F O R E I G N P O L I C Y I N T H E C O L D W A R : V I E T N A M
T H E W A R B E G I N S , A M E R I C A N I N V O LV E M E N T G R O W S , A N D T H E W A R E N D S
“The War Begins”, Section 27-1
Why did the U.S. support the French side in the First Indochina War?
The United States supported French because it included large sums of money, because we didn’t trust
Ho Chi Minh as he was a communist. Overall, our goal is to resist or block the spread of communism.
What kind of help did the United States give South Vietnam between 1954 and 1963?
The causes of the war go back into Vietnam’s history. Vietnam is a tiny land in Southeast Asia, stretching
1,000 miles along the South China Sea. We Supported France with large sums of money and materials.
There also was a domino effect. In 1955 there was a Geneva Conference to talk about the Geneva
Accords. We gave them support particularly in military leadership.
“American Involvement Grows”, Section 27-2z
Why was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution important?
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was important because North Vietnamese torpedo boats had attacked
American destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin, off the coast of North Vietnam. Congress granted president
Johnson “whatever necessary”.
How did fighting the Vietnam War differ from fighting other wars?
Fighting in the Vietnam War differed from fighting others wars because no matter how many troops the
United States sent to Vietnam, they believed, it could never win the war. By now, President Johnson and
many of his advisers were also convinced that the United States could not win the war. In addition, the
President recognized that support at home for the war was waning. Vietcong were ruthless.---> Civilians
(Woman and Children). Also because it was an undeclared war.
How did "doves" protest against the war?
The doves urged withdrawal of U.S. troops. They organized a wide range of protests against the war,
including sit-ins and marches.
“The War Ends”, Section 27-3
What position did Nixon take on the Vietnam War?
The position that Nixon took on the Vietnam War was that he began looking for a way to get out of
Vietnam and still kept his promise of “peace with honor.”
What was President Nixon’s policy of Vietnamization
Mr. Bruce
Carley Dibert
Tuesday, May 24, 2011 1:54:09 PM ET
History
00:1f:f3:d5:b0:d8
8.1.2 Foreign Policy in the Cold War
President Nixon’s policy of Vietnamization was in June 1969 Nixon announced a policy known as
Vietnamization. Under this plan, American troops gradually withdrew from Vietnam and the South
Vietnamese assumed responsibility for fighting the war.
How did Vietnam War protests become part of the counter-culture movement of the 60s and 70s?
Nixon knew that a growing number of Americans believed the war was a mistake. He began looking for
a way to get out of Vietnam and still keep his promise of “peace with honor.”
How did the Vietnam War affect the people in North Vietnam and in South Vietnam?
They closely resembled what had been agreed to in October of the previous year. The last American
serviceman to die in combat in Vietnam, Lt. Colonel William B. Nolde, was killed by an artillery shell
only 11 hours before a cease-fire went into effect. The last U.S. combat troops were out of Vietnam by
March 1973. The longest war in U.S. history was finally over.
How did the Vietnam War affect the image of war for the American people?
Much of the South Vietnamese army was killed or captured, and other soldiers shed their uniforms and
fled into the countryside. Thou- sands of civilians also perished in what became known as the Convoy of
Tears.
Mr. Bruce
Carley Dibert
Tuesday, May 24, 2011 1:54:09 PM ET
History
00:1f:f3:d5:b0:d8
8.1.2 Foreign Policy in the Cold War