Titles: United States v. Nixon Labels: Nixon, Watergate, US_v_Nixon
The Cover-up
1. Regardless of the outcome, should the President of the United States have a right to privacy in regards to the Oval Office tapes? Explain.
No he should not have a right because the Oval Office tapes were evidence to an ongoing investigation. The question, "what did the president know, and when did he know it" could be answered by the viewing of the tapes. He should not have a right to privacy because what happens in the Oval office belongs to the federal government and the judicial branch has a right to see what they want.
2. Was President Nixon justified when he fired special prosecutor Archibald Cox? Explain.
President Nixon was absolutely not justified when he fired special prosecutor Archibald Cox because he fired him for basically summoning the court for vital evidence to a case involving the well being of the government. It was near insanity, and many protests broke out against the president. It was not justified because Cox simply did not want a summary of the tapes, but rather the tapes themselves, and Nixon refused and fired him. So Cox was fired because Nixon wasn't getting his way...UNJUSTIFIED.
3. Was Nixon creating a Constitutional crisis by refusing to hand-over the tapes? Explain.
Yes, Nixon created a Constitutional crisis by refusing to hand-over the tapes because it created a huge outpour of protest. The American public created 350,000 telegrams to congress and the white house describing their anger and distaste for the president's actions. It was a constitutional crisis because he was breaking the law by withholding crucial evidence to a court case and he was abusing the executive power.
Closure
4. Why do you think the American public was so outraged by Watergate?
The American public was so outraged by Watergate because it made them lose all of their trust that they had in the government. They could no longer believe or trust what the government was doing and it made them very mad. They were also outraged with the fact that president Nixon was abusing the executive power and acting more like a dictator than a political leader. The government was no long "for the people, by the people" but rather ruled by one individual making decisions for everyone, and it infuriated the public.
5. Do you think President Nixon should have resigned? Explain.
President Nixon most definitely should have resigned because he was doomed. He was charged with misusing presidential power to violate the constitutional rights of U.S. citizens, obstruction of justice, and defying Judiciary Committee subpoenas. His impeachment was inevitable if he stayed in office so he saved himself the humiliation and embarrassment and resigned, which was the right thing to do.
6. Do you think President Nixon should have been prosecuted? Explain.
I do not think President Nixon should have been prosecuted because it would have caused not only a domestic crisis but as well as a global crisis. The United States had already looked bad as they were just getting out of Vietnam, they had let communism spread in Europe and Asia and to have a president prosecuted would have made the united states look pathetic and weak. It was a wise decision not to prosecute the former president because it would have only caused more drama in the world and make the United States look vulnerable.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Watergate: Nixon's Downfall
1. How were the "plumbers" connected to President Nixon?
The plumbers were basically a special investigation team that was created during Nixon's presidency. The job of the "plumbers" was to stop information from being leaked to the press and they were tied up in Watergate.
2. Who was the judge? Why did he hand out maximum sentences?
John Sirica was the judge and he handed out maximum sentences because he believed that the men did not act alone, as well as the thought that the sentences could be reduced and people would give in to talking.
3. How were Mitchell and Dean connected to Nixon?
Dean was a former white house counsel and he provided the first evidence of testimony that Nixon was heavily involved in the scandal. John Mitchell was the former attorney general of President Nixon.
4. How were Haldeman and Erlichman connected to Nixon?
Haldeman was the White House chief of Staff of President Nixon, and Erlichman was the domestic chief advisor of President Nixon and that is how they were connected.
5. What did the following men tell the Senate about Nixon?
a. Dean- "Nixon had been deeply involved in the cover-up"
b. Butterfield- Butterfield told the senate that Nixon taped all of his presidential conversations. He said the system was called, "to help Nixon write his memoirs."
6. Who was fired or forced to resign in the "massacre"?
Richardson refused the order of firing Cox and as a result he was forced to resign and or fired.
7. Why weren't investigators satisified with the transcripts? The investigators were not satisfied because they wanted the unedited tapes but Nixon refused to hand them over.
8. What did the tapes reveal? The tapes revealed that there was enough evidence to impeach president Richard Nixon. The committee approved three articles of impeachment including obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of congress for refusing to give up the tapes.
