Question 1

What did the initiation of Operation Rolling Thunder in February 1965 indicate?

Accepted Answer

The initiation of Operation Rolling Thunder indicated that the war in Vietnam had become America's war, as it was a sustained bombing campaign conducted by the U.S. against North Vietnam.

Question 2

Which of the following describes the Bay of Pigs invasion?

Accepted Answer

The Bay of Pigs invasion was an unmitigated disaster. Despite the best efforts of the CIA and the anti-Castro forces, the invasion was poorly planned and executed, resulting in the capture or death of nearly all of the invading forces.

Question 3

Which of the following statements describes President Kennedy's flexible-response strategy?

Accepted Answer

President Kennedy's flexible-response strategy was a military strategy that allowed the United States to respond to communist aggression with any means necessary, not just full-scale nuclear war. It provided a wider range of options that included conventional military force, covert operations, and diplomacy. This approach was a strategic shift from the previously dominant doctrine of massive retaliation, which relied solely on the threat of nuclear retaliation.

Question 4

Of the more than 7,500 American women who served in the Vietnam War, most served as

Accepted Answer

The majority of American women who served in the Vietnam War held nursing positions. They worked in field hospitals, evacuation hospitals, and hospitals in Japan and the United States.

Question 5

The Peace Corps was launched by the Kennedy administration in 1961 to

Accepted Answer

The Peace Corps was created to provide young Americans with the opportunity to volunteer and work directly with people in third world countries to promote peace and understanding. It was not established to quell domestic violence or address unemployment in the United States, and while it promotes democratic principles, it does not specifically teach third world leaders about democracy.

Question 6

What was Agent Orange?

Accepted Answer

Agent Orange was a chemical agent deployed by the United States during the Vietnam War as a defoliant to clear out dense forests and vegetation that provided cover for the enemy. It contained harmful dioxin that caused numerous health problems for people who were exposed to it, including Vietnam War veterans and Vietnamese civilians.

Question 7

The purpose of the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was to

Accepted Answer

The 1964 Gulf of Tonkin Resolution gave President Lyndon B. Johnson the authority to take "all necessary measures" to repel any armed attacks against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression. This resolution essentially gave the president the power to escalate U.S. military involvement in Vietnam without a formal declaration of war from Congress.

Question 8

How did the Soviet Union respond to increased U.S. production of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and the American nuclear buildup in Europe?

Accepted Answer

The Soviet Union responded to increased U.S. production of ICBMs and the American nuclear buildup in Europe by stepping up its own ICBM program. This led to an arms race between the two superpowers during the Cold War.

Question 9

What was the flaw in American officials' assumption that the U.S. military's superior technology and power would defeat the Communist forces in South Vietnam?

Accepted Answer

The flaw in American officials' assumption was that their advanced weapons, which were designed for conventional warfare, were ill-suited to the guerrilla warfare tactics used by the Communist forces in South Vietnam. The terrain and fighting style of the enemy made the US technology less effective, resulting in a prolonged conflict and eventual US withdrawal.

Question 10

The National Liberation Front in Vietnam was composed of

Accepted Answer

The National Liberation Front (also known as the Viet Cong) was composed largely of South Vietnamese guerrilla fighters who were ideologically aligned with North Vietnam and received support from the North Vietnamese army. While there were some North Vietnamese soldiers who fought alongside the Viet Cong, the majority of the organization was made up of local South Vietnamese.

Question 11

What occurred in 1961 that heightened fears and provided a rationalization for President John F. Kennedy's military buildup?

Accepted Answer

Nikita Khrushchev's encouragement of wars of national liberation in the third world heightened fears about the spread of communism and provided a rationalization for President John F. Kennedy's military buildup. This was a key element of the Cold War context in 1961.

Question 12

What led Congress to pass the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution in 1964?

Accepted Answer

The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was passed in 1964 based on unconfirmed information that North Vietnamese gunboats had fired on two U.S. destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin. However, later evidence suggested that the second attack that was reported may not have actually occurred.

Question 13

Which of the following describes the thirteen-day Cuban missile crisis of 1962?

Accepted Answer

The thirteen-day Cuban missile crisis of 1962 brought the world's two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, extremely close to nuclear war. It was a tense standoff over the placement of Soviet missiles in Cuba, which threatened the security of the United States. The crisis was resolved when the Soviet Union agreed to remove the missiles in exchange for a US pledge not to invade Cuba and to remove US missiles from Turkey.

Question 14

Why, despite $1 billion in aid and seven hundred U.S. military advisers committed by the Eisenhower administration, was the situation in South Vietnam still so unstable when President Kennedy took office?

Accepted Answer

Despite the aid and military advisors committed by the Eisenhower administration, the South Vietnamese government and army were ineffective and corrupt, which alienated their own countrymen. This made it difficult to gain support from the population and maintain stability in the country.

Question 15

Why did East Germany erect a wall between East and West Berlin in 1961?

Accepted Answer

The East German government erected the wall to stop the mass exodus of East Germans to West Berlin. The wall was built to prevent people from fleeing to the West, as thousands of East Germans were leaving every day because of the economic and political conditions in East Germany, causing a brain drain and a demographic crisis. The wall also served as a symbol of the Cold War and the division of Germany.

Question 16

How did the Cuban missile crisis affect the leadership of Nikita Khrushchev?

Accepted Answer

The Cuban missile crisis was seen as a failure of Khrushchev's leadership by many in the Soviet Union, including hardliners who believed he had backed down too easily. This contributed to his eventual removal from power two years later in 1964.

Question 17

Why did President Lyndon B. Johnson's Latin American policy generate a new surge of anti-Americanism in that region in 1965?

Accepted Answer

President Johnson's decision to intervene in the Dominican Republic to suppress an uprising against the military dictatorship generated a new surge of anti-Americanism in Latin America in 1965. Many Latin American nations saw it as a violation of their sovereignty and a continuation of U.S. interventionism in the region.

Question 18

According to Map 29.2: The Vietnam War, 1964-1975, which city was the site of a major battle during the Vietnam War?

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to Map 29.2: The Vietnam War,...

Question 19

Who constituted about 80 percent of American troops in Vietnam?

Accepted Answer

Poor and working-class Americans constituted about 80 percent of American troops in Vietnam.

Question 20

Why did American military officials begin calculating their progress in body counts and kill ratios in Vietnam in 1965?

Accepted Answer

American military officials began calculating their progress in body counts and kill ratios in Vietnam in 1965 because it was impossible to measure military success based on territory seized. The difficult terrain and guerilla tactics of the Vietcong made it hard to gauge territorial control and the effectiveness of military operations. As a result, body counts and kill ratios became a metric for measuring progress in the war.

Quiz 29: Vietnam and the End of the Cold War Consensus