Trivia: History Of The Vietnam War! Quiz
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Vietnam spent more than a millenium under the rule of
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China
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India
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Thailand
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The United States
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Explore the complex history of the Vietnam War with this engaging quiz. Test your knowledge on Vietnam's millennium under Chinese rule, its time as a French colony, key figures like Ho Chi Minh, and pivotal events such as the Battle of Dien Bien Phu and the Geneva Accords.
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- 2.
In the 1880s, Vietnam became a .............. colony.
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British
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Chinese
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French
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Japanese
Correct Answer
A. FrenchExplanation
France assumed sovereignty over Annam and Tonkin after the Franco-Chinese War (1884–1885). French Indochina was formed in October 1887, from Annam, Tonkin, Cochin-China, and the Kingdom of Cambodia; Laos was added in 1893.Rate this question:
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- 3.
The First Indochina War opposed the Viet Minh who were led by... (choose the RIGHT answer) to the French army.
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Dien Bien Phu
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The Japanese
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The Chinese
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Ho Chi Minh
Correct Answer
A. Ho Chi MinhExplanation
After WW2, France attempted to reassert itself in the region but came into conflict with the Viet Minh, an organization of Communist Vietnamese nationalists under French-educated Ho Chi Minh. During World War II, the USA had supported the Viet Minh in resistance against the Japanese; the group was in control of the country apart from the cities.Rate this question:
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- 4.
The end of the First Indochina War in 1954, after the grueling battle of Dien Bien Phu and the Geneva Accords, led to...
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A Viet Minh victory
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A French victory
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A partition of Vietnam
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All of the above
Correct Answer
A. A partition of VietnamExplanation
The fighting lasted until March 1954, this led to the partition of Vietnam into North, under Viet Minh control, and South. The Geneva Accords stipulated that the divide was temporary and that Vietnam was to be reunified under free elections to be held in 1956.Rate this question:
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- 5.
What did the domino theory state?
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Use of nuclear weapons in one country would lead to use in others.
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If one country fell to communism, others nearby would soon follow.
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If the economy of one Asian country fell, others nearby would soon follow.
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The USA should increase defense spending to cripple the Soviet economy.
Correct Answer
A. If one country fell to communism, others nearby would soon follow.Explanation
Afetr the Geneva Accords, the United States’ Cold War foreign policy began to play a major part in Vietnam. U.S. policy at the time was dominated by the domino theory, which believed that the “fall” of North Vietnam to Communism might trigger all of Southeast Asia to fall, setting off a sort of Communist chain reaction.Rate this question:
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- 6.
Who was the US-backed leader of South Vietnam until 1963?
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Ngo Dinh Diem
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Le Duc Tho
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Vo Nguyen Giap
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Ho Chi Minh
Correct Answer
A. Ngo Dinh DiemExplanation
Within a year of the Geneva Accords, the United States therefore began to offer support to the anti-Communist politician Ngo Dinh Diem. With U.S. assistance, Diem took control of the South Vietnamese government in 1955, declared the Republic of Vietnam, and promptly canceled the elections that had been scheduled for 1956.Rate this question:
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- 7.
The United States sent a substantial number of military units in Vietnam in...
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1957
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1961
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1963
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1965
Correct Answer
A. 1965Explanation
After North Vietnamese forces allegedly attacked U.S. Navy ships in the Gulf of Tonkin in 1964, Johnson was given carte blanche in the form of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and began to send U.S. troops to Vietnam.Rate this question:
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- 8.
Who was the first American President to send combat troops in Vietnam after the partition of the country?
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John F. Kennedy
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Lyndon B. Johnson
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Richard M. Nixon
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Ronald Reagan
Correct Answer
A. Lyndon B. JohnsonExplanation
In 1962, U.S. President John F. Kennedy sent American “military advisors” to Vietnam to help train the South Vietnamese army. However actual troops were sent after Kennedy's assassination, under Johnson's presidency.Rate this question:
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- 9.
Agent Orange is...
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A secret service agent
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A type of plastic explosive
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A chemical herbicide and defoliant
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A flammable gasoline-based gel
Correct Answer
A. A chemical herbicide and defoliantExplanation
As the United States became increasingly mired in Vietnam, it pursued a strategy of attrition, attempting to bury the Vietnamese Communist forces under an avalanche of casualties. The United States, therefore, used unconventional weapons such as napalm and the herbicide defoliant Agent Orange but still managed to make little headway.Rate this question:
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- 10.