9. Why did Vice President Spiro Agnew resign? Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned because it was revealed that he had accepted bribes from engineering firms while governor of Maryland.
10. What did the House Judiciary Committee charge President Nixon with?
The committee charged Nixon with three articles of impeachment including obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of congress for refusing to give up the tapes.
11. How did the Watergate scandal create a constitutional crisis?
The Watergate scandal created a constitutional crisis because the American public and the media developed a general cynicism about public officials and made people lose a lot of trust in the government.
The plumbers were basically a special investigation team that was created during Nixon's presidency. The job of the "plumbers" was to stop information from being leaked to the press and they were tied up in Watergate.
2. Who was the judge? Why did he hand out maximum sentences?
John Sirica was the judge and he handed out maximum sentences because he believed that the men did not act alone, as well as the thought that the sentences could be reduced and people would give in to talking.
3. How were Mitchell and Dean connected to Nixon?
Dean was a former white house counsel and he provided the first evidence of testimony that Nixon was heavily involved in the scandal. John Mitchell was the former attorney general of President Nixon.
4. How were Haldeman and Erlichman connected to Nixon?
Haldeman was the White House chief of Staff of President Nixon, and Erlichman was the domestic chief advisor of President Nixon and that is how they were connected.
5. What did the following men tell the Senate about Nixon?
a. Dean- "Nixon had been deeply involved in the cover-up"
b. Butterfield- Butterfield told the senate that Nixon taped all of his presidential conversations. He said the system was called, "to help Nixon write his memoirs."
6. Who was fired or forced to resign in the "massacre"?
Richardson refused the order of firing Cox and as a result he was forced to resign and or fired.
7. Why weren't investigators satisified with the transcripts? The investigators were not satisfied because they wanted the unedited tapes but Nixon refused to hand them over.
8. What did the tapes reveal? The tapes revealed that there was enough evidence to impeach president Richard Nixon. The committee approved three articles of impeachment including obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of congress for refusing to give up the tapes.
9. Why did Vice President Spiro Agnew resign? Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned because it was revealed that he had accepted bribes from engineering firms while governor of Maryland.
10. What did the House Judiciary Committee charge President Nixon with?
The committee charged Nixon with three articles of impeachment including obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of congress for refusing to give up the tapes.
11. How did the Watergate scandal create a constitutional crisis?
The Watergate scandal created a constitutional crisis because the American public and the media developed a general cynicism about public officials and made people lose a lot of trust in the government.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Women Fight for Equality
Title: Women Fight for Equality Labels: Women's_Rights, Friedan, Schlafly, Steinem, Roe_v_Wade, ERA, NOW, Feminism,
Directions: As you read about the rise of a new women’s movement, take notes to explain how each of the following helped to create or advance the movement. Most jobs were deemed as male jobs and women were forbidden to do them or suited for them.
1. Experiences in the workplace
Women could only get jobs that were low paying, and even when they got jobs they were rarely ever promoted to a higher or better position. Most jobs were deemed as male jobs and women were forbidden to do them or suited for them. This proved that women were treated unfairly and they didn't get treated like men.
2. Experiences in social activism- Women joined groups where they felt they were treated unequally by men and not given higher positions. The women were given lesser roles when the men had more authority and or power.
3. "Consciousness raising"- they were groups where women would talk about having been discriminated against or experienced sexism. Women figured out that it was common among women to be discriminated against.
4. Feminism- Feminism: the belief that women should have economic, political, and social equality with men. Women took belief in feminism and they developed very strong emotions against men and for women's rights.
5. Betty Friedan and The Feminine Mystique- betty Friedan published the book The Feminine Mystique explaining that woman believed that they were not being treated equally and how it was common for a woman to think that she was not equal to a mans rights and how it often made women unhappy because of the inequality. It showed the sexism of women to men.
6. Civil Rights Act of 1964- The Civil Rights Act of 1964 gave woman determination to advance woman rights. The Act was a good example of showing that change was an extreme possibility and woman became more ambitious for equality.
7. National Organization for Women (NOW)- It was a very helpful organization that came to the aid of women to help them further pursue jobs and ultimately equality. It set up child care facilities that let mothers work and have jobs that were rather high paying and gave them the possibility of gaining a higher position.
