Vietnam Flashcards
(30 cards)
How was Vietnam organised from 1954?
Following the defeat of the French colonial forces, the country was divided into North and South Vietnam,
NV(led by the Communist Ho Chi Minh)
SV(led by American imposed Diem)
Why was President Diem’s government unpopular?
His government was dominated by a Catholic minority who did little to help the mainly Buddhist population.
Diem didn’t help the majority of the country who were poor peasants
Where did the VC get their weapons from?
They received their supplies from the government in NV who got them from China and the USSR
Why did the USA support Diem’s government?
They believed that if SV also fell to communism then other countries around Vietnam would fall to communism too,
Domino Theory
How did involvement increase under JFK from 1961?
The number of ‘advisers’ in SV rose to 11,000.
In 1963 the US decided Diem was too corrupt and allowed an assassination by army officers to take his place
What was the result of the Gulf of Tonkin?
When NV torpedo boats attacked US ships in the Gulf of Tonkin in 1964, Johnson had an excuse to increase involvement and congress gave him huge funds to do so
How did US involvement increase under Johnson from 1963?
He launched Operation Rolling Thunder
Number of troops increased from 1963 to 500,000 in 1968
What are the main reasons the USA got involved in Vietnam?
Domino Theory & containment
Unpopularity of President Diem’s regime in SV
Gulf of Tonkin incident
Why was the USA’s superior firepower not effective in Vietnam?
The VC fought a guerrilla war and avoided any large open battles
What were VC guerrilla tactics?
Hiding in the jungle and conducting sudden ambushes on US troops,
Laying out booby traps for US troops,
Relying on villagers for support,
Blending in with villagers when needed
How did US troops feel about the war and their progress?
It was frustrating:
They rarely encountered any VC,
Their friends were being killed by unseen and indefensible traps,
Villagers refused to help them find VC
What new tactics did the USA use to try and win the war?
Strategic Hamlets,
Chemical warfare,
Search and Destroy missions,
Bombing
What were strategic hamlets?
The US moved villages to new sites surrounded by barbed wire and constant monitoring, the idea was to control who came in and out so they could find the VC,
However villagers didn’t want to leave as their ancestors bones were there
What was Agent Orange?
A defoliant chemical that destroyed areas of jungle and prevented villagers from living in some areas
What was Napalm?
A burning petroleum jelly which destroyed jungles & villages containing VC,
However thousands of innocent villagers were also killed
Why were new USA tactics still failing to have an affect?
VC continued to receive supplies from NV along the Ho Chi Minh Trail,
They also built extensive tunnel systems to move around under protection from chemical agents
How many Vietnamese were killed in total?
300,000 South Vietnamese and 900,000 North Vietnamese & Viet Cong
What happened at My Lai?
In March 1968 a unit of American soldiers massacred between 300-400 civilians, mostly women, children and old men.
The incident was investigated by congress who only found Lt William Calley guilty and 12 months after the incident
What impact did My Laid have?
It attracted a lot of attention and publicity in America, the revelations shocked the public and showed them what was happening in Vietnam,
Many therefore believed that the war in Vietnam was wrong
How expensive was the war for America?
By 1968 the war was costing $30 billion pa,
It’s suggested that for every VC killed by rolling thunder it cost the USA $400,000
How many Americans died?
58,202- most of which were under 21
Why did the USA fail to win the support of the SV people
US military tactics killed many innocent civilians with things like Napalm,
Over 1.3 million were affected by these defoliants,
Strategic Hamlets angered many Vietnamese people
What was the Tet Offensive?
January 1968 Viet Cong fighters attacked over 100 cities and military targets in South Vietnam. They almost captured the US embassy in Saigon
How did the Tet Offensive affect public opinion?
Although the US successful re-took many of the towns, it had showed Americans that they weren’t winning the war.
Johnson realised the war couldn’t be won militarily