The Viet Cong proved a formidable enemy for all of the following reasons EXCEPT...
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Its members believed passionately in the Vietnamese nationalist cause.
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Its firepower was superior to U.S. firepower.
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It had constructed a vast network of underground tunnels and hideouts.
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Its members could disappear easily into the Vietnamese peasant population.
Correct Answer
A. Its firepower was superior to U.S. firepower.Explanation
The Viet Cong proved a formidable enemy for several reasons. Firstly, its members believed passionately in the Vietnamese nationalist cause, which motivated them to fight with great determination. Secondly, the Viet Cong had constructed a vast network of underground tunnels and hideouts, which allowed them to launch surprise attacks and evade capture. Additionally, the members of the Viet Cong could easily blend into the Vietnamese peasant population, making it difficult for the U.S. forces to identify and target them. However, the statement that "Its firepower was superior to U.S. firepower" is incorrect. The Viet Cong did not possess superior firepower compared to the U.S., but they relied on guerrilla tactics and knowledge of the terrain to counter the U.S. military strength.Rate this question:
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- 11.
The Tet Offensive of January 1968 was.
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A major surprise attack launched by the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces
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On the day of the Vietnamese New Year
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A military defeat for the communists
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All of the above
Correct Answer
A. All of the aboveExplanation
Although the offensive was a military defeat for the communists, it had a profound effect on the US government and shocked the US public, which had been led to believe by its political and military leaders that the communists were being defeated and incapable of launching such an ambitious military operation. U.S. public support for the war declined and the U.S. sought negotiations to end the war.Rate this question:
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- 12.
By 1970, Nixon promised to withdraw US troops gradually and hand over management of the war effort to the South Vietnamese. This policy was called...
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Americanization
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Coalition
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Attrition
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Vietnamization
Correct Answer
A. VietnamizationExplanation
Although Nixon made good on his promise, he also illegally expanded the geographic scope of the war by authorizing the bombing of Viet Cong sites in the neutral nations of Cambodia and Laos, all without the knowledge or consent of the U.S. Congress. The revelation of these illegal actions, along with the publication of the secret Pentagon Papers in U.S. newspapers in 1971, caused an enormous scandal in the United States and forced Nixon to push for a peace settlement.Rate this question:
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- 13.
The "My Lai massacre" took place in a South Vietnamese village where some Viet Cong soldiers thought to be located. It ended up in...
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The massacre of 26 US Army soldiers from the 11th Brigade.
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An increase of support in favour of the involvement of the US Army in Vietnam.
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The killing of more than 350 unarmed Vietnamese civilians.
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All of the above
Correct Answer
A. The killing of more than 350 unarmed Vietnamese civilians.Explanation
Victims included men, women, children, and infants. Some of the women were gang-raped and their bodies mutilated. The incident prompted global outrage when it became public knowledge in November 1969. The My Lai massacre increased to some extent domestic opposition to the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.Rate this question:
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- 14.
In 1968, antiwar protests... (pick out the WRONG answer)
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Were supported by newly-elected President Nixon.
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Resulted in police brutality.
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Were led by students and countercultural hippies.
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Gained support among mainstream American people.
Correct Answer
A. Were supported by newly-elected President Nixon.Explanation
Despite the protests, Johnson’s successor, President Richard M. Nixon, declared that a “silent majority” of Americans still supported the war. Four demonstrating students were shot at Kent State University in 1970 when Ohio National Guardsmen fired on a crowd.Rate this question:
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- 15.
A cease-fire was signed between US and Vietnam in the year...
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1972
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1973
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1974
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1975
Correct Answer
A. 1973Explanation
After secret negotiations between U.S. emissary Henry A. Kissinger and North Vietnamese representative Le Duc Tho in 1972, Nixon engaged in diplomatic maneuvering with China and the USSR to pressure the North Vietnamese into a settlement. This cease-fire was finally signed on 27 January 1973.Rate this question:
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Current Version
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Nov 07, 2023Quiz Edited by
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Mar 28, 2016Quiz Created by
Amandineberchet
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