History Test: The Vietnam War
What were the Christmas Bombings?
100,000 bombs over 11 straight days (except for Christmas)
When was the Vietnam War Memorial built?
1982
What did polls say before the TET Offensive? (% of doves/hawks)
28% doves, 56% hawks
What happened to those who refused to serve in Vietnam?
4,000 draft resisters were imprisoned, 10,000 Americans fled the country
What did polls say after the TET Offensive (% of doves/hawks)
40% for both
What were the Pentagon Papers?
7,000 page document revealing government plans to enter the Vietnam War
How many were wounded/killed in the Kent State University Protests in Ohio?
9 wounded, 4 killed
What did many disgruntled soldiers do?
Turned to alcohol and drugs
How did the Vietnam War end?
U.S. signed the "Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam"
What does "Peace with Honor" mean?
We would leave the war with dignity intact
What types of men were sent to fight?
Working class
What did the government's lies and the pictures of the war cause in America?
A credibility gap between the Johnson administration and reality
70% of Americans believed the war protests were _____ ___ ____________.
Acts of disloyalty
What was the Dove's stance on the Vietnam War?
Against
What are the requirements of the draft?
All males required to register at 18; in the event of a war 18-26 year olds were called to military service
Why did the doves criticize Johnson?
For not withdrawing from the war
What did Defense Secretary McNamara say about the Vietnam War?
"If I had thought they would take this punishment and fight this well ... I would have thought differently at the start (of the war)"
Where was the protest of 75,000 people in 1967?
Lincoln Memorial
What were some locational problems for the U.S. during the Vietnam War?
Marching through jungles in sweltering heat, rice paddies, leeches, and land mines
How did people avoid the draft?
Medical exemptions, joining the National Guard or Coast Guard, or enrolling in university
How did North Vietnam treat the agreement?
Months later, they launched a full-scale invasion of South Vietnam, forcing them to surrender
What was supposed to happen during the week-long truce between America and Vietnam?
Mourn lost ones, Vietnamese New Year
Why was Vietnam called the Living Room War?
Nightly news showed pictures and clips of the war
Who was the U.S. fighting in the Vietnam War?
North Vietnam and the Vietcong (South Vietnamese rebels)
What did the agreement say?
North Vietnam troops would remain in South Vietnam, but there would be a cease-fire
What was the Hawk's stance on the Vietnam War?
For
Who were the opposing sides in America? (For/Against the war)
Doves and Hawks
Why did the hawks criticize Johnson?
For not increasing military power rapidly enough
Who was the "Silent Majority"?
Americans who quietly supported the U.S. efforts in Vietnam (hardhats, blue collar)
What was the name of the South Vietnamese Army?
Army of the Republic of Vietnam
What actually happened during the week-long truce? What was this called?
Attack on over 100 South Vietnam towns, 12 U.S. air bases, and the U.S. embassy in Saigon; TET Offensive
Who did the Vietcong receive supplies from?
China and the Soviet Union
Who led 180,000 more troops into Vietnam in 1965?
General William Westmoreland
What were Nixon's plans for the Vietnam War?
Gradual withdrawal of U.S. troops, South Vietnamese would take a more active combat role, and make peace with honor
What were some war tactics the Vietcong used?
Guerilla tactics (hit-and-run ambush), living amongst civilian population, network of tunnels, and traps/land mines
What broke the American soldiers' morale?
Guerilla warfare, they were forced to fight in a war they didn't support, and the government they fought for was unstable and corrupt
Describe Nixon's bombing campaign.
He bombed Cambodia, Christmas bombings
How did Kennedy feel about the Vietnam War?
He didn't like it
What did Johnson do about the war in Vietnam?
He sent tens of thousands of U.S. soldiers to fight in Vietnam
Why did people oppose the war?
It was a CIVIL war, the South Vietnamese regime was no better than the North Vietnamese communist government, the U.S. can't police the entire globe, and war is morally unjust
Name one famous POW of the Vietnam War.
John McCain
Why were some people against fighting in Vietnam?
Johnson had outright contradicted his position during the presidential campaign
While campaigning, what did President Johnson promise not to do?
Send America to fight in Vietnam
What was the SDS? What did they believe?
Students for a Democratic Society; Corporations and government institutions were growing too dominant and were inhibiting personal freedom
What was the viewpoint from America's side of the war? The Vietcong?
The U.S. was just in a military struggle; the Vietcong were fighting for their existence
Why was the Vietnam War a "War of Attrition"?
The Vietcong gradually wore down the U.S. by continuous harassment
How did the pictures of the war correspond with the government's depiction of the war?
The pictures were much different than the optimistic outlook of the government
What is the War Powers Act?
The president must inform Congress within 48 hours of sending forces into a hostile area without a declaration of war
Why did we think the Vietnam War would be easy?
They lacked high-power weaponry
What did returning veterans say about the war?
They protested it
What happened to Southeast Asia after the war?
They were left unstable
What did the Pentagon Papers say about the Vietnam War?
They wouldn't end the war until North Vietnam stopped fighting
What was the codename for the Vietcong?
Victor/Charlie
What did General Westmoreland continually report about the war?
Vietcong surrender was imminent
Why were some people for fighting in Vietnam?
We had to confront communism anywhere in the world
In what ways did the U.S. underestimate the Vietcong?
We thought they'd be easy to beat because they were a small army without many weapons; we fought against foreign terrain and climate
What happened to American after the Vietnam war?
We were a divided nation, suspicious of government and foreign affairs; draft abolished; War Powers Act created
