13580716
Description
Flashcards by Rebekah Phillips, updated more than 1 year ago
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Created by Rebekah Phillips
almost 6 years ago
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| Question | Answer |
| What did Johnson say in his April 1965 speech about US escalation in Vietnam? | *US needed to fight if it wanted to live in a secure free world *NV had aggressively attacked SV *NV was a puppet of expansionist communist powers *E + K had helped build and defend SV *Appeasement could lead to a WW3 |
| Did Johnson have American's support to escalate involvement in Vietnam? | YES *70% approval |
| What was the Tet Offensive 1968? | By 1968 US sent 1/2 million yet failed to defeat. An unprecedented attack on US Jan (Vietnamese New Year) whereas over holidays a 48hr truce set up. US fled by helicopter Communist win = propaganda |
| Did failures continue following the 1968 Tet Offensive? | Yes, the May attacks (4 months later) caused the worst US casualties 562 killed in one week ! 1968 was the worst year for casualties making up 1/2 of the total casualties Battle @ Khe Sanh base |
| What happened at the Khe Sanh base in January 1968? | General Giap (NVA leader) surrounded the base with 20,000 men and a 75-day seize began. - J called a heavy bombing campaign (80,000 tonnes of bombs) - Base shut down and was a liability to US. Used as North Propaganda |
| What impacts did the events of 1968 have? | *Communist huge propaganda victory BUT at a cost with 50-60,000 deaths *VC was finished as a force, new NVA were reliant *Devistating effect at home in US |
| How did the events of 1968 impact US citizens? | *Role of media meant victory was televised, although no more brutal than WW1 etc. it was the first time people saw the action *Feb 20 million watched the execution of a VC solider *Opposition grew + Democrats were hit |
| How did the events in Vietnam impact Johnson? | Badly, left him exhausted and depressed. Critics were recognising the policy as a failure. Robert Kennedy announced candidacy - threatened J position. - He announced he would not stand for elections |
| What factors meant the US were unable to defeat the Vietcong? | *Ineffectiveness of bombing campaigns *Failure to win the 'hearts and minds' of the Vietnamese *Problems facing men on the battlefield *Problems facing men away from battlefield *Skill and Determination of the VC |
| Why were bombing campaigns ineffective? | *VC were not an easy target - US were dropping $9.60 of bomb to make $1 of damage *Ho Chi Minh trail was difficult to destroy - continual supplies sent to SV |
| Why was the failure to win the 'hearts and minds' of the Vietnamese a failure? | *Communism was not known to the farmers of Vietnam, and farming processes lent itself to communisms in the eyes of the US *SV gov were corrupt and brutal *Behaviour of US troops - Zippo raids, posing with dead Vietnamese, My Lai |
| What problems did the US face on the battlefields? | *Many young (19), couldn't cope with the horror of war (tour of duty was 365 days) *In constant danger from 'booby traps' accounted for 20% of wounds *Climate was physically tough *Disunity between naval, army and special forces :( |
| What problems did Americans face away from the battlefield? | *Surreal experience - one day in jungles next in Japan for R&R *cigarettes and beers sent into jungle *1/4 had sexually transmitted diseases *Drug abuse became common - 22% heroin |
| How did the skills and determination of the VC mean the US were unable to win? | *fought heroically and won admiration from their opposition *No uniform = VC suffered from skin diseases, Malaria was widespread *VC used guerilla warfare *Tunnel systems, used to climate |
| What contributions did other countries make to the Vietnam War? | MINIMAL South Korea 50,000 Thailand 11,570 Exposed the weakness of SEATO America Isolated |
| How did the Vietnam War affect relations with the UK? | Affected the 'special relationship' as UK refused to help. |
| How did the Vietnam War affect relations with other allies? | Worsened: Australia 1966 vandalised Johnson's car. Charles de Gaulle (France) worst critic, saying the US could not be trusted in an a Soviet attack - withdrew from NATO 1966 |
| What agreements were signed to improve relations with the USSR? 1967-8 (X2) | *1967 Outer Space Treaty - banned nuclear weaponry being placed in space *1968 Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons - aimed to stop spread of NW |
| Did relations with the USSR worsen or improve in 1968? | WORSEN Soviets invaded Czechoslovakia Little was done but protest from America's side |
| What was Nixon's foreign policy reputation? | Cold War warrior Had advocated nuclear weaponry at Dien Bien Phu Criticised ant-war protesters as traitors SV should win their own war ideal |
| How did Nixon see a change in Communism by the 1960's? | No longer a Communist bloc due to the Sino-Soviet Split Felt it was no longer necessary to send - new multi-polar world |
| How did Nixon promote his Foreign Policy during the 1968 election? | Nixon talked of a 'secret plan' to bring war to an end, compromise in Paris, tried to settle terms in favour of the US. |
| How and why did Nixon cultivate his 'mad bomber' image? | Nov 1969 Kissinger resumption of bombing. N took a calculated risk bombing the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Cambodia, aimed for the Communists to respect with a threat threatened to bomb NV agricultural land |
