dooling - vietnam
What was the "carrot" that the Nixon administration was dangling in front of North Vietnam after the cease-fire was signed?
Postwar reconstruction financial aid in return for North Vietnam getting out of the South.
The October 1972, peace agreement hammered out by Le Duc Tho and Henry Kissinger broke down because
President Thieu opposed any deal that let North Vietnamese troops remain in the south
Name the four protectorates established by the French in the last third of the 19th century.
Tonkin (the North), Annam (the Center), Laos, Cambodia.
How did the North Vietnamese survive "the second war of U.S. destruction?" (3 points)
Total Mobilization, 2. superhuman effort, 3. amazing adaptability.
The American and South Vietnamese "incursion" into Cambodia in 1970 was made possible by the overthrow of
Prince Norodom Sihanouk
President Dwight Eisenhower and his advisors argued that France could turn the tables on the Vietminh by doing which of the following?
Pursuing a more aggressive strategy and employing Vietnamese troops
When the two parties reached Paris (France) on May 13th, the United States expressed willingness to stop the bombing, but what American term of peace did Hanoi reject and what was the reason why?
Reciprocal de-escalation, They were rejecting any American terms that limited the North's ability to support the war in the South while leaving the United States a hand free.
The War Powers Act
Required the president to inform Congress w/ in 48 hours of the deployment of American military forces. Required the president to withdraw American forces in sixty days in the absence absence of explicit congressional endorsement. conferred on the president a more direct power to commit American troops to war than was provided by the Constitution. was passed by Congress by overriding a presidential veto. (All of the above)
What were the major terms of the peace settlement hammered out by Kissinger (US) and Tho (Hanoi)? (2 points)
W/in 45 days after a cease-fire, the US would w/draw its remaining troops, and North Vietnam would return U.S. POWs.
What began to raised troublesome questions about the U.S. Vietnam Policy?
Rising toll of American deaths
Who became an instant contender as a peace candidate for the Democratic Party in the Election of 1968?
Robert Kennedy
What was the objectives of the coordinated guerrilla attacks against the major cities and towns of South Vietnam?
Rock the Saigon government to its foundations, and ignite a "general uprising" among the people, and shake the will of the United States.
What was the Passage to Freedom?
Safe passage of Northern Catholics, Vietnamese who worked with the French government in the North, and members of the NVA who feared reprisals in DRV.
During 1968, which of the following individuals believed that America could wring major concessions from Hanoi by sustaining military pressure?
Walt Rostow
By the summer of 1967, the chief opponent within the Johnson Administration to the continuation of the Vietnam War was
Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara.
How did the Buddhist monks, students, labor unions, Catholics, and even factions of the army show their dissatisfaction with the Ky regime and the alliance with the United States?
Signs reading "END FOREIGN DOMINATION OF OUR COUNTRY" appeared in Hue and DaNang, An angry mob burned the U.S. consulate in Hue. Fire fighters refused to extinguish the blaze
The "selective pressures" were designed to...
Start a Coup to remove Nhu
How did General Abrams modify General Westmoreland's costly and ineffective search and destroy strategy?
Strategy that integrated combat operations more closely with pacification and sought mainly to protect the population of South Vietnam. He attempted to curb the use of firepower and the corrupting emphasis on body counts. He shifted from large-scale operations against enemy main-force units to small-unit actions aimed at disrupting the enemy's logistic systems and thereby limiting its ability to take the offensive.
What was the biggest contribution in weapons and manpower the Soviets gave to North Vietnam?
Surface-to-air missiles manned by thousands of Soviet technicians.
Give one example of what agencies, such as CARE and Catholic Relief Services set out to do.
Teach villagers modern methods of farming, fishing, and forestry, Created health and sanitation programs to curb disease, Intitiated self-help projects to promoite economic development.
What role did the FBI play in Johnson's attempt to destroy the peace movement?
The FBI recruited informants inside the peace organizations, wiretapped telephones, broke into homes and offices, and infiltrated various groups w/ the object of disrupting their work and causing their members to do things that would further discredit them in the eyes of the public
Who killed the Diems?
The Generals
Many believe that Nixon's threat to "bomb North Vietnam to hell" and and threaten Thieu with the "fate of Ngo Dinh Diem" if neither party carried out the peace agreement terms could not be carried out by Nixon even with his landslide re-election. What event will prevent Nixon from carrying out his threats?
Watergate Scandal.
What was the NSC's "new initiative" to shore up the U.S. position in Southeast Asia?
The NSC recommended the use of "all available means" to undermine the infant DRV regime in northern Vietnam
This organization helped Ho Chi Minh wage guerrilla war against the Japanese during World War II.
The Office of Strategic Services (OSS)
Why was there no "peace" in the Peace with Honor? (2 points)
The Paris agreements permitted American extrication from the war and left the Thieu government in place, the political future of South Vietnam was left unresolved.
With Giap's advancement on Dien Bien Phu possibly forcing the French into an unsatisfactory negotiated agreement of withdrawal, what might the United States have to do in order to keep Vietnam out of the hands of the Communists?
The U.S. might have to Join the Associated States and other nations to fight without France.
How did American military strategy change in South Vietnam in 1960?
The U.S. moved from conventional warfare to counterinsurgency
What was the philosophical differences between the United States, Diem and his brother Nhu when it came to developing industry in South Vietnam?
The United States insisted that industry be privately owned, Diem and Nhu demanded that South Vietnam government ownership of major industries.
What are three lessons that the United States still can and should learn from our experience in Vietnam?
The difficulties of intervening in a foreign civil war The pitfalls of incrementalism* The folly of underestimating an enemy. The importance of understanding the kind of war that is being fought. The dubious morality of seeking to determine another people's destiny and making commitments that may not be sustainable. The limits of public tolerance for questionable uses of military power abroad A long list of dos and don'ts in the raising and handling of military forces
Why were the Geneva Accords provision for free elections in Vietnam so important to the United States?
The election promoted Self-Determination in countries split by the Cold War, and advocacy for free elections in Germany and Korea.
What was the "linkage?"
The knowledge that the Soviet Union had a keen interest in expanding trade with the United States and an agreement limiting strategic arms.
Which of the following was not an impact of the anti-war movement?
The manifestations of dissent in the United StatesMcNamara's undoubtedly encourageed Hanoi tohold out for victory.
3. Which of the following contributed most significantly to the victory of the Viet Minh at Dien Ben Phu in 1953?
The near superhuman efforts of Viet Minh troops
What posed a new danger to the Vietnamese policy and presented enticing opportunities for the initiative Nixon sought?
The overthrow of Cambodia's neutralist Prince Sihanouk in March by pro-American clique headed by Prime Minister Lon Nol
The Johnson administration used the Pleiku incident as a reason to step up the bombing attacks in North Vietnam. The author says this was a deception of the American public. What does the author say the real reason was for the escalation of the bombings in North Vietnam?
The possibility of a South Vietnamese collapse.
With the Japanese takeover of Vietnam in World War II, what did U.S. officials recognize?
The region was a gateway to China, and the Philippines
Why was the thinking behind the domino theory in American foreign policy fundamentally flawed?
The revolutions in Southeast Asia were not inspired by ideological leaders in Moscow.
What is "Vietiraqistan" syndrome?
The subsequent failure of American escalation to achieve decisive results, combined with its enormous expense and mounting war-weariness at home, and in the form of strong popular and elite skepticism about further military intervention abroad.
Lyndon Johnson was committed to upholding the policies implement by John Kennedy, especially National Security Action Memorandum 273. How does LBJ revise NSAM 273 by adding what possibility to the document?
The vow to "win"., Planning for expanded operations against North Vietnam, opening the possibility for major U.S. escalation of the war.
If the United States' European allies did not openly oppose U.S. policy in Vietnam, then how they show their disappointment in the U.S. policies?
They adamently refused to provide even the token amount of forces the Johnson administration requested
Was Hanoi (North Vietnam) inclined towards negotiations, because of Rolling Thunder success in the North, or were the disinclined towards negotiations because they were certain they were winning in Saigon?
They were Disinclined towards negotiations because they were certain they were winning in Saigon.
Under the Phoenix Program how did the United States "neutralize" 20,000 members of the NLF infrastructure
They were arrested.
The Military Assistance and Advisory Group's (MAAG) effort to turn South Vietnam's army into an effective force failed for which of the following reasons?
They were limited to a force of 10,000
What does the correct perception of the United States for pursuing "choking warfare" by North Vietnam mean?
Trying separate North Vietnam from its allies (Soviet Union and China).
Which of the following posed a more serious danger to the United States credibility and world order?
Turbuence in the Third World
What were three conclusions of the Hilsman-Forrestal report in 1963 that would probably happen?
U.S. and South Vietnamese were "probably winning", the war would "probably last longer than we would like", "probably cost more in terms of both lives and money than we anticipated."
What was the difference between the campaign in Cambodia and LAM SON 719, the bombing campaign in Laos and Cambodia?
This time the ARVN assumed the burden of the fighting, with only air support from the U.S.
What was an immediate benefit of Bill Clinton's attempt at normalization?
U.S. firms such as PepsiCo, Nike and United Airlines move quickly into Vietnam.
Why was there no "honor" in Peace with Honor? (2 Points)
US allowed North Vietnam to leave 150,000 troops below the DMZ, along w/ US troop withdrawal and recognition of the PRG, both concessions that left the South Vietnamese government in Peril.
