First Indochina War
What years did the First Indochina War occur?
1946 to 1954
What major battle marked a turning point in 1954?
The Battle of Dien Bien Phu
What was the main economic system used in North Vietnam?
Communism – state-controlled agriculture and industry
How did US involvement escalate by 1964?
The Gulf of Tonkin Incident (1964) led to direct military involvement through congressional approval of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
Which year did Vietnam overthrow the Khmer Rouge regime?
1978
Who were the main opposing forces in the First Indochina War?
The French colonial forces vs. the Viet Minh (Vietnamese nationalists led by Ho Chi Minh)
Who led the Vietnamese forces in their victory over the French?
General Vo Nguyen Giap under Ho Chi Minh
Who became the leader of South Vietnam after 1954?
Ngo Dinh Diem
American broadcast journalist who served as anchorman.
Walter Cronkite
What Cambodian prison became notorious for mass torture and executions under Pol Pot?
S-21, Tuol Sleng
What was the primary goal of the Viet Minh during the conflict?
To achieve independence from French colonial rule
How did geography help the Vietnamese forces at Dien Bien Phu?
The French were surrounded in a remote valley, giving the Vietnamese a tactical advantage
Name one political development in North Vietnam after 1954.
Land reform, collectivisation, and alignment with the USSR and China
Which 1970 protest in the U.S. saw four students killed by the National Guard?
Kent State
What date did the Khmer Rouge seize Phnom Penh?
17 April 1975
Name one tactic used by the Viet Minh against the French.
Guerrilla warfare, ambushes, and hit-and-run tactics
What role did guerrilla tactics play in the Vietnamese victory?
It allowed smaller, mobile Vietnamese forces to harass and weaken French forces over time
When does Ho Chi Minh visit Moscow?
July 1955
Which 1965 battle was the first major clash between U.S. and NVA forces?
Battle of Ia Drang
Which U.S. campaign made Laos the most bombed nation per capita?
Operation Barrel Roll
How did the international community view the conflict by 1954?
Increasingly as a nationalist struggle for independence, gaining sympathy during the Cold War context
Explain how the Vietnamese victory in 1954 changed global views on colonialism.
It demonstrated that a colonial power could be defeated by nationalist forces, inspiring anti-colonial movements globally
How did society differ between North and South Vietnam in this period?
North Vietnam embraced communist ideology and collectivism, while the South promoted anti-communism and US-backed capitalism, though often with authoritarian control
Which operation, carried out by ARVN with U.S. support, attempted to cut the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos but ended in disaster, and in what year did it happen?
Operation Lam Son 719
1971
Which treaty in 1973 recognised Lao neutrality but was soon violated?
Vientiane Agreement