Vocab
The belief that if one Asian country fell to communism, neighboring countries would follow.
Domino Theory
Why did America get involved in the war?
To stop the spread of communism.
What was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?
It allowed LBJ to take all necessary actions to repel any further attack and prevent more violence.
Ngo Dinh Diem
Democratic leader of South Vietnam
What did France have to do with the war?
During the age of imperialism, Vietnam was a French colony.
A jellied gasoline used for bombs.
Napalm
Besides preventing communism, why else did America get involved?
We needed to trade with these countries.
What is “Search and Destroy”?
Vietcong blended in with the general population so they were impossible to find, so they would kill anybody they saw coming.
Ho Chi Minh
Communist
What did Japan have to do with the war?
During WW2 Japan overran the Vietnam and took it from France.
A chemical defoliant used to clear Vietnamese jungles during the war.
Agent Orange
How did American citizens feel about getting involved?
They did not like the idea, and they thought it was a pointless war.
Why were so many Vietnamese people killed?
They were easy mistaken for Vietcong soldiers.
Lyndon B. Johnson
Took over after Kennedy was assassinated.
Why did France leave the war?
They did not have enough power and resources without America’s help.
Credibility Gap
Why did Ngo Dinh Diem not want to participate in the election?
He believed Ho Chi Minh would win.
Why was American support beginning to fall?
Media showed only the bad things American soldiers were doing.
John F. Kennedy
Was president, but was assassinated.
What were the Geneva Accords?
North Vietnam would be communist, South Vietnam would be democratic and supported by the US.
The process of making South Vietnam assume more war effort by slowly withdrawing American troops from Vietnam.
Vietnamization
What year did the war begin?
Early 1961
How did soldiers get treated when they returned home?
People yelled at them, protested, and even threw thing at them.
Mike Troyer
A soldier that was in the war.
What was Ho Chi Minh’s goal during the war?
He wanted to attack South Vietnam, and unite the country through war. (basically spread communism.)