What was the serious flaw of the strategy of attrition for the U.S. ground war?
US assumed it could inflict intolerable losses on the enemy while keeping its own casualties within acceptable bounds
Why did the French resent American intrusion in Vietnam in 1954-1955?
US was using diem to replace French in south vietnam
What was the name of the ship engaged in electronic espionage in the Gulf of Tonkin?
USS maddox
What was the "Vietnam syndrome?"
"Vietnam Syndrome" had sapped America's will to defend legitimate interests and stand firmly against the evils of communism.
What did Washington, D.C. say was the root cause of the Second Indochina War?
"aggression from the north"
By April 1965, Operation Rolling Thunder quickly grew from
"few isolated thunder claps" to "mounting crescendo" of air striked against north vietnam
What will the commander of the Maddox say contributed to many accounts of torpedo attack and enemy contacts?
"freak weather effects" on the radar and sonar, as well as an "overeager" sonarman
For China, U.S. escalation in North Vietnam was a
"test case for true communism."
From 1955 to 1961 American economic and military aid to South Vietnam totaled approximately
$1.5 billion
Why did the "air of gloom" hang over the White House?
Westmoreland insisted the attack had been repulsed and no need to fear a major setback. The LBJ admin concurred. Intelligence estimates were more pessimistic that Westmoreland. Feared Tet was only the beginning. Khe Sanh was still the primary objective.
How did Nixon justify the Cambodian "incursion" in his televised speech on April 30, 1969? (3 Points)
1. A response to North Vietnamese "agression," 2. as a necessary action to protect American forces in Vietnam, 3. Center Office for South Vietnam (COSVN)
What were the two amendments voted overwhelmingly by the Senate in June 1969 to terminate the Tonkin Gulf Resolution of 1964? (2 Points)
1. An amendment proposed to cut off all funds for American military operations in Cambodia after June 30, 1969, 2. An amendment would have required the administration to withdrwaw all U.S. forces from Vietnam by the end of 1971.
What did the so-called Huston Plan, one of the most blatant attacks on individual freedom and privacy in American history, authorize? (3 Points)
1. Authorized the intellegence agencies to open mail, 2. use electronic surveillance methods, 3. burglarize to spy on America.
After meeting with his military advisors and their non-plan for victory, what did Secretary of Defense Clark Clifford recommend the action the United States take following the Tet Offensive?
1. Deployment of 22,000 troops, 2. a reserve call-up of unspecified magnitude, 3. a "highly forceful" approach to get South Vietnam to assume greater responsibility.
What problems did the failure to call up the reserves and the well-intention policy of requiring Americans to serve one-year tours in Vietnam? (3 Points)
1. Deprived the army of experienced leaders, 2. forced constant turnover in units, 3. transported to Vietnam problems already deeply entrenched in the United Ststes.
What was response by Diem when the American embassy in Saigon told him that American aid was contingent on Diem "to promise to reorganize and reform the government and allow the U.S. a share in the government decision?"
1. Diem protested the pittance of money and equipment offered, 2. lashed out at the proposals of a new relationship, and #. stated that South Vietnam "did not want to be a protectorate of the U.S."
What were the variety of conditions that motivated Nixon to make one of the most important and controversial decisions of his tumultuous presidency by sending troops into Cambodia? (3 Points)
1. He was swayed by the military's argument that the operation would buy time for Vietnamization, 2. Help sustain a friendly government in Cambodia, 3. His "big play philosophy."
What were considered by Walt Whitman Rostow as "unexploited counterguerilla assets?
1. Helicopters and the 2. Green Berets
How did the Kennedy administration set out at once to meet the challenges of the Cold War?
1. Massive build-up of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles, 2. Establish a credible deterrant to Soviet nuclear power, 3. Expanded and modernized the nation's conventional military.
After Khanh resigned for the second time, who became 1. Premier, 2. Commander of the Armed Forces, and 3. Prime Minister?
1. Phan Huy Quat 2. Thieu 3. Ky
How were the "selective pressure" implemented against Nhu?
1. Recalled his friend CIA Station Chief John Richardson, 2. cut off funds to Nhu's special forces, 3. suspended shipmemts of tobacco, rice, and milk under the commodity import program.
How did Saigon react to the news of the Diems' death?
1. Smashed statues of Diem, 2. danced in the streets, 3. covered ARVN soldier with flowers.
What was involved with OPERATION LINEBACKER? (2 Points)
1. The mining of Haiphong harbor, 2. the massive sustained bombing of North Vietnam.
Although taken by surprise, how did the United States and South Vietnam recover quickly from the surprise attack?
1. Timing of the offensive was poorly coordinated, 2. premature attack warned Westmoreland to reinforce vulnerable areas, 3. NLF was slow to capitalize on its initial success giving the U.S. time to mount a strong defense
According to Le Duan and Hanoi's "diplomatic weapon", what were the two "internal contradictions" they hoped to introduce into the enemy's camp during negotiations?
1. To divide U.S. and South Vietnam, 2. exploit surging antiwar sentiment in the United States
4. What did President Truman do with the $50 million spent on strengthening the 'free states' and increase the U.S. popular appeal in Vietnam?
1. fertilizers and seeds for agricultural production 2. constructed dispensaries 3. developed malaria control program 4. distributed food and clothing for refugees
What are Thieu's proclaimed "Four Nos?"
1. no recognition of the enemy 2. no coalition government 3. no neutralization for south vietnam 4. no concession of territory
How many Communist nations provided assistance to North Vietnam between 1965 - 1967, thus sustaining its war economy?
12
What was the final decision of troops Johnson finally settled on?
13,500 support troops
How many nonaligned nations issued an "urgent appeal" for negotiation between the U.S. and North Vietnam, asking both nations state their terms for a settlement?
17
How long did the new government in South Vietnam last, and what event marked its end?
3 Months, Three Months, On January 29, 1964, a group of officers headed by Major General Nggyen Khanh overthrew the government.
Approximately how many Vietnamese died in the Vietnam War?
3 million
What was Johnson's approval rating for running the war before Tet, and what was it during Tet?
40%, 26%
How many American prisoners of war were released by North Vietnam?
591
What were the Robert McNamara's conclusions about the conflict in 1965, in 1966, and in 1967? (There is an answer for each year, but try to be brief in your answers.)
65 - that the war couldnt be won in anny meaningful way. 66 - began to fear that the vast expansion of the war was endangering the global security. 67 - he was forced to admit that escalation of the war hadnt produced results in the major "end products - broken enemy morale and political effectiveness"
To appease Thieu, how many points of the peace settlement was Kissinger willing to reconsider?
69
Diem's "agroville" program proved to be:
A complete flop that bred widespread resentment among peasants angry at being removed from their homes and separated from the sacred burial grounds of their ancestors.
What would offering a partial bombing halt to North Vietnam, knowing they would reject any proposal, do for Johnson's public opinion numbers?
A conciliatory gesture would show the American people to bring about negotiations, thus buying time to stabilize the home front ans shore up South Vietnam.
What was Phase TWO of the bombing strategy of the United States in Vietnam?
A large-scale air offensive against North Vietnam, to be followed by a Naval Blockade.
What was the uncritical assumption of the Kennedy administration following his death in November 1963?
A non-Communist South Vietnam was vital to America's global interests.
Because LBJ was afraid that a declaration of war with Vietnam would provoke the Soviet Union and China, as well as destroy his dreams of a Great Society, LBJ informed his staff to implement his decisions in a "low-keyed manner in order to accomplish what two objectives?" (2 points)
A) to avoid and abrupt challenge to the Communists, B) to avoid undue concern and excitement in Congress and in domestic public oppinion"
Give a reason why statements like "...we've kicked the Vietnam syndrome once and for all," are premature in their context.
After Somalia, we did not intervene and protect civilians in Rwanda or Yugoslavia, , As "liberators"failed in trying to rebuild or nation-build the country of Iraq following the 2nd Persian Gulf War as confidently as experts had perdicted.
Which of the following helped fuel conflict between France and the United States in 1954-1955?
American officials believed that the French government was simultaneously trying to retain control of South Vietnam and establish close relations with Hanoi
Who was John Kennedy calling to become "watchmen on the walls of freedom?"
Americans
In 1960, Ambassador Elbridge Durbrow:
Argued that America should force Diem to implement broad reforms in exchange for further military aid.
What was a graphic demonstration of violence in the spring and summer of 1968 that brought more grief to an already emotionally exhausted nation?
Assassination Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy
In what ways did the United States use the air war to strengthen its position in South Vietnam during the peace negotiations?
B-52s and fighter-bombers relentlessly attacked: 1. infiltration routes, 2. lines of communication, 3. suspected enemy base camps
Why would the cutback of American financial assitance bring economic and political collapse to South Vietnam?
Because South Vietnam relied on a high level of imports to maintain its standard of living and on U.S. money to pay for them.
Why did the nation experience a self-conscious, collective amnesia?
Because the memories were so painful , no one cared to dredge them up.
Why did the North Vietnamese commanders order the torpedo attack the American ships the USS Maddox and USS Ticonderoga in the first place?
Because these ships were susspected to be a part of bombardment of Hon Me and Hon Ngu
The United States normalized relations with Vietnam under President
Bill Clinton.
What did Johnson decide to do about Vietnam in a television address on March 31, 1968?
Bombings of NV would be limited to the area just north of the DMZ
What was the reason for nationally televising the hearings of establishment figures and critics of administration policies in Vietnam?
