Download Rachel VietnamDBQ

The 1970s DBQ Essay
Combine the information in these documents with the knowledge you learned in
the unit to answer the essay question. Your essay must use both information from
the documents AND outside information.
When using info from the docs, make sure to cite them. (ex- Doc 1)
You will no longer answer guiding questions on each document. Use the same skills
you practiced so far this semester to carefully read the documents and determine the
important information.
Strategies include: close reading, highlighting and annotating on the documents, writing
key points under the document, and using the clues such as captions and titles.
Document 1
Document 2
Document 3
Document 4
Joint Resolution of Congress
H.J. RES 1145 August 7, 1964
Section 2. The United States regards as vital to its national interest and to world peace the maintenance of
international peace and security in southeast Asia. Consonant with the Constitution of the United States and the
Charter of the United Nations and in accordance with its obligations under the Southeast Asia Collective Defense
Treaty, the United States is, therefore, prepared, as the President determines, to take all necessary steps,
including the use of armed force, to assist any member or protocol state of the Southeast Asia Collective Defense
Treaty requesting assistance in defense of its freedom.
Essay Extension:
Essay –
This is an essay response. In your essay you will need to have a thesis statement, cite multiple events with
specific historical evidence and close with a conclusion that analyzes the outcome. You should have at least
THREE essential claims to support your thesis (three specific body paragraphs).
Analyze the factors that led Americans to lose support for the Vietnam War and what led the United
States government to withdraw without victory. Make sure, in your analysis, to use specific examples and
historical terms of congressional legislation, major societal events, and wartime events that led to the end of the
war.
Remember, you must cite the documents above and use facts and knowledge you learned from completing the
lessons or in online research.
America lost the war in Vietnam not because the Vietnamese army defeated them in
battle but because they failed to overthrow the communism that existed in Vietnam. Their main
goal when they decided to take action in Vietnam was to stop communism in Vietnam but
ultimately in South East Asia to defend against communist expansion known as the “domino”
theory. The war started with the joint resolution of congress stating in the Southeast Asia
Collective Defense Treaty letting the Vietnamese government know that they were going to
defend South East Asia from communism with international peace and security through the U.S.
military’s armed forces (Doc. 4). The first mission of the highly trained soldiers known as the
Green Berets was to go into Vietnam and stop the expansion of communism throughout South
East Asia. Their was a couple factors on why Americans lost support for the Vietnam War and
why the United States government withdrew without victory in Vietnam. The three big reasons
why Americans lost support and withdrew without victory in Vietnam was because of the army
tactics, the war at home, and the terrain of the war.
The army tactics that the United States Green Berets took was not fitted for the battle
they were about to enter. They tried to use superior firepower weapons to overthrow the
Vietnamese but it didn’t work as they thought it would. They used B-52 bombers and dropped 8
million tons of explosives but the explosives did do what they were intended to do. They tried
to destroy the Vietnamese military but instead of destroying the military the explosives
destroyed property and killed innocent Vietnamese people. The military targets that they
planned on destroying with the explosives rarely were destroyed because only about 12% of
North Vietnam was industrialized leaving the hospitals and schools to be destroyed as well. The
United States also placed more than 180,000 Americans into Vietnam by the end of 1965 and
they were still trying to request more troops (Danzer et al. 943). The over whelming request for
troops in Vietnam grew and by 1967 the number of United States troops grew to nearly
500,000 soldiers. They were recruiting troops right when they would turn 18 years old and
would pick soldiers through a lottery draft system making people that didn’t want to go to war
be drafted for the Vietnam War (Doc. 1). The Vietcong had a way more successful military
tactics compared to the United States tactics. The Vietcong used the hit and run and ambush
tactic against the United States, which worked way better than any tactic the Americans used.
The Vietcong didn’t fight with the traditional front line warfare they would attack U.S. troops
in the countryside and the cities. The United States had trouble identifying the Vietcong
troops because they lived with the civilian population and they couldn’t tell who was an enemy or
who was an innocent Vietnam civilian (Danzer et al. 944). Once again the Vietcong came up with
another tactic that would lead to the United States military to weaken. The Vietcong military
created a system of complex tunnels that let them avoid airstrikes. It also allowed them to be
able to launch surprise attacks on the U.S. and then disappear quickly without anyone knowing
where they went. It allowed them to get from village to village throughout the countryside
without them being seen by the American (Danzer et al. 944). The American tactics were not
successful at all and the Vietcong’s tactics were very successful which lead to the United
States ultimately leaving Vietnam and losing the battle against communism.
