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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 rise of ho chi minh was not a very significant event because i thought that events like gulf of tonkin incident, involvement of the cold war superpowers were what mainly led and triggered the escalation of the war. But resource 1.3 extended by thinking because it highlighted how the viet minh seized power and ho chi minh announced vietnamese independence. Vietnam was united against colonial powers and introduced the patriotism campaign where most of the public sided with the viet minh against colonial powers like the US, this led to further aggression and escalation of the war. Thus, now i think that there are many more events that greatly contributed to the escalation of the second indochina war beyond my knowledge.

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I used to think that the contributions to the military of South Vietnam from the US was equal to the contributions made by the USSR to North Vietnam, but Resource 1.1 extended my thinking because it highlighted how the assistance given to each side of Vietnam was immensely different. The US basically fought the War for South Vietnam, while the USSR provided the resources needed for the Vietnamese nationalists themselves to fight the war. Thus, I now understand that the US was not very interested in trying to get Vietnam to become an independent nation, but was just trying to eradicate communism in the region, a proxy war at its finest. This showed me where the disparities in the goals of USSR and US were in fighting this war.

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i used to think that the role that US in the Vietnam War was quite minimal, mostly playing a supporting role but through Resource 1.3 and with the knowledge about the Pentagon Papers, it extended my thinking and highlighted how the US played a huge role, not only in the second IndoChina War, but also throughout the First IndoChina War. Through the source, it allowed me to connect the 2 events, showing how the US the supposed "aggression" from the North, as well as the Gulf of Tonkin incident as an opportunity and reason to authorise an increased military action and play a more active role in the role in order to repeal any aggression.

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This resource broadened my knowledge about how great the impact of Diem's actions were on the lead up to the second indochina war. Before I just thought it was his horrible corrution that made people despise him. Bu now I know that it was also the exploitation of the people and alienation of those in his military ranks because of corruption that led to the increased US involvement as the oppostition towards Diem made the Vietminh stronger which caused the US to get directly involved via the Gulf of Tonkin incident.

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Resource 1.3 (Infographic)

I used to think that The Gulf of Tonkin incident and containment ideology were the main reasons for why US involvement in the 2nd Indochina war was escalated, but Resource 1.3 extended my thinking because it highlighted how French (military outpost's) defeat to the Viet Minh in the battle of Dien Bien Phu also caused increased US intervention. The French defeat lead to peace talks in Geneva, where competing strands of North and South Vietnamese ideology solidified the division of Vietnam. This event also ushered in greater intervention by the US as US was determined to keep Vietnam democratic and free from communism (and influence from the USSR). It became increasingly apparent that peaceful unification of Vietnam was not possible as force had to be used to reunite Vietnam under one ideology.

Thus, I now think that the collapse of French peace talks also played a crucial role in escalating US involvement in the 2nd Indochina war.

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I used to think that both the Soviets and the US were supporting their respective sides with full effort because of the ability of both the NVA and the US to carry out such fierce attacks, however because of Resource 1.1 highlighting how the Soviets provided close to no direct military intervention other than giving supplies I now think that the US was much more aggressive than the Soviets in the war.

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I used to be unsure and not know how the faliure of the Ngo Dinh Diem regime had directly led to the Vietnam War, but because of resource 1.3 I now understand how Ngo Dinh Diem had done so based on things like the development of the Vietcong.

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1.1

I used to think that Ngo Dinh Diem was assassinated by the locals of South Vietnam because of the coup staged but resource 1.1 extended my thinking because it highlighted how the CIA had indirectly supported his overthrowing and assassination. Thus now I think that the US has a larger role in manipulation of internal politics than the Vietnamese nationalists.

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on the video i’m gallery 1…

it illustrates how the us and use didn’t wanna fight a direct war, and thus used vietnam to fight against each other’s interests.

it also shoes the complex internal struggle such as how both SV and the US both intervened to assassinate diem.

before i studied this conflict, i thought it was a very simple north vietnam vs south vietnam, but later on i understand the complex domestic landscape within the SV had a very large impact on how the conflict turned out

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I used to think that the Diem Regime did not involve much of the US' assistance as I did not know that they were already involved with Vietnamese affairs at this juncture. However, Resource 1.3 extended my thinking because it highlighted how Ngo Dinh Diem began a campaign against political dissidents using US military and economic aid and how the US also provided Ngo Dinh Diem with military advisors to help train and equip his security forces. Thus, I now think that the US was already significantly involved with Vietnamese affairs even at the beginnings of the conflict, before the Gulf of Tonkin incident.

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From Resource 1.3, I am able to connect the information i know to the information on Ngo Dinh Diem failed regime and how it caused the US to intervene in the Vietnam War. From the resource, I have broadened my thinking in the way that Ho Chi Minh also has a major role to play in the Vietnam War. He was a figure of the Vietnam Communist Nationalist and sparked a war against their colonial masters for independence. A challenge that has come to my mind is which event was the most significant to the Vietnam War.

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i never paid attention nor thought much about the devastating impact of the War, not just on those who had lost their lives, but their loved ones as well, breaking apart society as a whole. resource 4.2 effectively highlighted how much terror these families felt, and even child soldiers were tormented, showcasing a whole new perspective and shifts the focus away from who would win/lose the war. other than the physical fighting, there was the emotional aspect that many lose sight of and how that had disrupted a once well-functioning society, bringing about unnecessary chaos and fear. despite this, soldiers still had the unwavering resolve to fight on and this extends my thinking to see the bigger picture of how determined they were, and no matter what the outcome of the war was, we should acknowledge these courageous actors.