By challenging the administration's rationale for the war and claims of progress, they forced the debate LBJ had tried to avoid, and signaled the end of years of executive dominance and congressional acquiescence.
How did Johnson attempt to finance the war?
By deceit and trickery
How did LBJ encourage both (war) "hawks" and (peace) "doves" to believe that he was moving in their direction?
By giving equal attention to militry measures and negotiations.
This is a prefect way to explain the support for Nixon's Vietnam policies during an election year.
CREEP (Committee for the Reelection of the President)
Which 1980s and 1990s conflicts brought about fears of another Vietnam-like quagmire to the front of many Americans minds? (There are three of them.)
Central America (El Salvador or Nicaragua), First Persian Gulf War, Somalia
Why was China's intervention into North Korea raised fears in the United States?
China would do the same and invade Vietnam.
What was the only colonial possession of France in Indochina?
Cochin China (South)
Who made up the tripartite electoral commission? (3 Points)
Composed of the 1. Saigon regime, 2. the Provisional Revolutionary Government (PRG), the functioning government created by the NLF in 1969 as a rival to the Government of Vietnam (GVN), and 3. neutralists.
With the passage of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
Congress handed the president a blank check to use further force in Vietnam
The French government sought to reassert its authority in Indochina following World War II for which of the following reasons?
Control of Indochina would restore France's faltering prestige.
What was an example of Nixon's voyer like appetite for information about the antiwar movement?
Using helicopters to blow out candles held by protesters and hiring thugs to beat up protesters.
Why is Tet, for the North Vietnamese/NLF a failure for not achieving their objectives?
Did not spark the hoped-for urban uprisings. Was not welcomed as liberators. many city dwellers rallied to the South Vietnamese Government.
How did Diem win the support of the Cao Dai and Hoa Hao in his divide-and-conquere tactics?
Diem offered the Cao Dai and Boa Bao cabinet posts, Colonel Lansdale bribed the most important leaders to work with the government.
Washington shifted from giving Diem lukewarm support to backing him strongly in 1955 because
Diem's army won a surprising victory over the sects.
General Vo Nguyen Giap's Vietminh troops won a decisive victory over French forces in 1954 at
Dien Bien Phu.
hat did America call Tran Le Xuan?
Dragon Lady
What was the most pressing and enduring legacy for the Vietnamese people?
Economic deprivation.
For the United States, why was the Vietnam War among the most debilitating in its history, economically, politically, and militarily? (3 Points)
Economically - its $167 billion price tag triggered an inflation that helped undermine America's position in the world, Politically - along with Watergate, the war increased popular suspicion of government, leaders, and institutions, Militarily - it discredited and crippled the military , and temporarily estranged the United States from much of the rest of the world
What two changes (according to the book) did Thieu demand to the peace settlement presented to him by Kissinger? (2 Points)
Establishment of the demilitarized zone as a boundary between two sovereign states, and removsal of North Vietnmanese troops from the South.
President Johnson nearly lost the March 12, 1968, New Hampshire primary to
Eugene McCarthy
There was a confirmed second attack on the USS Maddox and the USS C. Turner Joy in the Gulf of Tonkin.
False
What is the difference between a "fast and full squeeze" and a "slow squeeze?
Fast and Full - massive attacks against major industries and military targets. Slow Squeeze - a graduated series of attacks with infiltration route in Laos and slowly extend to North Vietnam.
Why did Johnson refuse to ask for taxes to pay the war?
Feared such a request would force cuts in his Great Society programs.
What are the cautionary principles of the Vietnam War that must be kept in the mind as the United States faces a new and uncertain era?
First is the centrality of local forces in international crisis situations. Second it the limits of power. Finally, as long as the Vietnam generation is with us and we continue to face situation that look similar , it is likely to continue to influence the way we view the world.
How did the North Vietnamese and the NLF control its casualties? (3 points)
Fought at times and places of their own choosing, on ground favorable to them, if losses reached unaccetable levels they simply melted into the jungle or retreated into sanctuaries in North Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.
Who made up the "western colorization" of SEATO?
France, Great Britain, United States
Who did Diem complain to about U.S. infringements of Vietnamese sovereignty, fretted about a new colonialism, and American soldiers in South Vietnam?
France, the French
What was the ultimate tragedy of Nixon decisions in Cambodia?
From beginning to end, the Nixon administration viewed its new ally as little more than a pawn to be used to help salvage the U.S. position in Vietnam, showing scant regard for the consequences for Cambodia and its people.
What was the Revolutionary Development program trained to do? (4 points)
Gov't officials rented land to the U.S. gov't at inflated prices; required bribes for driver's licenses, passports, visas, and work permits: extorted kickbacks for contracts to build and service facilities; and took part in the illicit importation of opium.
What began a dramatic threat to the Diem regime and new complications for an already faltering American policy
Government troops firing into the crowds protesting orders forbidding the display of flags on the anniversary of Buddah's birth.
What did Westmoreland advocate in mid-March (1965) if the U.S. was to avert disaster in Vietnam because of the slow build up and concern for a major enemy offensive in the Central Highlands ?
HE advocated for the immediate commitment of two US army divisions, one to the highlands and the other to the Saigon area
What was the purpose of the idea of the United States halting the bombings in Vietnam? Was it successful.
Halting the bombings was an attempt to entice both the North and South to join the peace talks at the same time. Yes it was successful after the October bombing halt, when the U.S threatened to talk to the North without the South present.
Despite South Vietnam's vulnerability, Hanoi chose not to pursue reunification in the late 1950s because:
Hanoi faced daunting postwar reconstruction and nation-building problems including popular resistance to its program of land reform.
What was Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev response to a stormy summit meeting in Vienna over U.S. policies in Indochina?
He built a Wall separating the West from the eastern zone of the German city of Berlin.
What was the consequence of Diem's successful counterattack against the bombing of presidential palace by the Binh Xuyen, and forced them to retreat back into the Cho Lon District of Saigon?
He earned a policy reversal of momentous significance: Senate leadership lobbied furiously for Diem's retention in South Vietnam.
Why did LBJ tie Vietnam to the Great Society?
He feared if he showed weakness , southern conservatives who opposed his domestic programs would attack him with a vengeance.
What does Johnson mean that the U.S. is going to "ride the tiger?"
He is going to continue the war to a successful conclusion where South Vietnam remains a non-Communist state.
After all of the evaluations on the situation of Vietnam, why did Kennedy choose a cautious, middle-of-the-road approach, and flatly reject a negotiate settlement in Vietnam?
He was concerned that a negotiated peace in Vietnam would unleash political attacks like those following the fall of China in 1949.
What was Johnson's "Bombshell Announcement?"
He would not seek and would not accept the nomination for the Democratic nominee for president in the 1968 election.
American officials determined that they could not support Ho Chi Minh for the following reason.
His deeply held Communist beliefs
Which of the following personal characteristics most accounted for Ngo Dinh Diem's rise to power in South Vietnam in the mid 1950s?
His long standing support for anti-Communist Vietnamese independence.
Which of the following factors prompted Secretary of Defense Clark Clifford to question U.S. strategy in Vietnam at the highest level in March 1968
His predecessor McNamara urged him to end the war
What were the reasons for LBJ's tactics to deceived the public by not telling the truth about the total number of troops being sent to Vietnam in July of 1965 and July 1966, and only saying he was sending 50,000 troop
His tactics reflected his continuing determination to achieve his goals in vietnam without sacraficing the Great Society and his certainty that he could accomplish both tasks at once
What was the name of the infiltration route to move personnel and supplies to South Vietnam through Laos being constructed by the special force Group 559,
Ho Chi Minh Trail
What was one purpose of the Eastern Offensive to attack directly at the ARVN main-force units?
Hoping to discredit the Vietnamization policy and tie down as many enemy regular forces as possible, enabling the NLF to resume the offensive in the countryside, disrupt pacification, and strengthen its position prior to the final peace negotiations.
In 1961, the Kennedy administration confronted Cold War crises in all of the following places EXCEPT
India
How did Beijing assist North Vietnam in its war with the U.S.?
It provided huge amounts of supplies, munitions, as well as 320,000 troops
How did LBJ plan to hold the line to avoid a Dien Bien Phu-like all-out enemy assault on Khe Sanh?
It required additional troops Expanded air attacks against North Vietnam Diversionary ground attacks operations in Laos or across the demilitarized zone
The Rolling Thunder air war did which of the following?
It resulted in the loss of over 950 American aircraft between 1965 and 1968
What effect did the currency-manipulation and pervasive corruption have on South Vietnam?
It undermined the the U.S. aid program and severely handicapped efforts to stabilize the economy of South Vietnam
What was the desertion rate among ARVN draftees?
It was as high as 50 percent.
The commercial-import program suffered from:
Its tendency to focus on financing artificially high living standards rather than on developing industry or agriculture.
In 1993-1994, which two U.S. Senator chaired a thorough investigation of the question whether Americans were still being held captive in Vietnam?
John McCain and John Kerry
What did the Pentagon Papers confirm?
Kennedy and Johnson had consistently misled the public about their intensions in Vietnam and the progress being made.
Vietnam assumed a position of greater importance in the eyes of the Kennedy administration in 1961 because
Khrushchev's speech in support of wars of national liberation appeared to presage more aggressive Communist behavior in the developing world.
