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Year 11
Edexcel

The effect of Vietnamisation on US policy in Vietnam

I can describe the policy of Vietnamisation.

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New
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Year 11
Edexcel

The effect of Vietnamisation on US policy in Vietnam

I can describe the policy of Vietnamisation.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Nixon promised to end US involvement in Vietnam by strengthening the South Vietnamese Army (ARVN).
  2. Nixon believed this would calm anti-war tension in the US.
  3. American troops began to withdraw while the US continued to heavily fund the South Vietnamese Army (ARVN).
  4. Vietnamisation had mixed results for both the US and the South Vietnamese Army (ARVN).

Keywords

  • Vietnamisation - Vietnamisation was the US policy of withdrawing troops and transferring responsibility for the war to the government of South Vietnam

  • Honour - honour is knowing and doing what is morally right

  • Withdrawal - withdrawal means leaving a place or situation

Common misconception

South Vietnam needed US troops because they didn't have much of an army of their own.

The South Vietnamese Army was one of the largest in the world. What they lacked was modern equipment and training.


To help you plan your year 11 history lesson on: The effect of Vietnamisation on US policy in Vietnam, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Create an 'argument tunnel' by splitting students into 2 lines facing each other: one side argues that Vietnamisation was a success and the other that it was a failure. Students argue with the person in front of them, then 1 line moves one space left
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Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
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Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

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Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), 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 ideologies was the Cold War fought between?
capitalism and fascism
Correct answer: communism and capitalism
fascism and communism
Q2.
Match the keyword to its definition.
Correct Answer:containment,a foreign policy strategy during the Cold War
tick

a foreign policy strategy during the Cold War

Correct Answer:communism,political ideology wherein everybody is equal
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political ideology wherein everybody is equal

Correct Answer:capitalism,economic system based on private ownership
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economic system based on private ownership

Q3.
Put the following events related to Vietnam in chronological order.
1 - Viet Minh fight the French
2 - President Eisenhower supports Diem in South Vietnam
3 - America's involvement in Vietnam escalates
4 - Large-scale protests against the war in Vietnam
Q4.
What was the primary reason for President Eisenhower supporting Diem in South Vietnam?
to economically develop South Vietnam
Correct answer: to contain the spread of communism
to provide humanitarian aid
to offer a military alliance
Q5.
Complete the sentence: large-scale in America became more frequent as the Vietnam War continued.
Correct Answer: protests, protest
Q6.
Complete the sentence: The Offensive in 1968 had a dramatic impact on the American public's perception of the war.
Correct Answer: Tet

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What was Nixon's main reason for implementing Vietnamisation?
Correct answer: to end US involvement in Vietnam
to expand US involvement in Vietnam
to increase capitalist influence in Vietnam
to strengthen US ground troops
Q2.
Put the following in chronological order.
1 - The Tet Offensive
2 - President Johnson's announcement that he would not run for reelection
3 - Nixon's promise of 'peace with honour'
Q3.
Match the keyword to its definition.
Correct Answer:Vietnamisation,US policy of transferring responsibility to the war to South Vietnam
tick

US policy of transferring responsibility to the war to South Vietnam

Correct Answer:honour,knowing and doing what is morally right
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knowing and doing what is morally right

Correct Answer:withdrawal,leaving a place or situation
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leaving a place or situation

Q4.
What was the acronym used for the South Vietnamese army?
Correct Answer: ARVN, arvn
Q5.
Finish the sentence: instances of , which was the deliberate killing of your commanding officer, increased among US troops as the war progressed.
Correct Answer: fragging
Q6.
How large was the ARVN compared to other militaries because of Vietnamisation?
largest in the world
second largest in the world
third largest in the world
Correct answer: fourth largest in the world

Additional material

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