1. Origins of the Vietnam War: Chapter 22, Section 1
Curriculum Standard:
Analyze the causes, course and consequences of the Vietnam War.

2. Chapter 22, Section 1: Origins of the Vietnam War (724 - 728)
A – America and the War for Indochina
Q: How did President Eisenhower justify continued American support for the French?
B – Red Heading: The Domino Theory and Dien Bien Phu (page 726)
Q: Examine the two photos above your section and write a brief paragraph explaining what you think the fighting between the French and the Vietminh might have been like.
C – America Opposes Communism in Vietnam (page 727)
Q: How did the United States help the South Vietnamese government resist communism?
D – Johnson Leads the Nation Into War (page 728)
Q: What was the significance of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?
E – Summary of Section
Q: Why did the United States become involved in Vietnam?
First, read your section in your group (A-E). Define any key terms in your section, take about 3 to 4 main points (detailed) summarizing your section and answer your focus question (15 mins).
Then, your teams will change (1-5), each member gets a few minutes to explain their section of the text to their new members while the others take notes (20 mins). There will be an exit ticket containing questions from each section of the text. (5 mins)

3. Focus Question Answers:
A. He argued that the United States was containing the spread of communism in the region.
B. Up to Students -
C. It formed SEATO with seven other countries, provided economic and military aid to the anticommunist government of Diem, and sent Special Forces troops to advise and fight alongside the army of South Vietnam.
D. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution gave President Johnson the authority to send troops to South Vietnam without congressional approval.
E. The United States initially became involved in Vietnam to aid the French. Then, the United States gradually committed more and more troops to prevent communism from spreading in Southeast Asia.

4. Individual Exit Ticket – worth 10 formative points:
Who led the movement for Vietnam’s independence from French rule?
a. a Vietnamese communist named Ho Chi Minh
b. an American communist named Harry S. Truman
c. a Cambodian communist named Ho Chi Minh
d. a French communist named Ho Chi Minh
2. Why did Truman and Eisenhower support French efforts against Ho Chi Minh?
a. N/A: They did not support French efforts against Ho Chi Minh.
b. Both presidents wanted to contain the spread of communism in Asia
c. Truman supported the French efforts, Eisenhower did not.
d. All of the above are true
3. How did the U.S. help South Vietnam resist communism?
a. The U.S. did not help b. The U.S. formed NATO
c. The U.S. formed SEATO d. The U.S. formed ARVN
4. What was the significance of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?
a. It created the USS Maddox which patrolled the Gulf of Tonkin
b. It allowed for Ho Chi Minh to exchange Twitter accounts with L.B. Johnson
c. It allowed Johnson to order an airstrike against North Vietnam
d. It gave Johnson the authority to send troops to S. Vietnam w/o congress’ approval

5. Origins of the Vietnam War: Chapter 22, Section 1
Curriculum Standard:
Analyze the causes, course and consequences of the Vietnam War.

6. Objectives
Describe the reasons that the United States helped the French fight the Vietnamese.
Identify ways in which the United States opposed communism in Southeast Asia.
Analyze how the United States increased its involvement in Vietnam.

7. Terms and People
Ho Chi Minh − a Vietnamese leader who demanded Vietnam’s independence from France
Domino Theory − the idea that if a nation fell to communism, its closest neighbors would follow
Dien Bien Phu − a French military base besieged by Vietminh troops until the French surrendered

8. Terms and People (continued)
Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) − defensive alliance aimed at preventing communist aggression in Asia
Vietcong − South Vietnamese guerrilla fighters supported by communists in North Vietnam
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution − 1964 congressional resolution that authorized President Johnson to commit American troops to South Vietnam and fight a war against North Vietnam

9. Why did the United States become involved in Vietnam?
Presidents Kennedy and Johnson shared a vision that the United States would emerge victorious from the Cold War.
As part of this battle, the United States established a new line of defense in Vietnam.

10. The United States became involved in Vietnam for several reasons.
The United States wanted France as an ally in the Cold War.
The United States also wanted to support any government that was fighting communism.

11. French colonial governments had ruled most of Indochina since the 1800s.
The French exploited Indochina’s wealth by owning plantations, claiming mineral rights, and imposing high taxes. 11

12. Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh worked to free Vietnam from colonial rule.
Unable to get support from western nations, he embraced communism and received support from Soviet communists.

