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Write your name as the Title of the Post-It

Individually, view at least three resources PER LESSON and use the the Connect-Extend-Challenge framework to reflect on each resource.

Ensure you provide SPECIFIC evidence about your own thinking and the resources e.g., ‘I used to think that <specific evidence> because… but Resource 1.1. extended my thinking because it highlighted how <specific evidence>. Thus, I now think that <how your thinking has been extended>.

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I used to think that the North Vietnamese maintained a good relationship with the Chinese, before, during, and I assumed, after the Second Indochina War. This was because before the war, the Chinese and Vietminh had provided each other with cover and material support during chinese civil war and First Indochina war.

However, thanks to resource 1.1, I know now that in 1979, after the war had concluded, a conflict ensued between the Chinese and Vietnam, the Sino-Vietnamese war. During the war, China had launched an offensive in response to Vietnam's invasion and occupation of Cambodia in 1978.

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Although I knew that the USSR and China did mostly send military aid instead of supporting them on the battlefield, I did NAWT know that China would then also try to invade Vietnam in 1979, in Sino-Vietnamese War, because I assumed that Northern Vietnam and China had a good relationship, for all the aid that they sent during the Second Indochina War.

The video also covered what I already knew about the 3 American Presidents involved in the war (JFK, LBJ, NIXON!!!!!) and their stance on the war for the USA.

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I always thought that Ho Chi Minh was a great leader who was able to make wise and impactful decisions. Resource 1.3 extended my thinking because it highlights how Ho Chi Minh was not only a political leader but also a powerful symbolic figure who unified the Vietnamese people. He was seen as the instrumental strength of the Communist Party in Vietnam. Additionally, after he declared Vietnam’s independence, the country became more united in its resistance against colonial powers, and the patriotism campaign further strengthened national solidarity. Thus, I now think that Ho Chi Minh’s leadership was not only effective in decision-making but also crucial in inspiring unity, nationalism, and long-term commitment to Vietnam’s independence movement.

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I used to think that communism only spread in Vietnam because of foreign influence such as the Soviet Union etc.

From resource 2.1, i learnt that communism gained popularity in Vietnam mainly due to oppression of the French during the colonial period. The Vietnamese viewed communism as a way to fight French Imperialism and gain national sovereignty and equality. The oppressive legacy that the French left, was what ultimately turned many Vietnamese against capitalism.

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I used to think that there was only one turning point in the vietnam war which was the Tet Offensive, which marked the start of the deescalation in Vietnam. However, the resource 1.4 taught me that Operation rolling thunder is also one of the turning points.

Operation rolling thunder as "The bombing campaign, along with the growing number of American casualties and the lack of progress on the ground, contributed to growing opposition to the war in the United States and around the world." I did not know that the American public were already aware of the growing number of causalties during operation thunder and there were already growing sentiments then which sought of marked one of the key turning points in the Vietnam war where there was less support for the War by the public in Vietnam.

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i used to think that the vietnam war was only influenced by factors within vietnam, but resource 1.2 extended my thinking because it highlights how there were multiple different factors that played a role in the outcome of the war, such as american overconfidence, cold war tensions and imperialist tendencies. thus i now think that there were many things affecting the war, not just internal conflicts in vietnam.

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I know that the weak leadership in the South under Diem amplified the conflict by turning most of the population against him and causing many non communist vietnamese to join the Vietminh.

This connects to the information presented in resource 1.3 where this caused the rise of the Vietcong against Diem. This, on top of the already existing opposition against the South/ capitalism, led to the Vietminh having even greater power and becoming stronger than the DRV. This resulted in direct US intervention to support the South in their fight against communism through the Gulf of Tonkin incident. Hence, I now think that the weak leadership in the South led to US involvement and greatly escalated the internal conflict into a proxy war

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This resource did contain all the things that I have studied about the Second Indochina War as it touched on both the US + Southern Vietnam's and the Northern Vietnam's gains and losses in the war, but it also included more specific details about such events (about how the USA's bombing campaigns on North Vietnam fell flat bc they kept bombing empty areas with the egoistic goal set on impressing Hanoi) and they also touched on the American split of public opinion of why they should put an end to the war. They mostly seen as immoral as they were killing random innocent people, but some also saw it as a waste of good American resources or going against the American values of freedom as it was deemed an attack on Vietnamese independence.

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I used to think that the the North Vietnamese, USSR and China remained on good terms from the start till the end and even after the war because when the war started, they were eagerly sending supplies to each other and were supporting them military wise, economically wise and manpower wise. However, Resource 1.1 extended my thinking because it highlighted how China and Vietnam actually had a conflict right after the 2nd indochina war, China and Vietnam actually had a conflict which was titled the Sino-Vietnamese War. Thus I now think that though they were on good terms during the second indochina war, China and Vietnam actually had a rather tumultuous relationship and had disagreements that resulted in military conflict.

