Terms
Term for the global ideological and geopolitical struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union after World War II, which formed the context for U.S. involvement in Vietnam.
What is the Cold War?
U.S. president who sought to keep American combat troops out of Vietnam
Who is John Kennedy?
The institution (single word) used to compel American men into military service during the Vietnam era.
What is the draft (conscription)?
A major 1968 surprise Communist offensive that shook U.S. public confidence and increased anti‑war sentiment, it was named after the Vietnamese New Year holiday on which it was launched.
What is the Tet Offensive?
The congressional measure that authorized the president to take military action in Vietnam after reported attacks on U.S. ships.
What is the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?
Name for the U.S. foreign policy strategy to prevent the spread of communism and Soviet influence, largely used after World War II.
What is Containment?
U.S. president who pursued "Vietnamization" and withdrew American combat forces.
Who is Richard Nixon?
A common reason some college students avoided being sent to Vietnam legally, often increasing perceptions of inequality.
What is a deferment (student deferment)?
A widely publicized release of classified documents in 1971 that fueled public mistrust of government decisions about the war.
What are the Pentagon Papers?
Nixon’s policy aimed at transferring combat responsibilities to South Vietnamese forces so U.S. troops could withdraw.
What is Vietnamization?
Name for the policy that suggested if one country in Southeast Asia fell to communism, neighboring countries would follow, helping justify U.S. intervention.
What is the Domino Theory?
U.S. president who significantly escalated American ground forces in Vietnam after 1964.
Who is Lyndon B. Johnson?
Term for the method of selecting men for service by drawing birthdates from a sequence of numbers.
What is the draft lottery?
American university where National Guard troops killed four student protesters.
What is Kent State?
The domestic political scandal tied to attempts to stop and discredit Pentagon Papers leaker Daniel Ellsberg and broader abuses of power during Nixon’s presidency. Also, named after a hotel in Washington, D.C.
What is Watergate?
The name given to the American strategy of enabling South Vietnam to defend itself against North Vietnam, allowing the U.S. to withdraw with honor.
What is Vietnamization?
Initially, the Vietnamese were rebelling against this country's colonial rule over them.
What is France?
A common way to avoid the military draft during the Vietnam War, particularly for those with physical limitations, health conditions, or connections to obtain doctors' notes.
The term for men eligible for service who evaded the draft out of fear or principle. Also the name for baseball players in Los Angeles.
What is a draft dodger?
The set of 1973 negotiations that formally sought to end U.S. involvement and lead to a ceasefire and prisoner exchanges.
What are the Paris Peace Accords?
The 1964 alleged incidents that led Congress to pass a resolution giving President Johnson broader authority to use military force in Vietnam.
What is the Gulf of Tonkin Incident (and the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution)?
Leader of North Vietnam and symbol of Vietnamese communist leadership during the war.
Who is Ho Chi Minh?
In this year, the United States ended the draft and moved the military to an all-volunteer force. Also the year American combat troops were withdrawn.
What is 1973?
This famous heavyweight champion was stripped of his title when he refused to be inducted into the U.S. Army, citing religious beliefs as a Muslim and opposition to the Vietnam War.
Who is Muhammad Ali?
Shot down in combat, this famous American soldier suffered 5 1/2 years of abuse as a POW before his release, then went on to become a Senator from Arizona, and the Republican candidate for president in 2008.
Who is John McCain?