Introduction:
In one to two paragraphs, examine Americas involvement in Vietnam from the 1950s until 1965.
Be sure to use at least one properly cited quote from The American Nation and one from American Issues.
Read sections 29.1.3, Vietnam: A Finger in the Dike, and 29.3.1, Vietnamization, in The American Nation and answer the following questions:
What was going on in Vietnam that caused the number of US troops to increase from a few thousand to hundreds of thousands?
Why was it so important to keep South Vietnam out of the hands of Communists?
Who were the Vietcong?
The American Perspective on Vietnam
In two to three paragraphs, examine Americas perspective on Vietnam.
Be sure to use at least three properly cited quotes from The American Nation and/or American Issues.
Read A Brief History of Hanois Campaign of Aggression Against South Vietnam in American Issues (pgs. 323-326) and answer the following questions:
What was Hanois (the capitol of North Vietnam) original vision for the nation of Vietnam?
How did South Vietnam attempt to resist that vision?
What were some of the new tactics employed by the Vietcong?
What is your takeaway from all this information? If you were President Johnson, what would you think after reading this?
The North Vietnamese Perspective
In two to three paragraphs, examine North Vietnams perspective.
Be sure to use at least three properly cited quotes from The American Nation and/or American Issues.
Read The North Vietnamese in American Issues (pgs. 327-329) and answer the following questions:
How did Le Duan view the conflict and the presence of the United States in his homeland?
Describe how Le Duan saw American soldiers as being restricted and limited in how they fought the war.
How did Le Duan view the destructive tactics of the United States?
What does Le Duan have to say about the possibility of Chinese involvement in the Vietnam War and the possible use of nuclear weapons?
Did Le Duan believe his side could win the war?
Compare and Contrast
In one to two paragraphs, compare and contrast the perspectives of the United States and the North Vietnamese.
Think about the following questions and prompts:
Was Le Duans assessment correct?
Did his explanation of American goals match those of the U.S. State Departments White Paper on Vietnam from February 27, 1965?
Compare the tactics of the Vietcong to those of American soldiers. How did their goals compare?
Conclusion
Wrap your paper up with a one paragraph conclusion. This should include your overall thoughts on what youve learned while working on your paper.
Specific information and helpful hints:
Please use Times New Roman or Courier New 12-point font, as well as the Modern Language Association (MLA) style of formatting.
Paper should be double spaced. Please dont try to artificially lengthen your paper with large margins.
Secondary sources are not necessary to complete this assignment. You are more than welcome to use them, however, if you feel it will help you successfully complete the assignment. Please be sure to cite them correctly if used.
Always try to put the information you find online into your own words. This demonstrates that youve read and understood the information.
Direct quotes are fine but should be kept to a minimum and properly formatted and cited.
NEVER USE WIKIPEDIA as a source in this course!
Be as precise as you can. Edit your paper several times.
Provide evidence to support your arguments and general points.
You can upload a file or post your paper into the box. Please dont upload a Google doc or a link to a Google doc.
All parts of the paper should be addressed. Break your paper into paragraphs for each new section and use transitions between paragraphs. Try to flow from one section to the next with phrases like on the other hand, at the same time, halfway around the world, etc. Dont use headers and dont number your paragraphs or sections.