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i used to think that ho chi minh didnt have a very prevalent role in the vietnam war and majority of the war was fought in the south

but now i know that he was very much involved due to the rise of his regime, and how he was a figure of strength to the communist party rather than just the vietcong (eg founding the ICP)

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Resource 2.2 furthered my understanding on how the US lied to their citizens, and how their direct involvement and refusal to back down escalated the war. It also emphasised how ineffective and useless their destructive military campaigns were in the face of North Vietnamese resilience and resistance. This is exemplified by their failure of Operation Rolling Thunder. This was due to the fact that North Vietnamese resources weren't stored in their region, and the US were unable to weaken their military force through their bombing campaigns. Additionally, the US were unable to stop the Vietcong and the North from using the Ho Chi Minh trail as they created underground tunnel networks to keep the supply lines working.

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I used to think that China and the Soviet Union supported North Vietnam simply because they shared the same communist ideology and wanted to help a fellow communist country against the democratic South. However, Resource 3.2 extended my thinking by revealing the deeper political motivations behind their actions. It shows that while China publicly praised the Soviets, they were actually distrustful of them in private. Both countries were competing for influence and leadership in the communist world. This rivalry led them to compete over who could provide more aid to Vietnam, using their support as a way to demonstrate superiority to each other and to gain Vietnam’s loyalty. Thus, this shows that their involvement in Vietnam was not purely out of goodwill, but was also driven by self-interest and a desire for political dominance.

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Source 3.2

It reinforces the knowledge that NV was able to hold up large scale resistance due to the Communist Aids which China and USSR was competing to outprovide each other with.

It extended my understanding of how the NV forces being able to resist i.e. failure of Operation Rolling Thunder and Tet offensive could harm the public opinion of the US government, such as the televised and documented civilian deaths and the tet offensive being televised painting the image that the war was not in fact a easy victory and showing NV resilience.

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I used to think that the US withdrew from Vietnam only because of the inability to conquer it, Signing the Paris peace accords.

However, resource 5.3 told me that there was more than one factor involved, such as public sentiment shifting and the opposition to continuing the war in US. The resource stated as information was more accessible to the general public of America, the public opinion began turning against US involvement in the Vietnam war, due to the lies fed by the US to them. Most of the soldiers of America were also not supportive of the US goals to contain communism, which are some of the reasons US deciding to withdraw from Vietnam, suffering losses and weakening president Nixons presidency.

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I used to think that Vietnamization was simply the US puling troops out of the Vietnam war to prevent further losses

Through resource 1.3, I learnt that it was a strategic but flawed plan to shift responsibility to the South Vietnamese military though it was not always up to the task. Hence, Vietnamization did not solve the root problem of the war, and led to more casualties.

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I used to think that media coverage of the Second Indochina War was only effective in raising anti-war sentiments after the Tet Offensive, where the US was portrayed as fighting a losing battle, causing US citizens to be dissatisfied. However, Resource 3.2 extended my thinking as it highlighted how Operation Rolling Thunder, which occurred 3 years prior to the Tet Offensive, also surfaced media that diminished the support for the American cause, by exhibiting uncensored media coverage of brutal civilian deaths.

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I used to think that since the diem regime was a initiative by the US it would help them in the war, but resource 1.2 helped me realise that the regime actually undermined US credibility after they highlighted that Diem went against US advice and this reflected badly on US when they lost control over Diem and support of locals in South Vietnam. Thus, I now think that just because evidences are US initiated, it does not necessarily mean that it benefited US in the war.

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1.4

I understood more about the de-escalation of the war and how the US withdrew from the Paris Peace Accords in 1973 and called for the release of prisoners of war, which was an important humanitarian issue. However, the North Vietnamese continued to fight against the South Vietnamese government, and in 1975, North Vietnamese forces captured Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, and the war came to an end. It also included minor events such as the Fall of Saigon, which had marked the reunification of Vietnam and the victory of the communist North Vietnamese over the U.S.-supported South Vietnamese government

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I used to think there was only one main turning point in the Vietnam War, but I’ve come to realize there were several key moments that shaped its outcome. One was Operation Rolling Thunder, a bombing campaign by the U.S. that failed to break North Vietnam’s resolve and instead increased local resistance and global criticism.Another turning point was the weak leadership and corruption in South Vietnam, which led to poor military performance and a lack of support from its own people. The Tet Offensive, although a military loss for the North, shocked the American public and revealed that victory was not as close as U.S. leaders had claimed.These events, along with rising anti-war sentiment in the U.S., gradually turned public opinion against the war and pushed the government toward withdrawal.

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This resources built up on my already existing knowledge that the Northern Vietnamese military were very persistent in continuing the conflict until they achieved their goal of reuniting Vietnam, by giving evidence of their hard stance ("only accepting the complete and unconditional withdrawal of US forces while the US thought they could force the Vietnamese into accepting concessions so as to pass off as an American victory") and showing us how the Northern Vietnamese only got further motivated by the American attempt at saving face.