The Christmas bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong was also known as
LINEBACKER II
According to Eisenhower, who was the "cork in a bottle" whose removal would threaten all of Southeast Asia?
Laos
Why was the French garrison and airfield built in the valley of Dien Bien Phu?
Launch air-land operations against the Viet Minh forces in NE Vietnam, and draw the enemy into a pitched battle where French artillery and air power might prevail.
What was Phase ONE of the bombing strategy of the United States in Vietnam?
Limited bombing raids against infiltration routes in Laos and reprisal strikes against North Vietnamese targets in response to any provocation.
Who was sent to Vietnam to screen French request for aid, assist in training Vietnamese soidiers, and advise on strategy?
MAAG
In response to Polish diplomat Januscz Lewandowsk's proposal for peace, the United States advanced a their own two-track proposal to peace. What was the code name of the Polish proposal for peace/? And, what were the two American proposals?
MARIGOLD. several specific points are subjected to important differences of interpretation. stopping the bombing in exchange for NV to cease infiltration into key ares of SV within a reasonable period. once hanoi acted, the US would freeze its combat forces at existing levels and peace talks could begin
1. The French colonial regime in Indochina centered on which of the following missions?
Make the colonies and their people integral to France.
In 1950, this leader proved crucial for the formal Chinese and Soviet recognition of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
Mao Zedong
Who was the single adviser that persuaded Lyndon Baines Johnson to escalated the war in Vietnam?
McGeorge Bundy
Who was responsible for the declining public opinion of the war and LBJ's administration following the Tet Offensive?
Media, television, and newspaper reporters not depicting the events correctly.
Which US university sent a group of public administration specialists to instruct Vietnamese public servants in skills ranging from typing to personnel managment?
Michigan State Univrsity
What was created to implement General Taylor's recommendation to increase significantly the volume of American assistance and the number of advisers?
Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV)
What did the Wise Men agree on?
Most agreed that the goal of an independent, non-Communist South Vietnam was probably unattainable and favored a move towrad eventual disengagement.
Why did Genral Khanh plan to "bring the government down to the village level" fail?
NLF was too firmly entrenched in the villages and could not be dislodged except by massive force.
Which significant statement of American Cold War policy stated the USSR was seeking to "impose its absolute authority on the rest of the world?
NSC 68
What was the name of broad-based orgainization led by Communists but designed to rally all of those disaffected with Diem by promising sweeping reforms and the establishment of genuine independence or suthern revolutionaries?
National Liberation Front (NLF)
What French strategic concept proposed a vast increase in size of the Vietnam National Army (VNA), along with the commitment to Indochina of an additional nine battalions?
Navarre Plan
Friction between the U.S. and South Vietnamese governments in the spring of 1963 was highlighted by
Ngo Dinh Nhu's public proposal that the U.S. withdraw 5,000 men from South Vietnam.
In May 1965, a new government came to power in South Vietnam headed by
Nguyen Cao Ky and Nguyen Van Thieu.
According to the author, South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu publicly opposed the October deal that Harriman had brokered in part because
Nixon campaign officials secretly promised him that South Vietnam would get a better deal under a Republican Administration
Why did Nixon sabotage the peace talks by telling President Thieu that Johnson was going to halt the bombings of the North Vietnamese?
Nixon wanted to delay the peace negotiations in South Vietnam so he would receive credit for "Peace with Honor."
What happened to finalize the American abandonment of South Vietnam by the end of 1974? Why was it final?
Nixon was forced to resign in August, removing from power the individual who had promised continued support leaving Thieu to contemplate abandoning the northern part of SV and building a new nation around the former Cochin China.
When France opened negotiations to "perfect" Vietnamese indpendence, what demand created a dilemma for the United States?
Non-Communist Nationalists demanded complete independence and severance of all ties with France.
From the North Vietnamese point of view, what was finally hammered out in the peace settlement from the January 1973 meeting in Paris? (3 points)
North Vietnam accepted more restrictive language on the DMZ and by agreeing that the release of of PRG prisoners in the South would be tied to the w/drawal of NV troops. While pledging to release US POWs, NV secured the end of US Bombing and w/drawal of the remaining US Troops.
Undersecretary of State George Ball objected to air attacks against North Vietnam for all of the following reasons EXCEPT
North Vietnam might easily defeat a U.S. air defense.
Peace discussions between the U.S. and North Vietnam in 1971 broke down over
North Vietnam's insistence that the U.S. remove Thieu from power.
Why did the North Vietnamese propagandists label the Christmas bombing a "Dien Bien Phu of the Skies?" (3 points)
North Vietnamese air defense brought down 15 B-52s and 11 other aircraft, leaving 93 crew members missing, and creating 31 new POWs
When Nixon spelled out his plan for Vietnamization in detail, what alluring prospects did he offer?
Offered the alluring prospect that it would not only reduce American casualties but also terminate U.S. involvement in an honorable fashion regardless of what North Vietnam did
What did Kissinger pledge to North Vietnam in exchange for the release of American prisoners of war?
Withdraw of all troops within seven months after an agreement had been signed, (The U.S. also abandonded the concept of mutual withdrawal, insisting that North Vietnam stop further infiltration in return for removal of American forces.)
Give one example of North Vietnamese "ant labor."
Women and children repairing bridges and roadways, "Youth Shock Brigades" filling craters hours after bombs fell, Concrete and steel bridges were replaced by ferries and pontoon bridges made of bamboo stalks, disguised trucks moving at night w/o headligts guided by white markers along the roads, trucks moving through the Nu Gia Pass days after B-52 bombings.
In DRV, what is the difference between a "North-Firster" and a "Second-Firster"?
a "north-firster" wanted to focus on the north and "second-firster" favored mobilizing the north to support the resistance in the south
According to the author, the Tet Offensive was
a Communist attempt to spark a "general uprising" among the South Vietnamese.
At an April 7, 1954 news conference, President Eisenhower argued that the U.S. needed to prevent the fall of Vietnam to Communism because
a Communist victory in Vietnam would result in other nation's falling to Communism like a "row of dominoes."
With the obvious signs of decay in South Vietnam, what was the "grave danger" and what was the "enticing opportunities" posed for the Hanoi leadership?
a complete government collapse might provoke large-scale american intervention, even combat troops. But south vietnams gorwing weakness also opened the possibility that a major escalation of the political ad military struggle night produce victory in the south
What did the neocolonial approach to "our offspring" eventually produce in Vietnam?
a dependant society
Who were the Wise Men?
a distinguished group of former government officials whom Johnson occasionally called upon for guidance
What did Nixon's speech-writer mean by a "bone in the nation's throat" when describing the Vietnam War?
a divisive force that had torn the country apart and hindered any constructive approach to domestic and foreign policy problems
LBJ accompanied his decision to authorize offensive American military operations in South Vietnam with
a low-key announcement designed to avoid stirring public opinion
What did the French and American offcials witness and belived would tip the political balance toward the South winning the 1956 elections?
a mass emigration from the north
The Taylor-Rostow Mission of 1961 recommended all of the following EXCEPT
a massive commitment of American combat troops.
What did Tet represent?
a military defeat for the enemy
How did the two nations live up to the goals of the Honolulu communique?
a new constitution was drafted and national elections were held.
Why did Generals Wheeler and Westmoreland settle on the request of 206,000 more troops from Johnson?
a number large enough to meet any contingency in Vietnam and force mobilization of the reserves.
Who was the Youth International Party nominee for president in 1968?
a pig named pigasus
According to the author, the 1,000-man troop withdrawal proposal that the Kennedy Administration debated in 1963 was
a political ploy to reassure Diem that the U.S. was not trying to take over his government.
In light of the decisive Vietminh victory at Dien Bien Phu the day before it started, the Geneva Conference was
a qualified success for the U.S.
According to McNamara, how was the United States going to reduce U.S. casualties?
a shift from search and destroy to small-unit patrols would be more cost-effective and reduce american casualties. He proposed seeking ways to reduce casualties and force in SV to assume a greater burden of the fighting. he used "clear and hold" strategy that would stabilize the war at a "political tolerable level" and save SV "without surrender and without risking a wider war"
LBJ's decision in July 1965 to commit American troops to offensive operations and to expand the air war constituted
a step that cleared the way for the U.S. to take the lead in fighting the war
The 1968 Tet Offensive can be best characterized as
a tactical victory for the United States, but a political triumph for Hanoi.
What happened at 2:45 am on January 31, 1961 in Saigon?
a team of National Liberation Front sappers blasted a large hole in the wall surrounding the U.S. embassy in Saigon and dashed into the courtyard of the compound
What was DUCK HOOK?
a top secret study group to draw up plans for what he described as "savage, punishing blows" against NV including massive bombing attacks, the use of nuclear weapons in certain controlled situations
In December 1964, President Johnson approved
a two-phase plan that called for bombing followed by an air offensive and a naval blockade
What choice did the newly elected president have to make after taking office in 1961 about American policies in Vietnam?
abandoning "our offspring" or significantly increasing american comittment
What was "the other war?"
absence of coordination btwn pacification and military operations.
When did Kennedy plan to extradite troops from South Vietnam, supposedly?
after his reelection in 1964
What was OPERATION FREQUENT WIND?
airlift by helicopter 7100 americans and south vietnamese
Which "advisor" supported Diem's decision not to fire his brother Nhu?
ambassador nolting
Tactically, the North Vietnamese on ______ and _______ operations and sought to "cling to the belts" of Americans, which means
ambushes, hit-and-run, close-quarter fighting to minimize the impact of the vastly superior U.S. firepower.
