Cold War: How and why America got into Vietnam Return to the case study menu
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Comprehension
6a What position did Cyrus Vance hold in the government?
6b According to Vance, when was the critical period in terms of getting involved in Vietnam?
6c Why is there confusion about the Tonkin incident?

Analysis and Interpretation
6d What impression does this source give of the information available to President Johnson and the way decisions were made?
6e What impression do we get of President Johnson from this source?
6f What are the strengths and weaknesses of this source for the issue of how and why the USA got involved in Vietnam?

Case Study Question
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The Big Question
Look at your answers to the questions on source 6.
Does Source 6 help you to decide whether any of the criticisms of US policy were valid?
Does the source help you to decide whether the criticisms are only valid in hindsight?
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Extract from an interview in 1970 with senior US politician Cyrus Vance

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Extract from an interview in 1970 with senior US politician Cyrus Vance