Vietnam War Flashcards

Vietnam War Key Facts

• First Vietnam War spanned from 1946 to 1954.
• Ho Chi Minh declared the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) in 1945.
• Communist insurgency in Malaya began in 1948.
• French defeat at Dien Bien Phu occurred in May 1954, a pivotal moment in the Indochina conflict.
• Viet Minh used guerrilla tactics effectively against larger forces.
• Elysee Accords were signed in 1949, aligning France with South Vietnam.
• McCarthyism rose in 1950, impacting U.S. foreign policy.
• Eisenhower endorsed the Domino Theory, believing that if one country fell to communism, others would follow.
• French soldiers withdrew from Vietnam in 1956.
• Geneva Accords, outlining the division of Vietnam, were established in May 1954.
• Diem rigged the referendum in 1955 to consolidate power.
• The U.S. contributed 80% of funding for the French campaign during the First Indochina War.
• Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) was formed in 1954 to counteract communism.
• Ethnic Chinese made up 50% of Malaya's population.
• Both Kennedy and Diem were assassinated in November 1963.
• The Gulf of Tonkin incident, a critical escalation event, occurred in August 1964.
• Operation Rolling Thunder began in March 1965, marking a significant escalation in U.S. bombing campaigns.
• Eisenhower provided Diem with $7 billion in aid from 1955 to 1961.
• Diem favored Catholics, leading to tensions with Buddhist populations.
• By 1955, the U.S. had sent 1,500 military advisors to assist the South Vietnamese government.
• Kennedy increased military advisors to 12,000 by 1962 and 16,000 by 1963.
• Agent Orange was used in Operation Ranch Hand for defoliation.
• By July 1963, 7,000 agrovilles were established as part of the rural pacification strategy.
• Diem banned the flying of the Buddhist flag in May 1963, sparking protests.
• In the Battle of Ap Bac, ARVN had 2,000 troops versus 300 Vietcong.
• Kennedy ordered the withdrawal of 1,000 military advisors in October 1963.
• In 1964, communists controlled 40% of rural land in South Vietnam.
• The Gulf of Tonkin incident that escalated U.S. involvement occurred on August 2, 1964.
• By March 1965, U.S. forces began "search and destroy" missions.
• Operation Steel Tiger was initiated in 1965 to disrupt the Ho Chi Minh trail.
• Combat troops were first sent to protect Da Nang airbase in March 1965.
• Johnson agreed to escalate troop numbers to 125,000 by July 1965.
• U.S. troop levels reached 385,000 by the end of 1966 and over 500,000 by the end of 1967.
• Search and destroy was the primary military tactic used by Johnson's administration.
• U.S. military operations included "Zippo raids," targeting pro-Vietcong villages.
• In the La Drang Valley battle in 1965, 3,500 NVA soldiers were killed.
• Napalm, an incendiary jelly, was widely used during the conflict.
• The Tet Offensive, a major turning point, took place in January 1968.
• Losses before the Tet Offensive were significant: NVA losses ranged from 5,000 to 15,000 and U.S. losses from 500 to 1,000.
• Approximately 80,000 Vietcong soldiers attacked Saigon during the Tet Offensive.
• Fragging referred to U.S. military personnel killing their own officers in response to unpopular orders.
• Support for U.S. efforts in Vietnam came from troops from Australia, South Korea, and Thailand.
• African Americans made up 13% of military personnel in Vietnam.
• In 1965, African Americans accounted for a disproportionate amount of casualties.