I also learned from the resource about the more in-depth details of the Guerilla Tactics utilized by the Viet Cong (slow whittling of the enemy, digging tunnels, claymore mines with heavy artillery shelling, etc) and how it boosted their morale and pushed the US further back into their own corner.

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Resource 3.3 allowed me to understand the impacts that the Tet offensive had on not only Vietnam, but also the US. I understood that the Tet offensive was a turning point in the war as the US public finally saw through the government's deception and understood that the US was adamant on fighting a losing battle, even if it meant killing more innocent Vietnamese citizens and US soldiers.

However, the resource also allowed me to understand how the US veterans that fought in Vietnam were treated. The public viewed them as violent symbols of war and was hostile towards them. They were ostracised and seen as traitors for losing the war and they found it hard to find jobs and receive public care.

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I used to think the US just went into the war to stop communism, but this resource extended my thinking because it showed how Diem’s bad leadership and the Gulf of Tonkin made things worse. Now I think the US got involved because they lost control of the South and needed a reason to join the war officially, not just to stop communism.

One thing that still puzzles me is why the US kept supporting Diem even when he was doing very badly.

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from resource 1.1 i used to think that the main reason why communism seemed appealing to the citizens of South Vietnam was due to the weak governance led by the authoritarian ruler ngo Dinh diem. While that is the case, the leader of north Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh had a totally different leadership style, promoting mass mobilisation for the same cause. This fostered a sense of unity amongst the Vietnamese, giving them hope for reunification. This led to reunification under a single communist regime.

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I was looking at resource 2.4. This was also particularly interesting as I uncovered somethings that I did not know before.

Before, what I knew about the Gulf of Tonkin incident was that evidence was simply inconclusive for the US to pass the Gulf of Tonkin resolution. But infact, there was another part to the story too! The resouce states that " What would be the most ironic part of this is that the reason behind the North Vietnamese torpedo boats’ attacks was because of an attack by US-led South Vietnam boats prior."

Yea, so this got me thinking how sechming the US actually is, it seems to me that they have been plotting this for a long time in order to get the North Vietnamese into their trap in order to protect their prestige.

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I used to think the US was winning the war at that time because they had more weapons and soldiers. But this resource extended my thinking because it showed how even though the US won the battle, they actually lost public support at home. Now I think the war is not just about winning fights, but also about how people feel about it back home.

Something I still wonder is how one surprise attack could change everything for the US government and people.

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i used to think that the americans would support their government in the war because it was their government.. but resource 2.2 extended my thinking because it highlighted how the eventual end of the vietnam war was highly dependent on americans losing faith in their government and wanting to stop the war which influenced the us government's decision making process. thus i now think that americans unsupportive stand towards their government's decision played a key role in the de-escalation of the war.

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I used to think that Vietnamese war veterans who returned to the US were highly respected and treated well.

Resource 3.3 taught me that they faced great public criticism and scrutiny. The public viewed them as violent symbols of war and was hostile towards them.

The Vietnam War Veterans found it hard to find jobs and receive public care

because many criticised them for losing the war and saw them

as traitors.

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i used to think that american troops were withdrawn from the south very quickly and suddenly, without much preparation. i also thought that they wabted to be heavily involved in the war to rnsure a win

but now i know that nixon implemented the vietnamization policy to slowly adjust the southern powers, and to shift the responsibility of the war onto them to precent to a power vacuum when US troops left. this broadened my understanding of how US powers wanted to shift power back to vietnam and did not want to be totally involved, as well as to prevent backpash in america

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I knew that the vietnam war was heavily influenced by the actions and motives of local actors, but resource 1.2 let me think deeper about the complexity of the influence (US v communism, etc) so now i can better realise that the indochina war was influenced by many actors and their own motives, which contributed to the major events and outcomes in the war

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I used to think the casualties for both sides were bad because of the war but didnt really think about it deeply, however 4.2 made me really deeply look at the war. The resource showed different examples of how civilians were suffering due to the war, andSeeing the pictures made us realise that no matter which side anyone was on, they were all affected by the cruel acts of violence orchestrated by higher powers. This made me realise that when there is a war, the civilians who ae caught in the crossfire are the ones suffering the most, where they are simply trying to survive.

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i learnt more about North Vietnam and its relations with other nations which included the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Alliance and Mutual Assistance, Mao and Stalin's relations, Mao and Khrushchev's relations. These relations were not always positive as there were small disagreements sometimes that could affect each country internally.

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The Vietnam War was a very fierce conflict with many casualties, so I originally thought that the soldiers were brave for fighting for their side and would be honoured as heroes. However, Resource 3.3 led me to understand that the public actually viewed the war veterans as violent symbols of a deeply unpopular war and were often hostile toward them. Many Vietnam War veterans struggled to find jobs or access public care because they were seen as part of a shameful chapter in American history. Some people even viewed them as traitors for losing the war. There was little to no emotional support given to these veterans, which I find extremely unfair, as they were only following orders and serving their country.

