The nature of the conflict in Vietnam, 1964–68 Flashcards

All 8 cards in this deck

What guerrilla tactics did the Vietcong use against US forces?

Ambushes, booby traps, hit-and-run raids and tunnel networks, while hiding among the civilian population.

What were Search and Destroy missions?

US patrols, often flown in by helicopter, that searched villages for Vietcong hiding places and destroyed them; they sometimes got out of control and burned homes.

What was Operation Rolling Thunder?

The huge US aerial bombardment begun in 1965 of North Vietnam and the Ho Chi Minh Trail, aimed at stopping supplies reaching communist forces in the South.

What was Agent Orange?

A chemical defoliant sprayed by US forces to strip jungle cover (Agent Blue destroyed crops); it antagonised the Vietnamese population.

What was the Tet Offensive (1968)?

A surprise communist attack during the Tet holiday on over 100 towns and cities, including Saigon, where a Vietcong squad reached the grounds of the US embassy.

Give one effect of the Tet Offensive on American opinion.

It shocked the public, who had been told the USA was winning, and led to larger anti-war protests and pressure on Johnson to begin peace negotiations.

True or false? The Tet Offensive was a military victory for the communists.

False. The communists were driven back with very heavy losses and the Vietcong was severely weakened, so most later fighting was done by the NVA.

What was napalm?

A US firebomb that spread burning jelly which stuck to skin and caused terrible burns. It killed and injured many civilians, including children, and pictures of its victims turned many Americans against the war.