Another thing that lead to failure for the United States in Vietnam, which were similar
to the American tactics was the war at home in America. This war at home was not a physical
war but was a war of disapproval that the United States civilians had for the Vietnam War.
Throughout the United States there were mixed opinions from the American citizens about the
U.S. military going into to Vietnam. The Vietnam war caused many protests at home because
Americans believed that the conflict in Vietnam was like a civil war and that the U.S. military
had no reason to be in Vietnam. Other people believed that the oppressive South Vietnamese
government was no better than the Communist government it was fighting and they also thought
that the United States could not police the entire world because the war was draining the
strength of America in other crucial parts of the world (Danzer et al. 951). There were many
reasons why Americans disapproved of the Vietnam War and these reasons turned into protests
throughout the United States. On April 27, 1968 there was a protest down Fifth Avenue in New
York City with 87,000 people protesting the madness of the Vietnam War. The protest led to
60 arrests but the protestors still got their opinion across about how they felt about the
involvement of the U.S. military in Vietnam and with the Vietcong (Doc. 2). There were many
college students protesting as well throughout America they were the biggest support for the
antiwar movement but they weren’t the only ones protesting the war. Some returning veterans,
popular singers, and other famous people supported the antiwar movement as well. The protests
eventually turned into resistance and many people started to burn their draft cards and
American citizens became rebels to the United States governing system. The war divided the
nation into to classes. One was known, as the doves, which were people who opposed the war and
believed America should withdraw from the Vietnam War. The other side was the hawks that
believed that the United States should unleash more military force to win the Vietnam War
(Danzer et al. 952). This war at home eventually led to the United States military leaving
Vietnam and losing the battle against communism in South East Asia. The Tet offensive changed
millions of Americans opinions about the war one of those Americans being President Johnson.
The Tet Offensive was an attack by the Vietcong on over 100 towns and cities in South Vietnam
and 12 U.S. air bases killing five Americans. These attacked lasted about a month until the U.S.
regained control of cities but these attacks changed the public opinions of more Americans at
the home front (Danzer et al. 955). Johnson finally withdrew the troops from Vietnam and the
Vietnam War was over primarily because of the Tet offensive and because of the war at home.
The last reason why America had to withdraw the troops from Vietnam and lost the war
against communism was the unfamiliar terrain that the United States military had to with due in
Vietnam. There were many troubles that the U.S. military troops had to overcome and fight and
one of the biggest ones was the horrible terrain of Vietnam and the many traps set by the
Vietcong. The tunnels created by the Vietcong was one disadvantage the United States had
because the Vietcong could sneak up on the U.S. military and do hit and run attacks without the
United States troops even know what hit them. That wasn’t the only trouble the U.S. military
had with the terrain in Vietnam. There was countless land mines and booby traps set by the
Vietcong that killed many United States troops or left them handicapped for the rest of there
lives. The American troops couldn’t find the exact location of the Vietcong traps so they were
often trying to tip toe around the land trying to avoid the deadly explosives (Danzer et al. 944).
Another reason why the American troops had trouble with the terrain and weather in Vietnam
was because it was so hot their. The Vietnam jungles and rice paddies were not only very hot
but also had overwhelming leeches that would suck the blood out of the over heated American
troops. On top of the heat it was also very humid because of the jungle environment, which
made them sweat a lot more which led to them needing more and more water cutting into their
resources. Not only did they have to watch their step for booby traps and land mines they also
had to worry about the sweltering heat, humidity, and wildlife that threatened their lives and
the outcome of the war (Danzer et al. 945). The terrain was a main part of why they had to
withdraw the troops from Vietnam because they weren’t use to or couldn’t handle the intense
conditions of the Vietnamese jungles.
The war was a failure from the beginning because many people didn’t think they should be
going into Vietnam in the first place and they should just try to help in some other way. They
had no chance of beating Vietnam in their home turf but the U.S. military tried anyway which
led to many young men’s lives lost in the war. There were three main reasons why the plan to
stop communism in Southeast Asia by going into Vietnam didn’t work. These reasons ultimately
led to the withdraw of the U.S. military troops without victory and loss of support for the
Vietnam War. The three reasons for the loss in the Vietnam War was army tactics, the war at
home, and the terrain in Vietnam. These reasons and many more led to the America losing the
war in Vietnam and had to withdraw all the troops from the area.