Why did the United States bear a heavy burden of responsibility for the debacle of Saigon in April 1975? (two sentences worth 4 points)
americand had made the south vietnamese armed forces dependent and left them to save themselves before they were ready and without the air support on which they had come to rely. the "peace: aggreement was designed to get the US out of vietnam than to end the fighting among the vietnamese
What the heck is an "airphibious" operation?
an air strike followed by the landing of troops
What was used to extol the the American good deeds in Indochina and lionizing Diem and South Vietnam?
an artful propaganda campaign
What is "an international disease?"
an effective response to guerilla warfare
What is the practical grounds of the liberal argument
an internal struggle among vietnamese, whose connection with the cold war was at best indirect. questioned the validity of the domino theory. agreed vietnam was no more than a marginal significance to the security of the US. the huge investment there was diverting attetion from more urgent problems at home and abroad, damaging americas relations with its allies, and inhibiting the development of a more constructive relationship with the soviet unnion
American military leaders such as General Creighton Abrams pushed for an invasion of Cambodia in 1970 by arguing that
an invasion would allow the U.S. to clear out PAVN's strategic Cambodian sanctuaries.
After receiving the Taylor-Rostow report, Kennedy opted to
approve a limited commitment of aid and advisers
When did Saigon fall?
april 30, 1975
During 1962, reporters such as David Halberstam and Neil Sheehan
argued that the U.S. and South Vietnamese governments were losing the war.
In the summer of 1967, General William Westmoreland and the Joint Chiefs of Staff
asked for 200,000 additional troops, a limited call up of the reserves, and an escalation of the war.
The USSR began to provide North Vietnam with substantial military assistance beginning in 1965 becaus
assistance to North Vietnam would prove Soviet credibility in the face of hostile Chinese propaganda
The United States' approach to fighting the Vietnam War
assumed that applying its superior military power would achieve victory.
The Geneva Accords of 1954 included all of the following EXCEPT
assurances from Ho Chi Minh that he would abandon Communism in exchange for American recognition.
What was the "egregious end run?"
attempts by the kennedy administration to give henry cabot lodge instructions to give to diem and opportunity too rid himself of Nhu
Which country was the only country to provide troops in support of America in Vietnam, after the U.S. launched its "many flags" campaign?
australia
What battle reversed the trend of U.S.-South Vietnamese gains and started the Government of Vietnam on a downhill slide?
battle of Ap Bac
With the Americanization of the war in 1965, the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN)
became more dependent than ever on the U.S.
Why couldn't LBJ accept McNamara's recommendations that the United States modify its military strategy and diplomatic stance to find a face-saving way out of Vietnam?
because he had gradually lost confidence in his secretary of state
Why did Ho Chi Minh and even Soviet Premier not object to Diem calling off the Geneva Accord mandated elections in July 1956?
because mathematically they could lose
Where did the Soviets provide aid to during this time confirmed the threat of a virtual declaration of (nuclear) war?
berlin (1-3 points)
In 1960, what diverted American eyes from South Vietnam? Name all of them.
berlin, U-2 being shot down, castro and cuba
Which of the following sects was organized much like the mafia and actually controlled the police force in Saigon?
bihn xuyen
. American assistance to the South Vietnamese military in 1962 included all of the following EXCEPT
biological weapons.
What was the name of the secret bombing components of Operation Menu?
breakfast, lunch, snack, dessert
How did the French hope to win support for the war at home?
by changing an anti colonial war into a war against communism
What did they call these beasts in the Vietnam War?
c-47 transporters or "puff the magic dragon"
In what order did the "dominoes" fall in Indochina? (Has to be in order to get full credit.) (Look on Power Point Slide slide # 22) (3 Points)
cambodia, south vietnam, laos
Who called for a unified Vietnam, free of China and US influence as the neutralization scheme to diffuse the Nhu crisis?
charles de gaulle
Throughout his tenure in office, Kennedy
chose a cautious middle course that expanded America's role in Vietnam but kept it limited
All the following were all direct targets of ? Operation Rolling Thunder EXCEPT
civilian population
Who replaced Robert McNamara as LBJ's new Secretary of State?
clark clifford
Who is Lt. William Calley?
commanded murder of more than 500 civiliand in the village of My Lai
According to the author, the antiwar movement
compelled a debate that eventually led policymakers and the public to consider withdrawing
Nixon's invasion of Cambodia in 1970 resulted in
congress debating means to limit U.S. involvement in Vietnam.
From 1955-1961, the vast majority of American assistance to South Vietnam went toward
creating a strong army to counter North Vietnam's powerful military.
Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara justified committing American ground troops to offensive operations in the summer of 1965 by arguing that doing so would
creating conditions conducive to a favorable solution in the future.
The Rolling Thunder bombing campaign
crippled North Vietnam's well-developed munitions industry through massive strikes
An example of "selective pressure", would be
cuts in us aid
Who were two young press members in Vietnam, while observing events, argued that with increasing U.S. forces, the war was being lost, denounced the corrupt Diem government, and the Strategic Hamlet Program as a sham?
david halberstam and neil sheenan
What is a "flexible response?"
defense policy allowing for the appropriate action in any type of conflict (basically responding to whatever aggression)
Whose offices did the "Committee for the Reelection of the President (CREEP) burglarize in Washington D.C.'s Watergate Hotel?
democratic national party
What were the two targets of the Central Intelligence Agencies trips into the Demilitarized Zone against the DRV?
destroy the governments printing presses and demobilize the transportation system
What did Diem do in a misguided effort to centralize authority over the villages and check Viet Minh influence in the villages?
diem abolished traditional local elections and began to appoint village and provincial officials
Why was Ngo Dinh Diem chosen by Eisenhower to lead South Vietnam?
diem was a nationalist and anti-communist
What proved to to the U.S. of Diem's ability to govern?
diems effective handling of the shot-term problems created by the refugees
In the fall of 1963 the Buddhist crisis and the emerging rift with the Diem government led the Kennedy Administration to
drift toward backing a coup in South Vietnam despite sharp divisions among top policymakers.
When the United States finally replaced the French in South Vietnam, what three things did Diem do the sects to consolidate his power?
drove the Bunh Xuyen into the swamps, 2. routed Hoa Hao forced in the Mekong Delta, 3. forced an isolated Cao Dia to join Diem's side
Finish this statement: "Instead of building a community, Diem and Nhu's Strategic Hamlet program..."
drove the villages into the arms of the BLF
Richard Nixon's DUCK HOOK
employ tactical nuclear weapons in "controlled" situations
In the years following the Communist victories in Indochina, the non-Communist states of Southeast Asia
enjoyed unprecedented levels of stability
The Johnson Administration's decision to pursue a gradualist approach to the air war permitted North Vietnam to do all of the following EXCEPT
establish a nuclear weapons program
According to the author, General Earle Wheeler's February 1968 report to Washington
exaggerated the crisis to persuade President Johnson to approve substantial reinforcements.
Immediately following the fall of Saigon, the United States
experienced a form of collective national amnesia about the war.
In 1969, Richard Nixon's secret diplomacy and military threats
failed to compel Hanoi to alter its position
At the battle of Ap Bac in January 1963, South Vietnamese forces
failed to destroy a Viet Cong unit despite air and artillery support and a ten-to-one superiority in men
The strategic hamlet program
failed to provide sufficient security for village residents
Ambassador Maxwell Taylor objected strongly to General William Westmoreland's urgent, February 1965 request for the deployment of American Marines to protect the air base at Danang because of his
fears that the deployment would put the U.S. on a slippery slope to larger deployments
Why did African Americans oppose the war in numbers much larger than the general population
fighting for freedom in vietnam but did not have full freedom at home. viewed the war as a racial conflict whose goal was to oppress another people of color. felt that war was drainign economic programs that benefited them (the great society). they saw themselved as the primary victims of an inadequate selective service system that drafted African Americans in disproportionate numbers and used them as cannon fodder
How did Washington respond to the torpedo attacks on American ships?
firm, swift retaliatory air strike against north vietnamese torpedo boat bases
With his top advisers sharply divided in October 1963 between those who continued to support Diem and those who advocated his removal, Kennedy
followed a compromise policy that ensured support for a coup against Diem.
Where were six students killed in angry confrontations with the National Guard and police while participating in demonstrations protesting Nixon's policies toward Cambodia? (2 Colleges)
four at kent state university and two at jackson state college in MS
Why did the United States, in 1947, decide to let France handle Indochina their own way?
france tried to convice the united states that their interference in French colonization would play into the hands of French Communists. The US felt France was too important in their containment policy and they will leave French Indochina a possession of France.
At its Ninth Plenum held in December 1963, the North Vietnamese Central Committee decided to
gamble that a quick move could result in the rapid collapse of South Vietnam
A conciliatory gesture would show the American people to bring about negotiations, thus buying time to stabilize the home front ans shore up South Vietnam.
general creightin abrams
Who was the Supreme Commander of the US forces in South Vietnam?
general william westmoreland
What did the "limited partnership" between JFK and Diem establish in late 1961?
giant step toward direct US participation in the Second Indochina War
The Eisenhower Administration opposed the Geneva Conference because it feared that the meeting would
give the French the opportunity to secure a respectable surrender.