8. Gloria Steinem and Ms. Magazine- She spoke publicly and spoke out loud to people and helped create the National Women's Political caucus.
9. Congress- Congress passed the equal rights amendment that gave women equality in 1972.
10. Supreme Court- The Supreme Court ruled to take away the right of women to have an abortion or not in the Roe vs Wade trial. Abortion became a huge issue involving womans rights and decisions.
11. The Equal rights Amendment would have guaranteed equal rights under the law, regardless of gender. Who opposed this amendment? Why?
Phyllis Schlafly opposed the equal rights amendment because she felt many factors would tie in with the amendment that would make women unhappy like, women being drafted for war, it would stop gay marriage, it would make men no longer support for their family as heavily as they did, and it would eliminate laws that protected homeowners.
Directions: As you read about the rise of a new women’s movement, take notes to explain how each of the following helped to create or advance the movement. Most jobs were deemed as male jobs and women were forbidden to do them or suited for them.
1. Experiences in the workplace
Women could only get jobs that were low paying, and even when they got jobs they were rarely ever promoted to a higher or better position. Most jobs were deemed as male jobs and women were forbidden to do them or suited for them. This proved that women were treated unfairly and they didn't get treated like men.
2. Experiences in social activism- Women joined groups where they felt they were treated unequally by men and not given higher positions. The women were given lesser roles when the men had more authority and or power.
3. "Consciousness raising"- they were groups where women would talk about having been discriminated against or experienced sexism. Women figured out that it was common among women to be discriminated against.
4. Feminism- Feminism: the belief that women should have economic, political, and social equality with men. Women took belief in feminism and they developed very strong emotions against men and for women's rights.
5. Betty Friedan and The Feminine Mystique- betty Friedan published the book The Feminine Mystique explaining that woman believed that they were not being treated equally and how it was common for a woman to think that she was not equal to a mans rights and how it often made women unhappy because of the inequality. It showed the sexism of women to men.
6. Civil Rights Act of 1964- The Civil Rights Act of 1964 gave woman determination to advance woman rights. The Act was a good example of showing that change was an extreme possibility and woman became more ambitious for equality.
7. National Organization for Women (NOW)- It was a very helpful organization that came to the aid of women to help them further pursue jobs and ultimately equality. It set up child care facilities that let mothers work and have jobs that were rather high paying and gave them the possibility of gaining a higher position.
8. Gloria Steinem and Ms. Magazine- She spoke publicly and spoke out loud to people and helped create the National Women's Political caucus.
9. Congress- Congress passed the equal rights amendment that gave women equality in 1972.
10. Supreme Court- The Supreme Court ruled to take away the right of women to have an abortion or not in the Roe vs Wade trial. Abortion became a huge issue involving womans rights and decisions.
11. The Equal rights Amendment would have guaranteed equal rights under the law, regardless of gender. Who opposed this amendment? Why?
Phyllis Schlafly opposed the equal rights amendment because she felt many factors would tie in with the amendment that would make women unhappy like, women being drafted for war, it would stop gay marriage, it would make men no longer support for their family as heavily as they did, and it would eliminate laws that protected homeowners.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Why did the USA lose the Vietnam War?
The Americans did not lose purely for military reasons. There were other factors as well.
Write an explanation AND cite a source which shows the importance of the following six factors:
1. US military tactics in Vietnam- The US military tactics in Vietnam consisted of bombing, chemical weapons, and search and destroy missions. The U.S. air power could not defeat the communists, the Viet Cong could still operate their supply lines and were still able to launch major attacks. The chemical weapons like agent orange only worked to a minimal extent because they killed many innocent civilians which made the Americans look bad. Search and destroy missions did not work because they were often based off of unreliable information, they were run by young american soldiers that fell into traps, many innocent civilians died, many cities and towns were burnt down to nothing, and the search and destroy missions pushed peasants to support the Viet Cong. As shown in Source 41, 42, and 43, the Americans were not well liked by the Vietnamese people and they were creating atrocities in Vietnam.
