George Kennan
State Department's principal expert on the Soviet Union
Truman Doctrine
(Containment)
President Truman's Policy of providing economic and military aid to any country threatened by communism or totalitarian ideology
Marshall Plan
United States program of economic aid for reconstructing of Europe
Bao Dai
He lead the Vietnamese Army under the French
Domino Theory
Idea that loss of Vietnam loses all of SE Asia and possibly India
Dien Bien Phu
1954
Last French stronghold
French lose to communist
Ended French military involvement in Indochina
General Giap
Communist general beats French
Geneva Conference
Divided Vietnam
Set up elections for 1956
U.S. Opposed
17th Parallel
Divided Communist vs. Non Communist
Ho Chi Minh
N. Vietnam's leader
Supported by Soviets
Pushes land reform
Diem
Anti-Communist
called the "fat catholic"
Supported by U.S.
Moved people into strategic hamlets
His army was extremely brutal
National Liberation Front (Vietcong)
Supported by North and Soviets
Communists Rebels in S. Vietnam who assassinated more than 4000 officials in 1961
Viet Minh
N. Communist troops (actual army)
Buddhist Monks
NOT GOOD
Burning themselves because of Diem
Creates Dissatisfaction with Diem
11/1/1963- Coup
U.S. do not frown upon
Dead Kennedy
1963
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
1964
Attack on U.S.... Might have been dolphins
Am destroyer destroyed, Am claim in International waters
*Allows President to escalate and control situation in Vietnam, no formal declaration of war therefore congress doesn't have to take responsibility (p
Operation Rolling Thunder
1965 (3 years)
Massive bombing campaign
More bombs in N. Vietnam then all WWII
Ia Drang Valley
1st major battle of war
Both sides declare victory
2,000 dead Vietnamese, 300 dead Am
Fight to standstill, force U.S. to retreat
Draft Implement
1967
Draft Evasion
Avoid Draft
Rich kids, college kids
Tet Offensive
1968
National Liberation Front and North Vietnamese forces launched a huge attack on the Vietnamese New Year (Tet), which was defeated after a month of fighting and many thousands of casualties; major defeat for communism, but Americans reacted sharply, w
My Lai Massacre
1968
Lenient Calley leads
Goes into village and shoots all because had been recieving sniper attacks from with in village and went into village to stop but shot all
Hunted them down
Lenient Calley
My Lai Massacre
Peace Talks
In Paris
Johnson tries to directly negotiate with N. Vietnam
Brings Kissinger
Close to agreement and Kissinger contacts Nixon Campaign and tells and Nixon Campaign tells S. Vietnamese gov't and this ends negotiation
Operation Breakfast
1969
Bomb Ho Chi Minh Trail
U.S. said wouldn't, but do it secretly
Ho Chi Minh Trail
Through Cambodia and Laos
Supplying Vietcong in S. Vietnam
Vietnimization
Plan: turn over power to S. Vietnamese
U.S. will supply
French tried (Yellowing)
Yellowing
French tried to turn over power to S. Vietnamese
Pheonix Program
CIA trains S. Vietnamese to infiltrate and assassinate Vietcong leaders
40,000 assassinated
Kent State Ohio
1970
Protest, ROTC burned, national guard opens fire and kills 12
Jackson State
1970
2 killed by National Guard
Pentagon Papers
1971
Reveals that Am has decided can't win
Daniel Elsbury took papers
Daniel Esbury
took Pentagon Papers
Madman Theory
Convince other side boss in crazy and might use nuke
The more crazy the more they give you
Hanoi Hilton
Vietnamese place for POW's building U.S. pilots
Very brutal
Bombs, builds pressure
Westmoreland
Top U.S. general from 64-68
According to him U.S. wins every battle (War of Attrition)
War of Attrition
Counting bodies
Search and Destroy
Tactic
My Lai
Khe San
Agent Orange
Spray on jungles to defoliate
19 mil gallons sprayed on Vietnam in Operation Ranch Hand
Operation Ranch Hand
19 mil gallons of Agent Orange sprayed on Vietnam
Agent Blue
Used on agriculture
Destroys crops
Trying to force Vietnamese to move to higher populated areas
Punji Sticks
Sharpens and buries in ground
Bouncing Betty's
Woman would make using U.S. garbage
Pop up to waste level and explode
Mutual Defense Assistance Agreement
U.S. not longer saw war in Indochina as colonial war
Now viewed as part of U.S. effort to contain influence of communism in Asia
Navarre Plan
1953
Failure
Lead to France withdraw because of heavy loss