Johnson's War (1964-68) Flashcards
(8 cards)
What happened in the Gulf of Tonkin in 1964?
USS Maddox spying on N.V
N.V fired torpedo boats to attack it
Johnson said if they fired again there would be consequences
Sailors mistakenly reported another attack
Johnson used this to pass the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution through Congress, allowed him to take direct military action against N.V
What/when was Operation Rolling Thunder?
1965
Massive bombing campaign, used napalm and Agent Orange to destroy forests where Vietcong hid
What were the three main aims of Operation Rolling Thunder?
Demonstrate US firepower
Turn S.V against Vietcong
Destroy the Ho Chi Minh trail
Ultimately, it failed due to civilians helping to rebuilt trails, etc.
What was Search and Destroy?
Aimed to kill as many Vietcong as possible
Success measured by ‘kill count’
US soldiers burned down whole villages suspected of hiding Vietcong in ‘zippo raids’
What was the failure of search and destroy?
My Lai massacre - mistakenly killed 500 civilians
US troops struggled to tell who was Vietcong
Made S.V people hate US soldiers, encouraged them to join Vietcong
Lowered morale for US troops
What was the public’s reaction to My Lai?
- Increased mistrust in govt. as it had been covered up for over a year
- Shocked US public at atrocities committed by their own soldiers
- Questioned if the US were on the right side
- Concern over US soldiers’ mental states
- Increased opposition to war
What/when was the Tet Offensive?
1968
Vietcong and NVA attacked 100 S.V cities
Temporarily occupied US embassy
The US succeeded, but it showed the public that the war was not almost over
Vietcong never fully recovered from offensive
What tactics did the Vietcong use?
- Ho Chi Minh trail, went through neutral countries US couldn’t attack
- Wore no uniforms
- Cells
- Random ambushes, then fled into the jungle or tunnels
- Underground tunnels
- Booby traps, hidden spikes under the floor,