| What was Nixon's approach to Vietnam named? What was it? | 'Vietnamisation' / 'Nixon Doctrine' Saw that Vietnam had to fight their own war against communism He began to withdraw combat troops and replace them with AVRN troops |
| How did the US equip the AVRN? Was it successful? | - became the worlds best equipped armies Internal structure and training was improved. 1 million rifles HOWEVER, desertion rates high (100,000 a year) |
| What happened at the coup in Cambodia? | The anti-American government was replaced by pro-American military gov led by General Lon Nol. Communists had used the base to attack the South |
| Was the coup in Cambodia a success for the US? | In terms of the war, yes, 30,000 US troops sent in = Ho Chi Minh Trail destroyed making it difficult for the VC |
| What happened in Laos in 1971? | ARVN invaded, gained greater control of the Ho Chi Minh Trail Air Support used - Lam Son 719 |
| What was said in Nixon's televised speech in April 1971? | Been in an success in Laos (Not accurate though, only parts of the Ho Chi Minh Trail destroyed and was running again within weeks) |
| How did Nixon counteract fears of a North offensive in 1972? | mining Haiphong harbour and launching a massive bombing campaign 'Linebacker' led by B-52s Slowed communist advances |
| What was running out by 1972? | Money ! and political goodwill (All rested in the North desire to win) |
| What was the terms of the peace deal by North Vietnam October 1972? | To keep the land that was currently being held. SV horrified Kissinger was willing to accept 'peace is at hand' helped re-election |
| What did Nixon do following the 1972 Victory? | Gave Thieu an Ultimatum - if settlement not agreed military aid would be lost Softened his stance Contributed to his re-election in 1972 |
| What Consequences were there from delays in the Peace Treaty of 1972? | Nixon launched a 'Christmas Bombing campaign' Operation Linebacker II and use of B52's pushed the North to negotiate (US lost 15 planes, $8 million each) |
| When did Peach Negotiations resume? | January 1973 |
| What issues were resolved in the 1973 Peace negotiations? | *Cease fire starting Jan 27th *Armed forces of North and South remain in place *Withdrawal of US personnel *Free democratic elections in South *recognise the territorial integrity of Geneva Accords (1954) |
| What was the role of Kissinger under Nixon? | *negotiates directly to the major powers *Use economic and military superiority to force rivals into terms *decisions to be made in a moral light (for electoral appeal) |
| What meant that the US could open up negotiations with China? | *Sino-Soviet relations had deteriorated *Nixon and Kissinger could drive a wedge between two major communist powers *Did not want to appeal too soft |
| What symbolic gestures were made between US and China? | *US tennis team toured China *Kissinger secret visit to China paved the way to China having a seat in the UN Security Council in 1971 *Nixon visit Feb 1972 = media sensation |
| What did Nixon's visit to China achieve? | *Negotiations over Taiwan *Stronger Tade links *Pressure of the Soviets |
| What made Nixon's Foreign Policy different? | *Asymmetry *Exploiting splits in Communist World *Linkage *Strategic opens and tactical secrecy |
| How did Nixon's policy of Detente help relations with USSR? | *Slow the arms race *cut defence expenditure *help US economic issues *Please American taxpayer |
| What did Nixon speak about in his 1969 inaugural speech in terms of Foreign Policy? | 'era of negotiations' |
| What was the Four-Power agreement 1971? | USA, UK, USSR and France signed to recognise Wester access to rights in West Berlin |
| What was the Four-Power agreement followed with? | the Basic Treaty between West and East Germany in 1972, where both US and USSR accepted the status quo of Europe. |
| What were the key Treaties made in 1972? | *Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT) *Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM) *Each side allowed satellites |
| What event exposed the weakness of Detente? | Yom Kippur War in 1973 Egypt and Syria launched attacks on Israel, causing Egyptians to seek Soviet aid. |
| How did Nixon respond to Soviets involvement with the Egyptians? | *Put US nuclear forces on high alert *Nixon visited Moscow in 1974 - relations were not great |
| What agreements were reached with the USSR in July 1974? | *Remove the danger of war, particularly nuclear *limit and eventually end the arms race, strategic warheads (MIRV) *Relax tensions in the world |
| What was Kissinger's opinion on Latin America? | *Dismissed its improtance |
| Why was Nixon concerned about Latin America? | *Felt he was loosing grip of Western Hemisphere *Socialist Allende would win presidential election 1970 *America deemed Allende's regime as 'not acceptable' |
| How did Nixon counteract Allende? | *granted CIA with $10 million to prevent him coming to power *Prevented aid and World Bank loans to Chile *Pinochet led a bloody coup |
| Was Nixon's approach to South America Successful? | *Yes, democratically elected gov had been overthrown and Allende committed suicide *No, such extensive involvement and expenses went to SA |
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