Vietnam War Study Guide

Summarize each option that was presented to President Johnson regarding Vietnam.

1.) Attack Now: Send in a lot of troops to escalate the war quickly as well as Americanize the war. 2.) Slowly Build Up: Send in some troops at a time and slowly escalate the war. 3.) Slowly Pull Out: Take some troops out at a time and negotiate an end to the war and peace. 4.) Pull Out Now: Pull out all American troops immediately and leave Vietnam.

List two of President Nixon's actions regarding Vietnam during his first two years in office.

1.) He cut US troop strength in Vietnam nearly in half and reduced casualties. 2.) He increased air strikes and gave speeches to increase public support.

List three outcomes of the Geneva Accords.

1.) Hostilities between France and Vietnam stopped, and France withdrew from Vietnam. 2.) Vietnam was split on the 17th parallel into North Vietnam and South Vietnam. 3.) Statewide elections were to be held within two years of the signing in order to achieve political unification.

From the summer of 1965 to 1968, what happened to American troop strength in South Vietnam?

American troop strength in Vietnam steadily increased between 1965 and 1968.

Why was the Tonkin Gulf incident important?

Because President Johnson decided to attack North Vietnam based on this information, and many people thought he should have waited for confirmation of the attack before retaliating.

What are doves?

Doves were politicians or people who were opposed to the Vietnamese war

What are hawks?

Hawks were the opposite, people who wanted to get more involved with the war in Vietnam.

Why did South Vietnamese President Thieu object to the draft peace agreement in 1972?

He thought the peace agreement would let his country be taken over by the communists.

What did President Nixon mean by peace with honor?

He wanted to reach agreements that gave and preserved South Vietnam independence.

Who was Ho Chi Minh?

Ho Chi Minh was a communist revolutionary. He was the leader of North Vietnam, and then became the leader of South Vietnam as well after the war during an election which the US wanted boycotted.

In 1964, how much was the US spending in Vietnam per day?

In 1964, the United States was spending over two million dollars in Vietnam per day.

Why did Richard Nixon win the 1968 election?

Nixon promised that he would pull all American troops and aid out of Vietnam, and leave the war completely.

List two decisions made by President Johnson after the meeting of the fourteen "wise men."

President Johnson decided he would stop the US bombing over North Vietnam and called for peace negotiations. He also will not run for re-election.

How did the Tet Offensive get its name?

The Tet Offensive is named after the Vietnamese New Year, Tet. The Tet Offensive occurred during this New Year, so it was appropriate to name it as such.

What are three results of the Tet Offensive?

The U.S. was stunned by this sudden advance; 200,000 more troops were sent into Vietnam; South Vietnam needed more support not only from the U.S. but also from its own people.

Why did the US become unhappy with the Diem government in the early 1960s?

The US became unhappy with the Diem government in the early 1960s because they became increasingly dictatorial and didn't give their citizens religious freedom (he was biased towards Roman Catholicism).

Why did the US and Diem ignore the provisions in the Geneva Accords that called for elections in 1956?

The United States and Diem ignored the provisions in the Geneva Accords that called for elections in 1956 because they believed that Ho Chi Minh and the Vietminh would guarantee a communist victory and the Asian countries would fall into the Domino theory.

How did the United States view Diem?

The United States viewed Diem as the only alternative to communist control of Vietnam. They thought he was saving Vietnam and the rest of east Asia from communism.

How did the assassination of Diem by a military government affect the war effort?

The assassination of Diem did not affect the war because it did not improve the situation significantly. There were still many power struggles that prevented the government from being effective. Second, the number of U.S. military advisors in Vietnam continued to grow. Third, North Vietnam continued to support efforts to make South Vietnam communist.

What was the situation like in Vietnam in the summer of 1965?

The war intensified; U.S. troop strength increased, and the bombing campaign intensified. The situation had gotten worse in South Vietnam. It didn't seem like any progress was being made.

Explain the following quote from the Taylor-Rostow report: "If Vietnam goes, it will be exceedingly difficult, if not impossible to hold Southeast Asia."

This is referring to the Domino Theory. The Domino Theory is the theory that once one country is taken over by communism, every country around it will fall as well--like dominos.

What is the purpose of Vietnamization?

To gradually turn the war effort over to the south Vietnamese army, and take American troops out of Vietnam.

Which options were pursued?

"Slowly Build Up" followed by "Slowly Pull Out".

What was the Tonkin Gulf incident?

In August 1964, there were two American ships in the Tonkin Gulf of Vietnam and several North Vietnamese patrol boats attacked the Maddox (the boat survived), and the Americans fired back. President Johnson warned the North Vietnamese leaders that he wouldn't tolerate attacks on American warships. The next day, the American ships went back to the Tonkin Gulf, and the Americans' sonar readings said that they were under attack so they fired at unseen attackers for several hours. It was unclear whether or not that these two American ships were actually attacked or not.