Paper 3 - Vietnam War Flashcards

Question

How successful was the US’ defence and protection of air bases?

Answer 1

US forces lost less men in these pitched battles but the VC were still able to retreat into neighbouring neutral countries where US soldiers couldn’t follow. The high number of casualties didn’t deter the VC. High US casualties fuelled demands for peace.

Answer 2

Using helicopters, US soldiers would descend in a village and search for VC activity. They would kill any VC found, and destroy the village afterwards.

Answer 3

Some guerrilla fighters were killed but inexperienced troops could walk into traps. Incorrect information meant innocent villagers and civilians were killed. Support for the VC increased.

Answer 4

16th March 1968

Answer 5

A US patrol was carrying out a Search and Destroy mission just south of Khe Sanh during the Tet Offensive. Lieutenant Calley and his platoon wiped out the village of My Lai, killing at least 347 men, women, children and babies. Some of the women had been raped first. The US military tried to keep news of the massacre quiet. They even boasted of its success in killing 90 VC fighters. However, a year and a half later, in November 1969, the US press got hold of the story from a soldier who had heard about the massacre. ‘Life’ magazine published details of the massacre which sparked an official investigation.

Answer 6

Calley and 10 other officers were formally charged with murdering 109 people. The charges were too much for the army. They placed all the responsibility on Calley who was the only one found guilty. He was given 20 years of hard labour in 1971. However, he was released in 1974. High ranking officers who covered up the massacre received no punishment.

Answer 7

My Lai shocked US public opinion. It was the clearest evident that the war was going wrong. In November 1969, more than half a million anti-war protesters demonstrated in Washington DC. It was the largest political protest in American history. However, a large number of Americans either refused to believe the massacre happened or felt it was justified because the villagers were helping the VC. In 1971: 65% of Americans asked disagreed with Calley’s sentence. 77% felt he was just following orders and was made to take the blame.

Answer 8

The VC could avoid outright battles against the US by retreating into the jungle because they knew they wouldn’t be able to win. They could also hide in trees and bushes. This helped the VC to continue to fight as they had good knowledge of tracks and trails in order to do this.

Answer 9

US soldiers couldn’t identify VC fighters and due to the nature of the guerrilla tactics (booby traps and ambush) US soldiers were constantly living in paranoia and fear of an attack. There were 503,000 cases of desertion and about 30% of US soldiers were addicted to heroin due to VC tactics. 45% died in the first 3 months of their tour.

Answer 10

Half a million troops were in Vietnam, the ARVN were in control of the cities. The countryside was relatively quiet (10,000 VC had been killed in 1967). Blanket bombing had occurred in the north, they believed this would eventually lead to victory.

Answer 11

31st January 1968, it was a carefully coordinated plan and a new tactic. It was risky as it was an attack on a stronger enemy, but a risk the communists were willing to take. The VC knew that half of the ARVN would be on holiday. The communists hoped that the South Vietnamese people would help them. They also hoped that to regain control, extra US troops would be needed to fight, and they knew the American public wouldn’t agree to this.

Answer 12

The NVA and VC launched attacks without warning in the south. 100 places including Danang, Huê, and Saigon were attacked. 4,500 VC fighters kept a much larger US/ARVN army at bay in Saigon for 2 days. They kept control of Huê for 25 days, but eventually the US regained control. The US embassy was also attacked and captured, as was the main radio station, which was embarrassing for the US. The VC executed anyone suspected of collaborating with the US and ARVN forces. 3,000 civilians were killed in total.

Answer 13

Military failure. People of Vietnam didn’t support the offensive. Able to advance and hold onto towns for a number of days but eventually the USA and ARVN took back control.

Answer 14

It was embarrassing, thought they were winning and in control, but Tet being a surprise proved otherwise. Proof their tactics weren’t working (strategy changed after). Overall was successful (gained back control, but at a cost).

Answer 15

Resigned after Tet. Engaged in peace talks. Nixon became president due to promised to withdraw US troops.

Answer 16

Tet was evidence that the war couldn’t be won - ‘unwinnable’. Increase demands for troops to come home - ‘peace with honour’.