2. The unpopularity of the South Vietnamese regime- Diem was a very corrupt leader. He was a member of the landlord class that treated peasants terribly, and he had a deep disgust for Buddhists as he was a Roman Catholic. He was very corrupt as he chose members of his family or supporters for positions of power and he refused to hold elections. The U.S.A. knew this but they still supported him because he was anti communist and they had no one else better. The U.S. supplied him with a lot of money. Source 35 shows the unpopularity of the South Vietnamese regime.
3. The experience of the Viet Cong and the inexperience of the American soldiers- The Viet Cong were very experienced because they were the best soldiers North Vietnam had, they practiced guerrilla warfare that made them very strong and intelligent, they were ruthless and determined to win the war, they knew their way around the jungle and around Vietnam and they refused to give in. The American soldiers were very bad, they were mostly young men that were fresh out of the draft, and there was rarely old soldiers as they kept getting rotated, the American soldiers knew nothing about Vietnam or about how to get through the jungle, and they could not figure out the guerrilla warfare for the life of them. The experience of the Viet Cong and the inexperience of the Viet Cong is shown in Source 36, 37, and 38 as the guerrilla tactics are exploited.
4. Domestic opposition to the war in the U.S.- Many Americans were horrified with the Vietnam war and what they were seeing in the news. It showed prisoners being executed and tortured, or women and children watching the horrors of cities being burnt down and their husbands killed. The American public was disgusted with how the U.S. military was handling the war and how they were going against the morals of the United States, they were killing innocent civilians and breaking other rules of war, and the American people found this barbaric, and they believed the American people did not even need to be in Vietnam and it was a pointless war. Source 45 and 45 show the domestic opposition of the Vietnam war according to the Americans.
5. Chinese and Soviet support for the Viet Cong- The Chinese and Soviet Union supplied weapons, equipment, and money to the Viet Cong during the war. They were for the Viet Cong winning so they would become communist and share the same ideas as them. Although the Viet Cong were outnumbered, their tactics, money, weapons, and equipment received from China and the Soviet Union gave them a lot of power and the necessities to win the war. Source 38 shows how China supports the Viet Cong and communism in Vietnam.
6. 'But did they really lose?' Summarize the argument put forward in Source 57, and your view on it.
Yes, the United states really lost the war and I believe Source 57 is a bunch of lame excuses. The United states fought in Vietnam, they were unable to defeat the Viet Cong and they realized they had no chance, the U.S. backed out before disaster struck, as disaster was inevitable. The U.S. strategically moved out at the right time to save themselves from embarrassment but they did in fact lose the war, they went in to win the war and stop communism from forming in Vietnam, they happened to fail at doing so, therefore making them the losers in the end.
Write an explanation AND cite a source which shows the importance of the following six factors:
1. US military tactics in Vietnam- The US military tactics in Vietnam consisted of bombing, chemical weapons, and search and destroy missions. The U.S. air power could not defeat the communists, the Viet Cong could still operate their supply lines and were still able to launch major attacks. The chemical weapons like agent orange only worked to a minimal extent because they killed many innocent civilians which made the Americans look bad. Search and destroy missions did not work because they were often based off of unreliable information, they were run by young american soldiers that fell into traps, many innocent civilians died, many cities and towns were burnt down to nothing, and the search and destroy missions pushed peasants to support the Viet Cong. As shown in Source 41, 42, and 43, the Americans were not well liked by the Vietnamese people and they were creating atrocities in Vietnam.
2. The unpopularity of the South Vietnamese regime- Diem was a very corrupt leader. He was a member of the landlord class that treated peasants terribly, and he had a deep disgust for Buddhists as he was a Roman Catholic. He was very corrupt as he chose members of his family or supporters for positions of power and he refused to hold elections. The U.S.A. knew this but they still supported him because he was anti communist and they had no one else better. The U.S. supplied him with a lot of money. Source 35 shows the unpopularity of the South Vietnamese regime.
3. The experience of the Viet Cong and the inexperience of the American soldiers- The Viet Cong were very experienced because they were the best soldiers North Vietnam had, they practiced guerrilla warfare that made them very strong and intelligent, they were ruthless and determined to win the war, they knew their way around the jungle and around Vietnam and they refused to give in. The American soldiers were very bad, they were mostly young men that were fresh out of the draft, and there was rarely old soldiers as they kept getting rotated, the American soldiers knew nothing about Vietnam or about how to get through the jungle, and they could not figure out the guerrilla warfare for the life of them. The experience of the Viet Cong and the inexperience of the Viet Cong is shown in Source 36, 37, and 38 as the guerrilla tactics are exploited.
