New
New
Year 11
AQA
US involvement in the Vietnam War
I can explain the significance of US involvement in Vietnam in the years 1954-68.
New
New
Year 11
AQA
US involvement in the Vietnam War
I can explain the significance of US involvement in Vietnam in the years 1954-68.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- South Vietnam was supported by the USA.
- US involvement in Vietnam escalated between 1954 and 1968.
- North Vietnam was supported by the USSR and China.
- US prestige was damaged by the conflict.
Keywords
Prestige - the feeling of respect and admiration for a country, often because it is successful
Limited war - a conflict where those involved refuse to use their full strength or try to avoid it spreading into additional locations
Common misconception
US assistance to South Vietnam immediately included the deployment of American ground troops.
The US began supporting South Vietnam in 1954 but did not deploy US ground troops there until 1965.
Using their answers to Task B as scaffolding, ask students to produce a narrative account of the escalation of American involvement in Vietnam from 1954-68. Emphasise that students must make clear how successive events related to one another.
Teacher tip
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on
Open Government Licence version 3.0
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Starter quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
What is the term for a country or territory controlled by another, more powerful country?
Q2.
Write the missing word. The Viet Minh were a nationalist and organisation.
Q3.
How many French troops fought against the Viet Minh at Dien Bien Phu?
1600
160 000
Q4.
What was agreed at the 1954 Geneva Conference?
Indochina would be divided into Laos, Thailand and Cambodia.
Indochina would be divided into Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
Q5.
Why did the USA refuse to hold scheduled elections in South Vietnam?
The US were concerned that the Soviets would stage a coup.
The US were concerned that the French would regain control.
Q6.
Starting with the earliest, sort the following events into chronological order.
Exit quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
The US feared that communism would spread from one Asian country to another. The theory of this effect was called the theory.
Q2.
Match the following terms to their definitions.
organisation run by Ho Chi Minh
communist forces in South Vietnam
anti-communist South Vietnamese army
Q3.
Who was the leader of South Vietnam after 1954?
Ho Chi Minh
Nguyen Ngoc Tho
Emperor Bao Dai
Q4.
Why did the US support Ngo Dinh Diem?
They knew he was a popular leader.
They wanted him to keep Vietnam divided.
They knew he had a powerful arsenal of nuclear weapons.
Q5.
How much did Eisenhower spend in the 1950s on supporting the ARVN?
$1 billion
$3 billion
$4 billion
Q6.
Starting with the earliest, sort the following events into chronological order.
Additional material
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