The Brezhnev Era, 1972-1985: the USA and SE Asia - Costs of War Flashcards
(28 cards)
How did domestic attitudes towards US involvement in Vietnam change?
• Before the 1968 Test Offensive, there was general support for the war
• Afterwards, strong anti-war culture present
• Often divided classes, as most soldiers were working class and university students could be exempt
• Most loudest protests at universities
How many Americans died in the Vietnam
War?
•Over 58,000
How many Americans served in Vietnam?
• Around 2.7 million people
- Over 9% of the US population at the time
How were veterans affected by the war?
• Many ostracised by peace movements that believed them to be supporters of US policy
• Many rejected due to brutality of US troops and loss of war
• Physical and mental trauma
• Some felt indifference towards veterans
How many American ‘draft dodgers’ fled from the US?
•100,000 men
- Most went to Canada and were accepted as legal immigrants
How did Ford and Carter try deal with draft dodgers?
• Ford
• Ford created a Clemency Board to manage an ‘earned amnesty process
• Divided US: some saw as justifiable, others didn’t as other men had to serve
• Carter
• In January 1977, in his inauguration speech, he announced he would give amnesty to all draft dodgers
• Controversial
When did Carter announce he would grant amnesty to all draft dodgers?
•January 1977
- In his inauguration speech
How much did the war cost for the US?
•$167 billion
How did the war affect funding for domestic policies?
• Many domestic programmes suffered e.g Johnson’s ‘Great
Society’
• Included reforms to eliminate poverty and racism
Describe whether containment failed in Southeast Asia following
Northern Victory
• South Vietnam regarded as foundation of democracy in
Southeast Asia
• Loss of South Vietnam implied other countries falling to
communism through domino effect
• Cambodia and Laos fell to communism
• Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia remained capitalist
Which Southeast Asian countries fell to communism after Northern victory and which countries didn’t?
• Communist
• Cambodia
• Laos
• Capitalist
• Thailand
• Malaysia
• Singapore
• Indonesia
How many estimated casualties did Vietnam face?
• 1.3 to 9 million killed during all hostilities
How many NLF and NVA fighters were killed and how many ARVN fighters were killed?
• NLF and NVA
- 1.1 million
• ARVN
- 100,000 to 330,000
How many civilian casualties were there?
•Around 250,000
How did US actions affect Vietnam’s economy and foreign relations?
• Ford opposed Vietnam’s entry into United Nations, isolating
Vietnam from international community
• Ford imposed trade embargo formally lasting until 1995
• Slowed Vietnam’s economic growth
When did the US trade embargo on Vietnam formally end?
•1995
How did the war affect Vietnam’s infrastructure?
• Bombing
• 643,000 tons of bombs on North Vietnam
• 700.000 tons on South Vietnam
• Massive destruction of agricultural land
• Chemical warfare
• Operation Ranch Hand was defoliation programme to expose guerrilla fighters
• Agent Orange and Napalm used to poison over 6 million acres of South Vietnamese land
How many tons of bombs were dropped on
North and South Vietnam?
• North Vietnam
- 643,000 tons
• South Vietnam
- 700,000 tons
Which US military operation involved the defoliation of South
Vietnamese jungles? When did this operation occur?
• Operation Ranch Hand
- 1962-1971
How many acres of South Vietnamese land were poisoned?
• Over 6 million acres
Did the US provide reparations?
•No
How was presidential powers affected by the war?
• In 1973, the US Congress passed the War Powers Act
• Gave Congress the right to declare war, preventing presidents from acting without Congress’ consent
• Reversed Gulf of Tonkin Resolution of 1964
When was the War Powers Act passed?
•1973
When was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution passed?
•1964
