The Vietnam War and US Involvement

Questions covering the Vietnam War, US military involvement, domestic politics, protests, and key events from the Geneva Accords to US withdrawal. Includes topics like the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, Vietnamization, Agent Orange, and American perspectives on the conflict.

57 Questions Published

Questions

Question 1 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Which of the following is associated with the term Napalm ?

  1. Most powerful phosphorous bomb used by US against Vietnam.
  2. Chemical weapon used in WW II and in Vietnam war.
  3. A type of atom bomb used by US in Vietnam war.
  4. A heavy weapon used by US against Vietnam.
Question 2 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

When was Vietnam unified?

  1. 1975
  2. 1985
  3. 1995
  4. 1965
Question 3 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Which of the following was not settled in the U.S.North Vietnamese peace agreement of 1973?

  1. An exchange of prisoners of war
  2. The political future of South Vietnam
  3. The withdrawal of U.S. troops
  4. The end of U.S. military aid to South Vietnam
  5. A cease-fire
Question 4 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Congress passed the War Powers Act primarily because ____________.

  1. Presidents Johnson and Nixon had usurped congressional authority in making war on Vietnam
  2. the United States had not achieved a clear victory in Vietnam
  3. the Vietnam War had been unpopular with the voters from the beginning
  4. Congress believed that only the president should have the power to declare war
  5. the public wanted to end the military draft and replace it with an all-volunteer army
Question 5 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Which war did young Americans protest by burning their draft cards and draft notices, fleeing to Canada, and demonstrating against the administration?

  1. Korean War
  2. Vietnam War
  3. Persian Gulf War
  4. War in Afghanistan
  5. Iraq War
Question 6 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

"I think we came, without really knowing it, to make the memorial our wailing wall. We came to find the names of those we lost in the war, as if by tracing the letters cut into the granite we could find what was left of ourselves ...." The speaker most likely is referring to the ______.

  1. Ellis Island memorial
  2. Lincoln Memorial
  3. Vietnam War Memorial
  4. Washington Monument
  5. Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Question 7 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Congress passed the War Powers Act in response to the ______.

  1. Korean War
  2. Vietnam War
  3. Persian Gulf War
  4. Six-Day War
  5. Iraq War
Question 8 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Hawks and "doves" were nicknames given to those who supported and opposed which war?

  1. Persian Gulf War
  2. Vietnam War
  3. War of 1812
  4. World War I
  5. Spanish-American War
Question 9 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

What did the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution state?

  1. The United States would take military action in response to a supposed Vietnamese attack on a U.S. destroyer.
  2. Vietnam would be divided politically along the 17th parallel.
  3. The United States would play an active role in an attempt to overthrow the government of Ngo Dinh Diem.
  4. The Selective Service would begin drafting men in the United States to fight in Vietnam.
  5. The U.S. Army would launch a bombing cam paign against military targets in North Vietnam.
Question 10 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

The 1954 Vietnam peace negotiations in Geneva provided for all of the following except _________.

  1. elections in 1956
  2. the elimination of a French presence in Vietnam
  3. a U.S. role in the future of Vietnam
  4. the temporary division of Vietnam into North and South
  5. political power for the Communist Party in Vietnam
Question 11 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

In 1968, President Johnson did not run for re-election because _________.

  1. He had already served two full terms
  2. He had lost the New Hampshire primary
  3. He wanted to negotiate a peace
  4. His health was failing
  5. Eugene McCarthy came in a close second in the New Hampshire primary
Question 12 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

An example of the change in U.S. policy toward Vietnam since the end of the Vietnam War was best demonstrated by __________.

  1. increased aid given to North Vietnam by George H. W. Bush
  2. trade restrictions placed on Vietnam by George W. Bush
  3. recognition of the Vietnamese government by Richard Nixon
  4. criticism of Vietnam for its human rights violations by Jimmy Carter
  5. visits and trade talks conducted by Bill Clinton with Vietnamese leaders
Question 13 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Nixon's policy in Vietnam was called _________.

  1. Rolling Thunder
  2. Vietnamization
  3. Containment
  4. Immediate withdrawal
  5. Pacification
Question 14 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Vietnam revisionism is a belief that ____________.

  1. Immediate peace was necessary
  2. America lost the war because of a lack of Congressional support
  3. The demonstrators lost the war
  4. The Army did not fight hard enough
  5. The Vietnamese were tougher than expected
Question 15 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

President Richard Nixon and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger shared a belief in "realpolitik", which is best described as __________.

