Today’s Lesson

⚫ We will learn about the causes of the Vietnam War and why the United
States got involved.
⚫ I will be able to analyze pictures of the Vietnam War, describe what the
war was like, and explain why the war was unpopular in the United
States.

⚫ Agenda
⚫ “War” brainstorm web (Think-Pair-Share)
⚫ PowerPoint on Vietnam War
⚫ Graphic Organizer (North & South Vietnam)
⚫ Vietnam War Event Map
⚫ Brain Pop Video (Vietnam War)
⚫ Picture Analysis (Gallery Walk)
⚫ Vietnam War Video
⚫ Assignment
⚫ Exit Ticket
http://www.online-stopwatch.com/
Where is Vietnam?
Background to Vietnam War
⚫ Laos, Cambodia and
Vietnam at one time
were controlled by
V
France i
⚫ The area was called e
t
French Indochina n
⚫ In 1946 war broke out a
m
between France and Ho
Chi Minh (a communist
leader in Vietnam)
 Background to Vietnam War
⚫ Ho Chi Minh and his
troops defeated France
North Vietnam in 1954
⚫ A treaty is signed which
divides Vietnam into 2
countries
South
⚫ North Vietnam
Vietnam ⚫ South Vietnam
⚫ North Vietnam wants
to take over South
Vietnam
U.S. Worries….
*U.S. was afraid that now that North Vietnam was communist, that South
Vietnam would also become communist and then so would the rest of Southeast
Asia. This idea is known as the domino theory.

Communist
Countries
North and South Vietnam

⚫ Communist ⚫ Democratic
government government
⚫ Leader-Ngo
⚫ Leader-Ho Chi Dinh Diem
Minh (supported by
U.S.)
⚫ Vietminh- ⚫ Vietcong
communists in (communist
North Vietnam soldiers helping
the North)
⚫ Supported by
Communist ⚫ Supported by
China U.S.
Vietnam War
When did it happen? Where did it happen?
⚫ Vietnam war took place ⚫ Southeast Asia
from 1954 to 1975 ⚫ Vietnam
⚫ U.S. got involved from
1961-1975
Who was involved?
⚫ North Vietnam
⚫ South Vietnam
⚫ United States
How did it happen?
⚫ War broke out
between France and
Ho Chi Minh’s troops
in 1954
⚫ Ho Chi Minh and
France sign treaty
dividing Vietnam into
2 countries
Why did it happen?
⚫ North Vietnam was ⚫ Viet Cong
trying to take over South
Vietnam
⚫ Spread communism
⚫ U.S. feared the spread of
communism (domino
theory)
⚫ Communist soldiers in
South Vietnam
⚫ Used sneak attacks and
ambushes to attack
American soldiers
helping in South
Vietnam
What happened?
⚫ North Vietnam tried to
take over South Vietnam
⚫ North was sending
support to Vietcong in
South Vietnam
⚫ U.S. boat attacked in
Gulf of Tonkin
⚫ U.S. military in Vietnam
increases
⚫ U.S. sends support
(supplies & troops)
Guerilla Warfare
⚫ Fighting style used by
the Vietnamese
⚫ Americans were
unfamiliar with the
terrain (land) they were
fighting in the jungle
In the United States…
⚫ Vietnam War divided
Americans
⚫ People protested the war
and demanded that troops
be brought back home
⚫ Live coverage from
Vietnam showed on
television
⚫ College students protested
the draft (joining the
military)
⚫ Argument: innocent
people being killed for no
reason
In the end…
⚫ U.S. leaves Vietnam in ⚫ About 8.7 million U.S.
1973 troops involved in the
⚫ In 1975 North Vietnam war
invades South Vietnam; ⚫ 1.2 million Vietnamese
Vietnam becomes one soldiers dead
communist country ⚫ 58,000 U.S. soldiers
dead
Assignment
⚫ Pretend you are a soldier during the Vietnam War.
Write a journal describing what it is like fighting in
the jungles of Vietnam.

It is very dangerous in the jungles….

It is hard to fight in the war because you
don’t know…
Exit Ticket
⚫ Three things I learned about the Vietnam War are…