Vietnam War Background Review

Question 1

What three countries have controlled Vietnam before 1954?

Answer 1

China, Japan, France

Question 2

Who was the American puppet leader in South Vietnam following the countries’ division in 1954?

Answer 2

Ngo Dinh Diem

Question 3

What was the name of the American special forces in Vietnam?

Answer 3

Green Berets

Question 4

Who was the Communist head of North Vietnam?

Answer 4

Ho Chi Minh

Question 5

What was the dividing line between North and South Vietnam?

Answer 5

17th parallel/DMZ

Question 6

What communist superpower borders Vietnam and provided the Communists with military aid?

Answer 6

China

Question 7

What is the name of the South Vietnamese guerrilla fighters who aided the Communists?

Answer 7

Vietcong

Question 8

What did SEATO stand for?

Answer 8

Southeast Asia Treaty Organization

Question 9

What was SEATO?

Answer 9

Tied US to defense of South Vietnam to protect it from Communism

Question 10

What was the Domino Theory?

Answer 10

A theory about the spread of Communism in Asia that we need to stop all the dominoes from falling in Asia to Communism.

Question 11

What is MAAG?

Answer 11

advisory group that we used with our allies that we fought for in the Cold War. It was established under Truman and we sent in advisors.

Question 12

What did MAAG stand for?

Answer 12

Military Assistance Advisory Group

Question 13

What did MACV stand for?

Answer 13

Military Assistance Command in Vietnam

Question 14

Who founded MACV?

Answer 14

JFK

Question 15

What was MACV?

Answer 15

We began sending in Green Berets, taking on an act of fighting role.

Question 16

What did NLF stand for?

Answer 16

National Liberation Front

Question 17

Who created the NLF?

Answer 17

Ho Chi Minh and the Vietminh

Question 18

What was the NLF?

Answer 18

Divided and created the Vietminh and Vietcong, which made Vietnam part civil and part world.

Question 19

What was the theory of the Buddhist BBQ?

Answer 19

Diem’s sister-in-law referenced suicides and burning of Buddhists, protesting Diem’s government and to draw attention to the situation.

Question 20

What was the Strategic Hamlet Program?

Answer 20

US program for counter-guerrilla warfare, we separated friendlies from the enemies, but the program was flawed.

Question 21

What did ARVN stand for?

Answer 21

Army of the Republic of Vietnam

Question 22

What was the ARVN?

Answer 22

South Vietnam’s army; it was helped by American military aid and advisors, they were our allies in the war.

Question 23

What were MIGs?

Answer 23

Soviet fighter planes that the Soviets sent to Vietnam to help beat us in the air control battle.

Question 24

What was Saigon?

Answer 24

capital of South Vietnam

Question 25

What is Saigon called now?

Answer 25

Ho Chi Minh City

Question 26

What is Hanoi?

Answer 26

capital of North Vietnam

Question 27

What are B-52s?

Answer 27

American mass bomber planes, used for carpet bombings

Question 28

What is the Mekong Delta?

Answer 28

Delta south of Saigon, the region where the Mekong River empties into the South China Sea. It was far from the DMZ and never controlled.

Question 29

What was the Coup d'etat?

Answer 29

They removed Diem from power. The Big Minh killed him, which was our operation to remove him from power.

Question 30

What is the Ho Chi Minh Trail?

Answer 30

A supply line that started in China and went around the DMZ and through neutral nations. It was a way the Vietminh could get supplies and men over the line without a direct crossing.

Question 31

What were two reasons why the US got involved in Vietnam?

Answer 31

1. To stop Communism from spreading, contain it. | 2. Arrogance-we are the superpower undefeated nation and nobody has heard of Vietnam, so we felt we could easily win.

Question 32

Why was Diem unsuccessful at creating peace and stability in South Vietnam between 1954-1963?

Answer 32

He was really a dictator and too aggressive and forceful of his beliefs. He disrespected his people's beliefs, was never connected positively to his people, and never progressed towards Democracy.

Question 33

Why was arrogance a reason we lost the Vietnam War?

Answer 33

We did not know enough about Vietnam, we underestimated what they would bring, and their guerrilla warfare strategy worked to beat us.