Test 29-30 Flashcards
(51 cards)
Ho Chi Minh
Definition: Ho Chi Minh was the leader of the North Vietnamese and the founding father of the Vietnamese communist movement. He fought for Vietnamese independence from France and later led North Vietnam in the conflict against South Vietnam and the United States. He was a strong nationalist and communist.
Importance: Ho Chi Minh was the symbolic and strategic figure behind North Vietnam’s struggle for reunification under communism. He inspired resistance to foreign control and became a central enemy figure to the U.S. in Vietnam, influencing America’s foreign policy decisions during the Cold War.
Viet Cong
Definition: The Viet Cong were South Vietnamese communist guerrilla fighters who supported North Vietnam. They used unconventional tactics such as ambushes, sabotage, and infiltration to fight U.S. and South Vietnamese forces.
Importance: The Viet Cong were crucial in the Vietnam War because they turned the conflict into a guerrilla war that was difficult for the U.S. to win using traditional military strategies. Their presence blurred the lines between enemy and civilian and led to controversial U.S. tactics, like search-and-destroy missions.
How did the Tonkin Gulf Resolution lead to greater U.S. involvement in Vietnam?
Definition: The Tonkin Gulf Resolution was passed by Congress in 1964 after a reported attack on U.S. ships by North Vietnamese patrol boats. It gave President Lyndon Johnson the authority to use military force in Vietnam without a formal declaration of war.
Importance: This resolution allowed for rapid escalation of U.S. military involvement, including airstrikes and the deployment of combat troops. It marked the beginning of large-scale U.S. intervention and led to a prolonged and costly war that would divide the nation.
What was President Eisenhower’s explanation of the domino theory?
Definition: The domino theory was a Cold War idea held by President Eisenhower that if one country in a region (like Southeast Asia) fell to communism, nearby countries would fall too, like a row of dominoes.
Importance: This theory justified U.S. intervention in Vietnam, as leaders feared that losing Vietnam to communism would lead to a chain reaction of communist takeovers in Asia. It shaped decades of American foreign policy and led directly to U.S. involvement in Vietnam.
William Westmoreland
Definition: General William Westmoreland was the top U.S. commander in Vietnam from 1964 to 1968. He was a West Point graduate and WWII veteran who led the U.S. military effort during the height of the war.
Importance: Westmoreland promoted the strategy of attrition—wearing down the enemy through heavy losses. He consistently requested more troops and gave optimistic assessments of progress, which later clashed with the realities seen in news reports and public perception.
Agent Orange
Definition: Agent Orange was a powerful herbicide used by the U.S. military to eliminate jungle cover and destroy crops that could be used by enemy forces. It was sprayed from aircraft over vast areas of Vietnam.
Importance: While it was meant to weaken the enemy, Agent Orange caused long-term health problems such as cancer, birth defects, and other illnesses in Vietnamese civilians and U.S. veterans. Its use became one of the most controversial aspects of the war.
Why did much of the American public and many in the Johnson administration support U.S. escalation in Vietnam?
Definition: At first, many Americans and government officials supported the increase in U.S. involvement, believing that stopping communism in Vietnam was essential to protecting American interests.
Importance: This early support allowed the Johnson administration to send hundreds of thousands of troops to Vietnam. However, as the war dragged on without a clear victory, public opinion shifted dramatically.
Name three factors that contributed to the sinking morale among U.S. troops fighting in Vietnam.
Definition:
Unclear goals and progress – Soldiers often felt confused about the war’s objectives.
Jungle warfare and constant danger – Guerrilla tactics and harsh conditions wore down mental and physical stamina.
Hostile public opinion back home – Troops returning home were often met with criticism or indifference.
Importance: These factors led to poor mental health, increased drug use, and a lack of discipline in the ranks. Morale problems undermined combat effectiveness and contributed to the war’s eventual unpopularity.
Dove
Definition: A dove was someone who opposed the Vietnam War and believed the U.S. should withdraw. Doves included students, civil rights leaders, and some politicians.
Importance: Doves led the anti-war movement and helped shift public opinion against the war. Their protests brought national attention to the war’s human and financial costs, pressuring policymakers to consider alternatives to military escalation.
Hawk
Definition: A hawk was someone who supported continued and even increased U.S. military efforts in Vietnam. Hawks believed withdrawal would damage U.S. credibility and encourage communism.
Importance: Hawks dominated early U.S. policy and kept the war going even as opposition grew. Their influence shows how deeply the Cold War mindset shaped American decisions in Vietnam.
What race-related problems existed for African-American soldiers who served in the Vietnam War?
