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AA HISTORY IGCSE > Vietnam War > Flashcards

Vietnam War Flashcards

1
Q

What were the origins of the Vietnam war?

A

before WW2, Vietnam was ruled by France
during war, conquered by Japanese, who treated the Vietnamese savagely
this formed Viet Minh, strong anti-Japanese resistance movement
Ho Chi Minh, communist, as leader
when ww2 ended, Viet Minh entered Hanoi and declared Vietnam independent

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2
Q

What was Vietnam’s relationship with France?

A

in 1945 French wanted to rule again but Ho didn’t want this
9 years of war
From 1949 Ho had Chinese support
USA helped France, 500 million p/y
French lost in 1954
Peace conference held, Vietnam divided into N and S until elections could be held

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3
Q

What was the USA’s response to the election and why?

A

prevented elections from taking place in Vietnam 1954
domino theory

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4
Q

Who was Diem and what was his significance?

A

Ngo Dinh Diem set up Republic of South Vietnam in 1955 helped by USA
- very anticommunist, US supported
- regime was unpopular
- US didn’t like his actions but ‘knew of no one better’
- supported him with around 1.6 billion in 1950s

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5
Q

Why was Diem’s regime unpopular?

A
  • belonged to landlord class, treated Vietnamese peasants badly
  • Christian and showed little respect for Buddhism of most Vietnamese peasants
  • very corrupt
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6
Q

When was Diem overthrown and what happened?

A
  • overthrown in Nov 1963 by his own army leaders
  • gvts. that followed equally corrupt
  • still received massive US support
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7
Q

What was the Viet Cong?

A
  • communist-led
  • National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam
  • set um in Dec 1960
  • increased support from ordinary peasants due to actions of these anticommunist gvts
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8
Q

Who did the Viet Cong include?

A
  • South Vietnamese opps of the gvt
  • communist North Vietnamese taking orders from Ho Chi Minh
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9
Q

What happened to peasants that did not support the Viet Cong?

A

faced intimidation and violence from Viet Cong

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10
Q

Who started the war?

A

Viet Cong started a guerrilla war against SV government

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11
Q

How did Viet Cong use guerrilla tactics?

A
  • Ho Chi Minh Trail, to send reinforcements etc to fighters
  • fighters attacked SV gvt forces, officials, buildings, USA air force and supply bases
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12
Q

SV govt. response to Viet Cong starting a guerrilla war

A

‘strategic hamlet programme’’
moving peasant villages from Viet Cong areas to SV gvt. areas
US helped by supplying building materials, money, food and equipment
backfired since peasants resented it and corrupt officials pocketed money meant for supplies

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13
Q

When and how did US involvement escalate?

A
  • by 1962 Kennedy was sending military personnel
  • however he did not want to enter into war
  • however Kennedy was killed in 1963 and LBJ was more prepared to go to war
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14
Q

What was The Tonkin Gulf Resolution?

A

August 1964: NV patrol boats opened fire on US ships in Gulf of Tonkin
Furious reaction, US Congress passed TGR, giving president power to take any necessary measure to prevent further aggression
meant LBJ could start a war

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15
Q

What was Operation rolling thunder?

A

February 1965
gigantic bombing campaign against NV cities, factories, army bases and Ho Chi Minh trail
continued for 3 years

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16
Q

What happened in March 1965?

A

one month after Op. Rolling Thunder
3500 US marines, combat troops (not just advisers) came ashore at Da Nang
US officially at war

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17
Q

Why did US send troops to Vietnam?

A
  • containment and domino theory
  • controversial view: powerful groups in US wanted the war, businesses profiting from conflict
18
Q

Explain guerrila warfare in detail.

A
  • avoids big battles
  • hit and run raids
  • no uniform - camouflaged into peasants
  • no known base camp/HQ
  • small groups
  • attacked then disappeared into jungle, villages, or tunnels
19
Q

What was the goal of guerrilla attacks?

A
  • wear down enemy soldiers + wreck morale
  • US soldiers constant fear of ambushed or booby traps (11% of US casualties by booby traps)
  • VC favoured close fighting because they knew US wouldn’t use air power for fear of hitting their own troops
20
Q

What was the Viet Cong treatment of civilians?

A

courteous, respectful, helped in fields - but still prepared to kill those who opposed them

21
Q

How did the Viet Cong get supplies?

