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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. What plan was the U.S. government preparing for by the end of 1964?

2. What evidence does Halberstam give for the deterioration of the mood in America?

3. What does Halberstam say was the military's opinion after the start of Rolling Thunder?

4. When does Halberstam say that McNamara realized he had been misled about the conditions in Vietnam?

5. Who was it who authorized a paper that would rationalize an exit from Vietnam?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Halberstam say was Johnson's approach to paying for the war?

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

3. What was the result of the Spring Offensive?

4. What issues were discussed as there started to be struggles over Vietnam strategy in mid-1965?

5. What happened to Diem and Nhu during the coup?

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

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

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

9. What did the Johnson administration tell America as it committed more troops to Vietnam?

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

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

Was it necessary for opponents of the war to be marginalized within the American government? Describe the organizational and bureaucratic rules and pressures that were used to effectively silence or transfer officials who spoke out against the war. Was this required, for efficient planning, or did the transfers constitute repression?

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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