Thus, I now think that while the soldiers showed bravery, they were unfairly treated and neglected by the very society they served, which adds a tragic layer to the aftermath of the Vietnam War.

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resource 2.2 gave me a deeper insight into people’s lives during the war. Indeed, in class we learnt about the events that contributed and accelerated the war, but we did not look into the daily occurrences in the war, and the true impact and toll it took on people’s lives. In lessons, we have debates on which countries have a greater influence on the second Indochina war, but we never truly understood how heartbreaking it is for them to endure the torments and effects of the prolonged war.

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I used to think that the US was much less aggressive in its war efforts in South Vietnam, where they were mostly fighting against the Northern war effort. However, from Resource 1.4, I learnt that Operation Rolling Thunder involved the use of Agent Orange, having a long-lasting impact on the environment and the health of Vietnamese citizens and American veterans. The toxic chemical caused significant damage to Vietnam's forests and farmland, resulting in long-term health effects for those exposed to it. This extended my thinking by allowing me to be aware of the impacts of the US, where they "sabotaged" their own allies by posing detriment to their own lands.

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I used to think that the Tet Offensive led Americans to protest against the government’s decision to continue being involved in the war because they felt that the war was unnecessarily causing deaths but resource 3.3 highlighted that the Americans discriminated against Vietnam veterans as they viewed them as symbols of violence. I now think that the American did not support Vietnamese local’s protection but only their own welfare when protesting against the government’s actions.

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i used to think that the vietnam war began because of a big conflict but resource 1.4 extended my thinking because it highlighted how the war started because of multiple different factors such as the french-held garrison at dien bien phu, the election of diem as president and the formation of the viet cong. thus, i now think that many different factors contributed to the start of the vietnam war, not just one sole factor.

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I did already know most of the stuff in the video, however, I learnt more indepth details about the betrayals and lies the US Government told their people in a bid to cover up their immoral actions in Vietnam to try and prevent communism from spreading further into Southeast Asia. For example, they kept firing bombs but the bombs kept missing their targets as they fell in teh jungles. It was overall an expensive failure ast the cost of many innocent lives. They also kept telling the American public false news about the "successes" of the American army in Vietnam and kept painting North Vietnam in a bad light while desperately hiding their own terrible deeds and painting themselves as a sort of saviour for South Vietnam. Thus I now understand a lot more about the US's deception and horrible war atrocities that they tried to cover up and play it off as "necessary".

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I used to think that all of the US actions in relation to the second indochina war was to contain communism but resource 2.4 extended my thinking because it highlighted that US actions can all be linked back to US’s desperation to maintain credibility

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I used to think that the Northern efforts were only hardline due to the hardline efforts of the Americans, and that they were willing to negotiate with the Americans to achieve a mutually agreeable outcome. However, after viewing Resource 3.1, I learnt that they had adopted a hard stance on their demands, only accepting the complete and unconditional withdrawal of US forces while the US thought they could force the Vietnamese into accepting concessions so as to pass off as an American victory.

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i used to think that the communist forces were very united and strong but resource highlighted that the sino-soviet split was crucial in South Vietnam victory against US. I now think that since the communist powers were divided, South Vietnam can exploit the division to gain maximum support for his goals in South Vietnam, leading to their victory.

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I used to think that the vietnam war veterans were well-treated and honoured for the part they played in defending their country and their sacrifice, however resource 3.3 opposes contradicts this as it says that the public view them as violent symbols of war and are hostile towards them, harbouring disgust and hatred against them for losing the war. They also face challenges finding jobs and receiving public care, showing the extent of their mistreatment despite their sacrifices and public service.

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I learnt that the Vietnamese adopted a political strategy inspired by Chinese and Korean tactics, combining peace talks with military victories and adapting to the situation. This approach boosted support for the Viet Cong by highlighting their successes. They maintained a firm demand for total U.S. withdrawal, while the U.S. hoped to pressure them into concessions to claim a symbolic victory. It also shows a stark contrast. While the Vietnamese aimed for complete independence, the U.S. sought a way to save face by forcing compromises.

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i used to think that the North Vietnam won purely through their own power , alongside Viet Cong in South Vietnam however, i resource 3.2 made me realise that the powers behind North Vietnam played a major role. They provided most of the military and troops. In 1965, the Soviet Union decided to get more involved, sending troops as well as SAMS

(surface to air missiles) which was crucial for the Vietnameses during Operation Rolling Thunder. This showed how the Soviets were serious about providing support to North Vietnam to expand communism, ultimately leading to the North winning the war

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i used to think that the tet offensive had the sole purpose of attacking the south to ensure victory for the north, and to try to forcefully reunify

but now i know that it had greater purposes than that, like turning communists against saigons leader, diving the us and southern troops. i now also know that it had a large impact on the american public as well, as they began to doubt the US government's competence, leading President Johnson to not rerun for president

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From resource 3.1, I uncovered many tactics that led to the North Vietnamese being about to sustain their resistance against the global superpower US, which I did not really explore.

