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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. How does Halberstam say Johnson conducted planning for the Vietnam war?

2. What does Halberstam say became clear by the time Rolling Thunder had been in effect for six weeks?

3. When did the Spring offensive start in Vietnam?

4. Who did President Johnson send to Vietnam to investigate the situation there?

5. What stance does Halberstam say the administration took as the public sentiment deteriorated?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How did the reality of the war become public information?

3. What happened during the Gulf of Tonkin incident?

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

5. What was the result of the first direct confrontation with Vietcong and American troops?

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

7. What does Halberstam say became clear to the American government after Diem's death?

8. What program did Maxwell Taylor call for in the paper he wrote on his way back from Vietnam?

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

10. What does Halberstam say Maxwell Taylor said were the three issues confronting the U.S. in its Vietnam planning?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 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

Judging by what you know of contemporary culture, what lessons has America learned about domestic policies and politics after the Vietnam era? What has changed in how the government works, in how it funds wars, and in how it relates to internal opposition?

(see the answer keys)

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