Unit 11 Lesson 2: The Vietnam War

Question 1

How did the role of American miliraty in Vietnam begin

Answer 1

The role of the American military in Vietnam began in 1950. President Truman sent 35 military advisers to assist the French in their war with the Viet Minh in the French colony of Indochina.

Question 2

What wasthe outcome of the Geneva Conference

Answer 2

It temporarily divided Vietnam at the 17th parallel. Communist leader Ho Chi Minh and the Viet Minh controlled the north. In the south, the anticommunist Ngo Dinh Diem became prime minister of the Republic of Vietnam.

Question 2

Who were the Viet Cong

Answer 2

Soon after, open fighting broke out between Diem’s forces and the Viet Cong.

Question 2

In late 1955, President Eisenhower sent 400 military advisers to train the South Vietnamese army. Why did he do that

Answer 2

This act was intended to support Diem and South Vietnam against communist North Vietnam.

Question 3

The role of the American military in Vietnam began in 1950. President Truman sent 35 military advisers to assist the French in their war with the Viet Minh in the French colony of Indochina. What was this conflcit all about

Answer 3

The Viet Minh wanted independence from French rule. U.S. involvement in Vietnam grew over the years that followed.

Question 3

In late 1955, President Eisenhower sent 400 military advisers to train the South Vietnamese army. What happened soon after this

Answer 3

. Soon after, open fighting broke out between Diem’s forces and the Viet Cong. On July 8, 1959, the Viet Cong killed two American advisers. These advisers became the first American battle deaths in Vietnam.

Question 3

The initial war ended in 1954 when Viet Minh forces defeated the French. what was the Geneva Conference

Answer 3

The Geneva Conference then convened to determine the postwar future of the former French colony.

Question 4

Increase in US involvenment in Vietnam during Kennedy’s presidency

Answer 4

In May 1961, Kennedy authorized sending an additional 500 Special Forces troops and military advisers to assist South Vietnam. By the end of 1962, there were some 11,000 military advisers in Vietnam. By November 1963, there were 16,000 U.S. troops in Vietnam.

Question 5

. In addition to training the South Vietnamese military, what did Americans start to do in Vietnam

Answer 5

In addition to training the South Vietnamese military, Americans began flying air missions that dumped chemicals on the countryside. These chemicals cleared lands to show the locations of North Vietnamese and Viet Cong supply routes.

Question 6

When President Kennedy took office, Diem’s government was faltering. Continuing the policies of the Eisenhower administration, Kennedy supplied Diem with money and military advisers. Why did he do that

Answer 6

. He hoped to help the anticommunist government in power.

Question 7

What was the role of the United States in Vietnam during the 1950s?

Answer 7

The U.S. sent advisers to help train the South Vietnamese army and support Diem against communist North Vietnam.

Question 8

President Johnson continued operations in Vietnam after Kennedy’s assassination. What led congress to pass the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

Answer 8

In early August 1964, reports came in that North Vietnamese forces had fired on two U.S. ships near the coast of North Vietnam in the Gulf of Tonkin. In response, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.

Question 9

What did the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution do

Answer 9

The resolution gave President Johnson the authority to send combat forces to Vietnam without asking Congress for a declaration of war.

Question 10

What was the impact/outcome of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

Answer 10

It dramatically increased the authority of the U.S. president. It also transformed the American role in Vietnam from adviser to combatant.

Question 11

On March 8, 1965, two U.S. Marine Corps battalions waded ashore on the beaches at Da Nang, South Vietnam. Why was this significant

Answer 11

Those 3,500 soldiers were the first combat troops President Johnson sent to support the South Vietnamese government in its effort to defeat an increasingly dangerous Viet Cong insurgency.

Question 11

How did men respond to the draft as the conflict wore on

Answer 11

As the conflict wore on, the draft became increasingly unpopular. Protesters burned their draft cards or refused to register. To evade the draft, some protesters made up health conditions or moved out of the United States.

Question 12

To supply more soldiers to fight in Vietnam, Congress reinstated the military draft.

Answer 12

Men between 18 and 26 years old were most likely to be drafted.

Question 13

On March 8, 1965, two U.S. Marine Corps battalions waded ashore on the beaches at Da Nang, South Vietnam. What did Johnson do after that

Answer 13

On April 3, Johnson authorized 20,000 troops to serve in support roles. . The military buildup continued in the weeks and months that followed. By November 1965, there were 175,000 U.S. troops in Vietnam. By 1966, there were an additional 100,000. The number would surge to some 535,000 by the end of Johnson’s presidency.

Question 14

How did US involvement in the Vietnam War change under President Johnson?

Answer 14

Under President Johnson, United States involvement in the Vietnam War expanded from a support role to offensive operations.

Question 15

In March 1965, large-scale sustained U.S. bombing of North Vietnam began. The campaign lasted until 1968. Why did they do this?

