Ho Chi Minh: Leader of Vietnamese nationalist and communist movement. Organized Vietcong with the aim of reuniting North and South Vietnam under communism.
Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ): U.S. President who increased American military involvement in Vietnam post-Gulf of Tonkin incident. Authorized ground troops, bombing campaigns, and chemical agents.
Richard Nixon: U.S. President succeeding Johnson. Introduced Vietnamization, which focused on gradual U.S. troop withdrawal and shifting responsibility to South Vietnamese forces.
Important Terms
Domino Theory: The belief that the fall of Vietnam to communism would lead to the spread of communism in Southeast Asia.
Credibility Gap: Public distrust in U.S. government due to inconsistencies between official statements and media reports on the war.
Agent Orange: Chemical defoliant used by the U.S. to eliminate jungle cover and Vietcong positions, causing long-term health issues.
Vietnamization: Nixon’s strategy for gradually withdrawing U.S. troops and increasing the role of South Vietnamese forces in combat.
Main Concepts
Dien Bien Phu: The 1954 battle won by Vietminh leading to French withdrawal from Vietnam.
Geneva Accords: Agreement dividing Vietnam into North (communist) and South (democratic) with planned elections that never occurred.
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: Granted Johnson authority to use military force in Vietnam without a formal declaration of war.
"Boots on the Ground": Refers to U.S. troop deployment in Vietnam following the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.
Search and Destroy: U.S. military tactic of locating and neutralizing Vietcong forces.
Ho Chi Minh Trail: Supply route used by North Vietnam through Laos and Cambodia to aid the Vietcong in the South.
Resistance to the Draft: Rising protests and draft refusal as the war lost popularity, especially among youths.
Hawks vs. Doves: Hawks supported the war; Doves opposed it and advocated for peace efforts.
Tet Offensive: Major Vietcong offensive in 1968 that shocked Americans and decreased war support.
Johnson’s Exit from Politics: LBJ chose not to seek reelection in 1968 due to waning public support and war-related turmoil.
Operation Rolling Thunder: U.S. bombing campaign against North Vietnam initiated in 1965.
Kent State University: Site of 1970 anti-war protest where four students were killed by National Guard troops.
Pentagon Papers: Leaked documents in 1971 revealing government misinformation about the war.
U.S. Withdrawal and Fall of South Vietnam: U.S. withdrew in 1973; South Vietnam fell to the North in 1975.
Legacies of Vietnam: Long-lasting effects include public distrust in government, veteran PTSD, and debates over U.S. foreign policy.
War Powers Act: 1973 legislation limiting the president's power to deploy U.S. forces without congressional consent, responding to executive overreach during the war.