Vocab
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Vietminh: an
organization of
Vietnamese
Communists and
other nationalist
groups that between
1946 and 1954 fought
for Vietnamese
independence from
the French.
NVA: North
Vietnamese Army, as
opposed to the
Vietcong.
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ARVN: Army of the
Republic of Vietnamthe southern
Vietnamese soldiers
with whom U.S. troops
fought against
communism and forces
in the North during the
Vietnam War.
Domino Theory: the
idea that if a nation falls
under communist
control, nearby nations
will also fall under
communist control.
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Geneva Accords: peace
agreement that divided
Vietnam into
Communist controlled
North Vietnam and
non-Communist South
Vietnam until
unification elections
could be held in 1956.
Tonkin Gulf
Resolution: a
resolution adopted by
Congress in 1964 giving
the president broad
powers to wage war in
Vietnam.
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Guerilla Warfare:
fighting by stealth and
with small bands that
make surprise raids
against stronger forces.
Vietcong: the South
Vietnamese
Communists who, with
North Vietnamese
support, fought against
the government of
South Vietnam in the
Vietnam War.
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Agent Orange: a toxic
leaf killing chemical
sprayed by U.S.
planes in Vietnam to
expose Vietcong
hideouts
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Napalm: a gasolinebased substance used
in bombs that U.S.
planes dropped in
Vietnam in order to
burn away jungle and
expose Vietcong
hideouts.
Escalation: Increasing
the scope and
intensity of fighting,
as with more
bombing.
Tet (Offensive): a
massive surprise
attack by the
Vietcong on South
Vietnamese towns
and cities early in
1968.
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Ho Chi Minh Trail: a
network of paths
used by North
Vietnam to transport
supplies to the
Vietcong in South
Vietnam.
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My Lai (Massacre): a
village in northern
South Vietnam where
more than 200
unarmed civilians,
including women
and children, were
massacred by U.S.
troops in May 1968.
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Vietnamization:
President Nixon’s
strategy for ending
U.S. involvement in
the Vietnam War,
involving the gradual
withdrawal of U.S.
troops and their
replacement with
South Vietnamese
forces.
Credibility Gap: a
public distrust of
statements made by
the government.
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Draft Dodgers: term
for young Americans
who evaded military
service during the
war.
Amnesty: a pardon,
given by President
Jimmy Carter in 1977,
to most of the 10,000
Vietnam-era draft
evaders.
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Silent Majority: a
name given by
President Richard
Nixon to the
moderate,
mainstream
Americans who
quietly supported his
Vietnam War
policies.
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Post Traumatic Stress
Syndrome (PTSS):
emotional stress
suffered by many
Vietnam veterans
after their return
home.
War Powers Act: a
law enacted in 1973,
limiting a president’s
right to send troops
into battle without
considering
Congress.