4. Domestic opposition to the war in the U.S.- Many Americans were horrified with the Vietnam war and what they were seeing in the news. It showed prisoners being executed and tortured, or women and children watching the horrors of cities being burnt down and their husbands killed. The American public was disgusted with how the U.S. military was handling the war and how they were going against the morals of the United States, they were killing innocent civilians and breaking other rules of war, and the American people found this barbaric, and they believed the American people did not even need to be in Vietnam and it was a pointless war. Source 45 and 45 show the domestic opposition of the Vietnam war according to the Americans.
5. Chinese and Soviet support for the Viet Cong- The Chinese and Soviet Union supplied weapons, equipment, and money to the Viet Cong during the war. They were for the Viet Cong winning so they would become communist and share the same ideas as them. Although the Viet Cong were outnumbered, their tactics, money, weapons, and equipment received from China and the Soviet Union gave them a lot of power and the necessities to win the war. Source 38 shows how China supports the Viet Cong and communism in Vietnam.
6. 'But did they really lose?' Summarize the argument put forward in Source 57, and your view on it.
Yes, the United states really lost the war and I believe Source 57 is a bunch of lame excuses. The United states fought in Vietnam, they were unable to defeat the Viet Cong and they realized they had no chance, the U.S. backed out before disaster struck, as disaster was inevitable. The U.S. strategically moved out at the right time to save themselves from embarrassment but they did in fact lose the war, they went in to win the war and stop communism from forming in Vietnam, they happened to fail at doing so, therefore making them the losers in the end.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Vietnam War Opposition
1. Note all of the reasons why you feel the war in Vietnam is wrong.
It is a pointless war...the Vietnamese have been ruled by the French for centuries, when they finally get their freedom, they don't want another nation to come in and control them. The Viet Cong and Vietnamese were relentless and they would never give up. The Vietnamese were a lot better prepared and had better war tactics. The U.S. was spending 2o billion dollars a year and was sending 500,000 troops into Vietnam and they were still getting surprise attacks sprung upon them. The U.S. bombed many towns and cities, killing innocent women and children. The burnt down many towns and cities, it was a disaster and was immoral. The U.S. was going against what they believed in.
2. Note what you re trying to achieve with this poster. (e.g. to convince people to write to their Congressmen to get the troops out.)
I am writing this poster to convince people that the government is wrong and what they are doing is terrible. The United states is going against all that it stands for and people need to realize this and protest it so that the Vietnam war will stop and their will be peace across the world. I am trying to get the idea across that it is not our war to fight, it is not our country, not our problem, and we need to let it be. There is no point in wasting our money and our soldiers for something that is turning into a bloody mess, they are going their to look like Nazis! It is blasphemy!
3. List possible images for your poster. Think about: background (e.g. destroyed villages); the central image (e.g. picture of a young soldier); whether you will need words to explain your image.
First Image: Picture of a young Vietnamese child, hurt and helpless. The words describing the picture would be how Vietnamese children were dieing from napalm attacks and they were set on fire and sometimes killed.
Second image: A town destroyed by a napalm attack or a city destroyed. For example a place like Hue that was an ancient city and it was completely destroyed by American bombs.
Third Image: A picture of U.S. soldiers, trekking through the Vietnamese land and how they walked and functioned together. Words would describe the picture as how the Americans fought in battle and how it greatly differed from that of the Vietnamese and their guerrilla tactics.
4. List some possible slogans for your poster.
"Pointless War!"
"Nazi America?"
"Where have the morals of the U.S. gone?"
"America gone bad"
"Screw the president!"
It is a pointless war...the Vietnamese have been ruled by the French for centuries, when they finally get their freedom, they don't want another nation to come in and control them. The Viet Cong and Vietnamese were relentless and they would never give up. The Vietnamese were a lot better prepared and had better war tactics. The U.S. was spending 2o billion dollars a year and was sending 500,000 troops into Vietnam and they were still getting surprise attacks sprung upon them. The U.S. bombed many towns and cities, killing innocent women and children. The burnt down many towns and cities, it was a disaster and was immoral. The U.S. was going against what they believed in.
