a colony is an area controlled by an empire

a communist is somebody who believes all property should be shared equally

a nationalist is someone who identifies positively with their own country and support its interests

the Viet Minh were a communist nationalist group that fought for Vietnamese independence

French Indochina

History

This prepares pupils for an understanding of the domestic consequences of the Vietnam War for the USA

Pupils know that the USA had emerged from WW2 as a leading global power, and have some contextual understanding of communism and capitalism

Containment was a foreign policy strategy used by the US during the Cold War to try to prevent the spread of communism

the Domino Theory was the idea that if one country fell to communism more would follow

Marshall Aid (or the Marshall Plan) was the American strategy of giving money to European countries to help them recover after World War Two

a regime is a government, especially an authoritarian one, which enforces strict obedience at the expense of personal freedom

a hamlet is a small settlement, generally smaller than a village

the Vietcong were the communist guerilla group who opposed the South Vietnam army (the ARVN)  and US forces with the help of North Vietnam

a guerilla is a member of a small, loosely-organised army that fights a larger, stronger force and uses surprise tactics

a gulf is a deep inlet of a sea almost surrounded by land, with a narrow mouth

a patrol is a repetitive journey aimed at keeping watch over a particular area

Congress is the group of elected representatives that decide laws in the United States, made up of the Senate and House of Representatives

an offensive is an attacking military campaign

a strategy is a plan of action designed to achieve a long-term or overall goal

a hotspot is a place of significant activity, danger or violence

in this context, an engagement is a fight or battle between armed forces

a protest is a statement or action expressing disapproval of or objection to something