Answer 17

Nixon’s plan to reduce US involvement in Vietnam and withdraw troops. Trained and built the ARVN so they could defeat the VC alone. 25,000 troops would be withdrawn in June 1969, followed by 60,000 more 6 months later. The US would continue to give financial and military aid and the air force would continue to support troops on the ground.

Answer 18

The attempt to convince North Vietnam that Nixon was so enraged by communism that he was going to use nuclear weapons if the war continued. It had little effect as peace talks went on for 5 years.

Answer 19

The US would continue to defend Vietnam but wouldn’t extend the conflict elsewhere. However, Nixon didn’t stick to this policy.

Answer 20

The majority of Americans who approved of Nixon’s politics (mainly white middle-class Americans).

Answer 21

Relentless bombing campaign in the north, attempting to force the north to accept peace terms, which were taking place in Paris after Tet Offensive 1968. Lasted 12 days, 1,600 civilians died, 70 US airmen were killed or captured.

Answer 22

The Hanoi government in the north realised that the anti-war movement in the USA would eventually force an American withdrawal, leaving the south to fight alone. They correctly predicted that without the USA, the ARVN would be unable to stop the spread of communism. The ARVN were too weak to fight off the VC on their own. However, Nixon continued to back this policy.

Answer 23

He ordered the bombing of Cambodia as the VC and the NVA were using safe havens there to access the south. They also bombed the Ho Chi Minh Trail. In spring 1970, Nixon authorised several bombing raids in Cambodia and sent both US and ARVN troops across the border without the consent of Congress, which also went against the commitment he’d made when he was elected. This increased opposition towards the war.

Answer 24

3 million tons of bombs were dropped on Cambodia, killing as many as 100,000 people, and about 2 million civilians were made homeless.

Answer 25

He said that the ‘Silent Majority’ supported him - polls in American suggested that most US citizens supported him. The war continued to expand in February 1971 when South Vietnamese troops, with US support invaded Laos to destroy parts of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. At least half of their troops were destroyed when they met troops from the North who were equipped with Soviet weapons.

Answer 26

Nixon used the US air force to bomb the enemy. There were increased air raids after 1971 and B52 bombers attacked the north for the first time since 1967. When peace talks stalled in autumn 1972, Nixon became enraged.

Answer 27

President Thieu refused to accept the terms of the peace agreement. Nixon introduced Operation Linebacker, a relentless bombing campaign to try to get the north to accept peace. It went on for 12 days, 1,600 civilians died, 70 US airmen’s were killed or captured.

Answer 28

Some people questioned the reasoning behind the US involvement in Vietnam. The US government suggested it was a war to protect democracy and freedom against the spread of communism. However, Diem’s regime in South Vietnam was corrupt, undemocratic, and unpopular. The USA seemed to be fighting to prop up a military dictatorship. The Pentagon Papers (1971) increased this political opposition. These were a collection of government documents about the Vietnam War, leaked to the media and published by the New York Times. They showed how confused the government was over the war and how they deliberately lied to the public. My Lai massacre shocked public opinion. It was the clearest evidence that the war was going wrong. In November 1969, more than 500,000 anti-war protesters demonstrated in Washington DC. It was the largest political protest in American history. However, a large number of Americans either refused to believe the massacre had happened or felt it was justified as villagers were helping the VC. Operation Phoenix brought further opposition to the war. In 1968, the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) set it up to identify and arrest at least 3,000 VC suspects each month. They were then forced to reveal names of other VC. In total, they arrested 28,000 suspects, many of whom were tortured. Although many were VC, lots were innocent and the US public were distinctly uncomfortable with such brutal methods.

Answer 29

The conflict undermined President Johnson’s attempts to improve the country through what he called the ‘Great Society’ - a series of reforms to reduce unemployment and improve medical services and education. However, they weren’t fully carried out, as resources were diverted to the Vietnam war. The war was costing $20 billion per year and the concept of the ‘Great Society’ was pushed to one side.

