The U.S. struggles against the Communist in Vietnam

Step 2: Using pages 356-61 in the Vietnam War Reading, make notes in columns 2 (US Army) and 4 (Viet Cong) to record how far each side had each quality.Stage 2: Thinking it throughStep 3: in each row of column 3, draw some scales to show which way the balance falls for this quality. Did the USA or the Viet Cong have the advantage?Now think about the overall picture - how the strengths and weaknesses work together.


1a) Were the armies finely balanced or was the balance strongly weighted to one side or the other?
The armies were finely balanced. As the Viet COng had effective tactics and support from the population, the allies and Soth Vietnamese had more people and technology.
1b) Which quality was most important in determining who won the war? Was one feature so important that being ahead in that area meant that other advantages or disadvantages did not matter?

In determining who won the war effective tactics was the most important quality. The South Vietnamese and its allies outnumbered the Viet Cong greatly, but the Viet Cong had suchgood tatcics that they were able to defend themselves. All of the options matter in the end but not nearly as much as effective tactics.

Stage 3: Explaining your conclusionsThe failure of the U.S. army to beat the Communist in Vietnam was the result of its own weaknesses and Viet Cong strengths.





2. Now write up your answer. Use this structure:


a. The U.S. weaknesses were:
They did not know how to react from the guerilla tactics, and they were not supported by their own country.

b. At the same time, the Communist strengths were:
Effective tactics, underground systems/ booby traps, support from civilians

c. The U.S. forces did have some successes. For example the
La Dreng Valley, Tet Offensive

d. However, there were some major failures as well. Examples of these were:
killing many innocent civilians, no support from civilians, often walked into traps

e. The Viet Cong had some major successes, such as:
underground tunneles, fought enemies off even though they were largely outnumbered

f. However, they also suffered defeats, for example:
Tet Offensive, La Dreng Valley,

g. If I had to identify one major American weakness, it would be not getting support from their country because this really effected the war. Many Americans were against the ar and had learned that AMerican soldiers were killig innocent Vietnamese civilaians and were upset by this. If they had the support from their country then more people would have joined and backed up the war instead of being anti-war.


h. The key Viet Cong strength was guerilla war tactics because the Americans were thrown off by these tactics. they had not been familiar with these tactics and often fell into booby traps and had to fight hard even though they outnumbered the Americans. There tactics also made the Americans look bad in their homelands which was a Viet Cong advantage.

the U.S. Enters the Vietnam War

In your Cold War file folder in your Google Docs account, read pages 353 to 355 of Vietnam War.

The answers are due on Friday prior to class.
1. Many neutral observers in Vietnam were critical of US policy. Explain why.
Becuase observers were against the French and they thought the French and them were similar.
2. Explain how US politicians would have defended their policies.
they would have said that they want Vietnam to be independent and not cause the domino effect in Asia.
3. The following events are not listed in correct date order. Place them in the correct chronological order. (Write the year inside the parenthesis, i.e. (1965). Then note the reason for each U.S. action, and how it brought the U.S. into deeper involvement in Vietnam.The reasons you can choose from are: No direct involvement; financial support; political involvement; military involvement. Also, note what events triggered the increased involvement.

( 1963) Assassination of JFK - Johnson becomes president---no direct involvement
( 1955) Formation of South Vietnam ----no direct involvement
( 1964) Gulf of Tonkin Incident----no direct involvement
( 1962) Number of 'advisers' reaches over 11,5000----political involvement
( 1962) JFK sends military advisers---military involvement
( 1965) U.S. Marines land at Da Nang------military involvement
( 1954) U.S. stops elections in Vietnam----political involvement
( 1963) U.S. supports South Vietnam government after army overthrow Diem----political involvement
( 1964) Viet Cong attacks on U.S. and South Vietnam bases---military involvement
(1960 ) Viet Cong formed ----no direct involvement
4. Choose two events that you think were critical in getting the U.S. involved in a war in Vietnam. Explainyour choice.
I think that the U.S. stopping elections in Vietnam was the starting point becuase the Vietnamese felt controlled and wanted to have a freedom of speech. they had been controlled by the french before so it was worse being controleld again. The vietnamese got mad making the u.s. have to deal with it and get involved becuase they started the problem. The formation of the Viet COng also made it so the Americans had to get involved because the Viet Cong group supported commusism and the U.s. was really against communism and had to stop the group before they made Vietnam communism and the domino effect would start over Asia with communism.

the cuban missile crisis

In your Cold War file folder in your Google Docs account, read pages 350 to 351 of Cuban Missile Crisis.


The answers are due on Wednesday prior to class.


1. Kennedy described Wednesday, Oct. 24 and Saturday, Oct. 27 as the darkest days of the crisis. Use the information on page 350 to explain why.
Because on the 24th the missile ships got close to the bloackade and put them in danger and then on the 27th kennedy learns that the Soviets will not take away their missiles on Cuba and now he knows he has to attack.

2. Do you think that nuclear war was ever a possibility in this crisis?
Yes I think that if the US wasn't careful and about their decisions and invaded Cuba then the Soviets would have fired the missiles and then the US would have fired back and the war would have started.

3. Is Source 26 a Soviet or an American cartoon? Explain your answer by referring to the details in the cartoon.
This is an American cartoon becuase Kenedy isn't sweating but Khrushchev which means that he is getting tired but Kennedy is not.

4. Using Source 27 list any evidence you can find for and against each of the explanations.
To bargain and to get the upper hand make the most sense because khrushchev didn't want a nuclear war per se, he didn't care about testing kennedy and he had no reason to defend Cuba. He wanted missiles there to threaten the US and scare the US so they would take their missiles in Turkey away and/or match them in the arms race.

Why did the Soviet Union place nuclear missiles on Cuba?
To bargain with the USA

To test the USA

To trap the USA

To get the upper hand in the arms race

To defend Cuba

5. Choose the explanation(s) that you think best fit what you have found out about the crisis. Explain your choice.

I think that the Soviets had the missiles on Cuba to try to bargain with the US. If they had them on Cuba then the US would be scared and they would want them off. So Soviets would be able to ask them to take away the US's in Turkey and they would take away theirs in Cuba. Though since the US refused to take their's away in Turkey the Soviets withdrew theirs becuase they did not want the Americans to start an actual nuclear war and invade Cuba.

the U.S. attempts to contain Cuba

1. Why was Cuba so important to the United States?
Becuase Americans owned most of the business on the island and had a large naval base there, Guantanomo.
2. Why do you think the Americans chose to equip Cuban exiles rather than invading themselves?
So they would be disquised, Cubans would notice Americans but would mistake Cubans as their own.
3. Why did the invasion fail?
Because the beach was armed with 20,000 Cuban troops that captured or killed all of the 1400 exiles.
4. Compare Source 17 on page 345 (in the Arms Race.pdf reading) with Source 24 on page 348. Describe how the Soviet Union missiles on Cuba changed the Cold War balance of power.
Source 17 shows the location of the US misilles and surce 24 shows the USSR's misile locations. Since the USSr now had them on Cuba they had closer bases and could release the misiles sooner whereas the US had a longer distance, it shifted the balance in favor of the USSR