Dates
This 1954 battle marked the end of nearly a century of French colonial rule in Indochina.
What is the Battle of Dien Bien Phu
This Cold War strategy aimed to stop the global spread of communism and was the foundation of America’s foreign policy in Vietnam.
What is containment
This U.S. tactic involved flying planes low to drop explosive bombs across wide areas, aiming to destroy enemy bases and supply routes.
What is aerial bombing
This controversial strategy, introduced by President Nixon in 1969, aimed to shift the responsibility of the war to South Vietnamese forces while withdrawing American troops.
What is Vietnamization
This U.S.-backed military alliance in Southeast Asia, formed in 1954, aimed to contain communism in the region—similar to NATO in Europe.
What is SEATO
This event on August 5, 1964, gave President Johnson the authority to escalate U.S. involvement in Vietnam.
What is the Gulf of Tonkin incident
According to this theory, if one Southeast Asian country fell to communism, others would follow like a chain reaction.
What is the Domino Theory
Used by the Viet Cong, these surprise attacks involved ambushes, hit-and-run raids, and booby traps, often from tunnels or dense jungle cover.
What is guerrilla warfare
This shocking 1968 event showed the strength of North Vietnamese forces and contradicted official claims of progress, leading many Americans to doubt the war’s winnability.
What is the Tet Offensive
Despite years of war and massive U.S. involvement, this Southeast Asian country fell to communism in 1975, raising questions about the success of containment.
What is South Vietnam
This January 1968 surprise attack by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces shocked Americans despite being a military failure.
What is the Tet Offensive
Despite being an unpopular and authoritarian leader, the U.S. supported this South Vietnamese president as a buffer against communism.
Who is Ngo Dinh Diem
To cut off jungle cover and crops used by the enemy, the U.S. sprayed this toxic chemical, causing environmental destruction and long-term health effects.
What is Agent Orange
These secret documents, leaked in 1971, revealed government dishonesty about the progress of the war and further eroded public trust.
What are the Pentagon Papers
This theory, linked to containment, argued that if one country in a region fell to communism, others would follow — a concept heavily applied to Southeast Asia.
What is the Domino Theory
On May 4, 1970, this U.S. university became infamous after a protest against the Vietnam War ended in the deaths of four students.
What is Kent State University
U.S. involvement in Vietnam was part of a broader global competition with rival ideologies backed by countries like the USSR and China.
What is the Cold War
This North Vietnamese supply route, stretching through Laos and Cambodia, allowed troops and weapons to move south despite U.S. bombing efforts.
What is the Ho Chi Minh Trail
Signed on January 27, 1973, this agreement led to a U.S. ceasefire, prisoner release, and full military withdrawal — though North Vietnamese troops were allowed to remain in the South.
What are the Paris Peace Accords
While Vietnam fell, containment was arguably successful in these neighbouring countries, which did not fall to communism after 1975, challenging the Domino Theory.
What are Thailand, Malaysia, & Indonesia
This operation marked the final evacuation of Americans and South Vietnamese as Saigon fell to North Vietnamese forces in 1975.
This fear, tied to global perception during the Cold War, made U.S. leaders worry that leaving Vietnam would make America appear weak on the world stage.
What is the fear of losing credibility
Used by the Viet Cong, this tactic involved creating complex hidden networks below ground for moving, hiding, and launching surprise attacks.
What are tunnel systems
This final U.S. operation in April 1975 involved the emergency evacuation of Americans and allies from Saigon as North Vietnamese forces entered the city.
What is Operation Frequent Wind
Though containment failed in Vietnam, it arguably succeeded in this earlier Cold War conflict, which ended in a divided but non-communist South.
What is the Korean War