Firstly, it was the vietnamese political policy, which was based on the chinese and koreans in their wars against the same US adversary, to start their talks of peace in tandem with battlefield victories and evolving based on the situations. This helped to garner the support of the North Vietnamese people to fight against the US with all they got, taking a hard stance to not stop until the US unconditionally surrenders, and unconditional self governance, which probably explained the reason for the North Vietnamese persistance against the US as they had more at stake (the US only needed to protect their credibility), which forced the US to continually increase their involvement and escalate the war to one that is of a larger scale.

Another tactic, would be drawing the international audience on their side and garnering more support on a larger global scale. The media played a big role in showcasing the US autrocities and their real intention of of protecting their credibility, therefore with more people on North Vietnam's side they "won" the war when there were more calls and pressures on the US to stop the war.

Lastly, it was their good gurilla tactics that I would say are really good in the aspect of tiring the Americans out and lowering their morale, slowly but surely winning the war.

These help to support my understanding of the strong tactics used by the North Vietnamese to resist the US over such a long period of time. (Linked to he first point on continually making the US involve themselves more and more in Vietnam)

On a side note

In my opinion, while I would not deny that the aid provided by the USSR and China placed the North Vietnamese on a more even playing field (as the North was smart enough to forge useful alliances), I would say that there is a more critical factor that the North Vietnamese were able to use these aid well to their advantage while the Southern Vietnamese are not very good at doing so, hence the North Vietnamese still had a better chance at winning in this sense.

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resource 5.3

i feel bad for the soldiers, because most of them were loyal to their nation and wanted to serve their country, but they did not know that most of them would die due to the negligence of their leaders

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1.4: The newsletter gave me more in-depth information about how the Diem Government is incompetent and oppressive, and how the destabilisation of Vietnam via the coup that put Diem Regime out led to the war as well as influence the US foreign policy to one of less direct intervention.

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I used to think that Diems regime over the South was one of the main reasons of US intervention because of exploitation of civilians. resource 1.3 extended my thinking by stating how Ho Chi Minh was a rising and influential leader and founded the Indochinese communist party and managed to seize power and declare their independence, showing how Ho Chi Minh was a major figure paving the path to Vietnams independence

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The resource built on my knowledge that the effect of the war on the Vietnamese was exceedingly mostly negative, despite the outcome being independence to the Vietnamese. The pictures used along with the accompanying write-ups provided illustrates the real-life horrors and atrocities committed in the name of the war. I like that the resource solely focused on the impacts on the actual Vietnamese people, unlike most media that focuses on its impact on American veterans and the connotations of the American President's involvements. It also included more information on the Viet Cong, including their usage of child soldiers, as pictured in the resource.

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2.4: The podcast helped me better understand how cold war politics played into the US' commitment to the Vietnam war to the extent of lying to the public and suffering heavy losses. It also highlighted all the signs that the US would not be able to win such as Diem Regime's incompetency and high manpower and financial costs.

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resource 4.2

This resource extended my thinking about how the innocent victims felt, as well as the Viet cong child soldier because the images showed that the victims were affected the most, which is very cruel because most of them were innocent.

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resource 2.4 reminded me that before the vietnam war, the US originally did not wish to be directly involved, their one and only purpose was to prevent south vietnam from communist rule

and altogether the US' persistence in their stand against communism could have been the root factor that caused the outbreak of the war. (south vietnamese public being inclined to the north viet despite the US stand, the US stepping up their inference after Diem's assasination)

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From resource 3.3, i learnt the Tet Offensive was a turning point in the Vietnam War, showing that military strength alone couldn’t guarantee victory. Although the US and South Vietnam repelled the surprise attacks, the offensive shocked the American public and led many to lose faith in the government’s claims that the war was nearly won. I used to think that winning battles meant winning wars, but now I understand that public opinion and political impact matter just as much. The offensive also led to poor treatment of returning US veterans, who were unfairly blamed and neglected by society.

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Soldiers joined Vietnam War due to different reasons. Some opposed the war because they wanted peace or felt that the US should not get involved in the Vietnam War. Some were neutral and joined the war because they had to follow orders.

and the majority of the US public displayed an anti-war sentiment

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This resource taught me about the importance of Ho Chi Minh which I did not really explore about. The resource showed me that Ho Chi Minh was not just a great leader about to organise people well to win battles, but also one that is sought of a unifying figure or symbol. I think that this is the main reason why South Vietnam still fell to North Vietnam even after Ho Chi Minh's death. His unifying presence is ultimately the strength and motivation for the North Vietnamese to press on. Therefore, I would say that this is one of the main factors for the North Vietnamese to win. Even the South with so many resources and american soilders lacked one thing -- spirt and will to fight. Hence they will lose.

