Starter quiz
- Complete the sentence with a year: The Tonkin Gulf Resolution was passed on 7th August ...
- '1964' ✓
- What happened during the Gulf of Tonkin incident?
- American ships were bombed by Chinese planes
- American ships were attacked by North Vietnamese patrol boats ✓
- American ships were sunk by Soviet submarines
- American ships were damaged after they collided with each other
-
- What is meant by the term 'gulf'?
- a game played with clubs and a small ball
- a peninsula mostly or entirely made up of desert
- an area of water between an island and the mainland
- a deep inlet of a sea almost surrounded by land ✓
-
- What was the name given to the retaliatory bombing raid carried out by the US on a North Vietnamese petrol storage facility?
- Operation Pierce Arrow ✓
- Operation Eagle Claw
- Operation Desert Storm
- Operation Overlord
-
- What percentage of US citizens supported Johnson's response to the Gulf of Tonkin incident?
- 33%
- 55%
- 85% ✓
- 100%
-
- Place the events in the order in which they occurred.
- 1⇔Kennedy is assassinated, Johnson replaces Kennedy as US president
- 2⇔OPLAN 34A missions take place to assist ARVN raids
- 3⇔Gulf of Tonkin incident
- 4⇔Operation Pierce Arrow
- 5⇔Tonkin Gulf Resolution
- 6⇔Johnson wins presidential election
Exit quiz
- What does the 'B' stand for in Johnson's BEAST approach to the war in Vietnam?
- 'Bombing' ✓
- What name was given to the bombing campaign by the US against North Vietnam?
- Operation Passage to Freedom
- Operation Pierce Arrow
- Operation Rolling Thunder ✓
- Operation Market Time
-
- What acronym was given to the South Vietnamese Army?
- 'ARVN' ✓
- What is 'Tet'?
- an important town in South Vietnam
- the Lunar New Year, an important national holiday in Vietnam ✓
- the Vietnamese word for a surprise attack
- the name given to the South Vietnamese parliament
-
- In what ways can the Tet Offensive be seen as a loss for the communists? Choose two answers.
- 50 000 Vietcong fighters were lost ✓
- all territorial gains were lost within a few weeks ✓
- Ho Chi Minh was killed during the offensive
- not enough equipment and ammunition was provided for the fighters
- it made China and the USSR question their support for North Vietnam
-
- In what ways can the Tet Offensive be seen as a victory for the communists? Choose two answers.
- the US embassy in Saigon was completely overrun
- US public opinion turned sharply against the war ✓
- the bombing of North Vietnam ended ✓
- General Westmoreland was killed in the fighting
- the South Vietnamese people rose up in support for the communists
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- American engagement in Vietnam escalated through the use of advanced technology and increased numbers of troops.
- Americans believed that victory was sure to come soon.
- The Vietcong and NVA launched a huge surprise attack across South Vietnam during the Tet national holiday.
- The Tet Offensive failed to make any gains and resulted in significant losses for the communists.
- However, it shocked America and made them doubt whether they could win the war.
Common misconception
Wars are only won on the battlefield.
A variety of factors influence the outcome of a war, such as a nation's economy, geography, and popular sentiment towards the war.
Keywords
Offensive - an offensive is an attacking military campaign
Strategy - a strategy is a plan of action designed to achieve a long-term or overall goal
Hotspot - a hotspot is a place of significant activity, danger or violence
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