Vocab -- Pages 3-5

Early Years of Vietnam -- Pages 6-7

The Year of 1968 -- Pages 8-9

Later Years of Vietnam -- Pages 10-12

1960's Culture -- Pages 13-14

Vietnam Timeline -- Page 15

Nixon's Presidency -- Page 16

Ford and Carter's Presidency -- Page 17

Reagan's Presidency -- Page 18

George H.W. Bush's Presidency -- Page 19

Bill Clinton's Presidency -- Page 20

George W. Bush's Presidency -- Page 21

Barack Obama's Presidency -- Page 22

Table of Contents

Ho Chi Minh: Leader of the Indochinese Communist Party which staged a number of revolts against the French. Ho Chi Minh eventually fled Vietnam and orchestrated Vietnam’s growing independence movement.

Dien Bien Phu: City in northwestern Vietnam where the Vietminh overram the French outpost resulting in the French’s surrender in May of 1954.

Geneva Accords: Temporarily divided Vietnam along the 17th parallel.

Ngo Dinh Diem: Strong anti-Communist that was South Vietnam’s president that was backed by the U.S.

Vietcong: A communist opposition group in the South which assassinated thousands of South Vietnamese government officials.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: Granted Johnson broad military powers in Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh Trail: Trails that supplied arms to the Vietcong via a network of paths along the border of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

Vocabulary

Napalm: A gasoline-based bomb that set fire to the jungle.

Agent Orange: A leaf-killing toxic chemical.

Credibility Gap: An apparent difference between what is said or promised and what happens or is true.

Vietnamization: Plan made by Henry Kissinger and Nixon which planned to end American’s involvement in Vietnam. This plan called for the gradual withdrawal of U.S. troops in order for the South Vietnamese to take on a more active combat role in the war.

Silent Majority: Moderate, mainstream Americas who quietly supported the U.S. efforts in Vietnam.

My Lai Massacre: On March 16, 1968, a U.S. platoon under the command of Lieutenant William Calley Jr. had rounded up the civilian villagers of My Lai and shot more than 200 innocent Viatnamese.

Vocabulary

Kent State University: College in Ohio where a massive student protest led to the burning of the ROTC building. In response to this the mayor called in the National Guard who fired live ammunition into a crowd of campus protesters who were throwing rocks at them. The gunfire resulted in the killing of four, 2 of which were not in the rally, and injured 9 others.

Pentagon Papers: A 7,000 page leaked document written for Defense Secretary Robert McNamara. This document revealed that there was never any plan to end the war as long as the North Vietnamese persisted.

War Powers Act: Stipulated that a president must inform Congress within 48 hours of sending forces into a hostile area without a declaration of war. Also says that the troops may not stay longer than 90 days unless Congress approves the president’s actions or declare war.

Vocabulary

Early Years of Vietnam

Why did the U.S. get involved? The United States got involved in the Vietnam to prevent further spread of Communism.

Who was Robert McNamara? Robert McNamera was the U.S. Secretary of Defense for both President John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson

What did the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution give Johnson the power to do? The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution authorized the president to “take all necessary measures, including the use of armed force” against any aggressor in the conflict.

Early Years of Vietnam

Who was able to get out of the draft? Why was this unfair? People who were attending college were able to get out of the draft. This was unfair because it allowed more wealthy people to get out of the draft.

What was fighting like in Vietnam compared to other wars? Fighting in Vietnam was unlike any other war because it was not conventional war, rather the Vietcong would ambush U.S. soldiers then disappear.

Why did the Tet Offensive change the public perception of the war? The Tet Offensive turned the public perception into a negative one as there became more and more American deaths.

1968

MLK Assassination (date and description) -- Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated April 4, 1969 in Memphis Tennessee. The bullet that killed MLK struck him in the jaw and severed his spinal cord. James Earl Ray was later convicted for the assassination.

Bobby Kennedy assassination (date and description) -- Bobby Kennedy was assassinated June 5, 1968 in a Los Angeles hotel after winning the California presidential primary. Kennedy was shot multiple times by Sirhan Sirhan and was pronounced dead a day later.

1968

Tet Offensive (Date and Description) -- The Tet Offensive occurred from January 30 to September 23, 1968. The Tet Offensive was a series of attacks North Vietnam on South Vietnam cities and outposts. These attacks led American citizens to question the validity of the war and how well we were doing. These attacks were also considered the turning point of the war.

Why did Walter Cronkite's opinion about the Tet Offensive matter so much? Walter Cronkite's opinion mattered so much to the public because his newscast helped shape the opinions of many people. Instead of the regular everything's going good reporting, Walter reported the truth of what was going on which led to many Americans forming negative opinions about the war in Vietnam.

Later Years of Vietnam

What was Nixon’s strategy on Vietnam? Nixon's strategy to the Vietnam war was to end U.S. involvement through Vietnamization. This would build up South Vietnam troops, put a cease fire into effect, get all of the American POW back to America, and ultimately get all troops out of Vietnam.

What happened at Kent State? On May 4, 1970, during a mass protest against the Vietnam War, a riot erupted and the Ohio National Guard started firing shots into a crowd. This resulted in the death of 4 and 9 injuries.

Later Years of Vietnam

What was the trial surrounding the My Lai Massacre so significant? The My Lai Massacre was a terrible event where American soldiers rounded up hundreds of innocent South Vietnamese and shot hundreds of rounds at them. This was significant because it made many people turn against U.S. involvement in Vietnam and made them look different at the government.

When did the U.S. leave Vietnam? The United States started taking troops out of Vietnam in 1969 and steadily continued to until 1973. The last U.S. troops left Vietnam March 29th, 1973.

Later Years of Vietnam

How were soldiers treated when they arrived home? When Vietnamese soldiers got home they were not given a warm welcome. Rather, they would be yelled at and treated poorly because American citizens had the picture of the My Lai Massacre in their head and that's what they pictured when thinking about the Vietnam soldiers.

How many people died and were wounded in Vietnam? Throughout the Vietnam war, over 1.3 million people died. Of these deaths over half of the deaths came from civilians of both North and South Vietnam. There was also about two times as many North Vietnam and Vietcong military deaths as South Vietnam and American troops.

How much money did the U.S. spend? Throughout the entirety of the Vietnam war, the U.S. spent 168 billion.

Sex Drugs and Rock n Roll

What is a hippie? A hippie was a person who participated in the counterculture of the 1960's. Normally hippies had a unconventional appearance and often had a different ideology.

One topic I saw referenced in the episode was shift in culture. The culture shifted from very materialistic to a more spiritual culture. This was not the case for all people but a lot of young people shifted into this new culture that consisted of rebellion.