13. In 1954, President Eisenhower introduced the domino theory, which said that if Vietnam became communist, its closest neighbors would follow.
If communism spread throughout the region, Eisenhower feared, it could threaten Japan, the Philippines, and Australia. 13

14. Despite U.S. financial support, the French were defeated by Vietminh forces at Dien Bien Phu.
The Vietminh hammered at French forces and laid siege to the base for 55 days.
After suffering more than 15,000 casualties, the French surrendered on May 7, 1954.
In the peace accord that followed, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam gained independence from France.

15. Vietnam was divided into two countries.
Ho Chi Minh’s communist government ruled North Vietnam.
An anticommunist government, supported by the United States, ruled South Vietnam.

16. The United States supported South Vietnam in several ways.
formed the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, which opposed communism
gave economic and military aid
sent Special Forces soldiers to “advise” South Vietnamese troops 16

17. In 1961, President Kennedy sent Special Forces troops to help fight the Vietcong, the guerilla fighters of the National Liberation Front.
The Diem government remained unpopular, however, and the Kennedy administration worked behind the scenes to remove Diem from power.

18. In 1964, President Johnson faced his first crisis
in Vietnam.
He then asked Congress to authorize the use of force to defend U.S. troops.
North Vietnam attacked an American destroyer in the Gulf of Tonkin.
Johnson ordered an airstrike against North Vietnam.
In response, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.

19. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution gave Johnson tremendous war powers.
It allowed him to commit U.S. troops to South Vietnam.
It enabled him to fight a war against North Vietnam without asking Congress for a declaration of war. 19

20. Please complete page 178 in your workbook.

21. Chapter 22, Section 2: U.S. Involvement Grows
Curriculum Standard:
Analyze the causes, course and consequences of the Vietnam War.

22. Chapter 22, Section 2: U.S. Involvement Grows (729 - 735)
A – “Americanizing” the War (page 729)
Q: What was the strategic aim of Operation Rolling Thunder?
B – Red Heading: An Elusive and Determined Enemy (page 730)
Q: Map 731: Why might a U.S. attack against Ho Chi Minh cause an international backlash against the United States?
C – Patriotism, Heroism, and Sinking Morale (page 732)
Q: Why did the morale of American troops decline as the war continued?
D – Doubt Grows on the Home Front (page 734)
Q: What were the opposing viewpoints of hawks and doves?
E – Summary of Section
Q: What were the causes and effects of America’s growing involvement in the Vietnam War?
First, read your section in your group (A-E). Define any key terms in your section, take about 3 to 4 main points (detailed) summarizing your section and answer your focus question (15 mins).
Then, your teams will change (1-5), each member gets a few minutes to explain their section of the text to their new members while the others take notes (20 mins). There will be an exit ticket containing questions from each section of the text. (5 mins)

23. Focus Question Answers:
A. The strategic aim of Operation Rolling Thunder was to persuade North Vietnam to stop reinforcing the Vietcong in South Vietnam.
B. The trail ran largely through Laos and Cambodia, two countries that were not fighting in the war.
C. Many U.S. troops questioned whether preserving the government in South Vietnam was crucial to American interests.
D. Hawks believed that American involvement in the war was helping contain communism. Doves believed that the conflict was a localized civil war in which U.S. troops should not be involved.
E. Lack of progress toward victory led to the commitment of more U.S. troops and resources; the commitment of more troops and resources without progress toward victory weakened the U.S. economy, divided Americans, and caused a decline in military morale.

24. Individual Exit Ticket – worth 10 formative points:
1. What was the strategic aim of Operation Rolling Thunder?
a. So, finally, Johnson could exchange Twitter accounts with Ho Chi Minh
b. To persuade North Vietnam to stop reinforcing the Vietcong in S. Vietnam
c. To persuade South Vietnam to stop reinforcing the Vietcong in N. Vietnam
d. So Johnson could run for re-election in 1968.
2. Which countries did the Ho Chi Minh trail go through?
a. Laos and Cambodia b. Thailand and Laos
c. Thailand and Cambodia d. Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos.
3. Why did the morale of American troops decline as the war continued?
a. N/A: It did not decline
b. Troops wanted to join N. Vietnam’s forces
c. Troops questioned preserving the government in S. Vietnam was crucial to American interests
d. The U.S. formed ARVN; which the troops didn’t like
4. What was the viewpoint of the “doves”?
a. Doves questioned the war on moral and strategic grounds.
b. Doves supported Johnson’s war policy.
c. Doves believed in the containment of communism and the domino theory.
d. Doves thought Vietnam was a crucial front in the Cold War.

25. Chapter 22, Section 2: U.S. Involvement Grows
Curriculum Standard:
Analyze the causes, course and consequences of the Vietnam War.