As NLF incidents increased in number and boldness, give an example of how Saigon took on all the appearance of an armed camp?
government building, stroed, and even cafes were surrounded by barbed wire, while soldiers stood guard in concrete sentry boxed reinforced with sandnags
What are two examples of how crime and corruption operated on a different scale in Saigon by 1966?
government seized land and overcharged for it. bribes for aquiring government documents
What was the name of LBJ's ambitious legislative program of domestic reforms?
great society
What was one method of executtion used by the Diem anti-communist campaigns on suspected Communists?
guillotine
According to the author, French President Charles de Gaulle's neutralization proposal
had little chance of success given the lack of interest either side had in meaningful negotiations.
In the fall of 1973, why did Congress suspend the reconstruction financial aid to North Vietnam?
hanoi had to give full accounting of US personnel missing in action
During 1971, the Nixon Administration pursued its objectives in South Vietnam through which of the following actions?
having the South Vietnamese army invade Laos
President Johnson opposed escalating the war in the fall of 1964 because
he believed that the South Vietnamese government was far too weak to handle an expanded war at that time
President Johnson opposed basing American intervention in South Vietnam on a declaration of war because
he felt that a declaration of war would undermine his domestic austerity program
Why did Ambassador Taylor question General William Westmoreland's request of two Marine landing teams to protect the air base at Da Nang?
he had grave concerns for the long range implecations of west morelands request. he questioned whether american combat forces were adequetly trained for guerrilla warfare in the asian jungle and warned that the intriduction of such forces would encourage the ARVN to pass military responsibilty of the US
George Ball opposed committing American troops to offensive operations in the summer of 1965 by raising all of the following objections EXCEPT
his belief that the U.S. could affect a diplomatic solution through Soviet leader Alexei Kosygin
Nixon and Kissinger sought to end the Vietnam War
honorably and with American credibility left intact
How did President Jimmy Carter hope to reconcile with Vietnam? (3 answers)
hoped to reconcile with vietnam as part of a larger strategy of winding down the cold wat - he ceased opposing its entry into the UN, reduced travel restrictions on vietnamese, and permitted nongovernmental organizations in the US to send aid to vietnam
Besides leaky boats, pirates, and squalid refugees camps, what other (at least 3) obstacles did the Vietnamese boat people meet when they arrived in America?
hostility provokes racial antagonism, nativist sentiment, fear for the loss of jobs. They faced problems of adaptation to a radically different culture. They suffered from PTSD. etc
Where did Nhu's Special Forces carry out massive raids on Buddhist Pagodas, after Diem had promised U.S. Ambassador Noilting that the Diem regime would no longer carry out further repressive measures taken against the Buddhists.
hue, saigon
Why did Dean Acheson not promise France aid conditioned on French pledges to take drastic measures in Vietnam, including the promise of eventual independence?
if they didnt take certain measures to prosecute the war more derterminedly then the US and its ally might be "moving into a debacle which netiher of us can afford." Acheson conceded that if the US supported Frances colonial attitudes then it might "lose out"
The Peace talks between the U.S. and North Vietnam that began in Paris on May 13, 1968
immediately became deadlocked.
The "reeducation centers" that Diem established in the late 1950s
imprisoned thousands of Communists and non-Communists, and helped fuel steadily increasing discontent in South Vietnam.
How did Nixon and Kissinger feel they should extricate the United States from the Vietnam War?
in a manner that would demonstrate to the USSR adn China ruthlessness fo purpose and uncertainty, a manner that would uphold US credibility with friends and foes alike
During his time as president, John F. Kennedy
increased America's commitment to South Vietnam dramatically.
What was the name of the fighting force created by Ho Chi Minh to drive the French out of Vietnam?
independence league of vietnam (viet minh)
The controversial August 24, 1963 cable to incoming Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge
indicated that the U.S. would back a coup if Diem refused to depose his brother Nhu.
The October 15, 1969, and November 15, 1969, "moratoriums"
indicated the growing strength of the antiwar movement.
In the six months following the peace accord, North Vietnam and the Provisional Revolutionary Government (PRG)
infiltrated troops into South Vietnam, and constructed a greatly improved logistical infrastructure
What influenced Johnson to finally reject Westmoreland's proposal to seek victory through an expanded war on March 22, 1968?
influence by low public opinion on the war and the economic crisis in america
Give one example of how the Nixon administration's attempt to subterfuge the Paris accords to maintain a high level of military aid to South Vietnam?
instead of dismantling its base, it transferred title to the south vietnamese before the cease-fire went into effect
How did the United States expand their covert operations in North Vietnam?
intelligence overflights dropping propaganda leaflets, OPLAN 34A commando raids by south vietnamese guerrillas alongn the north vietnamese coast
In defiance of American warnings, what did Hanoi hope would leave the United States with no choice but to abandon its ally in South Vietnam?
intensification of aid to the NFL would topple the south vietnamese government
What was the "Winter Soldier" investigation?
investigation of US war crimes - members testified to the atricities they had seen in the war
According to the author, a full accounting of all Americans missing in action (MIA)
is virtually impossible given the circumstances of their disappearance
Within weeks after Geneva, Catholic northerners began pouring into predominantly Buddhist southern Vietnam. Had the United States looked all over the world
it might not have found a less promising place for an experiment in nation building.
The Bao Dai government that France established in 1950 was notable because
it was a puppet government designed to obscure continued direct French control of Vietnam. it was Vietnam's first truly independent, post-colonial government.
Why didn't Nixon and Kissinger believe that the United States could simply pull out of Vietnam?
it would be a callous abandonment of those south vietnamese who had depended on american protection and would be unworthy of the actions of a great nation. they might lose to china or communism
Why didn't Kennedy send troops to remote, far-off Laos?
it would be difficult to explain to the american public why he sent troops to remote laos when he had refused to send them to nearby cuba. he had to increase symbolic immportance of taking stands elsewhere
What is one reason most top military advisors opposed air intervention at Dien Bien Phu?
it would not decisively affect the outcome of the war
What was the process of creating the Vietnamese National Army known as in France?
jaunissement
Who said. that no amount of military aid could conquer "an enemy of the people which has the support and covert appeal of the people?"
john f kennedy
Who was elected President of the United States in 1960?
john f kennedy
When did the United States officially assume the burden of the war in Vietnam?
july 1965
When did the French finally grant unqualified independence to the State of Vietnam?
june 1954
Diem used his political philosophy—"personalism"—to
justify his vision of a modern Vietnam
How was the Buddhists crisis resolved?
ky dispatched 1000 SV marines to deal with protesters in DaNang
Approved on March 17, 1964, National Security Council Action Memorandum (NSAM) 288
laid the groundwork for direct American participation in South Vietnam.
The strategic hamlet program included
land reform
What type of reform was an urgent task in Diem winning over the support of the people of South Vietnam?
land reform
Who were the hawks, and how did they view the conflict in Vietnam?
largely right-wing republicans and conservative democrats. viewed the conflict in vietnam as an essetial element in the global strggle against communism
In January 1975, Hanoi decided to
launch a large offensive in spring to open a "general offensive, general uprising" in 1976.
On August 21, 1963, the Diem government
launched raids on pagodas in Saigon and other cities resulting in the arrest of over 1,400 monks.
The United States responded to the 1972 Easter Offensive by
launching airstrikes, mining Haiphong harbor, and blockading the coast.
The U.S. sought to bolster its negotiating position in the summer of 1968 by
launching the Accelerated Pacification Campaign to gain control of rural areas.
Who wrestled power away from Ho Chi Minh around the same time of the coup in South Vietnam?
le duan
The 1972 Christmas Bombings
led to an accord that was essentially the same as the one from October 1972.
What would make Congress madder at the Kennedy administration, US colluding with coup plotters or letting Vietnam fall to communism?
letting vietnam fall to communism
What was the major objective of General Westmoreland's "strategy of attrition?
locate and elimintae NLF and North Vietnamese reguar units
The Americanization of the war that began in 1965
made an estimated 4 million Vietnamese refugees in their own country. fueled severe crime and corruption. led to an explosion of prostitution and to the creation of seedy bar districts. undermined South Vietnam's fragile economy. (All of these).
The San Antonio peace formula
made clear America's willingness to stop the bombing campaign "with the understanding" that meaningful discussions would follow
Throughout the late 1950s, the fundamental goal of American policy in South Vietnam was to
maintain South Vietnam as a barrier against Communist expansion.
In his first formal statement of Vietnam policy, National Security Council Action Memorandum (NSAM) 273, Lyndon Johnson
maintained that South Vietnam was the victim of an externally directed Communist conspiracy which the United States simply had to defeat
Which of the following suggestions was not offered as advice by Ambassador Elbridge Durbrow , who feared the insurgency would overwhelm South Vietnam, to Diem?
make banking easily available to everybody
American forces used which of the following in Vietnam?
massive air support including napalm and B-52 raids
The Tet Offensive led General William Westmoreland to propose
massively increasing the number of American troops in South Vietnam.
