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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. When did Kennedy become well known in Washington?

2. Where was the war going well, at the time when the White House was losing faith in Diem, according to Halberstam?

3. What had happened to reduce the Communism threat by the time McNamara took over as Secretary of Defense?

4. How does Halberstam say Dean Rusk felt in the Kennedy administration?

5. Whom did Robert Lovett recommend to Kennedy for Secretary of State?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did the situation in Vietnam unfold?

2. What does Halberstam say was McNamara's relationship with Kennedy?

3. Describe the atmosphere in America when Kennedy took office.

4. What were Americans beginning to say with regard to Diem after the Buddhist monk problems began?

5. Describe U.S. engagements in Vietnam in the 1950s.

6. Who was Frederick Nolting, and what was his role in Vietnam?

7. What does Halberstam say was Robert McNamara's background before becoming Secretary of Defense?

8. What did Lovett and Kennedy discuss during their meeting?

9. How did the fall of China and the Cold War affect the Kennedy administration?

10. Who was Kennedy, and how did he become well known?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast the conditions that led to the coup against Diem and the credibility gap in America. Was the U.S. ripe for a coup the same way that the Diem regime was considered ripe for a coup? What forces were arguing for regime change in America? Why were they ultimately unsuccessful? (Was regime change ultimately what protesters in the U.S. wanted?)

Essay Topic 2

Using evidence from Halberstam's text, describe how the Vietnam War affected America's relationship with the community of nations--particularly China and Russia, its Communist foes. What did the Vietnam war do for American interests abroad? How did it affect America's reputation and image?

Essay Topic 3

John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama share certain similarities, insofar as they were both young and charismatic leaders with relatively little experience, but represented a new way of doing things. Compare and contrast the early political careers and elections of these two presidents. How were they temperamentally similar? How did they relate to the old guard? How were their ascensions different?

(see the answer keys)

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