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This resource revealed to me the actual situations of the people involved in the war. One photo that stood out to me was that of the Viet Cong child soldier, where I seemingly could see the child's innocence and unwillingness to fight in the war, with his main motivation to just want peace. This showed me not only that the Viet Cong cannot be considered morally correct for recruiting children to aid with their cause, it also highlighted the direness of the situation where a kid that did not care for politics had to be involved in it. Politicians are so cunning.

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I always thought mao and Stalin had good relations due to the Sino-Soviet treaty of friendship, turns out that mao was always sceptical of him and felt that he was exploited when Stalin used him for expansion of communism in Asia.

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This source built up my knowledge on the cruelty of the US soldiers in Vietnam. At first I already knew that the US committed many war crimes during the Vietnam war against the Vietnamese under the pretense of it being for the "greater good" and they even kept quiet about the many acts of murder and other atrocities. However, the source shed light on what the US soldiers did to the poor innocent vietnamese villagers. Their future generations were impacted by just one single action of dropping bombs on the village. This shows that the US government hid many secrets from the public and ultimately ruined innocent lives due to them not wanting to hurt their pride or ego. They ket prolonging the war, leading to many innocent lives either killed, severly injured or affected in multiple aspects.

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I used to think that most U.S. soldiers fought in the Vietnam War purely out of patriotism or a desire to stop the spread of communism. But after reading this resource, it contradicts that belief by highlighting how many soldiers had personal, emotional, or even reluctant reasons for fighting—such as a sense of duty, peer pressure, or the loss of friends in battle. The interviews with veterans like Paul Wisovaty and Joseph Rank showed that some even turned against the war later on, joining groups like the Vietnam Veterans Against the War. This highlights how complex and diverse the motivations of soldiers were, and that their views often changed as they experienced the harsh realities of war. Thus, my thinking is extended to see U.S. soldiers not as a single-minded group, but as individuals with beliefs shaped by personal experience.

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i knew that many people suffered from the war, but resource 4.2 helped me to think deeper and understand the extent of the peoples' sufferings, as well as how they had lasted even after the war had ended. (eg. due to trauma, effects of chemical bombs)

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This resource extended my thinking of the tet offensive where the US took significant damage and was one of the turning points of the war, where the North Vietnam gained an advantage. The resource explained about the goals of the tet offensive which is to drive a wedge between the US and South Vietnam, and how although the North took a larger military damage, the US suffered a political loss where the people were starting to question the purpose of US in the war, which weakened US support in the war and caused protests to rise.

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From this source I learnt more about American perception of the Vietnam War, not just from the eyes of the public, but from the soldiers that fought in the war themselves. One of the reasons mentioned was to keep Vietnam from turning communist, showing us that the belief of Domino theory was indeed prevalent among American soldiers. Additionally, the aspect of revenge was a motivating factor for some that had lost family previously from the war, and to protect and prevent anymore lives of their fellow American soldiers from being taken. Lastly, there were many that were merely following high-up's orders to further the war, and a lot of them were not given information about the background and the political connotations of the war. This resource illustrated the multitude of reasonings that American soldiers had for participating in the Vietnam War.

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rom resource 5.1 I learnt that Vietnamese civilians built entire underground villages in areas like the Cu Chi Tunnels, local villagers dug tunnels stretching over 200 km, including living quarters, kitchens, hospitals, and schools, all underground. They developed clever ventilation and smoke-diffusing systems to stay hidden from U.S. forces. This is interesting to me because I did not know that the underground system was so advanced.

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War is cruel to the people that were promised that war is the solution to everything. From Resource 4.2, I noted that civilians were held at gunpoint to move out of the village they called home for hundreds of years, and their lack of humanity stood out to me. Why does war have to involve civilians? They are made to run to nowhere, forcefully from the commands of officers. Though everyone wants the war to end, it is the officials that want it to continue.

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resource 4.2

in contrast to the other resources that were more focused on the timeline and events of the war this resource was about the impact of the war on the lesser known people involved

this is too sad this made me feel lots of emotions

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I used to think that the Vietnam War was just a fight between two sides with the US trying to help stop communism. But after reading this resource, it contradicts that idea and shows how much suffering the Vietnamese people went through because of US actions, like supporting a corrupt leader and using harmful chemicals. It highlights how the US focused more on fighting communism than thinking about the real impact on people’s lives. This made me realise the war was not just about politics—it deeply affected millions of innocent people, and that’s something I didn’t fully think about before.

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3.3: This Source confirms my understanding that the Tet Offensive is a political loss for US and South Vietnam as it crippled US public support.