2. Note what you re trying to achieve with this poster. (e.g. to convince people to write to their Congressmen to get the troops out.)
I am writing this poster to convince people that the government is wrong and what they are doing is terrible. The United states is going against all that it stands for and people need to realize this and protest it so that the Vietnam war will stop and their will be peace across the world. I am trying to get the idea across that it is not our war to fight, it is not our country, not our problem, and we need to let it be. There is no point in wasting our money and our soldiers for something that is turning into a bloody mess, they are going their to look like Nazis! It is blasphemy!
3. List possible images for your poster. Think about: background (e.g. destroyed villages); the central image (e.g. picture of a young soldier); whether you will need words to explain your image.
First Image: Picture of a young Vietnamese child, hurt and helpless. The words describing the picture would be how Vietnamese children were dieing from napalm attacks and they were set on fire and sometimes killed.
Second image: A town destroyed by a napalm attack or a city destroyed. For example a place like Hue that was an ancient city and it was completely destroyed by American bombs.
Third Image: A picture of U.S. soldiers, trekking through the Vietnamese land and how they walked and functioned together. Words would describe the picture as how the Americans fought in battle and how it greatly differed from that of the Vietnamese and their guerrilla tactics.
4. List some possible slogans for your poster.
"Pointless War!"
"Nazi America?"
"Where have the morals of the U.S. gone?"
"America gone bad"
"Screw the president!"
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Vietnam War Turning Points
1. Why was the Tet Offensive a turning point? Explain your answer.
The Tet offensive was a turning point because it raised a lot of questions about the war in the United states. The United states had nearly 500,000 troops in Vietnam and they were spending nearly 20 billion dollars a year on the war, so people wondered how the communists were able to pull off a major offensive that took the U.S. forces by surprise. Also, the United states and South Vietnamese used heavy artillery and air power, that resulted in many Vietnamese civilian deaths, and the ancient city of Hue being destroyed. It was a turning point because the U.S.A. realized that what they were doing was against what they believed in and they were not being fair or they did not know what they were fighting for anymore.
2. Are Sources 51 and 52 making the same point about the My Lai Massacre?
No, source 51 and source 52 are very different in their points about the My Lai massacre. Source 51 was written by Ronald Ridenhour, who was appalled with what had gone on at My Lai, he compared it to the work of Nazis, and how innocent women and children were slaughtered. Ridenhour claimed that young American men went to Vietnam to serve as soldiers and to be courageous, not to take away innocent lives. In source 52, Lieutenant Calley claims that he was in My Lai to fight communism, and not to kill humans. The two sources vary greatly because one is stating how the My Lai massacre was a disaster in the war, while the other is stating that the My Lai massacre was a part of the war and it led to the effort of trying to end communism.
3. Why do you think it took 12 months for
anyone to do anything about the massacre?
In my opinion, I believed that the My Lai massacre was covered up by Calley and some other members of the Charlie company. Nobody came forward before twelve months because they were instructed and ordered not to by their generals and lieutenants. I believe that it got covered up because Calley knew that he committed a serious crime and the military would pay greatly for having murdered innocent people. Calley did not want the My Lai massacre to be exploited so he covered it up and made his soldiers believe they did well, until one soldier got a hold off the news and realized what the Americans were doing was very wrong.
4. Why was the massacre so shocking to
the American public?
The American people were so shocked by the massacre because they thought the U.S. military was in Vietnam to strictly try and end communism and fight the Viet Cong. The public believed that the only ones dieing were those who opposed the U.S. army and fought against them. The people of the United states were shocked because they realized innocent people were dieing at the cost of the U.S. and the U.S. was killing people that did not deserve to be killed and it was appalling to them.
The Tet offensive was a turning point because it raised a lot of questions about the war in the United states. The United states had nearly 500,000 troops in Vietnam and they were spending nearly 20 billion dollars a year on the war, so people wondered how the communists were able to pull off a major offensive that took the U.S. forces by surprise. Also, the United states and South Vietnamese used heavy artillery and air power, that resulted in many Vietnamese civilian deaths, and the ancient city of Hue being destroyed. It was a turning point because the U.S.A. realized that what they were doing was against what they believed in and they were not being fair or they did not know what they were fighting for anymore.