26. Objectives
Identify the factors that caused President Johnson to increase American troop strength in Vietnam.
Assess the nature of the war in Vietnam and the difficulties faced.
Evaluate the effects of low morale on American troops and on the home front.

27. Terms and People
William Westmoreland − the American military commander in South Vietnam
napalm − jellied gasoline that was dropped in canisters and exploded on impact, setting fire to large areas
hawk − a supporter of Johnson’s war policies
dove − an opponent of Johnson’s war policies

28. What were the causes and effects of America’s growing involvement in the Vietnam War?
As the Vietnam War escalated, America’s leaders and soldiers found themselves in a quagmire with no victory in sight.
Eventually the war weakened the American economy, divided the people, and eroded the nation’s morale.

29. In 1965, the Vietcong attacked and killed American troops at Pleiku.
In response, Johnson escalated air strikes against North Vietnam and increased the number of ground troops.

30. This plan greatly increased American involvement in Vietnam.
The United States would use its superior war technology to win the conflict quickly.
Johnson’s advisers, including William Westmoreland, the American commander in Vietnam, supported the increased military presence.

31. The North Vietnamese and Vietcong fighters proved a difficult enemy.
Ho Chi Minh’s military strategy was to fight only when victory was certain.
He exhorted his troops to be like a tiger fighting an elephant—the tiger keeps moving and takes bites out of the elephant.

32. The Vietcong and North Vietnamese dug a complex series of tunnels, from which they mounted surprise attacks.

33. Vietcong and North Vietnamese soldiers:
Traveled quickly and quietly with little gear
Attacked suddenly and then faded into the jungle
Set booby traps around U.S. encampments
Were difficult to tell apart from friendly Vietnamese

34. The United States used a variety of strategies against the Vietcong.
Six million tons of bombs were dropped on enemy positions.
The herbicide Agent Orange was sprayed to defoliate the countryside. Napalm covered large areas in flames.
Soldiers conducted search-and-destroy missions.
Helicopters were used to ferry commandoes to and from remote locations for quick strikes.

39. The war grew increasingly difficult and frustrating.
Many American soldiers had been drafted and did not see how the war helped U.S. interests.
The lack of progress toward victory in Vietnam increased doubt about the war.
The war strained America’s economy.

40. By 1968, there were more than half a million American troops in Vietnam, and over 30,000 had died.

41. Doves questioned the war
Doves questioned the war. They included liberal politicians and students who saw the conflict as a localized civil war.
Hawks supported Johnson’s war policies. They were mostly conservatives who believed the war was crucial to an American Cold War victory.

42. Please complete page 180 in the workbook!

43. Summative Essay: Define ‘Hero’
Write an essay answering, “How do you define a hero?”. This is not a research paper, but rather your opinion on this question. Use specific examples from your own experiences that support your ideas.
This is worth 30 summative points, due today. It can be a rough draft but it must be 4 paragraphs long (5 sentences each paragraph) and no longer than 1,000 words.
There is a contest by the National WWII Museum for the best essay:
First Place - $1,000
Second Place - $750
Third Place - $500
Finished essays for contest entry are due March 31st, 2015!
If you have completed this, please work on Page 182 in your workbook.

44. Opposition to the Vietnam War

45. Objectives
Describe the divisions within American society over the Vietnam War.
Analyze the Tet Offensive and the American reaction to it.
Summarize the factors that influenced the outcome of the 1968 presidential election.

46. Terms and People
draftee − a young man who was drafted into military service
Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) − organization founded to fight racism but which later campaigned against the Vietnam War
“credibility gap” − the American public’s growing distrust of statements made by the government during the Vietnam War

47. Terms and People (continued)
Tet Offensive − a coordinated assault, in January 1968, by the Vietcong and North Vietnamese on South Vietnamese cities and bases
Eugene McCarthy − the antiwar candidate for the Democratic Party presidential nomination in 1968
Robert Kennedy − New York’s Democratic senator and a candidate for the Democratic Party presidential nomination in 1968

48. How did the American war effort in Vietnam lead to rising protests and social divisions back home?
President Johnson sent more troops to Vietnam to win the war. But as casualty lists got longer and victory seemed further away, more people questioned the war.
The Vietnam War divided Americans more deeply than any conflict since the Civil War.

49. Many people opposed the policies of the draft.
By 1965 most of the troops sent to Vietnam were no longer volunteers, they were draftees.
Many people opposed the policies of the draft.
More than 1.5 million young men were drafted during the Vietnam War.
Many argued that the draft unfairly gave deferments to students.
Most of the draftees came from a poor or working-class background.