However, it furthered my understanding in the depth of US hatred towards the war, such as how veterans were viewed as symbols of violence and treated harshly by the society

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i used to think that operation rolling thundrr wad a complete success, and that it was an event that shiwcased the us powers strength in military and armory but the resource made me realise that so,e element of rolling thunder did fail the us, and the resource presented both parties' feelings and the impacts on them through the very intense rap battle

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This resource discussed the motivations of the American's persistence in keeping the Vietnam War, a war they were losing, going. To set the context, they touched on the statistical losses suffered by the USA (120++ billion dollars spent, 58,000 lives lost as per the source), showing the reader the weight of the loss the USA suffered, and to get the reader thinking as to why the USA would even continue a losing war (that's not even in their continent) in the first place. The resource provided multiple reasonings (blindsided by hatred of communism into supporting Diem's corrupt government, 'helping' South Vietnamese society, the USA's potential loss of honour should they withdraw) and the repercussions as to the USA's attempted methods of turning the tide of the war, like many more American soldier deaths, the suffering of the Southern Vietnamese, and the wasted money of bombings that led to no significant change, despite the numerous casualties. It expanded on my already existing knowledge about the American motivations for the Vietnam War by providing further details and statistics.

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I used to think that Agent Orange only affected the people directly involved in the war, such as the soldiers, but resource 4.1 extended my thinking because it highlighted that agent orange actually caused much death of innocent civilians and soldiers alike, such as Le Van O. He was born in March 2006 in Vietnam. Despite being born 3 decades after the war ended, he still suffers from the effects of Agent Orange, passed down generations ago. He was born without eyes and will be unable to see despite not being involved in the war. Thus, this shows that many innocents were also affected by this war tactic despite not being even remotely involved in the war

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This resource extended my thinking of the turning points in the war, which was not only the tet offensive, but also Operation rolling thunder, where the bombing campaign of the Americans failed, had a significant impact on the American public's perception of the war. The bombing campaign, along with the growing number of American casualties and the lack of progress on the ground, contributed to growing opposition to the war in the United States and around the world. This highlighted the limitations of military power in achieving political objectives and underscored the need for a new approach to the conflict. It ultimately failed its objective of forcing the communist government into a negotiating a settlement to end the war.

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resource 4.1 taught me that effects of war extend far beyond the battlefield: chemically, emotionally, and even across generations. The story of Le Van O, who was born decades after the Vietnam War yet still suffers from the effects of Agent Orange, really opened my eyes to how the trauma of war doesn't just end when the fighting stops. It made me realise that war leaves behind invisible scars,not just on landscapes, but on lives and legacies.

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the resource deepened my understanding and insights to the atrocities that took place during the war. instead of focusing on the major events between the superpowers, we were able to explore further into how the citizens were affected during the war and the terrible circumstances they had to go through.

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This resource also taught me something new. I did not know that after the Tet Offensive, the US had a an adverse reaction (or revenge) called the My Lai Massacre where they committed atrocities such as murder and rape. This also played a big role in shaping the American's views on the war. The tet offensive was simply just shifting views that the americans are bad and cannot fight againts the North Vietnamese. However, this adverse reaction played a role in showing the ulgly inhumane side of the US, hence decreasing the support for the Vietnam war by the Americans. Hence this is particularly interesting, there are more things other than tet that shifted American public opnion for the decreasing support of the war.

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i knew that the us had taken measures to ensure they would have a higher advantage in the war, but resource 4.4 gave me a better understanding of what the us had actually done and its impact on the people. the us had used 6 chemicals called "rainbow herbicides" which was initially intended to only kill crops, yet it backfired and resulted in 400,000 deaths and exposure of harmful chemicals to over 4.8 million people

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2.2

The Issue of the Vietnam War, especially the Tet Offensive, reveals how military actions and political decisions deeply affect both soldiers and civilians. I used to believe wars were about who had the bigger army or better weapons. But now I think war is far more complex it’s about morale, media, public opinion, and the human cost. The resource made me reflect on how both sides suffered and how power doesn’t always mean victory. It showed how it is not really possible to win everything.

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resource 3.2 taught me that After Stalin's death, Mao began to imagine himself as the world's communist leader. In 1956, Khrushchev delivered his famous 'Secret Speech', condemning Stalinism. Mao was against this as China had implemented parts of Stalinism. Khruschev had a softer line towards the West, he suggested that "peaceful coexistence" with US was

possible while Mao was firmly against that.

Khruschev had a speech that praised US president Eisenhower and his foregin policy, which infuriated Mao.

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resource 1.3

This resource extended my thinking that the north had played a rather significant role in starting the war. Thus, i now think that Ho Chi Minh was an intelligent. man because he united the Viet Minh against colonial powers

and introduced the patriotism campaign and led to the public to oppose colonial powers like the US, which made it easier for them to win the war.

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resource 5.4

this resource highlights the impacts of the vietnam war in lesser acknowledged aspects such as the arts

the artworks and photography reflect the complexity of the war, and especially Self immolation by Malcom brown that prompted me to think about the possible different interpretations of it, and how it led to widespread awareness of the need for reform in Saigon

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In resource 4.3, it states:

Now our US allies bid us adieu

Your people overthrew

My people gone

This made me able to connect emotionally with the events that happened in the Vietnam War. Learning that events such as the Vietnamisation attempt of the United States were at the cost of not only the Southern front, but that of ordinary civilians that were forced to become soldiers made me realise that ordinary civilians had to bear the brunt of poor leadership in the South. This made me able to connect the two events in an emotional way and got me reflecting on how betrayed the civilians may have felt after all odds seemed to be against them and their livelihoods (with the US leaving them and the Southern government not helping much).

