Final Exam
 Historical Studies B-68: America and Vietnam, 1954-1975
May 23, 2001

 

Part I: Identifications (40 minutes)

Directions: Select letters from the right-hand column to indicate the twenty phrases which most
accurately describe the twenty numbered items in the left-hand column. Write the twenty pairs of
numbers and letters on the first page of your first blue book.

 

1. McGeorge Bundy A. Ringleader of the 1963 coup against Diem
2. Rolling Thunder B. Old imperial capital of Vietnam (Nguyen dynasty)
3. Easter Offensive C. US antiwar student organization
4. My Lai D. 1970 invasion of Cambodia
5. ARVN E. Main port of North Vietnam
6. Khe Sanh F. Female communist leader from South Vietnam
7. SDS G. US Ambassador to South Vietnam
8. Hue H. US bombing of North Vietnam (1965-1968)
9. PLAF I. Army of South Vietnam
10. Melvin Laird J. Army of North Vietnam
11. Duong Van "Big" Minh K. Army of the National Liberation Front
12. Le Duc Tho L. Main port of Central Vietnam
13. Robert McNamara M. South Vietnamese ambassador to the US
14. PAVN N. Diem's top political advisor
15. Henry Cabot Lodge O. NLF headquarters
16. Ngo Dinh Nhu P. 1968 battle near the 17th parallel
17. Da Nang Q. Communist Party of Cambodia
18. COSVN R. North Vietnamese negotiator at Paris Peace Talks
19. Haiphong S. Capital of Cambodia
20. Christmas Bombing T. 1972 attack on Hanoi
    U. 1972 attack on South Vietnam
    V. Nixon's National Security Advisor
    W. LBJ's National Security Advisor
    X. JFK's Secretary of Defense
    Y. Nixon's Secretary of Defense
    Z. Site of massacre of villagers by US troops

 

Part II: Essay (70 Minutes):

Directions: Write an essay response to one of the following two stimuli. Your essay should have
a clear thesis or argument which is supported by evidence drawn from course readings and
lectures. Make sure that you indicate which stimulus you have selected.

Option A: When South Vietnam gained its independence from France in 1954, most
observers believed that it would fall under communist control within a few years; yet it
endured as an independent entity until 1975. How and why did South Vietnam survive
for 21 years? To what can the fall of the Republic of South Vietnam in 1975 be
attributed?

Option B: Identify the political and military objectives of North Vietnam, South Vietnam
and the National Liberation Front between 1954-1975. How did these objectives
change over time? How successful was each of these groups in achieving its objectives?

________________________________________________________________________

 

Part III: Essay (70 Minutes):

Directions: Write an essay response to one of the following two stimuli. Your essay should have
a clear thesis or argument which is supported by evidence drawn from course readings and
lectures. Make sure that you indicate which stimulus you have selected.

Option A: "Fictional accounts are poor sources for understanding the experiences of
soldiers and other people involved in the Vietnam War, especially as compared to
memoirs and oral histories."

Based on the readings in this course, do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why
or why not?

Option B: Between 1961 and 1973, three US administrations (Kennedy, Johnson and
Nixon) were deeply involved in Vietnam. Each President inherited this involvement
from his predecessor; yet each ended up pursuing distinctive stratagies and policies in
Vietnam. What were the main differences in stratagies and policies among the three
administrations, and how did they reflect different priorities and concerns?

 


"While emphasizing the importance of reprisals in the South, we do not exclude the impact on Hanoi. We believe, indeed, that it is of great importance that the level of reprisal be adjusted rapidly and visibly to both upward and downward shifts in the level of Viet Cong offenses. We want to keep before Hanoi the carrot of our desisting as well as the stick of continued pressure. We also need to conduct the application of force so that there is always a prospect of worse to come. "

Excerpts from McGeorge Bundy's Memo to President Johnson, February 7,1965. Pentagon Papers, pp. 423-427