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About This Quiz
It's a war that went on for decades, through different presidents and social changes in American society. Take this quiz to find out how much you know about the Vietnam War.
Which United States President was assassinated during the Vietnam War?
John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963. His assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, was killed a few days later.
Richard Nixon
Dwight Eisenhower
Lyndon Johnson
Who became president of the United States when John F. Kennedy was assassinated?
Dwight Eisenhower
Ronald Reagan
Jimmy Carter
Lyndon Johnson
Lyndon Johnson was the 36th President of the United States. Although he gained the Presidency after the assassination of Kennedy, he won the next election, running against Barry Goldwater.
What was the name of the guerrilla forces fighting in South Vietnam?
People's Republic
Republic of Vietnam
Viet Cong
The Viet Cong consisted of recruits from South Vietnam, along with soldiers from the North Vietnamese Army. These soldiers used the Ho Chi Minh trail to travel between North and South Vietnam.
People's Democracy of Vietnam
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What was the most common form of warfare used by the Viet Cong?
Trench Warfare
Guerrilla Warfare
Guerrilla Warfare provided soldiers from the Viet Cong with a way of counteracting the military strength of the United States. These soldiers would launch quick strikes then retreat into the forest​.
Strategic Bombing from Aircrafts
Conventional Warfare
Who was the president of North Vietnam until 1969?
Ngo Dinh Diem
Ho Chi Minh
Ho Chi Minh fought for the independence of Vietnam. His goal was to unite Vietnam under a communist government.
Dwight Eisenhower
Mao Zedong
What kind of war was the Vietnam war for the United States and Russia?
Cold War
Civil War
Rebellion
Proxy War
The Cold War between the United States and Russia was fought by supplying governments in smaller countries with enough supplies to counter the political forces from the opposing side. This type of war defined the Vietnam War.
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Which country allied itself with the Viet Cong?
Spain
France
The United States
China
Both China and Russia were large communist powers during the Vietnam War. To combat the United States, the Viet Cong relied on these countries for military supplies.
Which theory stated that if one country fell to Communism then all countries would fall to it?
Domino Theory
The United States and its European allies feared the spread of communism. To counteract its rise, these capitalist countries offered help to any country struggling against communist forces.
Communist Theory
Russian Advancement Theory
Marxist Theory
Who did the United States support during the war?
The Republic of Vietnam
The Republic of Vietnam ruled over South Vietnam. This government struggled to maintain power against the Communist​ forces in the North.
North Vietnam
Viet Cong
China
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What was the capital of South Vietnam?
Hanoi
Saigon
Saigon was the capital of both the French colony of Cochinchina and later the Republic of Vietnam. It was renamed Ho Chi Minh City.
Danang
Hue
Who was the first president of the Republic of Vietnam?
Ho Chi Minh
Kim II-sung
Moa Zedong
Ngo Dinh Diem
Ngo Dinh Diem ran against Bao Dai in the 1955 election that would determine the direction of South Vietnam. Diem won with over 98 percent of the votes, showing that the election was probably rigged.
Who was the Secretary of Defense under Lyndon Johnson?
Bobby Kennedy
Robert McNamara
Robert McNamara was the Secretary of State under both John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson. Many military figures criticized McNamara because he didn't have a military background.
J. Edgar Hoover
Jimmy Carter
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Which European country controlled Vietnam until 1954?
France
France took control of Indochina in 1887. Although they left local rulers in power, these rulers were only figureheads.
Spain
England
Germany
Who won the 1968 election by declaring that the U.S. would leave Vietnam?
Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon was a politician out of California. He served as Vice President under Dwight Eisenhower.
Lyndon Johnson
Jimmy Carter
Bill Clinton
What is the name of the large-scale attack launched by the Viet Cong in 1968?
The Viet Cong Offensive
The Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive consisted of a series of attacks by the Viet Cong across South Vietnam. Although the Viet Cong suffered major losses, reports reaching the United States caused support for the war to decline.
The North Vietnam Offensive
The Communist Offensive
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Which agreements divided Vietnam into North and South Vietnam?
The Potsdam Agreements
Togliatti Amnesty
Geneva Agreements
The Geneva Agreements took place in Geneva, Switzerland in 1954 during the Geneva Conference. The Agreements helped France pull out of Vietnam relatively​ peacefully.
Yalta Agreements
What movement occurred in the United States in response to the Vietnam War, along with other social problems in the country during the 1960s?
Counterculture
The counterculture occurred in the 1960s and lasted into the mid-1970s. The movement involved citizens who went against the establishment.
Labor
Anti-Tax
Abolition
Students were shot for protesting the war in Vietnam at which U.S. college?
University of Alabama
University of Buffalo
Michigan University
Kent State University
Protests erupted across college campuses in the United States, as students stood together against the Vietnam War. At Kent State, the situation escalated to the point that four students were shot and killed by members of the National Guard.
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In what Gulf​ was the USS Maddox attacked by North Vietnam?