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This source delves further into the US governments thoughts and reasons as to why they wanted to persist and prolong the Vietnamn war despite the officals knowing that the war was not going in their favour and that there would be many casualties if they were to continue fighting. First and foremost, the US joined the war due to their fear of the Domino Theory. The Domino Theory basically stated that if one country were to fall to communism, the neighbouring countries would also be influenced into communism and the cycle repeats itself. This fear led to them perceiving North Vietnam as an imminate threat to democracy. Furthermore, South Vietnam's government was also deemed as worryingly weak and ineffecient due to the many cases of corruption and political power struggles. This strengthened the US's resolve to enter the war and side with South Vietnam to prevent communism from spreading. They also refused to use peaceful negotiations to stop the war as they wanted to show to the world that the US had the capability to deal with communism fast and effectively and their national pride was at stake as well if they were to admit defeat. Therefore, they were admant about fighting till the end and kept feeding the american public lies to boost public moral and gather more support for the US.

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resource 2.2

this resource highlights how much South Vietnam suffered for the sake of US government’s egoistic motives. For example, it brought up a bombing campaign that was initiated so that Hanoi would be impressed by US determination. However, they missed their target and the bombs caused many casualties. This made me realise how far the US would go to prove their strength and for international respect/fear.

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I used to think that the Vietnam War was mainly about a political battle between communism and democracy, with the US stepping in to help South Vietnam. But after reading this resource, it contradicts that idea by showing how deeply the war harmed innocent people, especially through actions like the use of Agent Orange and events such as the Mỹ Lai massacre. It highlights how the long-lasting physical, mental, and generational damage still affects people today, even those who weren’t born during the war. Thus, my thinking has extended from seeing the war as just a historical conflict to understanding it as a painful legacy that still affects lives, showing that war's consequences go far beyond the battlefield.

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i used to think that the soldiers in the war would know exactly what they were fighting for, for their country and their opinions, however resource 5.3 extended my thinking because it highlighted how the soldiers themselves did not know why they had to fight in the war, and were only fighting because their government told them to, and ending up only fighting for their loved ones.

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Tet Offensive led Americans to question the military and

political leaders who assured them that the war would be

won soon.The element of Hope in winning the war was

taken away by the Tet Offensive as now public realize that

there wasn't going to be an end and victory is not close

hence weakening US support for

war in Vietnam and causing protest to arise

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The last part of this source was also particularly interesting as we realised the adverse impact experienced by the soildiers of the Vietnam war. This was not really explored by me. Apparently, the sentiments against the Vietnam war was so strong that the public viewed them as violent symbols of war and was hostile towards them. Hence, the Vietnam War Veterans also find it hard to find jobs and receive public care because many were disgusted and hated them for losing the war and sees them as traitors. There was little to zero emotional support given to the Vietnam War Veterans by the public. This made me feel quite sad. The Vietnam War Veterents did not even enter this war willinglingly, and it was the US's leaders that caused this. Hence, I do not feel that they deserved this kind of treatment especially if they were unwilling and suffered so much during the war.

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3.1: Confirms Sino-Soviet assistance in helping the NV forces withstand the US campaign to allow for US to crumble on its own, taught me more about how the Viet Congs employed Guerilla warfare to effectively strike the US forces

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Despite the various factors that were out there that aided the Viet Cong, the main factors that resulted in an overall victory was the useful alliances forged as well as the tactics used, being useful especially in the long term time frame of the war spanning over 2 decades. This combined with the catalyst of the United States’s shift in public opinion resulted in the devastating loss of the United States against the Viet Cong.

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This source sheds light on the psychological effects on the soldiers who survived the war and had to experience the many war atrocities first hand and live with the feelings of guilt, sadness, pain and lose. In a sense, the living has to go through more pain than the dead as they relive the war in their minds every single day and are haunted by the acts they did to survive in the war. They are burdened by the memories of their fellow commarades and the stories that were left untold. The trauma of war was really shown through the first person pov and the use of diction. The pain conveyed through the songs were raw and full of emotion.

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the information presented in resource 4.4 are connected to what I already know, which was that Ngo Dinh Diem’s buddhist persecutions contributed to his unpopularity and resistance of south vietnamese against him greatly. resource 4.4 shares about how one of the most iconic acts of protest was when one of the monks, Thích Quảng Đức, lit himself on fire on one of Saigon’s major boulevards. He was willing to give up his life to fight for justice for his people. This highlights how extreme and cruel the persecutions were to the point where he had to go that far to try to change the treatment of the Buddhists.