Answer 30

Many young Americans were unhappy with the older generation and thought they were out of touch with modern issues. A lot of young students felt that the Vietnam War was another example of the government’s abuse of power and wanted to make a stand against the conflict. Autumn 1969, large demonstrations. 1970, protests grew worse as Nixon ordered the invasion of Cambodia (insisted it was the only way to destroy communist bases used by VC). College students organised another round of protests and many were incensed by a speech Nixon made in May 1970, and he called them ‘campus bums’. Kent State University shootings, 1970.

Answer 31

National guardsmen were called in to disperse students protesting at Kent State University, and used tear gas to try to move them. When the students refused to move, shots were fired. 4 people were killed and 11 injured. The press in the USA and abroad were horrified, and 400 colleges were closed as 2 million students went on strike in protest against this action. A few days later, 2 students at another university who were protesting against the killings at Kent State University were shot dead by police.

Answer 32

Anti-war protesters launched a campaign against the conscription of young men into the army. Conscription had existed since WW2 but there were exemptions to the system that seemed to favour the wealthy middle class. A much higher proportion of black and working-class Americans seemed to be called up. The middle-class that were called-up often served as officers and weren’t on the ground actually fighting battles against the VC. Not one congressman lost a son in the war. The Draft Resistance Movement was formed, giving advice on how to avoid conscription. Other protesters burnt their draft cards. By the end of 1969, there were 34,000 draft dodgers wanted by the police. Many crossed the border into Canada to avoid arrest. A quarter of a million men avoided conscription. Other groups raided draft board offices and burnt their records. At first, those who took part were harshly punished with as much as 6 years in prison. However, the sentences got shorter as the protest (and war) went on.

Answer 33

Chemical warfare angered environmentalists due to the damage it caused to the jungle in Vietnam, as well as to the civilians. US public saw bombing from the air as brutal and unnecessary and many were appalled by the suffering caused by Search and Destroy missions. Opposition grew with the number of US casualties. In 1965, there were fewer than 2,000 US casualties, but this had increased to 14,000 by 1968. In 1967, ex-soldiers formed Vietnam Veterans Against the War, stating it wasn’t worth the casualties. Television and photography greatly influenced public opinion. The war in Vietnam was the first to be televised in great detail. Conflict was shown in the living rooms of most US families as colour TV became readily accessible in the late 1960s. This revealed the conflict’s brutality and showed the appalling injuries caused by Napalm on civilians and children. It showed that the US had little hope of winning the conflict.

Answer 34

85% of Americans supported the government policy in the war.

Answer 35

The opponents of the war dominated the media which gave little publicity to the many supporters of the war (he thought it was the vocal minority vs the silent majority).

Answer 36

Large numbers in building and construction unions supported Nixon’s Vietnam policy. Peter J. Brennan was the president of the Building and Construction Trades Council. They believed they were supporting ‘freedom and patriotism’.

Answer 37

They demonstrated their support for Nixon following Kent State. They clashed with students and 200 construction workers attacked the students. 70 were injured, only 6 were arrested, police stood by and did nothing to stop the attack.

Answer 38

USA - Henry Kissinger (US National Secretary Adviser). North Vietnam - Le Duc Tho. South Vietnam - President Thieu

Answer 39

For months, there was no progress, each side haggled over petty issues, such as the shape and size of the table, where people should sit, and who should attend. The major issue was whether the VC should be allowed to attend the negotiations. Thieu opposed the notion and said it gave the VC legal status. However, he was overruled.

Answer 40

Nixon authorised Kissinger to start secret negotiations, from July 1969, with the North Vietnamese only. He hoped more progress could be made. Still, talks went nowhere, and this failed.

Answer 41

Immediate removal of US troops. VC forces to stay in positions already under their control. Resignation of President Thieu.

Answer 42

Removal of US forces immediately and unconditionally. Resignation of President Thieu.

Answer 43

Immediate and unconditional removal of North Vietnamese forces. South Vietnam to have one leader, not a coalition (group government).

Answer 44

Wanted withdrawal of US and North Vietnamese forces from South Vietnam. South Vietnamese people to sort out their own political problems without interference from North Vietnam. All prisoners of war to be released.

