Vietnam War Era Flashcards

Grade 11 · Social Studies · Flashcards

Key terms and concepts for mastering the Vietnam War era in U.S. History.

Flashcards

Domino Theory

Belief that a communist victory in one country would cause neighboring countries to fall — used to justify US intervention in Vietnam.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964)

Congressional authorization giving LBJ broad war-making power in Southeast Asia; based on disputed evidence of attacks on US ships.

Tet Offensive (1968)

Coordinated North Vietnamese/Viet Cong attacks on 100+ South Vietnamese cities; military defeat but political disaster for US.

Credibility gap

The growing disconnect between optimistic government claims about Vietnam and the brutal reality known to reporters and soldiers.

Vietnamization

Nixon's policy of withdrawing US troops while training South Vietnamese forces to take over the fighting.

Kent State (May 4, 1970)

Ohio National Guardsmen killed four student antiwar protesters at Kent State University; galvanized opposition to the war.

War Powers Resolution (1973)

Passed over Nixon's veto; required presidential notification to Congress within 48 hours of troop deployment; limited deployments to 60 days.

Pentagon Papers (1971)

Leaked classified study revealing that multiple administrations had systematically misled Congress and the public about Vietnam.

Agent Orange

Toxic defoliant sprayed across Vietnam to destroy jungle cover; caused cancers and birth defects in Vietnamese and US veterans.

Fall of Saigon (April 30, 1975)

North Vietnamese capture of the South Vietnamese capital; ended the war with Vietnam reunified under communist rule.

Draft (Vietnam era)

Military conscription during Vietnam; college deferments meant poor and working-class men served disproportionately — average combat age: 19.

Get a personalized course on Vietnam War Era built around your child.