2. Are Sources 51 and 52 making the same point about the My Lai Massacre?
No, source 51 and source 52 are very different in their points about the My Lai massacre. Source 51 was written by Ronald Ridenhour, who was appalled with what had gone on at My Lai, he compared it to the work of Nazis, and how innocent women and children were slaughtered. Ridenhour claimed that young American men went to Vietnam to serve as soldiers and to be courageous, not to take away innocent lives. In source 52, Lieutenant Calley claims that he was in My Lai to fight communism, and not to kill humans. The two sources vary greatly because one is stating how the My Lai massacre was a disaster in the war, while the other is stating that the My Lai massacre was a part of the war and it led to the effort of trying to end communism.
3. Why do you think it took 12 months for
anyone to do anything about the massacre?
In my opinion, I believed that the My Lai massacre was covered up by Calley and some other members of the Charlie company. Nobody came forward before twelve months because they were instructed and ordered not to by their generals and lieutenants. I believe that it got covered up because Calley knew that he committed a serious crime and the military would pay greatly for having murdered innocent people. Calley did not want the My Lai massacre to be exploited so he covered it up and made his soldiers believe they did well, until one soldier got a hold off the news and realized what the Americans were doing was very wrong.
4. Why was the massacre so shocking to
the American public?
The American people were so shocked by the massacre because they thought the U.S. military was in Vietnam to strictly try and end communism and fight the Viet Cong. The public believed that the only ones dieing were those who opposed the U.S. army and fought against them. The people of the United states were shocked because they realized innocent people were dieing at the cost of the U.S. and the U.S. was killing people that did not deserve to be killed and it was appalling to them.
Monday, May 3, 2010
The U.S. struggles against the Communist in Vietnam
Step 2: Using pages 356-61 in the Vietnam War Reading, make notes in columns 2 (US Army) and 4 (Viet Cong) to record how far each side had each quality.
Stage 2: Thinking it through
Step 3: in each row of column 3, draw some scales to show which way the balance falls for this quality. Did the USA or the Viet Cong have the advantage?
1. Now think about the overall picture - how the strengths and weaknesses work together.
a) Were the armies finely balanced or was the balance strongly weighted to one side or the other?
The balance of the armies was strongly weighted towards the side of the Viet Cong because they had a lot more advantages. For example, they had more dedicated soldiers, better war tactics, support from the Vietnamese, and a good amount of equipment from other nations. The U.S. army was strong but they could not stand up to the guerrilla tactics of the Viet Cong and the abnormal fighting style they brought forth.
b) Which quality was most important in determining who won the war? Was one feature so important that being ahead in that area meant that other advantages or disadvantages did not matter?
No because the war was very wide-based. There was many areas that all combined ultimately decided who won the war. Mainly, if communism stayed than Vietnam won the war and if the U.S. was able to abolish communism than they would have won the war. The feature that was most important was the amount of casualties of one side and how the government stood after the war.
Stage 3: Explaining your conclusions
The failure of the U.S. army to beat the Communist in Vietnam was the result of its own weaknesses and Viet Cong strengths.
2. Now write up your answer. Use this structure:
a. The U.S. weaknesses were: the failed strategy of bombing and marching in groups to fight the Viet Cong, the lack of understanding of the jungle, the lack of understanding of how the Viet Cong fought, not enough determined soldiers, and no true influence or support from Vietnam.
b. At the same time, the Communist strengths were: the very successful guerrilla tactics, the understanding of the jungle, determined soldiers, the support of Vietnam, a good amount of equipment supplied by the Soviet Unions and China.
c. The U.S. forces did have some successes. For example: they were able to successfully bomb North Vietnam, disrupted the war efforts and supply efforts of the communists, they showed how powerful their army was and inevitably how much the U.S. opposed communism and the Tet offensive.
d. However, there were some major failures as well. Examples of these were: not winning the Vietnam war, failing to stop communism, supporting a corrupt leader and government in Vietnam, not being able to stop the spread of communism and keep South Vietnam free.
e. The Viet Cong had some major successes, such as: successfully bombing U.S. and Southern Vietnam air bases and supply fields, ultimately winning the war, keeping communism present in Vietnam and supporting Ho Chi Minh which resulted in the communists winning the war.
