New
New
Year 11
Edexcel

The expansion of the war into Cambodia, Laos and North Vietnam, 1969-1972

I can explain how bombing campaigns changed the war.

New
New
Year 11
Edexcel

The expansion of the war into Cambodia, Laos and North Vietnam, 1969-1972

I can explain how bombing campaigns changed the war.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The Nixon Doctrine made the US position clear: they would support South Vietnam against communism but remove troops.
  2. Nixon engaged in official and secret negotiations to end the war.
  3. Nixon expanded the war by attacking the Ho Chi Minh Trail in neighbouring Cambodia and Laos.
  4. The US public and Congress were furious when they discovered that Nixon had expanded the war into other countries.
  5. After a large invasion from the North Vietnamese, Nixon ordered heavy bombing of North Vietnam.

Keywords

  • Doctrine - a doctrine is a stated position of government policy, usually in foreign or military affairs

  • Negotiation - a negotiation is a discussion aimed at reaching an agreement

  • Trail - a trail is a track made by repeated passage, usually far removed from an urban setting

Common misconception

Negotiations are quick affairs.

Negotiations can sometimes take place over many years before any progress is made.

During the utility task, make it clear to students that all sources are useful to some degree: even if they don't support students' knowledge, they can tell us what people thought or perhaps why they might have distorted the truth.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
What event at the start of 1968 significantly altered the perception of US citizens towards the Vietnam War?
the assassination of Martin Luther King
the assassination of Robert Kennedy
Correct answer: the Tet Offensive
the decision of Lyndon B. Johnson not to run for reelection
Q2.
Complete the sentence: Nixon claimed to have a plan to bring 'peace with ' in Vietnam.
Correct Answer: honour, Honour
Q3.
What was the goal of Vietnamisation in regards to US ground troops?
to increase in number
Correct answer: to decrease in number
to spend more time training
to spend less time training
Q4.
By 1970, how many US troops had been withdrawn from Vietnam?
close to 50 000
close to 100 000
Correct answer: close to 200 000
close to 400 000
Q5.
Complete the sentence: towards the end of the war, use amongst US soldiers increased dramatically.
Correct Answer: drug, drugs
Q6.
What was the problem with the training manuals for heavy equipment that the US gave to the South Vietnamese Army?
they were for the wrong equipment
they contained lots of mistakes
they were never delivered
Correct answer: they were not written in Vietnamese

6 Questions

Q1.
How long had Nixon been president before announcing the Nixon Doctrine?
1 month
2 months
4 months
Correct answer: 6 months
Q2.
Match the keywords to the correct definitions.
Correct Answer:doctrine,a stated position of government policy, usually in foreign affairs

a stated position of government policy, usually in foreign affairs

Correct Answer:negotiation,a discussion aimed at reaching an agreement

a discussion aimed at reaching an agreement

Correct Answer:trail,a track made by repeated passage

a track made by repeated passage

Q3.
Complete the sentence: Nixon employed the ' strategy' during secret negotiations with North Vietnam.
Correct Answer: madman
Q4.
Which two countries that were not at war with the US contained parts of the Ho Chi Minh Trail?
Burma
Correct answer: Cambodia
China
Correct answer: Laos
Thailand
Q5.
Which city in Laos was attacked and briefly captured by the ARVN with help from US air support in 1971?
Hanoi
Phnom Phen
Saigon
Correct answer: Tchepone
Q6.
What was the codename given to the huge aerial bombardment of North Vietnam in response to the Easter Offensive in 1972?
Correct Answer: Operation Linebacker, operation linebacker, Linebacker, linebacker, Operation linebacker

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