Answer 15

Its intent was to force the North to end its support for the Viet Cong insurgency in the South.

Question 16

In March 1965, large-scale sustained U.S. bombing of North Vietnam began. The campaign lasted until 1968. How did Viet Cong respond

Answer 16

. However, with the help of anti-aircraft defenses from China and the Soviet Union, the North was able to shoot down more than 900 U.S. aircraft, and the Viet Cong continued to attack U.S. bases in the South.

Question 17

Was General William Westmoreland, commander of U.S. troops in Vietnam susccesful

Answer 17

. General William Westmoreland, commander of U.S. troops in Vietnam, tried various tactics to secure territory in the South and force out insurgents. None were very successful.

Question 18

All of General William Westmoreland’s plans failed. What did the Johnson adminsitration publicy state abot the state of the war?

Answer 18

Nevertheless, the Johnson administration publicly claimed that the war was going well and would soon be over.

Question 19

On January 30, 1968, the North Vietnamese launched their most aggressive assault on the South, deploying close to 85,000 troops. Known as the

Answer 19

Tet Offensive

Question 20

How did the Tet Offensive american view on the war

Answer 20

Public opinion in the United States turned against the war. Americans’ opinions were mainly fueled by graphic images provided in unprecedented media coverage. Disastrous surprise attacks like the Tet Offensive persuaded many that the war would not be over soon. Doubts arose about whether Johnson’s administration was telling the truth about the real state of the conflict.

Question 21

On March 16, 1968, soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 23rd Infantry Division committed one of the most notorious atrocities of the war. What did they do and what is this incident called?

Answer 21

Approximately 100 soldiers were sent to destroy the village of My Lai. The villagers were suspected of hiding Viet Cong fighters. The platoon leaders believed that the order to destroy the enemy included killing women and children. Hundreds of unarmed civilians were murdered. **My Lai massacre**

Question 21

How did civilicans responnd to the **My Lai massacre**

Answer 21

Hundreds of unarmed civilians were murdered. Americans at home were horrified at the graphic footage of the My Lai massacre. The incident confirmed a growing belief that the war was unjust and not being fought on behalf of the Vietnamese people.

Question 22

# ``` What was the **Tet Offensive**

Answer 22

. Known as the Tet Offensive, these attacks were carried out in nearly 100 cities in South Vietnam, including the capital, Saigon. North Vietnamese forces suffered far more casualties than did those of the United States.

Question 23

How did the Tet Offensive affect the role of the United States in the Vietnam War? Why?

Answer 23

Although the North Vietnamese forces suffered more casualties, the Tet Offensive turned public opinion against U.S. involvement in the Vietnamese War. The surprise attack and graphic images of war led many to conclude the war would not be an easy American victory. More Americans began to question U.S. involvement.

Question 24

” For the first time in American history, news from a war zone was brought straight into living rooms across the country. How this affect Ameircnas veiw of the war

Answer 24

Coverage was unprecedented and helped shape public opinion against the war. This was largely due to uncensored news footage and a tendency toward negative reporting. Watching the fighting unfold raised doubts that the war would end soon and that the administration was being truthful as it continued to claim the U.S. soldiers were winning the day

Question 24

How did the televisioation of the war affect americans trust with the Johnson adminsitration

Answer 24

A so-called credibility gap grew between the words of the Johnson administration and the images reaching Americans at home on the nightly news.

Question 24

The Vietnam War has been referred to as the

Answer 24

“first television war.”

Question 25

Those who opposed the war showed their dissatisfaction in a variety of ways, including public protests and marches. Many war protests were peaceful. What was the **Vietnam Out Now rally**

Answer 25

The Vietnam Out Now rally in Washington, D.C., on April 24, 1971, attracted more than 200,000 people without a major incident

Question 26

At times, however, peaceful protests turned violent. The most tragic and politically damaging protest occurred on May 4, 1970, at **Kent State** University in Ohio. What happened

Answer 26

Violence erupted when the mayor of the town of Kent asked Ohio’s governor to send in the National Guard after a student war protest. Guard members with bayonets attached to their rifles approached the students. After forcing most of them to disband, the troops seemed to be departing. But for unknown reasons, they halted, turned, and shot at the protesters. Nine students were wounded; four were killed. On May 15, a similar tragedy took place at Jackson State College, an African American college in Jackson, Mississippi.

Question 27

In 1965, several teenagers decided to wear black armbands to school to protest the war. After their school suspended them, they took their cause all the way to the Supreme Court in the **Tinker v. Des Moines** case.

Answer 27

In the 1969 decision, the court reaffirmed the teenagers’ right to protest and practice free speech in public schools.