  1. a realistic belief in the ideal of democracy over any other interests
  2. a foreign policy that puts human rights first
  3. a foreign policy patterned after that of Germany
  4. diplomacy guided by the writings of Immanuel Kant
  5. a foreign policy guided by national interests rather than ideals
Question 16 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

I didn't want to believe it at first-people protest ing against us when we were putting our lives on the line for our country. The speaker of the above quotation is most likely a veteran of the _____________.

  1. Korean War
  2. Vietnam War
  3. Persian Gulf War
  4. invasion of Afghanistan
  5. war in Iraq
Question 17 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Civil rights groups opposed the Vietnam War primarily because ________.

  1. they supported the North Vietnamese and the communists
  2. the media had stopped covering the civil rights movement in order to cover the war news
  3. money that had been earmarked for social programs was diverted to military use
  4. they objected to the war on religious and pacifist grounds
  5. they wanted to prevent the reelection of President Lyndon Johnson
Question 18 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Put the following events in order from oldest to most recent.
1) Geneva Accords
2) Tonkin Gulf
3) Dien Bien Phu
4) The Tet offensive
5) The assassination of Ngo Dinh Diem

  1. 2, 3, 4, 1, 5
  2. 4, 3, 2, 5, 1
  3. 3, 1, 5, 2, 4
  4. 3, 1, 4, 2, 5
  5. 2, 3, 5, 1, 4
Question 19 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Which of the following spurred young people in the United States to push for the ratification of the Twenty-Sixth Amendment?

  1. Opposition to the Vietnam War
  2. Support for a Republican administration
  3. Concern for veterans' rights
  4. Commitment to civil rights for all Americans
  5. Determination to ensure equal rights for men and women
Question 20 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

The United States became politically involved in Vietnam immediately after _________.

  1. France was defeated by the Vietminh
  2. China threatened Taiwan
  3. Great Britain partitioned India
  4. North Korea attacked South Korea
  5. Japan relinquished its control over Vietnam following World War II
Question 21 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

U.S. forces in Vietnam used Agent Orange primarily to ___________.

  1. counteract the effects of poisons used by the Vietcong.
  2. camouflage movement in the jungle.
  3. interrogate Vietcong prisoners.
  4. destroy the natural cover used by the Vietcong guerrillas.
  5. prevent the diseases carried by the insects of Vietnam.
Question 22 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Napalm, a focus of antiwar protests during the Vietnam War, was _________.

  1. an explosive weapon that divided into parts, killing many people.
  2. a nerve gas that paralyzed the enemy.
  3. a drug used to interrogate prisoners.
  4. a weapon that burst into flames after adhering to its victim.
  5. a class of biological weapons that caused rare diseases.
Question 23 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Why did the Vietnamese build hundreds of miles of tunnels?

  1. To hide from French soldiers
  2. To hide from American soldiers
  3. To prepare for military operations
  4. To live in them for months at a time
  5. All of the above
Question 24 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

The Pentagon Papers contained information on all of the following President except __________.

  1. Dwight D. Eisenhower.
  2. Richard Nixon.
  3. Lyndon Johnson.
  4. Jimmy Carter.
  5. John Kennedy.
Question 25 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

The Pentagon Papers provided a detailed accounting of U.S. involvement in ________.

  1. the Vietnam War
  2. the Korean War
  3. the Cold War
  4. the Iran Contra Affair
  5. Watergate
Question 26 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Which of the following is TRUE about both the American Revolution and the Vietnam War?

  1. The United States was victorious in both wars.
  2. Both were essentially wars against domination by an overseas power.
  3. Both were civil wars between North and South.
  4. Both the United States in 1779 and South Vietnam in 1972 received military support from France.
  5. Both were traditional wars fought by traditional armies.
Question 27 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

The Weathermen, who were in the news in the 1960s and early 1970s, were ____________.

  1. radical black nationalists who believed in power to the black people
  2. radical terrorists who opposed the Vietnam War
  3. environmental activists who opposed the pollution caused by automobiles
  4. a rock-and-roll group who were precursors to punk rock and heavy metal groups
  5. a commune that called for love and peace and living in the outdoors
Question 28 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

After the Vietnam War, the change in U.S. policy toward Vietnam was best demonstrated by __________.

