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Year 11 - History

Changing US policy in Vietnam, 1969-1972

The USA, 1954–75 conflict at home and abroad

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils study a modern society and the issues that affected it in great depth over a shorter period. They learn about the key events, developments, people and stories that shaped this modern society over a period of around twenty to thirty years.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to evaluate the USA's changing policy in Vietnam and how it affected public opinion towards the war.

Key Notes

  • Nixon attempted a change in policy in Vietnam in order to reduce US involvement.
  • The change in policy had mixed results and led to an expansion of the war.
  • US public opinion towards the war was mixed, although the popularity of the war declined overall as it wore on.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • Vietnamisation: Vietnamisation was the US policy of withdrawing troops and transferring responsibility for the war to the government of South Vietnam
  • public opinion: public opinion refers to the popular view in society about a particular issue
  • veteran: a veteran is a person who has served in the armed forces

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Nixon was the only president who wanted to remove US troops from Vietnam.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Summarise this historical learning in two key ideas.

Nixon attempted a change in policy in Vietnam in order to reduce US involvement. The change in policy had mixed results and led to an expansion of the war.

2. Define this history term and explain why it matters in this topic. 'Vietnamisation'

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

3. Correct this common history misconception using evidence language.

Mistake: Nixon was the only president who wanted to remove US troops from Vietnam. Correction: Kennedy and Johnson wanted the same, but, like Nixon, found themselves getting more involved in order to prop up the South Vietnamese govt.

More Lessons In This Unit

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