From 1965 to 1968, North Vietnam
matched American escalations by sending more troops south along the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
What was the first U.S.-Vietnamese defensive pact about?
military medicine
How did North Vietnam, in the Spring and Summer of 1964, plan to defend their long-standing goal in the face of American threats? (3 points)
mobilized its own forces for war, intensified transfomation of the Ho Chi Minh Trail into a modern logistical network capable of handling large trucks, and stepped up preparation of units of its own regular army for infiltration into south vietnam
What was the motivation for Vietnam's quite extraordinary assistance in helping locate the remains of American MIAs?
money
What did Clark Clifford mean by "winching down process?"
mutual de-escalation and disengagement
What put the "fear of God into the Vietcong?"
napalm
What strongly reaffirmed the importance of South Vietnam to American Security and the necessity of waging the war vigorously, including attacks on North Vietnam?
national security action memorandum 273 (NSAM 273)
If the Washington (D.C.) fought a limited war for limited objectives, Hanoi fought an all-out war for
national survival and victory
By 1967, the United States had...
nearly half a million combat troops in vietnam
How did the United States signal to both Hanoi and Moscow that the United State meant business when the Nixon administration was eager to negotiate on a variety of urgent topics, but only if peace in Vietnam came first?
nixon ordered intensive bombing attacks against NV sanctuaries in neutral cambodia
South Vietnamese President Thieu's "Four Nos" included which of the following?
no coalition government
Why did the cease-fire only exist on paper?
north vietnan still sought unification of the country on its terms. south vietman still struggled to survive ass an independent nation. president nixon still supported the souths aspirations
The Hilsman-Forrestal report of early 1963
occupied a middle ground between critical press reports and optimistic embassy assessments
In the fall of 1967 Hanoi prepared for the Tet Offensive by doing which of the following?
opening negotiations with the U.S. designed to create dissension between Washington and Saigon
What was the name of a massive program to repair the damage done to the cities by the battles of Tet?
operation recovery
Hanoi responded to the Tonkin Gulf incident by
ordering PAVN units into South Vietnam for final drive for victory in spring of 1965
Upon taking office, President John Kennedy met the challenges of the Cold War by
ordering a buildup of nuclear weapons, modernizing conventional forces, and developing counterinsurgency capabilities.
As did their predecessors in the Truman Administration, top officials in the Eisenhower Administration viewed the Vietnamese revolution as
part of a larger Communist drive for world domination.
During his March 31, 1968, speech, President Johnson announced which of the following?
partial bombing halt
As the president, what was Lyndon Johnson's first task in conducting an orderly transition and restoring national calm?
passage of kennedys legislative agenda
Inspired by popular weariness with the Vietnam War, Congress in 1973
passed the War Powers Act and forced Nixon to end the bombing of Cambodia
How did Nixon and Kissinger make the same mistakes as the previous administration in Vietnam?
peace and honor
Upon taking office, President Johnson
perceived Vietnam to be an unwanted intrusion that he had to deal with lest it interfere with his ambitious domestic political agenda
Which Pacification program was a direct attack on the NLF infrastructure through mass arrests?
pheonix program
The gold crisis of March 1968
played an important part in President Johnson's decision to turn down General Westmoreland's request for additional troops.
In August 1954, a National Intelligence Estimate rated the chances of creating a stable and effective government in South Vietnam as
poor.
The economic crisis in March 1968 marked the beginning of the end of the
postwar economic boom
What is the name of the policy where troops would be committed abroad only as a last resort and only if it was plainly in the national interest to do so, objectives must be clearly defined and attainable, public support must be assured , and overwhelming force must be employed to achieve certain, swift, and complete victory?
powell doctrine
What was the goal of the NASM 288?
presercation of an independent, non-communist south vietnam
The April 1970, invasion of Cambodia
produced limited military results and came at a stiff political price for President Nixon
Inspired by Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev's perestroika campaign, Vietnam's Doi Moi program
produced modest economic gains but included no political liberalization
What was the name of the United States support for the counterinsurgency program that drastically expanded its role in Vietnam?
project beefup
Following the Tet Offensive, Pentagon civilians
proposed a strategy focused on defending South Vietnam's major population centers
Taylor's enclave strategy
proposed limited American forces to coastal base areas designed to give South Vietnam time to build up its forces
The American attrition strategy
proved able to achieve no more than a stalemate
As part of the American effort to secure Thieu's approval of a peace deal in December 1972, Nixon
provided South Vietnam with over $1 billion of military equipment.
Give one example of how North Vietnam used diplomacy as a weapon to wage a complex and multifaceted war against the United States.
provided a means to gain material support from allies
The CIA's Operation CHAOS
provided overwhelming evidence that most major antiwar groups were under the direct control of the USSR
President Richard Nixon followed the January 1973 peace accord by
providing military aid to the South clandestinely without overtly violating the Paris accords.
Give three example of the NSC's "all available means" to undermine the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV)?
psywar, clandestine attacks, and propaganda
By March 1968, Secretary of Defense Clark Clifford had
publicly broke with President Johnson over the war.
Through his Search and Destroy strategy, General William Westmoreland
pursued a typical, conventional strategy designed to eliminate the military threat to South Vietnam.
What was one of the most tragic problems caused by Americanization?
refugees
Following the Tet Offensive and America's subsequently accelerated military operations in the summer of 1968, the South Vietnamese government
remained as divided and ineffective as ever
According to the author, Johnson's March 31, 1968, speech
represented a shift in tactics to achieve the maintenance of a non-Communist South Vietnam.
Following the war's conclusion in 1975, the people of Vietnam experienced which of the following?
searing poverty
Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger's approach to foreign policy is best characterized as
secretive and contemptuous toward the bureaucracy
During the three months following the January 1973 peace accord, South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu sought unsuccessfully to solidify his position by
securing disputed territory through resettlement and military action.
In 1966, Nguyen Cao Ky solidified his political position by
sending South Vietnamese Marines to Da Nang to put down a Buddhist rebellion.
The February 1965 National Liberation Front attack on a U.S. Army barracks in Pleiku
served as a convenient pretext for the Johnson Administration to begin the operation Rolling Thunder
The February 1965 National Liberation Front attack on a U.S. Army barracks in Pleiku
served as a convenient pretext for the Johnson Administration to begin the operation Rolling Thunder.
How was Walt Whitman going to "modernize" South Vietnam?
set us foreign aid programs and assistance in economic development
In order to cut defense spending, the "New Look" defense policy called for a
sharp reductions in troops
After taking substantial losses during the 1968 Tet Offensive, the North Vietnamese military in 1969
shifted to a defensive protracted-war strategy
The Kennedy Administration's move in October 1963 to recall CIA Station Chief John Richardson and to make selective cuts in the aid it provided to South Vietnam
signaled American support for a coup d'état by South Vietnamese generals.
List the recommendations of General Maxwell Taylor and Walt Whitman Rostow's first-hand assessment of the situation in Vietnam. (Summarize the list, we will cover the full details in lecture.)
significant expansion of american aid to arrest teh deteriration in south vietnam. provisionn fo US equipment and skilled advisers working closely with the government. highly trained advisory groups placed throughout south vietnamese bureaucracy. imporved training for civil guard and village self-defense corps. equipment like helicopters.
What was the Madame Nhu's sponsored law that prohibited dancing, suggestive dress, PDA, and birth control?
social purification law
Faced with the impending collapse of South Vietnam in the spring of 1975, President Gerald Ford and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger
sought to shift blame to the legislative branch
What is the biggest beef Vietnam has with its largest trading partner, China?
south china sea and its numerous islands, vital shipping lanes, and natural resources
What was the key to the new American "initiative"?
south vietnam
What does SEATO stand for?
southeastern asian treaty organization
Which two world events sent shock waves through the United States in 1949?
soviet explosion of an atomic bomb and the fall of china to communism
The Vietnam War
sparked strong opposition to military intervention abroad
What undermined the assumption that the United States was facing in Vietnam and elsewhere a monolithic communism united in its drive for world domination?
squabbling between the Soviet Union and China
Following the incident of May 8, 1963 in Hue, Buddhist monks and their supporters protested the Diem government by
staging highly publicized self immolations and mass protests
What was the name of the program initiated by the Diem and Nhu that would bring together peasants from scattered villages into communities that would protect the people from NLF terror, provide local self-rule, elections, land reform, and build schools and medical facilities?
strategic hamlet program
President Johnson refused to grant a Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) request for direct American air and ground operations in early 1964 because
such a course would threaten his ambitious social agenda
During 1974, South Vietnam
suffered serious economic problems and faced a shift in its military fortunes.
During World War II, Ho Chi Minh and his Vietminh organization developed the strategy that would eventually force the French out of Vietnam. It included
tapping Vietnamese nationalism, promising independence, and pledging democratic reforms
The principle index the United States used to chart success in Vietnam was
the "body count."
What did General Westmoreland, Admiral U.S. Grant, and others, like some hack named John Dooling, blame as the reason for U.S. failure in Vietnam? (A Search for Lessons)
the "ill-considered" policy of "graduated response" imposed on the military by civilian leaders
What was known as the "Arena of the Gods" by the locals in northeastern corner of Vietnam?
the 11-mile long valley that was one of the few open spaces in a region of rugged mountains
What was the premise of the European Defense Community (EDC)?
the EDC would integrate French and German forces into a multinational army
Following the Geneva Conference, President Eisenhower and Secretary of State John Foster Dulles concluded that America would succeed in containing Communism in Indochina where France had failed because
the French had sought to perpetuate colonialism in Indochina rather than cooperation.