f. However, they also suffered defeats, for example: the Tet offensive. During the Tet offensive, the Viet Cong lost around 10,000 experienced soldiers and it showed that the people of South Vietnam did not stand up to support the Viet Cong.
g. If I had to identify one major American weakness, it would be [not being able to fight well against the guerrilla tactics] because: the U.S. was very old fashioned and they fought by marching and in open fields by following the rules of war, while the Viet Cong used guerrilla tactics that thrw off the U.S. armies whole plan of fighting and it was a nightmare for the U.S. The guerrilla tactics proved to be very successful and work tremendously well for the Vietnamese and the Americans could not successfully fight back.
h. The key Viet Cong strength was [guerrilla tactics] because: they were able to go all throughout the jungle, retreat very fast, attack the U.S. when they were tired, and the Viet Cong was very durable. They were determined to never give in or give up and they did whatever it took to win.
Stage 2: Thinking it through
Step 3: in each row of column 3, draw some scales to show which way the balance falls for this quality. Did the USA or the Viet Cong have the advantage?
1. Now think about the overall picture - how the strengths and weaknesses work together.
a) Were the armies finely balanced or was the balance strongly weighted to one side or the other?
The balance of the armies was strongly weighted towards the side of the Viet Cong because they had a lot more advantages. For example, they had more dedicated soldiers, better war tactics, support from the Vietnamese, and a good amount of equipment from other nations. The U.S. army was strong but they could not stand up to the guerrilla tactics of the Viet Cong and the abnormal fighting style they brought forth.
b) Which quality was most important in determining who won the war? Was one feature so important that being ahead in that area meant that other advantages or disadvantages did not matter?
No because the war was very wide-based. There was many areas that all combined ultimately decided who won the war. Mainly, if communism stayed than Vietnam won the war and if the U.S. was able to abolish communism than they would have won the war. The feature that was most important was the amount of casualties of one side and how the government stood after the war.
Stage 3: Explaining your conclusions
The failure of the U.S. army to beat the Communist in Vietnam was the result of its own weaknesses and Viet Cong strengths.
2. Now write up your answer. Use this structure:
a. The U.S. weaknesses were: the failed strategy of bombing and marching in groups to fight the Viet Cong, the lack of understanding of the jungle, the lack of understanding of how the Viet Cong fought, not enough determined soldiers, and no true influence or support from Vietnam.
b. At the same time, the Communist strengths were: the very successful guerrilla tactics, the understanding of the jungle, determined soldiers, the support of Vietnam, a good amount of equipment supplied by the Soviet Unions and China.
c. The U.S. forces did have some successes. For example: they were able to successfully bomb North Vietnam, disrupted the war efforts and supply efforts of the communists, they showed how powerful their army was and inevitably how much the U.S. opposed communism and the Tet offensive.
d. However, there were some major failures as well. Examples of these were: not winning the Vietnam war, failing to stop communism, supporting a corrupt leader and government in Vietnam, not being able to stop the spread of communism and keep South Vietnam free.
e. The Viet Cong had some major successes, such as: successfully bombing U.S. and Southern Vietnam air bases and supply fields, ultimately winning the war, keeping communism present in Vietnam and supporting Ho Chi Minh which resulted in the communists winning the war.
f. However, they also suffered defeats, for example: the Tet offensive. During the Tet offensive, the Viet Cong lost around 10,000 experienced soldiers and it showed that the people of South Vietnam did not stand up to support the Viet Cong.
g. If I had to identify one major American weakness, it would be [not being able to fight well against the guerrilla tactics] because: the U.S. was very old fashioned and they fought by marching and in open fields by following the rules of war, while the Viet Cong used guerrilla tactics that thrw off the U.S. armies whole plan of fighting and it was a nightmare for the U.S. The guerrilla tactics proved to be very successful and work tremendously well for the Vietnamese and the Americans could not successfully fight back.
h. The key Viet Cong strength was [guerrilla tactics] because: they were able to go all throughout the jungle, retreat very fast, attack the U.S. when they were tired, and the Viet Cong was very durable. They were determined to never give in or give up and they did whatever it took to win.
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