50. The number of African Americans fighting in Vietnam was disproportionately high.
African Americans were less likely than whites to become commissioned officers. They were more likely to serve, and die, in combat positions.

51. Inequalities in the draft led to widespread resistance against the war.
In 1969, the draft was restructured to introduce a lottery system.

52. Students’ opposition to the war grew.
Colleges and universities became centers of antiwar activism.
Most student protesters were from the middle class; working-class students were less likely to protest against the war.
Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) campaigned to end the war in Vietnam.

53. TV news showed the war’s horrors.
The difference between government reports and news stories created a credibility gap.
Beyond college campuses, more and more Americans also opposed the war.

54. In November 1967, General Westmoreland addressed the nation’s concerns about the war.
He claimed the Vietcong had weakened and could no longer mount a major attack.
However, in early 1968 the Vietcong and North Vietnamese launched the Tet Offensive.

55. The Tet Offensive attacked major cities and bases in South Vietnam, including the U.S. Embassy in Saigon.
The fighting was fierce, but American and South Vietnamese forces eventually
drove back the offensive.

56. After the Tet Offensive, U. S
After the Tet Offensive, U.S. military leaders became less certain that the war could end quickly.
The new Secretary of Defense, Clark Clifford, recommended that President Johnson pursue peace, rather than victory, in Vietnam.

57. In 1968, Johnson shocked the nation by announcing that he would not run for another term as President.
Democratic Senator Eugene McCarthy, who opposed the war, made a strong showing in the New Hampshire primary.
Robert Kennedy, a Democratic Senator from New York, also announced his candidacy.

58. The optimism of the early 1968 campaigns ended as violence stunned the nation.
In April, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis.
Senator Robert Kennedy was assassinated in June, just after he’d won the California Democratic primary.
Police used rough tactics to break up student protests outside the Democratic Convention in Chicago.

59. Republicans held a more peaceful convention, choosing Richard M
Republicans held a more peaceful convention, choosing Richard M. Nixon as their presidential candidate.
Eventually the Democrats chose Hubert Humphrey, Johnson’s Vice President, as their presidential candidate.

60. Nixon won the 1968 election.
He called for peace with honor in Vietnam.
He appealed to the “silent majority”—people who were not protesting.
He benefited because Democrats were split between Humphrey and George Wallace, a third-party candidate from the South.

61. End and Impact of the Vietnam War

62. Objectives
Assess Nixon’s new approach to the war, and explain why protests continued.
Explain what led to the Paris Peace Accords and why South Vietnam eventually fell to the communists.
Evaluate the impact of the Vietnam War on the United States.

63. Terms and People
Vietnamization − Nixon’s plan for American forces to withdraw and South Vietnamese forces to assume more combat duties
Kent State University − site of a confrontation between students and National Guardsmen during which four students were killed
My Lai − a village in South Vietnam where American soldiers killed unarmed civilians

64. Terms and People (continued)
Pentagon Papers − classified government history of U.S. involvement in Vietnam, published by The New York Times in 1971
Paris Peace Accords − a 1973 agreement between the United States, South Vietnam, North Vietnam, and the Vietcong for a cease-fire and American troop withdrawal from South Vietnam
War Powers Act − passed in 1973, this act restricted the President’s war-making powers

65. How did the Vietnam War end, and what were its lasting effects?
Nixon withdrew American troops from South Vietnam, but the impact of the war endured.
Americans reexamined the power of the presidency, the struggle against communism,
and America’s overall role in the world.

66. President Nixon inherited an unpopular war and increasing troubles on the home front.

67. The Vietnamization of the war, which would transfer front-line fighting to the South Vietnamese.
“Peace with Honor”: American withdrawal from Vietnam on honorable terms.

68. Behind the scenes, President Nixon
Ordered the bombing of the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Cambodia to reduce the flow of supplies to the Vietcong.
Extended the war with a ground attack by U.S. soldiers on North Vietnamese bases in Cambodia in 1970.

69. Protests at Home
At Kent State University in Ohio, four students were shot by National Guardsmen in May of 1970.
A similar confrontation at Jackson State University in Mississippi left two students dead.
Counterprotests were held by those supporting Nixon and the war efforts.

73. In 1971, Americans were stunned to learn about the My Lai massacre.
Four years earlier, U.S. soldiers searching for Vietcong in the village of My Lai had killed hundreds of unarmed civilians.

