Assignment: Short Term Causes of Vietnam War

IB HIST OF AMERICAS HL YR 2-B
2023-02-12T03:26:19Z

Due: Feb 15, 2023 by 11:59pm

As you have seen from the source above, the man that the US backed to lead the government in the South was Ngo Dinh Diem, a Catholic who had been educated in the US. In October 1955, Diem proclaimed the establishment of the Republic of Vietnam (also known as South Vietnam) with himself as president. US aid worth millions of dollars was sent to Diem and the US also began its military involvement in the South with the commencement of training of the South Vietnamese army. By 1960 almost 1000 Americans were serving in South Vietnam as military 'advisers'.

1. Watch the CNN Cold War video on Vietnam for the first 11 minutes which covers the rule of Diem in South Vietnam. Make notes on Diem's policies and their impact.

2. According to the source below, in what ways did Kennedy widen US involvement in Vietnam?

Kennedy's policy towards containing communism was known as 'flexible response' which involved expanding the available means of fighting Communism.This expansion included increasing the number of military advisers in the South to 17,000 by 1963 and starting counter-insurgency operations against Communist guerillas in the South. These included 'search-and destroy' missions and using defoliants such as Agent Orange to destroy the jungle where they were hiding. His government also supported the Strategic Hamlets programme which consisted of the resettlement of the villagers into fortified villages were they could be kept 'safe' from Communists. Kennedy also set up a military counterinsurgency group called the 'Green Berets' who were trained in guerilla fighting.

Kennedy resisted in sending troops to Vietnam and there is much speculation as to whether in fact he would have withdraw US support entirely from Vietnam had he not been assassinated in 1963.

3. Discuss the extent to which the US would have been able to withdrawn from Vietnam in 1963.

4. Do you agree with General Westmoreland who argued that Diem's assassination 'morally locked' the US into Vietnam'?

5. If you feel that the US could not have withdrawn in 1963, at which point after 1950 should/could it have withdrawn to avoid further conflict?

The Gulf of Tonkin Incident was the trigger for starting direct US military intervention in the Vietnam War. Listen to this section from McNamara's 'Fog of War' documentary.

6. What was the issue concerning the second attack in the Gulf of Tonkin?

7. What was the result of this second attack for escalating US involvement in Vietnam?

8. What is McNamara's conclusions about this attack?

9. Discuss whether you think the long-term reasons (Eisenhower's actions) are more or less significant for explaining why the US got involved in the war than the short-term reasons (Kennedy and Johnson)

10. What was the impact of other events in the Cold War on America's actions?

11. Is it fair do you think to call the Vietnam war 'Johnson's war'?

12. How important was 'the commitment trap'? i.e. the fact that once the US was involved in Vietnam, no President could get out due to the loss of face that this would involve; the rest of the world would perceive the US as weak. Discuss.

As you have seen from the source above, the man that the US backed to lead the government in the South was Ngo Dinh Diem, a Catholic who had been educated in the US. In October 1955, Diem proclaimed the establishment of the Republic of Vietnam (also known as South Vietnam) with himself as president. US aid worth millions of dollars was sent to Diem and the US also began its military involvement in the South with the commencement of training of the South Vietnamese army. By 1960 almost 1000 Americans were serving in South Vietnam as military 'advisers'.

1. Watch the CNN Cold War video on Vietnam for the first 11 minutes which covers the rule of Diem in South Vietnam. Make notes on Diem's policies and their impact.

2. According to the source below, in what ways did Kennedy widen US involvement in Vietnam?

Kennedy's policy towards containing communism was known as 'flexible response' which involved expanding the available means of fighting Communism.This expansion included increasing the number of military advisers in the South to 17,000 by 1963 and starting counter-insurgency operations against Communist guerillas in the South. These included 'search-and destroy' missions and using defoliants such as Agent Orange to destroy the jungle where they were hiding. His government also supported the Strategic Hamlets programme which consisted of the resettlement of the villagers into fortified villages were they could be kept 'safe' from Communists. Kennedy also set up a military counterinsurgency group called the 'Green Berets' who were trained in guerilla fighting.

Kennedy resisted in sending troops to Vietnam and there is much speculation as to whether in fact he would have withdraw US support entirely from Vietnam had he not been assassinated in 1963.

3. Discuss the extent to which the US would have been able to withdrawn from Vietnam in 1963.

4. Do you agree with General Westmoreland who argued that Diem's assassination 'morally locked' the US into Vietnam'?

5. If you feel that the US could not have withdrawn in 1963, at which point after 1950 should/could it have withdrawn to avoid further conflict?

The Gulf of Tonkin Incident was the trigger for starting direct US military intervention in the Vietnam War. Listen to this section from McNamara's 'Fog of War' documentary.

6. What was the issue concerning the second attack in the Gulf of Tonkin?

7. What was the result of this second attack for escalating US involvement in Vietnam?

8. What is McNamara's conclusions about this attack?

9. Discuss whether you think the long-term reasons (Eisenhower's actions) are more or less significant for explaining why the US got involved in the war than the short-term reasons (Kennedy and Johnson)

10. What was the impact of other events in the Cold War on America's actions?

11. Is it fair do you think to call the Vietnam war 'Johnson's war'?

12. How important was 'the commitment trap'? i.e. the fact that once the US was involved in Vietnam, no President could get out due to the loss of face that this would involve; the rest of the world would perceive the US as weak. Discuss.