  1. increased aid given to North Vietnam by George H.W Bush
  2. trade restrictions placed on Vietnam by George W. Bush
  3. recognition of the Vietnam government by Richard Nixon
  4. criticism of Vietnam for its human rights violation by Jimmy Carter
  5. visits and trade talks conducted by Bill Clinton with Vietnam leaders
Question 29 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Identify the correct statement about both the  American Revolution and  the  Vietnam War.

  1. The United States.was victorious in both wars.
  2. Both were essentially wars against domination by an overseas power.
  3. Both were civil wars between North and South.
  4. Both the. United States in 1779 and South Vietnam in 1972 received military support from France.
  5. Both were traditional wars fought by traditional armies.
Question 30 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

In the 1960s  and  early 1970s, who were the Weathermen in the news?

  1. Radical black nationalists who believed in power to the black people.
  2. Radical terrorists who opposed the Vietnam War.
  3. Environmental activists who opposed the pollution caused by automobiles.
  4. A rock-and-roll group who were precursors to punk rock and heavy metal groups.
  5. A commune that called for love and peace and living in the outdoors.
Question 31 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

After which incident, The  United States  became  politically involved in  Vietnam?

  1. France was defeated by the Vietminh.
  2. China threatened Taiwan.
  3. Great Britain partitioned India.
  4. North Korea attacked South Korea.
  5. Japan relinquished its control over Vietnam following World War II.
Question 32 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

The below quote by U.S. President Richard M. Nixon most likely refers to which of the following?
"We must recognize that ending the war is only the first step toward building the peace. All parties must now see to it that this is a peace that lasts, and also a peace that heals - and a peace that only ends the war in Southeast Asia but contributes to the prospects of peace in the whole world."

  1. The end of the Koren War
  2. The end of the Pacific Campaign of World War II
  3. The end of the Vietnam War
  4. The end of the War in Afghanistan
  5. The end of the Cold War
Question 33 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

The presidency of Lyndon Johnson was surrounded by issues involving  Vietnam after he ____________.

  1. Coined the phrase domino theory and sent advisers to South Vietnam
  2. Pledged to support French forces in Vietnam
  3. Signed the Geneva Accords
  4. "Vietnamized" the war
  5. Proposed the Tonkin Gulf Resolution
Question 34 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Identify the correct statements for the Gulf  of Tonkin Resolution  of 1964.

  1. It passed both the Senate and the House without any dissenting votes.
  2. It contributed to President Johnson's slim margin of victory in the 1964 election.
  3. It was a declaration of war that Congress passed after much debate.
  4. In retrospect, it is clear that the resolution was justified by clear evidence of North Vietnamese aggression.
  5. It gave President Johnson a "blank check" to retaliate against the North Vietnamese.
Question 35 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

The Nixon Doctrine proclaimed that ____________________.

  1. The United States would establish detente with the Soviet Union in order to limit China's influence in Asia
  2. China and the United States would establish diplomatic relations with each other
  3. Taiwan would be guaranteed U.S. protection against invasion by Communist China
  4. America would honor its military agreement with its Asian allies, but would limit the number of combat troops in its allies' wars
  5. America would continue to send troops to countries fighting communism in Asia
Question 36 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

 Why was Agent Orange used by the military during the Vietnam War? 

  1. To poison food crops grown by Vietcong supporters.
  2. To pollute wells supplying water to Vietcong guerilla fighters.
  3. To blow up tunnel systems used to shelter Vietcong troops.
  4. To protect American troops from malaria.
  5. To clear forest vegetation that could hide Vietcong soldiers.
Question 37 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Richard Nixon won the Presidency in 1968 with the campaign promise of ending the war in Vietnam. 
Which of the following explains his plan for ending the war? 

  1. The possible use of nuclear missiles on Hanoi, the capital of North Vietnam. in order to force their surrender.
  2. Nixon would ask the United Nations to negotiate a peace settlement between the North Vietnamese and the U.S.
  3. Nixon would "Vietnamize" the war with the gradual withdrawal of U.S. troops out of South Vietnam, leaving the conflict in the hands of the South Vietnamese.
  4. Nixon would offer to the North Vietnamese the Hue Province in South Vietnam in attempt to reach a settlement in the conflict.
  5. Nixon would order the American military to increase both airstrikes and ground missions in order to end the threat of the Vietcong.
Question 38 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

All but which of the following are reasons why many Americans protested the military draft during the war? A 

  1. ,Young men who were college students could get a college deferrment, yet non-students could not be afforded such a privilege.
  2. Young African-American and Hispanic men served in disproportionately higher numbers than young white men.
  3. A young man of wealth means could hire a substitute to serve for him.
  4. Young men should not have to fight in a war they do not believe in.
  5. Young men could be drafted into military service but could not vote until the age of 21.
Question 39 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

All of the following were a part of Richard Nixon's southern strategy in 1972 to build a Republican majority except __________________________.

