Quiz for Thinking Like a Historian:
Debating the War in Vietnam

Question

1. In his April 7, 1954 speech, President Dwight Eisenhower spoke about the “falling domino” principle. He used falling dominos as an analogy for what?

A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct. The answer is c. In his 1954 speech, President Eisenhower used the “falling domino” as an analogy for Southeast Asia’s vulnerability to communism in the event that Vietnam became a communist country. This analogy became one of the primary justifications for the United States’ involvement in Vietnam in the 1960s.
Incorrect. The answer is c. In his 1954 speech, President Eisenhower used the “falling domino” as an analogy for Southeast Asia’s vulnerability to communism in the event that Vietnam became a communist country. This analogy became one of the primary justifications for the United States’ involvement in Vietnam in the 1960s.

Question

2. The 1968 Manifesto of the South Vietnam National Front for Liberation (NLF) claimed that the United States became involved in the war in Vietnam for what purpose?

A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct. The answer is b. The NLF stated that “the American imperialists” were pursuing “maneuvers to permanently divide our country and to turn its southern part into a base in preparation for a war in Southeast Asia.” The NLF framed its role in the war as a fight for the liberation of Vietnam from colonialism.
Incorrect. The answer is b. The NLF stated that “the American imperialists” were pursuing “maneuvers to permanently divide our country and to turn its southern part into a base in preparation for a war in Southeast Asia.” The NLF framed its role in the war as a fight for the liberation of Vietnam from colonialism.

Question

3. In a 1965 speech at Johns Hopkins University, President Lyndon Johnson said, “Over this war—and all Asia—is another reality: the deepening shadow of Communist China. . . . This is a regime which has destroyed freedom in Tibet, which has attacked India, and has been condemned by the United Nations for aggression in Korea. It is helping the forces of violence in almost every continent. The contest in Viet-Nam is part of a wider pattern of aggressive purposes.” With this statement, Johnson was aiming to justify American intervention in Vietnam based on what?

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B.
C.
D.
Correct. The answer is b. Johnson’s 1965 justification for U.S. intervention in Vietnam was a classic argument for containment. He was suggesting that Communist China had an aggressive agenda that, if left unchecked, would lead to communism throughout Asia.
Incorrect. The answer is b. Johnson’s 1965 justification for U.S. intervention in Vietnam was a classic argument for containment. He was suggesting that Communist China had an aggressive agenda that, if left unchecked, would lead to communism throughout Asia.

Question

4. In “What Did You Do in the Class War, Daddy?” James Fallows suggests that the war in Vietnam lasted as long as it did for which reason?

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B.
C.
D.
Correct. The answer is a. Fallows suggested that the war lasted so long in large part because the children of middle- and upper-class families were exempt from the draft. Because their children did not fight, the war did not have a direct impact on those who had influence over and access to American political leaders.
Incorrect. The answer is a. Fallows suggested that the war lasted so long in large part because the children of middle- and upper-class families were exempt from the draft. Because their children did not fight, the war did not have a direct impact on those who had influence over and access to American political leaders.

Question

5. In source 6, Richard Nixon said that he intended to “change American policy on both the negotiating front and the battlefront.” The changes he made on the battlefront are known as which of the following?

A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct. The answer is b. When he took office in 1969, Richard Nixon refused to end the war and elected to pursue “peace with honor.” In order to neutralize criticism of the war at home, however, he began delegating the ground fighting in Vietnam to the South Vietnamese. This new approach was known as Vietnamization.
Incorrect. The answer is b. When he took office in 1969, Richard Nixon refused to end the war and elected to pursue “peace with honor.” In order to neutralize criticism of the war at home, however, he began delegating the ground fighting in Vietnam to the South Vietnamese. This new approach was known as Vietnamization.

Question

6. Images like the one in source 7 helped to legitimize which perspective on the role of Americans in Vietnam?

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B.
C.
D.