Definition: African American soldiers faced systemic racism in the military, limited promotion opportunities, and were often given more dangerous assignments.
Importance: These inequalities highlighted the broader civil rights issues in American society and fueled Black opposition to the war. Prominent figures like Martin Luther King Jr. criticized the war for disproportionately harming Black communities.
What evidence was there that the country was sharply divided between hawks and doves?
Definition: The country saw widespread protests, violent clashes (like at the 1968 Democratic Convention), and bitter public debates. College campuses became centers of resistance.
Importance: These divisions reflected a major crisis in national identity and policy. The deep split between hawks and doves eroded trust in government and revealed generational and ideological rifts that reshaped American politics.
Tet Offensive
Definition: A massive, coordinated surprise attack by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces on more than 100 cities and bases in South Vietnam during the Vietnamese New Year in 1968.
Importance: Though the U.S. repelled the attacks, it shocked Americans by showing the enemy’s strength and undermined claims that the U.S. was winning. It was a major turning point in public opinion against the war.
Robert Kennedy
Definition: A U.S. senator and Democratic presidential candidate in 1968 who opposed the war and was popular among minorities and young people. He was assassinated in June 1968.
Importance: Kennedy’s death devastated the anti-war movement and created a sense of despair. His assassination, along with that of Martin Luther King Jr., contributed to the chaos and violence of 1968.
What circumstances set the stage for President Johnson’s public announcement that he would not seek another term as president?
Definition: Johnson faced criticism from both anti-war Democrats and Republicans after the Tet Offensive. Public trust eroded as the war escalated without clear results.
Importance: Johnson’s decision marked the collapse of political consensus around the war and opened the door to new political figures like Nixon. It also showed how deeply unpopular the war had become.
What acts of violence occurred in the United States during 1968 that dramatically altered the mood of the country?
Definition: The assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy, along with riots in many cities and protests at the Democratic Convention in Chicago.
Importance: These events created a sense of national trauma and crisis. Many Americans lost faith in political institutions, leading to a more conservative turn in politics in the 1970s.
Vietnamization
Definition: A strategy introduced by President Nixon to gradually withdraw U.S. troops and transfer combat responsibilities to South Vietnamese forces.
Importance: It aimed to reduce American casualties and end U.S. involvement without a clear defeat. However, it failed to ensure South Vietnam’s survival after U.S. withdrawal.
Pentagon Papers
Definition: A classified government report leaked in 1971 that revealed the U.S. government had misled the public about the Vietnam War’s progress and scope.
Importance: The Pentagon Papers shattered public trust in the government and confirmed suspicions that officials had hidden the truth. It contributed to the credibility gap and helped fuel anti-government sentiment.
Briefly describe the military conflict in Vietnam soon after the last U.S. combat troops departed in 1973.
Definition: After the U.S. left, North Vietnam launched a full-scale offensive. In 1975, they captured Saigon, and South Vietnam surrendered.
Importance: The fall of Saigon marked the official end of the Vietnam War and the reunification of Vietnam under communist rule. It was a significant blow to U.S. foreign policy and Cold War credibility.
What were the immediate effects and more lasting legacies of the Vietnam War within America?
Definition:
Immediate: Nearly 60,000 American deaths, thousands wounded, and emotional trauma for veterans and families.
Lasting: Public distrust of government, reluctance to engage in foreign wars (Vietnam Syndrome), and deep societal divisions.
Importance: The war transformed how Americans viewed their leaders and military involvement. It left political scars and forced a rethinking of U.S. interventionist policy.
Brown v. Board of Education
Definition: A 1954 Supreme Court case in which the Court unanimously ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, overturning the “separate but equal” doctrine established by Plessy v. Ferguson.
Importance: This landmark case was a turning point in the civil rights movement. It provided a legal foundation to challenge segregation and energized activists to demand desegregation in all areas of society.
Rosa Parks
Definition: A Black seamstress and NAACP member who was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955 for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white passenger.
Importance: Her arrest sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which became a powerful symbol of resistance and helped launch the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It also showed the strength of nonviolent protest.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Definition: A Baptist minister and civil rights leader who advocated nonviolent resistance to racial injustice. He led the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and delivered influential speeches, including “I Have a Dream.”
Importance: King became the national face of the civil rights movement. His leadership and powerful oratory helped push forward major legislative reforms and inspired generations to fight for equality through peaceful means.
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)
Definition: A student-led civil rights organization founded in 1960 that organized sit-ins, voter registration drives, and freedom rides to challenge segregation and disenfranchisement.
Importance: SNCC empowered young African Americans to take an active role in the movement. Their grassroots activism brought national attention to civil rights violations and increased pressure on the federal government to act.
