their own so US troops could be withdrawn it happened between 1969 and 1971
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When did peace talks happen in Paris?
between 1968 and 1973
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What did USA want from the peace talks?
South Vietnam to be an independent state
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How did the USA put pressure on North Vietnam to have peace talks?
They extensively bombed North Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia in order to try and destroy the Ho Chi Minh trail
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What were the terms of the paris peace conference?
US prisoners of war to be released, north Vietnamese troops can stay in areas of South Vietnam they controlled, Elections would be held to decide the fate of the country
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When did Saigon fall to communism?
1975
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How did Saigon fall to communism?
the Vietcong attacked and south vietnam retreated, US officials were air lifted out of Saigon
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What were the strengths of the Vietcong
guerrilla tactics, gaining citizen support, Ho Chi Minh trail, skilful propaganda
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What were the weaknesses of the US
lack of clear planning, unenthusiastic soldiers, unprepared for guerrilla warfare, alienating citizens, inability to deal with heat, weakness of the south Vietnamese army
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How did public opinion influence the war?
it persuaded Nixon to start Vietnamisation, it effected morale of new recruits
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

What were the terms of the Geneva peace accord?

Back

Vietnam would be divided along the 17th parallel, the North would be under Ho Chi Minhs communist regime, the south would be controls by Ngo Dinh Diem, there would be an election in 1956 to decide the fate of Vietnam

Card 3

Front

What is the domino theory?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

How did the USA originally support South Vietnam?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

Why was Diem unpopular?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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