Gulf of Alaska
Gulf of Tonkin
With tensions high in Vietnam, the United States claimed that three North Vietnamese torpedo boats launched an attack on the USS Maddox. The attack was controversial as news came that some of the claims might have been false.
Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Maine
Which resolution allowed the United States to defend any Southeast Asian country threatened by Communism?
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
The attack on the USS Maddox by North Vietnam caused an uproar throughout the United States. With support for the war growing, the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was passed, which allowed the United States to provide as much military support as necessary to South Vietnam.
New Years Resolution
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Zoning Resolution
What was the United States' main strategy in helping South Vietnam under Lyndon Johnson?
As many U.S. ground troops as necessary
No intervention
Bombing and Advising
Lyndon Johnson wanted Asians to handle their own conflicts. Therefore, he tried to limit U.S. ground troops while still bombing stratigic locations and training South Vietnamese forces.
Large Scale Naval Warfare
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Which battle ended French involvement in Vietnam?
Battle of Na San
Battle of Dien Bien Phu
The French tried to cut off supply lines between soldiers in North Vietnam and insurgents in the South. However, the plan backfired when the French forces were unable to receive aircraft support, forcing the French to surrender.
Battle of Hamburger Hill
Battle of Hue
Which parallel divided North and South Vietnam?
101st
29th
17th
During the Geneva Conference, Vietnam was divided into North and South Vietnam. Citizens were told they could move freely between the two regions for up to three hundred days.
51st
Who was the final emperor of the Nguyen dynasty?
Ho Chi Minh
Bao Dai
The Nguyen dynasty ruled over Vietnam from 1802 until 1945. The Dynasty ended when Bao Dai handed over power to Vietnam.
Ngo Dinh Diem
Ngo Dinh Nhu
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What religion was Ngo Dinh Diem?
Buddhist
Hindu
Catholic
Many historians believe Diem was used as a political puppet by the United States. This is evident by the United States support for Diem despite his controversial actions.
Muslim
Who was Ngo Dinh Diem's brother?
Ho Chi Minh
Bao Dai
Nguyen Van Nhung
Ngo Dinh Nhu
Ngo Dinh Nhu held a considerable amount of power in Vietnam, despite not having formal political power. In fact, many groups and organizations were under his direct control.
Which religious group did Ngo Dinh Nhu discriminate against?
Catholics
Protestants
Buddhists
Buddhists in South Vietnam were widely persecuted by the Diem regime. However, most people believe this discrimination was fueled by Ngo Dinh Nhu.
Muslims
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How did Ngo Dinh Diem die?
Assassination
Due to Buddhists' persecution, tensions in South Vietnam were high. In 1963, a coup occurred, and both Diem and his brother, Nhu, were killed.
Poor Health
Drowning
Plane Crash
Who became president of South Vietnam after Ngo Dinh Diem?
Ho Chi Minh
Duong Van Minh
Duong Van Minh led the coup against Ngo Dinh Diem. Prior to his presidency, he was the senior general of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam.
Ngo Dinh Nhu
Lyndon Johnson
Where did the Strategic Hamlet Program target?
North Vietnam
Cities in South Vietnam
Countryside in South Vietnam
Communist forces in South Vietnam used the countryside as a base from which they launched their attacks. To counteract this, the South Vietnamese government, with the help of the United States, developed a plan to relocate the rural population, so rebels couldn't hide among them.
United States Soldiers
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Who was convicted in the My Lai Massacre?
Earle Wheeler
Creighton Abrams
Elmo Zumwalt
William Calley Jr.
During the My Lai Massacre, hundreds of civilians from South Vietnam were killed by U.S. soldiers. These civilians were unarmed at the time of their deaths.
What was the name of the final campaign by North Vietnam where they captured Saigon?
The Northern Campaign
The Southern Campaign
Ho Chi Minh Campaign
Almost as soon as the United States pulled out of Vietnam, North Vietnam launched an offensive against South Vietnam. The North Vietnamese Army​ quickly made its way to Saigon, crushing the Army of the Republic of Vietnam along the way.
The Communist Campaign
What did the Paris Peace Accords help end?
U.S. Involvement in Vietnam
Journalism changed the way U.S. citizens viewed the Vietnam War. The war was no longer a distant event, as photos and video brought home images of the war.
Communism in North Vietnam
Buddhism in Vietnam
Chinese Involvement in Korea
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Who surrendered to the North Vietnamese Army in Saigon?
Ho Chi Minh
Richard Nixon
Nguyen Van Thieu
Durong Van Minh
Durong Van Minh took over as president of South Vietnam on April 28, 1975. He surrendered to the North Vietnamese Army two days later.
What was Vietnam called once it was reunited in 1976?
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam
The Socialist Republic of Vietnam
The United States feared that other countries in Asia would fall to communism if Vietnam fell. However, this was not the case as communist forces died out in many of the other Asian countries around Vietnam.
The Republic of Vietnam
The United Vietnam
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