A

Ho Chi Minh Trail
bombed constantly but 40k Vietnamese worked to keep it open whatever the cost

22
Q

Were the Viet Cong committed to the war?

A
  • total deaths VC and NV: 1 million
  • very determined, refused to give in
23
Q

What was the US bombing tactics?

A
  • main tactic
  • damaged NV war effort, disrupted supply routes
  • but not completely working
  • civilian casualties decreased support for US
24
Q

What were the US search and destroy missions?

A

helicopters full of troops descended into villaged, searching out and destroying and VC forces, soldiers to send body count reports back

25
Q

What were the problems with search and destroy?

A
  • raids often based on inadequate info
  • inexperienced troops often walked into traps
  • innocent villages mistaken for VC strongholds - for every VC weapon captured, body count of 6 (many innocent civilians)
  • made US and SV unpopular w/ peasants
26
Q

What was the USA’s use of chemical weapons?

A
  • Agent Orange
  • Napalm
  • man civilians and soldiers harmed
27
Q

How was conscription and morale for the US?

A
  • early war: most US troops professional soldiers, good morale and performance
  • conscription was introduced then later on
  • from 1967, many were young inexperienced men, avg. of 19
  • knew little about Vietnam and cared little for the cause
  • low morale, 1 year service backfired since soldiers who finally gained experience were sent home
28
Q

What was the Tet Offensive?

A
  • New Years, 1967-68
  • VC attacked over 100 cities and other targets
29
Q

What did the Tet Offensive mean for the communists?

A

in many ways a disaster- hoped SV people would rise up and join them, didn’t happen
VC lost around 10k experienced fighters

30
Q

Why was the Tet Offensive a turning point?

A
  • after all the US troops and money, why had the communists taken them by surprise?
  • US and Sv forces retook towns, but used a lot of artillery, air power, killed many civilians and Hue was destroyed - was this right?
31
Q

What was the media reaction to the Tet Offensive?

A
  • until before media generally positive
  • During TO: Walter Cronkite asked ‘What the hell is going on? I thought we were winning this war.’
  • bc of Tet Offensive US people and most of their leaders realized that the Vietnam War would require greater effort over a far longer time than it was worth
32
Q

What were reasons why public in USA were against the war?

A
  • cost: war was draining money that could be better spent at home, and US was still fucking losing
  • inequality: many more black people drafter (30% of AA drafted, 19% white) and more black american casualties
  • many didn’t care about Viet Cong
  • losing purpose: deeply uncomfortable with what was happening in Vietnam
33
Q

What was the My Lai Massacre?

A

unit of US soldiers started search and destroy mission in My Lai
were told it was a VC HQ, ordered to destroy everything and most thought they should kill everyone they found
March 16 1968: 300-400 civilians killed, mostly women, children and old men, only 3 weapons recovered and no VC found

34
Q

What were the results of My Lai Massacre?

A
  • Life magazine published photos, triggering investigation that ended in the trial for mass murder of Lieutenant, charged with murdering 109 people
  • USA people deeply shocked
35
Q

Who withdrew from Vietnam and why and how?

A

after tet offensive LBJ concluded that war couldn’t be won militarily
reduced bombing
instructed people to begin negotiating for peace

36
Q

What were the strategies to leave Vietnam(list)?

A

increased bombing
peace negotations with NV
Vietnamisation

37
Q

What did increased bombing mean?

A

showing he was not weak
he also invaded VC bases in Cambodia, caused outrage

38
Q

When did peace negotiations with North Vietnam start?

A

from early 1969

39
Q

What was Vietnamisation of the war effort?

A

US handing responsibility for war to SV forces and withdrawing US troops

40
Q

When did the war end?

A

jan 1973 - communist victory after that

41
Q

In what ways was Vietnam a failure for the US?

A
  • militarily
  • strategically - bombing in Laos and Cambodia also helped communists in those countries to win support - sped up domino effect
  • propaganda disaster - not a moral crusade anymore
42
Q

What was the Vietnam war’s results for USA and its policies?

A
  • US improved relations with China, ending their block on its UN membership
  • President made visits to China
  • more understanding of USSR
  • 1970s: USSR and China got on better with US than with each other
  • US suspicious of involving troops in conflict

AA HISTORY IGCSE (13 decks)

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