76. The publication of the Pentagon Papers further shocked the nation.
The report revealed that American leaders had lied to Congress and failed to inform the public fully about the American involvement in Vietnam.
Nixon tried to stop publication of the Pentagon Papers, but The New York Times published the report in 1971.

77. In January 1973, the war finally ended with the signing of the Paris Peace Accords.
The United States, South Vietnam, North Vietnam, and the Vietcong would stop fighting.
American troops would withdraw from South Vietnam.
North Vietnamese troops would remain in South Vietnam.
South Vietnam’s noncommunist government would remain in power.

78. For the United States, the war was over, but fighting continued in Vietnam despite the peace agreement.
In the spring of 1975, North Vietnam invaded Saigon and won the war.

79. The Vietnam War had a lasting effect on American life.
More than 58,000 Americans died in Vietnam.
It would be years before Vietnam veterans were acknowledged for their sacrifices.
The war undermined Americans’ trust in their leaders.
Americans became reluctant to intervene in other nations’ affairs.
Congress passed the the War Powers Act in 1973, restricting the President’s ability to send the nation to war.

80. Nixon's Foreign Policy

81. Objectives
Explain the thinking behind Richard Nixon’s foreign policy.
Define Nixon’s foreign policy toward China and the Soviet Union.

82. Terms and People
Henry Kissinger − President Nixon’s leading adviser on national security and international affairs
realpolitik − the belief that political goals should be defined by concrete national interests instead of abstract ideologies
Zhou Enlai − Premier of China when Nixon made a state visit to China in 1972

83. Terms and People (continued)
Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT I) − treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union that froze the deployment of intercontinental ballistic missiles and placed limits on antiballistic missiles
détente − flexible diplomacy adopted by Richard Nixon to ease tensions between the United States, the Soviet Union, and the People’s Republic of China

84. How did Richard Nixon change Cold War diplomacy during his presidency?
After the Vietnam War, President Nixon developed a new approach to the Cold War.
His bold program redefined America’s relations with the Soviet Union and China.

85. President Nixon redefined U.S. foreign policy.
He did not divide the world into “us” (democratic countries) and “them” (communist countries).
He practiced realpolitik — foreign policy based on concrete national interests rather than ideology.
He concluded that there was no united worldwide communist movement.

86. Together they altered America’s Cold War policy, improving the country’s relations with China and the Soviet Union.
Henry Kissinger was President’s Nixon’s leading adviser on national security and international affairs.

87. Diplomatic relations with China would bring economic opportunities to the United States.
An improved relationship with China would weaken China’s ties to the Soviet Union.
A political realist, Nixon wanted to establish diplomatic relations with China.
The United States stood to gain much by recognizing China.

88. China invited an American ping-pong team to play in a tournament.
Kissinger used that opportunity to work behind the scenes, talking with Chinese leaders and ironing out sensitive issues.
Chinese and American players training together

89. In February 1972, President Nixon visited China and met with Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai.

90. Trade thrived between the United States and China.
Nixon’s visit to China resulted in several benefits for the United States.
Trade thrived between the United States and China.
American tourists began to visit China.
Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev invited President Nixon to visit Moscow.

91. In May 1972, Nixon met with Brezhnev in Moscow.
They signed SALT 1, the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty, a major step towards ending the nuclear arms race.
The two leaders agreed to reduce pollution and undertake a joint U.S.–Soviet space mission.

92. Nixon’s policy of détente, the easing of Cold War tensions, replaced the old policy based on suspicions and distrust.
His foreign-policy breakthroughs moved the world closer to the end of the Cold War.

93. Chapter Summary Section 1: Origins of the Vietnam War
American involvement in Vietnam began with President Truman’s support of the French colonial governments in Southeast Asia. Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy continued that support.
Section 2: U.S. Involvement Grows
After Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, President Johnson sent more troops to South Vietnam. This escalation began to weaken the economy and divide the American people.

94. Chapter Summary (continued)
Section 3: The War Divides America
More and more troops were sent to Vietnam, as casualties increased and victory remained elusive. America divided into hawks, who supported Johnson’s policies, and doves, who opposed the Vietnam War.
Section 4: The War’s End and Impact
Presidential candidate Nixon promised peace with honor. As President, Nixon secretly ordered air strikes on Cambodia and eventually withdrew U.S. troops from Vietnam. But the war’s impact on America endured.

95. Chapter Summary (continued)
Section 5: Nixon and the Cold War
Nixon developed a new approach to the Cold War. He established diplomatic relations with China and signed the first U.S–Soviet Union agreement that limited the nuclear arms race.