Question 28

Student involvement in the anti-war movement during the Vietnam War drew many young people to become more active in politics. A demand for lowering the voting age arose. Many supporters argued that if 18-year-olds were old enough to be drafted, they were also old enough to vote. what was the result of this

Answer 28

The result was the Twenty-Sixth Amendment

Question 29

Waht did the 26th amendment do

Answer 29

lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.

Question 30

Twenty-Sixth Amendment was proposed on March 23, 1971, and ratified on July 1, 1971. The ratification period of 107 days was the shortest in U.S. history. Why was it ratfified so quickly

Answer 30

The amendment was passed quickly to avert potential problems in the 1972 elections.

Question 31

During his 1968 presidential campaign, Richard Nixon promised to have “an honorable end to the war in Vietnam.” What did he do when he got elected

Answer 31

Not long after taking office, he began withdrawing troops. The first round of withdrawals was completed in August 1969 and totaled 25,000 troops. From 1969 to 1971, there were 15 announced withdrawals. This left less than 25,000 troops by November 1972.

Question 32

Example of Vietnamization

Answer 32

The United States military trained them and provided American weapons while withdrawing U.S. troops from the field.

Question 32

On November 3, 1969, President Nixon announced his policy of **Vietnamization**. What is the meaning of that policy

Answer 32

The new policy turned more responsibility for the war over to South Vietnamese forces.

Question 32

Did the people know about the bombing of Cambodia

Answer 32

The bombing was kept secret from both Congress and the American public.

Question 33

Why did Nixon authorized the bombing of neighboring Cambodia, which had declared its neutrality?

Answer 33

. It was an effort to destroy North Vietnamese and Viet Cong bases within that country and cut off supply routes between North and South Vietnam.

Question 33

. In January 1971, Congress revoked the notorious blanket military authorization. In June 1971, a set of documents the media dubbed the **Pentagon Papers** were published. What were these papaers

Answer 33

These were excerpts from a study prepared during the Johnson administration. The American public learned for the first time that President Johnson had meant to expand the U.S. role in Vietnam and bomb North Vietnam, despite his public statements that he had no intentions of doing so. The Pentagon Papers also revealed that his administration had tried to deliberately provoke North Vietnamese attacks to justify escalating American involvement.

Question 33

In April 1970, Nixon followed up with an invasion of Cambodia. Why did he stop this?

Answer 33

Ongoing war protests, campus violence, and the expansion of the war into Cambodia deeply disillusioned Americans about the U.S. role in Vietnam. Understanding the national mood, Nixon dropped his opposition to a repeal of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.

Question 34

Realizing that he must end the war but reluctant to make it look as though the United States was admitting failure, President Nixon began to secure favorable peace terms from the North Vietnamese.

Answer 34

Thanks to his diplomatic efforts in China and the Soviet Union, those two nations cautioned North Vietnam to use restraint. The loss of strong support by their patrons made the North Vietnamese more willing to negotiate.

Question 35

What also made North Vietnam want to negoatiate

Answer 35

So did intensive bombing of Hanoi and mines placed in crucial North Vietnamese harbors by U.S. forces. Nixon’s actions also won him popular support at home.

Question 36

How did President Nixon change the approach of the United States to the Vietnam War? Why did he change the approach?

Answer 36

President Nixon began to withdraw troops rather than send more American soldiers to fight in Vietnam. He promoted a policy of considering South Vietnam and its troops as responsible for the success of the war. Nixon also worked toward a peace agreement that would allow American troops to withdraw. Nixon changed the U.S. approach in response to public opinion and a lack of progress in the war.

Question 37

On January 27, 1973, Secretary of State Henry Kissinger signed the **Paris Peace Accord** with Le Duc Tho, the chief negotiator for the North Vietnamese. What did that do

Answer 37

This act officially ended American participation in the Vietnam War. The United States was given 60 days to withdraw its troops. North Vietnam was allowed to keep its forces in places it currently occupied. This meant that more than 100,000 northern soldiers would remain in South Vietnam. The United States left behind a small number of military advisers as well as equipment. Congress continued to approve funds for South Vietnam but considerably less than in earlier years. The war continued, but it was clear the South could not hope to defeat the North.

Question 38

Over President Nixon’s veto, Congress passed the **War Powers Act** in November 1973. What did that do

Answer 38

The act was more forceful than the revocation of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. Instead of taking away the president’s authority to declare war, the War Powers Act prohibited the president from committing troops in a foreign war. It did so by requiring the executive branch to consult with and report to Congress first. Many people at the time considered the War Powers Act a measure for preventing “future Vietnams.”

Question 38

What was the final result of the Vietnam War? Did the United States accomplish its objectives?

Answer 38

The final result of the Vietnam War is that after most U.S. troops left the country, North Vietnamese forces conquered South Vietnam and unified the country under communism. The United States did not accomplish its objective of keeping South Vietnam from communist North Vietnamese control.