  1. use Vice President Spiro Agnew to attack liberal and antiwar protesters
  2. appeal to the Silent Majority
  3. appoint southern conservative judges to the Supreme Court
  4. establish greater rapport with the press
  5. appeal to Catholic, ethnic, and blue-collar workers by stressing traditional values
Question 40 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

The 1954,Vietnam peace negotiations in Geneva would not provided for ___________________.

  1. elections in 1956
  2. the elimination of a French presence in Vietnam
  3. a U.S role in the future of Vietnam
  4. the temporary division of Vietnam into North and South
  5. political power for the Communist Party
Question 41 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Why were the Vietcong (The National Liberation Front) a frustrating enemy for the American military? 

  1. They were better skilled helicopter pilots.
  2. They were equipped with superior weapons.
  3. Their propaganda campaigns won "the hearts and minds" of the South Vietnamese.
  4. They worked as spies for both the U.S. and North Vietnamese.
  5. They could quickly fade into the landscape because they used the terrain to their advantage.
Question 42 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

The American population was largely split into both "Hawks" and "Doves" in their views of America's participation in the Vietnam War. 
All of the following were beliefs of the "Doves" EXCEPT. 

  1. The high cost of war detracts from spending on domestic programs.
  2. American was justified in continuing its containment foreign policy in South East Asia.
  3. The Vietnam conflict was a civil war and of no interest to the United States.
  4. A democratic government such as the United States should be more open and honest with its citizens.
  5. Using weapons like napalm and supporting a corrupt government were immoral.
Question 43 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

President John F. Kennedy was a committed Cold War president, yet also understood the complexities of entering the Vietnamese civil war. 
Which of the following actions did Kennedy take which illustrated a measured step with respect to containing the spread of communism into South Vietnam?  

  1. He reinstated the military draft, calling nearly 100,000 American men into the reserves.
  2. He ordered 400 Special Forces (Green Berets) to South Vietnam in the role as "advisors" with the goal of training the South Vietnamese military.
  3. He called for a United Nations' Security Council referendum vote to halt the aggressive North Vietnamese.
  4. He authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in North Vietnam in an effort to topple the communist government in power.
  5. He issued an executive order placing a 6-month moratorium on aid to South Vietnam, hoping the South Vietnamese military would be able to defeat the North in a timely fashion.
Question 44 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Viet-Nam is far away from this quiet campus.We have no territory there, nor do we seek any. The war is dirty and brutal and difficult. And some 400 young men, born into an America that is bursting with opportunity and promise, have ended their lives on VietNam's steaming soil... We are also there because there are great stakes in the balance. Let no one think for a moment that retreat from Viet-Nam would bring an end to conflict. The battle would be renewed in one country and then another. The central lesson of our time is that the appetite of aggression is never satisfied. To withdraw from one battlefield means only to prepare for the next. We must say in southeast Asia--as we did in Europe--in the words of the Bible: ''Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further, his painful road'?  
The ideas expressed in the passage above are most consistent with which of the following American policies?

  1. The Monroe Doctrine.
  2. The Domino Theory.
  3. The Separation of Powers.
  4. The Search and Destroy Strategy.
  5. Mutually Assured Destruction.
Question 45 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

All the following were beliefs of the "Hawks" EXCEPT.

  1. The U.S. should consider using its nuclear arsenal in an attempt to stop North Vietnamese aggression into South Vietnam.
  2. America needs to stop the spread of Communism.
  3. America needs to honor its long-term commitment to South Vietnam and keep fighting.
  4. America should execute the war vigorously without limitations.
  5. America will look weak to the Soviet Union and China if it doesn't continue to fight the Communists in Vietnam.
Question 46 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

The photograph above shows a meeting between President Richard M. Nixon and Soviet Secretary Leonid Brezhnev held in May,1972.
What important issue did both leaders meet and sign an agreement about at that time?