In the fall of 1968, American and North Vietnamese negotiators reached an "understanding" in which
the U.S. would unilaterally halt bombing raids against North Vietnam partly in exchange for reduced infiltration across the DMZ
How was the United States going to use the "linkage" to their advantage in negotiating a "peace with honor?"
the US could use it to secure russian assistance in getting north vietnam to agree to a "fair" settlement
According to the United States, who was the linchpin to the success of NATO?
the US needed France to hold the alliance together so they agreed to all of Frances decisions and desires to maintain a colonial empire in Indochina. France recongnized the Bao Dai situation
What were the North Vietnamese Four Points?
the US withdrawal of its troops, dismantle its bases, stop all acts of war against their country, and internal affairs of SV must be resolved by the SV themselves "in accordance with the program of the NLF"
List the countries involved in "United Action" intervention in Southeast Asia. (Half-point each.)
the US, great britain, france, australia, new zealand, the philippines, thailand, and the associated states
In the 1980s, American conservatives argued that
the Vietnam War had been a noble crusade in which the U.S. had fought a just cause.
How did the Kennedy administration back-up its policy of diplomacy without provoking domestic or international concern?
the administration lainched covert warfare in indochina
Which sects represented the most potent political forces in the fragmented society of post-Geneva Vietnam?
the cao dai and hoa hao
Which Pacification program offered amnesty and "rehabilitation" to defectors?
the chieu hoi program
What is the "credibility gap?"
the difference between what the administration said and what it did - had produced pervasive distrust of government
What was the strategy of gradual escalation based on?
the dubious assumption that north vietnam would give up its goals rather than risk complete destruction
The Revolutionary Development (RD) program suffered from all of the following EXCEPT
the efforts of top South Vietnamese officials to turn the RD program into a conduit for lucrative diamond smuggling
To the Eisenhower Administration, all of the following were significant weaknesses to the Southeast Asian Treaty Organization (SEATO) EXCEPT
the failure of the member nations to commit themselves to even "meet common danger."
3. What did the French receive out of the February 1950 agreement in exchange for the "presidency" of Bao Dai in Vietnam?
the french retained control of vietnams treasury, commerce, and foreign and military policies
What was the Communist Party dogma when indoctrinating new members of the NLF?
the individual was no more than a grain of sand in the desert
While normalization languished in the what issue took on the power and mystique of a religion?
the issue of POW/MIA
In the author's conclusion, the history of the Vietnam War offers a lesson in
the limits of power.
How did the new leadership in Vietnam hope to stimulate growth under the program of doi moi ("renovation")?
the new leadership hoped to stimulate growth by freeing up the economy, providing some capitalist incentivesm, and seeking foreign investment
How did LBJ in late 1964-early 1965, fundamentally alter the U.S.commitment?
the president fundamentally altered the US commitment by initiating the regula bombing of North Vietnam and by sending the first US ground combat troops to South Vietnam
Nixon coupled the secret bombing of Cambodia in 1969 with
the public announcement of a "comprehensive peace plan"
The January 1973 peace accord resulted in which of the following?
the return of American prisoners of wa
Why was Vietnamese unification an economic necessity to the North?
the south produced the food surplus necessary to sustain the overpopulated, more industrial north
In 1950, the Truman Administration shifted from pro-French neutrality to outright support for Paris in its war with the Vietminh because of
the strong realization that the loss of further territory to Communism would come at a steep domestic political price.
Why did the "baby killer" of the 1960s become a popular culture hero in the 1980s?
the sturdy and self-sufficient arrior who had prevailed despite being let down by his government and nation
The Nixon Administration sought to make Hanoi more tractable through which of the following?
the threat of "massive retaliation"
What drastically reordered the national priorities on foreign policy?
the traumatic experiennce of vietnam combined with the apparent improvement in relations with the soviet union and china, and a growing preoccupation with domestic problems
When Dwight Eisenhower took over in 1953, what conclusion did he and Secretary of State John Foster Dulles about the conflict in Vietnam that the Democrats handed to him?
the vietnamese revolution was part of a larger communist drive for world domination
North Vietnam's diplomatic position—the Four Points—conditioned negotiations on
the withdrawal of American troops from South Vietnam.
Antiwar liberals opposed American participation in the war for all of the following reasons EXCEPT
their conviction that war and military action was morally wrong under any circumstances
The author observes that Americans today primarily associate the term "Vietnam" with
their military defeat and humiliation.
Why was Diem still in power in South Vietnam after Taylor-Rostow's mission?
there wasnt anybody better to replace diem
What kept southern Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from joining SEATO?
they didnt join because of restrictions imposed by the Geneva Accords
How was the South Vietnamese Army trained for the wrong mission by MAAG?
they didnt train them for guerilla warfare. they leaned towards conventional warfare
What do the Vietnamese traditionally do during Tet? Give me one example.
they go back to their homeland and have a week long celebration
What was the fundamental weakness of the ARVN?
they were deeply patriotic towards vietnam. once the US was gone they would keep fighting for a corrupt government or lay down their weapons and welcome their brothers from the north
Collectively, what did the new Soviet leadrership and China want in 1953 that was a major shift in Soviet and Chinese foreign policy?
they wnated a respite from cold war tensions to solidify their grasp on power and address critical domestic problems and boost international status
What was the name of the Buddhist who self-emulated on June 11, 1963?
thich quang duc
What was the Rice War?
thieus attempt to starve out the enemy by blockading PGR areas and enacting various measures to deny the rice
Why did one U.S. officer suggest that their needs to be some" kind of litmus paper that turns red when it's near a communist?"
to differentiate between the civilians and the communists in vietnam
Ambassador Ellsworth Bunker speculated that Hanoi's purpose in launching the Tet Offensive was
to establish a favorable position for peace negotiation with the U.S.
What was LBJ considering if the GVN collapsed or the Buddhist overthrew the Ky government?
to leave south vietnam
Why was the Commodity Import Program (CIP) created to do?
to make up south vietmans huge foreign exchange deficit while preventing the runaway inflation that might be set loose by a massive infusion of money into a vulnerable economy
What was the job of the Committee for Peace with Freedom in Vietnam?
to mobilize the "silent center" in american politics
Why was Operation Moose needed?
to reduce rising grensions between americans and vietnamese
Where did four insurgent companies destroy a South Vietnamese Armyand seized large stocks of weapons, leaving the South Vietbnam army and its U.S. advisors in a state of shock?
trang sup
What was the "minor miracle?"
transforming what had been "little more than a marginal collection of armed men" into an efficient, modern army
Population security strategy would increase civilian casualties and leave the enemy initiative. (true or false)
true
"Vietnamization" included
turning the bulk of the fighting over to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). expanding the South Vietnamese military to over one million men. providing South Vietnam with modern military hardware. improving pay rates for South Vietnamese soldiers. (all of these)
What does USSR stand for?
union of soviet socialist republics
Give an example of how "Americanization" improved the primitive infrastructure of South Vietnam.
upgraded roads, expanded and modernized unloading facilities at saigon, "instant city" of long Binh, enlarged the Tan Son Nhut Airport
Who were the doves, and how did they view the conflict in Vietnam?
vast, sprawling extremely heterogenous and fractiious group who opposed the war with increasin bitterness and force. "movenment" grew almost in proportion to the escalation of the conflict. small percentage of the population
What is a derogatory term for "Vietnam Communist", and who were they, specifically?
vietcong, southern guerrillas
Basically, President Johnson's decision not to send more troops to Vietnam based on Westmoreland's request, and requiring South Vietnam to start standing on its own, meant the United States was returning to the concept of
vietnamization
What was the code-name for bombing of the Viet Minh supply lines and to entrenchments around Dien Bien Phu by as many as 60 B-29 Superfortresses?
vulture
President Lyndon Johnson's "many flags" campaign to secure troop commitments to Vietnam from America's Pacific allies
was a disappointment that resulted in the deployment of only 71,000 troops
The military junta that overthrew the Diem regime
was overthrown on January 29, 1964 by General Nguyen Khanh
What did the United States use to "modernize" the South Vietnamese forces?
weapons
In the aftermath of the November 1, 1963 coup d'état, Diem and Nhu
were brutally murdered in the back of an armored personnel carrier.
Give a reason why statements like "...we've kicked the Vietnam syndrome once and for all," are premature in their context. (A Search for Lessons)
when the US and its allies thrashed Iraq in 100 days
Give one example of how the Kennedy administration went to considerable lengths to deceive the American public about the extent and nature of America's growing involvement.
when truth came out about american involvment, the administration ordered saigon to clamp down of the press to minimize the possibility of harmful stories
What was the "roadmap" to normalization laid out by George H.W. Bush in 1991?
when vietnam withdrew from cambodia, granted access to its archives dealing with MIA matters, and agreed to establishment of an MIA office in Hanoi. the United states would end its trade embargo
What was the "nagging question" of Vietnamization?
whether the ARVN could fill the vacuum left by the departing US troops
President Johnson used the Tonkin Gulf incident to
win Congressional approval of a resolution authorizing him to use American forces in Vietnam
What was Secretary of Defense Laird's plan for "getting the hell out of there?"
withdrawal all troops, de-americanizing the war, spend money to bolster SVs ability to defend itself, and persuasion on congress to get out of Vietnam
What, according to Assistant Secretary of Defense John McNaughton, in regards to American involvement in Vietnam are the "horns of a trilemma?"
withdrawal massive air war, introduction of the US ground forces into vietnam
In the spring of 1965, the Johnson Administration sought to blunt criticism of its Vietnam policy through all of the following EXCEPT
withdrawing troops from South Vietnam
What was the purpose of the proposed 8,000-person "logistic task force" according to General Taylor?
would serve as a visible symbol of the seriuosness of american intentions