Vietnam War Flashcards
(44 cards)
Ho Chi Minh
Was the Communist leader in North Vietnam, and built Vietnam’s growing independence movement from exile Soviet Union and later from China.
Viet Minh
Group led by Ho Chi Minh who re-took North Vietnam from France.
Domino Theory
A belief that if one country went Communist, others would too.
President Eisenhower
Coined the term, Domino Theory
Geneva Accords
Was the event/organization that divided Vietnam between Communist North and Anti-Commnunist South.
Ngo Dinh Diem
Ruled South Vietnam ruthlessly and cancelled Vietnam elections when it looked like he would lose.
National Liberation Front
Communist opposition group in the South, who had begun attacks on the Diem government, assassinating thousands of South Vietnamese government officials.
President Kennedy’s Vietnam Policy
Increased troops and money in military
Buddhist Protest
Protest the destruction of Buddhists temples and the treatment of Buddhist throughout Vietnam.
Lyndon Johnson
Became president after Kennedy was assassinated
Gulf of Tonkin
Alleged attack on U.S. destroyers by Vietnam that made Johnson ask for more war powers.
Operation Rolling Thunder
Bombing of N. Vietnam
U.S. Commander who also pushed for the escalation of war by demanding more troops
William Westmoreland
Name of South Vietnamese Army
Army of Republic of Vietnam
4 Vietcong tactics
Hit and run ambush tactics
Live in general population
Underground tunnels
Booby traps and mines
2 U.S. tactics
Wear down VC morale
Published bodycounts
Gasoline-based bomb dropped by U.S. bombers that set fire to the jungle
Napalm
Leaf-killing toxic chemical that was meant to get rid of leaves hiding Vietnam soldiers. Later caused cancer to U.S. soldiers
Agent Orange
What was the draft?
All males at 18 years old registered and at 18-26 could be drafted into the military
4 ways to avoid the draft
Medical exemptions
Join National Guard
Apply as a conscientious objector
College deferment
Mostly poor whites, African Americans and minorities, served as nurses
Vietnam Women
2 Youth movement who pushed for Social Change
Free Speech Movement (FSM) and Students for Democratic Society (SDS)
What is a dove? (And their reasons)
They opposed the war, reasons against it:
Vietnam was a civil war
S. Vietnam govt as bad as Communism
U.S. can’t police world
What is a hawk? (And their reasons)
For the war
70% believed anti-war protests were “acts of disloyalty”
