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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who does Halberstam say remained loyal to Diem when the coup began?
(a) The southern part of the country.
(b) The Palace Guard.
(c) The merchants.
(d) The people.

2. In what way does Halberstam say that Lyndon Johnson resembled Kennedy in his management style?
(a) Johnson trusted the military's reports.
(b) Johnson did not seek a wide variety of opinions.
(c) Johnson used a cabinet of enemies.
(d) Johnson sought out expert opinions beyond his cabinet.

3. Who was named commander of American forces in Vietnam in June 1964?
(a) General William C. Westmoreland.
(b) Maxwell Taylor.
(c) Averell Harriman.
(d) General Harkins.

4. When does Halberstam say the President's thinking about bombing began to change?
(a) After the 1964 elections.
(b) After he realized that Khanh was not an effective leader.
(c) After the Vietcong attack on Qui Nhon.
(d) After the media began to carry explicit photos from the front.

5. What did Hanoi do in response to U.S. war games in the South?
(a) Launch the Gulf of Tonkin attacks.
(b) Withdraw troops from the South.
(c) Send more Vietcong down the trails.
(d) Seek peace talks.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why does Halberstam say that September and October of 1963 were good for the Kennedy administration?

2. What does Halberstam say the Kennedy administration found out after the coup?

3. What does Halberstam say General Westmoreland was asking President Johnson for, now that he was in control of Vietnam?

4. What was McNamara beginning to suspect in Vietnam?

5. Who does Halberstam say set the tone for Vietnam policy for the beginning of the Johnson administration?

Short Essay Questions

1. What was the military's position on bombing North Vietnam?

2. What does Halberstam say happened when Westmoreland assumed control?

3. Describe what Halberstam calls 'the Bundy trip' to Vietnam.

4. Who expressed doubt about the Vietnam war, and what happened to their opposition?

5. What happened during the Gulf of Tonkin incident?

6. What were the alternatives the staff in Vietnam laid out for Maxwell Taylor when he visited Vietnam in the fall of 1964?

7. What was President Johnson's position regarding Vietnam in the early days of his presidency?

8. What does Halberstam say the effect of the Vietnam war on the American people was?

9. What was the intelligence community's assessment of Rolling Thunder?

10. What was the public story of the Gulf of Tonkin incident, and what was the truth?

(see the answer keys)

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