Vietnam Unit Project
Level I
Timeline
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1954
The French are defeated in
Vietnam and win their
independence​.​ This was
led by Ho Chi Minh and
the Viet Minh. They
surrendered at Dien Bien
Phu. This was of great
importance to the US
Vietnam War because the
US were actually assisting
the French with aid
because of Ho Chi Minh
who was communist. This
brought fear to the
American government for
the spread of communism.
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1954
Senator Joseph McCarthy
alleges of the people that
he said were secretly
communist. He told the
US government he had a
list that was not based on
actual facts. He then went
before the Senate after
making accusations
against the U.S. Army.
This brings to the
significance to later
Vietnam to just show the
fear that the US had over
communist and they’re all
power to end it.
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1959
Fidel Castro gained
control of Cuba. After the
Revolutionary War in
Cuba Castro gained power
and was backed up by the
Soviet Union. Cuba is a
couple miles away from
the U.S. so tension begins.
The significance is to
Vietnam because Cuba
continues the struggle for
more power over and
capitalism over
communism. Also the
Cuban missile crisis that
brought more fear to the
American people.
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1960
John F. Kenndy is elected
president of the United
States. JFK was known as
the youngest to become
president by election. He
was President for 3 years.
This brings significance
because his vice president
Lyndon B Johnson was
going to deal with the
Vietnam War. Also
Kenndy increased the
military weapons and
troops.
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1963
John F. Kenndy was in
Texas with John Connally,
the governor of Texas
when Lee Oswald openly
fired from a nearby
building. Governor John
Connally was also
wounded and the car was
rushed to the hospital
where Governor Connallly
got better but JFK died.
This made JFK the four
President to be
assassinated. This brings
significance because the
vice president has to deal
with Vietnam. Also much
more fear in the US.
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1965
The U.S. became more
involved and President
Johnson began to send
troops to Vietnam. In the
efforts to contain
communism. They were
assisting South Vietnam to
defeat the Vietcong and
Ho Chi Minh. This is of
great significance because
it starts the Vietnam war.
A war that would last 10
years.
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1967
Thurgood Marshall
becomes the first African
American justice of the
Supreme Court. He was
selected by President
Johnson. He was on the
court until 1991. This
brings importance to
Vietnam because things
were beginning to change
back in the US. A great
voice was being heard.
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1968
Richard Nixon won the
election and became the
37th President of the
United States. He
completely destroyed his
opponents getting 301
electoral votes. He
brought lots of
achievements to the US.
His significance to
Vietnam was his view on
the Vietnam war. He
didn't have troops in
Vietnam.
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1968
Martin Lurther King Jr. is
assassinated. He was
killed on April 3 when
James Ray shot him from
his hotel balcony. King
felt his death soon so the
day before he addressed
his last speech. This
affected Vietnam because
it shocked the U.S. and it
created much riots and
violence. They were then
reminded by Robert
Kenndy what it was the
MLK really taught.
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1969
One of Nixon's promises
was to remove troops
from Vietnam. As the new
president one of his first
things was to begin to
remove troops. But it took
a couple years to
completely withdraw all
troops. This brings great
significance because it
shows a glimpse to the
end of the war. Which
means no more
involvement from the US
and the loss of the South
Vietnemse army.
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1969
Niel Armstrong with his
crew are the first people to
be able to land on the
moon. Armstrong himself
was the first of the crew
and a remarkable time for
the U.S. It was considered
a win over the Russians in
the space race. This was
significant because it was
a battle against the Soviet
Union and world power
and dominance. To show
that capitalism was greater
than communism.
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1972
President meets with
China. This happened in
February where he landed
in Beijing and met with
ZHou en-lai. The tide with
the Soviet Union and
China had wicken so
Nixon used that to try to
help create peace. This is
of great significance
because China had helped
the North Vietnamese.
This was a change from
the United States that
would bring peace.
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1973
The economy was failing
and inflation was
becoming a great problem.
With all that there was a
great unemployment
which was known as
stagflation.It was the
result of Johnson's policies
to fund the war. This
brings importance to
Vietnam because the US
wasn’t doing well at home
so they weren’t able to last
longer in Vietnam. So
troops were still trying to
withdraw.
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1974
President Nixon had a
scandal that ruined his
presidency and ended it
sooner than thought. The
scandal was the watergate
investigation. He resigned
before trying so Vice
President Gerald R. Ford
became president. This is
important to Vietnam
because it created a new
person in control of the
troop in Vietnam. The
withdrawal was still
happening and President
Ford was working on it.
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1975
The last of the United
States troops left in April
and on April 30 the North
Vietnemese took over
Saigon. Saigon was then
renamed Ho Chi Minh city
by the North. That was the
last of the U.S. in
Vietnam. This is
significant because it was
the end of th Vietnamese
war, a war that lasted
longer and lost troops and
equipment then any other
before.
Level II
Photography Analysis
The photo was taken by Don McCullin and it
was taken somewhere in Vietnam. In the
picture a American Soldier is carrying an
injured child through a town. This shows the
horror that the citizens of Vietnam faced. The
purpose was to inform the world but mostly
the U.S the impact of the War on the
Vietnemese people. You can learn from the
picture that it was common to see kids being
injured and American troops going through
towns. Also that there were many kids in the
towns because there were also many kids
following the soldiers.
The photo was taken by Larry Burrows. It was
taken in October 1966 after an attack and a
bunch of wounded soldiers with one being
The picture was taken by Howard Sochurek. It held back from another soldier. During the
was taken in 1954 in North Vietnam. The
Vietnam War the U.S lost many troops and
photo shows kids with grenades on their belts death for the troops in Vietnam was likely and
and shirts just hanging. The purpose was to
most wouldn't come back. The Purpose was to
demonstrate to the world what kids in
demonstrate the horror of war to the rest of the
Vietnam had to go through. The photographer world. This shows that people would at times
says that the kids wore the grenades because
would just be left to die because nothing could
they were preparing to fight the Viet Minh
be done. Also they didn’t get the treatment
forces. This shows how that everyone was
and many were dirty and wounds caught
dragged into the war in Vietnam and that even infected easily.
the kids had to do their part. They were used
and it destroyed kids' normal lives and future.