  1. The limitation of both nations' involvement in the Vietnam War.
  2. The limitation of nuclear weapons.
  3. An agreement to lift the embargo of wheat sales to the Soviet Union.
  4. The persecution of Soviet Jews by the Kremlin.
  5. An alliance against the encroaching power of The People's Republic of China.
Question 47 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

The Presidential Election of 1968. occurring towards the end of one of the most tumultuous years in American history, resulted in a very narrow victory for Republican candidate, Richard M. Nixon, who won by a mere 1.1% popular vote. 
Which of the following best explains this close election result? 

  1. George Wallace's conservative. third-party candidacy served to divide Republican voters.
  2. Nixon's plans to continue the American presence in the Vietnam War were controversial.
  3. Democratic contender Hubert Humphrey had been a fairly popular incumbent Vice President.
  4. Many younger voters, disillusioned with American politics, refused to vote in the election.
  5. Middle-aged Nixon failed to connect with the large baby-boom generation of voters.
Question 48 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

"The Tiger doesn't need to land one mighty killing blow. If the Tiger does not stop fighting the Elephant, the Elephant will die of exhaustion."

The above quote is referred in the context of which war?

  1. the Korean War
  2. World War I
  3. World War II
  4. the Iran-Iraq War
  5. the Vietnam War
Question 49 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Congress passed The War Powers Act in 1973 which clearly delineated the President's wartime powers as Commander-in-Chief. 
Which of the following events of the Vietnam War influenced Congress' decision to pass this Act? 

  1. The Tet Offensive
  2. The Tonkin Gulf Resolution
  3. The "Eastern Offensive"
  4. Nixon's Vietnamization
  5. The Truman Doctrine
Question 50 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

The Hoa Hao Movement was led by ______________.

  1. Huynh Phu So
  2. Ng-Yuyen Dinh Chiev
  3. Phan Boi Chau
  4. Sun Yat Sen
Question 51 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Which one of the following is not true regarding the Hoa Hao Movement in Vietnam?

  1. It criticised useless expenditure and sale of child brides.
  2. It opposed gambling and use of alcohol.
  3. It motivated the Vietnamese to kill Catholic Missionaries
  4. Its founder was Huynh Phu So.
Question 52 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

After the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu, _______________.

  1. Vietnam was liberated.
  2. Vietnam came under Japanese domination
  3. Vietnam was divided into North and South.
  4. Ho Chi Minh became the President
Question 53 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Which of the following is not true about the Ho Chi Minh trail?

  1. It had branch lines extending into South Vietnam
  2. It was used to transport men and materials from North to South Vietnam
  3. It was used by the Vietnamese rebels and the US troops
  4. Had support bases and hospitals along the way
Question 54 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Which of the following Presidents is correctly paired with an event that took place during his administration?

  1. Lyndon B. Johnson . . . the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and the Peoples Republic of China
  2. John F. Kennedy . . . resolution of the Suez Crisis
  3. Richard M. Nixon . . . the reduction of United States forces in Vietnam
  4. Gerald R. Ford . . . the signing of the Camp David Accords
  5. Jimmy Carter . . . resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis
Question 55 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

The attack launched by North Vietnamese troops on January 30, 1968, is called the Tet Offensive because ___________.

  1. January 30 is Tet, the Vietnamese New Year
  2. Tet is the province where fighting was launched
  3. General Tet and his staff advisors planned the attack
  4. the fighting began with the troops crossed the Tet River
  5. Tet was a Vietnamese code name for the operation
Question 56 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

All the following turned people in the United States against the Vietnam War except:

  1. The Kent State and Jackson State massacres
  2. Publication of the Pentagon Papers
  3. Disclosure of the bombing of Cambodia
  4. Repeal of the Tonkin Gulf Resolution
  5. Revulsion against the horrors of war as shown on television news broadcasts
Question 57 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

"Whereas these attackers are part of a deliberate and systematic campaign of aggression that the Communist regime in North Vietnam has been waging against its neighbors and the nations joined with them in the collective defense of their freedom now, therefore be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, that the Congress approves and supports the determination of the President, as Commander in Chief, to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression."
The passage above is excerpted from which of the following?

  1. The Platt Amendment
  2. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
  3. The War Powers Resolution of 1973
  4. The War Powers Act of 1941
  5. The Teller Amendment

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