Interpret the Evidence and Put It in Context

1. What are Senator Richard Russell’s reservations about a deeper commitment in Vietnam (Document 26.1)? Why does President Johnson feel the United States has to maintain its presence there? What role does Vietnam play in the larger international Cold War?

2. How does President Johnson try to generate sympathy for the South Vietnamese (Document 26.2)? What criticism is he responding to, and how does he address those concerns?

3. What argument is Herbert Block making about the Johnson administration (Document 26.3)? What does the cartoon suggest about President Johnson’s feelings about the war?

4. How do SNCC activists compare their civil rights struggle with the struggle for freedom in Vietnam (Document 26.4)? In what ways do they charge the government with hypocrisy? On what grounds do they argue that the United States should get out of Vietnam?

5. Why would Robert Kennedy admit that he had been wrong about the conflict in Vietnam in 1962 (Document 26.5)? Does he believe it is possible to win in Vietnam? How does he characterize the South Vietnamese government?

1. Why did the Vietnam War lead the American people to distrust their government? How did the war shape how Americans understood the Cold War?