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Vietnam Web quest
Answer the following questions IN YOUR OWN WORDS!! PLEASE, NO QUOTES!!
Two definitions of contextualize: to think about or provide information about the situation in which something
happens. The definition of contextualizes means to analyze a word or event in terms of the words or
concepts surrounding it.
1. Read Kennan’s telegram from Moscow (Please read all of Part 1 and Part 2 only.)
http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/coldwar/documents/episode-1/kennan.htm
Questions to answer:
1. Contextualize this document, what is the larger historical picture, when was this document
written? What is going on in the world at this point in time? What is his basic message?
2. What does Kennan propose to deal with the threat from Soviet expansion (page 8)?
2. Read the Truman Doctrine speech to Congress, March 1947
http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/trudoc.asp
Questions to answer:
1. Contextualize this document, what is the larger historical picture, when was this document
written? What is going on in Greece at this time that is concerning the President?
2. What does he suggest?
3. How would this speech be used by later presidents? How does his proposal relate to our actions in
Vietnam?
3. Read Eisenhower’s letter to Diem
http://legacy.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1954-eisenhower-vietnam1.html
Questions to answer:
1. Contextualize this document, what is the larger historical picture, when was this document
written? What is going on in Asia at this point in time?
2. What was the purpose of Eisenhower’s support for Diem?
3. How does Eisenhower’s letter relate to the Truman Doctrine?
4. Read Kennedy’s letter to Diem
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/pentagon2/ps14.htm
Questions to answer:
1. Contextualize this document, what is the larger historical picture, when was this document
written?
2. How does Kennedy’s letter differ from Eisenhower’s letter?
3. How does Kennedy’s letter reflect the message from Truman’s speech?
5. Read President Johnson’s message to Congress.
https://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/tonkinsp.htm
Questions to answer:
1. Contextualize this document, what is the larger historical picture, when was this document
written?
2. Why did Johnson believe the U.S. should become more involved in the war?
3. How does Johnson’s letter relate to the Truman and Containment Doctrine?
6. Read “The Vietnam war and Vietnam”
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/reflect/chung.html
Questions to answer:
1. Contextualize this document, what is the larger historical picture, when was this document
written?
2. Why wasn’t Diem an effective leader? It’s there. Read, you’ll see it.
3. How would this impact the U.S. efforts to contain communism in Vietnam?
4. Who does the author of the piece, Nguyen Ba Chung, believe the U.S. aligned them selves with during
the war?
5. Why did he believe this was problematic?
After you finish responding to these questions, meet with your group and discuss and come to consensus on
a response for the following questions. One person will then write down for the group.
1. What do these primary sources tell you about U.S. involvement in Vietnam and the impact of the Containment
and Truman Doctrines on U.S. foreign policy, especially in Vietnam? Your response needs to include
specific references to the sources you have just read and the notes you have just taken, as well as your
understanding of the Cold War history we have been studying.
2. What can you say about the involvement of the U.S. in Vietnam from Eisenhower through Johnson?
Your response needs to include specific references to the sources you have just read and the notes you
have just taken, as well as your understanding of the Cold War history we have been studying.
3. How does each president apply the Truman and Containment Doctrines?
Your response needs to include specific references to the sources you have just read and the notes you
have just taken, as well as your understanding of the Cold War history we have been studying.
To Hand in:
1. Your notes through a Google doc that has your name, date, class, and assignment on the doc itself. (Zero
credit for work that does not include this information.)
2. Your responses to the three questions discussed and answered in your group. Share this through Google
docs with the same requirements as Question 1 please.