The Vietnam War

Overcoming Great Odds

Was America's involvement in Vietnam justifiable?

• Why did America get involved in Vietnam?
• How did the American public feel about the Vietnam War?
• When it was over, had the Vietnam War accomplished the goals set out by the Americans at the beginning of the War?

Standards

WH.H.7.3 - Analyze economic and political rivalries, ethnic and regional conflics, and nationalism and imperialism as underlying causes of war.

WH.H.8.1 - Evaluate global wars in terms of how they challenged political and economic power structures and gave rise to new balances of power.

Why did America get involved in Vietnam?

The following excerpts are from "My Lai: A Brief History with Documents," a book written by historians James S. Olson and Randy Roberts. This information should give you a good overview of how the United States got involved in Vietnam, what their involvement was up to the Vietnam War, and the goal of the Vietnam War.

The following are questions designed to help you better understand the excerpts, and by extension the events leading to the Vietnam War.

1. What was the feeling of the Vietnamese around imperialism? Why did they feel this way?
2. Ho Chi Minh was a key ally for the United States during World War II. What caused the United States' feelings towards Ho Chi Minh to change?
3. Using context clues, breifly describe the "domino theory," and the United State's plan to prevent it as a reality.

How did the American public feel about the Vietnam War?

We will begin this activity by listening to Bob Dylan's "Masters of War," one of my favorite songs. After listening to this song, you will answer a few questions I have provided you. If you have access to music streaming service like Spotify, you can listen to the version from the album "Bob Dylan In Concert: Brandeis University 1963" because this is the version I'm referencing. If not, follow this link to a comparable recording; you should skip ahead to 0:30 and begin listening from there.

1. Who wrote this song, and when was it published?
2. Who are the "Masters of War" based on Dylan's description? Are these only the extremely wealthy individuals or those exemt from the draft?
3. What are the problems Dylan has with these "Masters of War"?
4. Do you sometimes feel that you aren't taken seriously because of your age?
5. Based on this song, do you think Dylan has a positive or negative view of the war? Do you think the vast majority of the public felt the same way as he did?

Provided below is a link to the National Archives. There, you will find a primary source. After reading the document, you will answer the questions provided.

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/194134

1. Who wrote this letter, and who is the audience?
2. What compelled this woman to write this letter?
3. Is her stance on the war the same, different, or similar to Bob Dylan's expressed in the song we just heard?
4. Do you believe her stance might be different if she wasn't a supporter of the president? What in the letter may be evidence to support this if that is the case?

To complete this portion of the lesson, you will write a response letter to Bobbie Lou Pendergrass as if you were John F. Kennedy. Use all the knowledge you have gathered up to this point to give a reply that you believe the president would have given.

When it was over, had the Vietnam War accomplished the goals set out by the Americans at the beginning of the war?

Watch the following video, and read the news article provided. When you are finished, answer the following questions.

https://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/30/april-30-1975-saigon-falls/

1. Who is the speaker in the video? What is the claim he makes?
2. Based on the article, is the claim made by the speaker in the video correct? What sentence in the article might indicate his statement is technically correct?
3. Did the communists succeed in "liberating" the Vietnamese people?
4. What information in the article might indicate a longterm win for the United States?

Now, I would you to craft a letter from Gerald Ford to Vietnamese President Nguyen Thieu in response to his request for additional financial aid based on the knowledge you have gained and the information available in the sources I've provided you. You can respond in the manner you feel is most appropriate. 

Assessment

Now, I would like you to think over everything you have discovered within this lesson. Weigh all of this information and write a short speech to the American people in which you take on the role of President Gerald Ford. In this speech you must tell the American people that South Vietnam has fallen to the communists in the north, and either defend or condemn the actions of of previous administrations leading up to and during the conflict in Vietnam. You must also make a claim whether or not the war was ultimately a success or a failure. Make sure to cite evidence from the sources made available to you in order to make a convincing argument.