Answer 45

For nearly 4 years, there’s been little progress, however, a breakthrough occurred in February 1972, when relations between the USA and Russia improved. The Soviet leader Brezhner and his advisers acted as ‘middle-men’ between Hanoi and Washington DC. This improved relations. Consequently, an agreement was reached in October 1972. Nixon was happy with the timing as it came just before the presidential election. If the war ended, it would be a great achievement for Nixon.

Answer 46

1. North Vietnam dropped its demand that President Thieu could be replaced by a coalition. 2. Nixon and Kissinger agreed to allow the North Vietnamese Army to remain in areas they controlled. 3. The VC should be allowed to participate in the final settlement. 4. A ceasefire agreement was reached and the USA agreed to withdraw all remaining troops. 5. All US prisoners of war would be repatriated (allowed home).

Answer 47

He knew the USA would abandon him. Talks were halted in December and some of Kissinger’s staff even suggested having Thieu assassinated. Congress wouldn’t allow Nixon any more funds for the war, so Operation Linebacker began in December 1972 to force North Vietnam into accepting the terms.

Answer 48

A ceasefire was signed in Paris that essentially mirrored the agreement made in October 1972. President Thieu had no choice but to sign it. The US were leaving Vietnam. The agreement seemed like the best solution possible. Nixon and Kissinger assured Thieu that the USA would continue to support South Vietnam and if North Vietnam violated the agreement, the US would support the south.

Answer 49

1. North Vietnamese troops were to remain in the areas they controlled in the south. 2. The sudden withdrawal of US forces would leave the south vulnerable to attack by the north.

Answer 50

All parties promised to respect the terms of the agreement. The USA continued to withdraw troops leading to a complete withdrawal by 29th March 1973. Kissinger and Le Duc Tho were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, but Le Duc Tho declined it, saying his country wasn’t yet completely at peace. However, the ceasefire quickly collapsed, which happened shortly after the last USA troops left the area.

Answer 51

President Thieu was in a good position to fight against the north when they launched an attack on the south in December 1974, as he had the armaments provided by the USA. However, when he asked for $300 million from the USA for military equipment, his request was denied.

Answer 52

The North Vietnamese Army won a key victory in March 1975 and drove towards Saigon unopposed. 1 month later, South Vietname surrendered. President Thieu’s predictions had been correct, without the support from the USA, the South were left vulnerable to attack. When the fighting eventually stopped, all sides demanded that President Thieu resign so that peace talks could begin.

Answer 53

The south was overcome by communist fighters and Saigon was captured. The north united both the north and south on 2nd July 1976 and became the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Answer 54

Used conscription to maintain the size of the army each year. 100,000 troops were sent to the south each year, including women and young Vietnamese. They were united in the aims of the fighting - many North Vietnamese welcomed the chance to fight for a united Vietnam. They were prepared to accept a heavy body count - between 500,000 and 900,000 died during the war. They knew the jungle, were trained in guerrilla warfare and VC bases were well hidden. They won the support of the peasants. They were supplied with resources from the Soviet Union and China - 8,000 anti-aircraft guns and 200 missile sites. The Ho Chi Minh Trail meant vital supplies could get into the south.

Answer 55

Soldiers had no experience of guerrilla warfare. Troops were inexperienced - troops after 1967 were generally drafted and only served 1 year in Vietnam. Average age of a soldier killed in Vietnam was 19, 43% of soldiers killed were killed in the first 3 months of their tour. It was difficult for men to work together as a unit. There was great hostility between officers and men. Officers had little empathy with young soldiers who just wanted to get through their 1 year tour. This often led to fragging. Between 1970-71, there were 700 cases of fragging. Soldiers were addicted to hard drugs - 20,000 hospitalised for addiction in 1971. 503,000 cases of desertion in the US army. Public weren’t willing to accept a heavy body count. Few troops actually supported the war they were fighting in. Their aim was reaching DEROS (Date Eligible for Return Overseas). Failed to win over the peasants. US tactics failed to destroy the morale of the North Vietnamese, if anything, it made them more determined to win. Morale of US troops was low, made worse by growing opposition at home.

Paper 3 - Vietnam War Flashcards

(79 cards)