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I used to think that the American soldiers sent to fight in the Vietnam war were pitied and praised for their heroic efforts, but resource 3.3 extended my thinking because it highlighted how much of the unhappiness with the events of the war were also inflicted onto the soldiers who returned after the war. Thus, I now think that the impact of Vietnam War was not just limited to those in Vietnam, it also affected the soldiers sent in by external powers.

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I used to think that the US simply decided to interfere with the VN War because of the threat of Communism from North VN. However, resource 2.1 extended my thinking by presenting me with the Domino Theory - that the US believed that if South VN fell to Communism, Laos and Thailand will also fall to Communism, and soon, the entire block of Asia would fall to Communism (USSR influence). Now, I believe that the US interfered with the VN War because of its paranoia and overgeneralised view regarding Communism.

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1.4: I used to think that the the US had abruptly recalled all its troops from the US as they had realised that they could not win the war but Resource 1.1 extended my thinking as now I know that efforts such as Vietnamisation had been in place so that so the south Vietnamese army could still fight against the war and not cause the south Vietnam government to collapse while regaining the trust of the US citizens.

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i used to think that the US immediately retreated and recalled its troops after the increasing protests from the American but resource 2.4 extended my thinking because it explained how President Nixon did not fully withdraw US military but instead gradually withdrawing troops from South Vietnam while pushing for more responsibility of the military to them as it was obvious that any choice picked would lead to the eventual communist victory in Vietnam so he chose that to allow the United States to leave Vietnam with its honour intact. Thus, now i think that the US did not retreat immediately in order to not look like they lost completely.

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Resource 1.4:

I used to think that the Tet offensive was significant only in strengthening anti-war sentiments in the US alone as it exposed US uncertainty in winning the Vietnam war. However, resource 1.4 extended my thinking by highlighting how the Tet Offensive also led to a change in strategy for the United States. President Lyndon B. Johnson, who had previously focused on a policy of gradual escalation, began to shift towards a policy of negotiation and eventual withdrawal from Vietnam. Thus now I understand that the Tet offensive not only played a large role in pivoting the social landscape of the US towards the conflict, but also the political aspects of the warfare.

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1.2

I used to think that the US backed ngo dinh diem so that they could fight communism indirectly using south vietnamese troops, but resource 1.2 showed me that the US had initially intended for a stable Southern government and prospects for peaceful reunifcation.

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I used to think that the Tet offensive was an attack by the north Vietnamese troops to cripple the Saigon government and destroy once and for all American expectations of success. However, resource 3.3 extended my thinking as it highlighted how Tet, which was known as their lunar new year, is an important celebration in Vietnam that also served as truce between north and south vietnam in which the north vietnam took advantage of to launch a surprise attack. Thus, now i think that the North vietnam made a good move and took the opportunity to cripple the US government who were initiating many attacks whcih resulted in numerous casualties

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I used to think that US involvement in Vietnam was sudden, sparked only by the escalation of conflict in the 1960s. But now I understand that the US had been influencing Vietnamese politics much earlier, covertly supporting and manipulating President Diem from behind the scenes to serve its anti-communist agenda.

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From Resource 3.2, i am able to connect my ideas to the fact that both the USSR and China provided aid to North Vietnam during the Vietnam War. A new idea that broadened my thinking is that China and the USSR had a split relations, causing them to compete to be the leader of the communist war. As such, North Korea was able to exploit this situation to receive more military aid for the war. One challenge that comes to mind is if there was no external actors in the war, would there be a different outcome in the War.

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I used to have limited knowledge on the involvement of the vietnamese

political policy as all i knew was that it led to the support of the Viet Cong. But resource 3.1 extended my thinking because it highlighted how it not only led to the support of the viet cong, but also 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 as to pass off an American victory. The Vietnamese government also aimed to pull the pacifist international community over to their side, adding pressure to the US to halt their invasion. All these actions of the Vietnamese government led to further resistance against the US when then further prolonged the war. Thus, now I know how important the involvement of the Vietnamese political policy is and that it okayed a huge role in resisting against the US.

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I used to think that the Tet Offensive was just an event which caused the US public to question the US military and government on their probability of winning the war because through the Tet Offensive, the US and North Vietnam were at a significant military loss against South Vietnam. However, Resource 3.3 extended my thinking on the actual impact of the Tet Offensive on other actors involved because it highlighted how not only did it trigger military distrust by the US public, it also caused the US government, especially the Lyndon B Johnson administration to go into political turmoil as they face the US public's outrage and doubt against their military. Other than that, Resource 3.3 also highlighted how the US veterans of the Vietnam War also received hostility and a lack of emotional support by the US public as they were seen as traitors for losing the war on the US' behalf. Thus, I now think that the Tet Offensive not only led to US public distrust, but it also significantly impacted the US government's credibility as well as the treatment of the US military veterans of the Vietnam War.

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on monument art in gallery 2…

i throughly enjoyed the video, and i actually thought it was some random video on youtube, but was actually one of the former aa projects.

similar to no.1 it illustrates how the us and use didn’t wanna fight a direct war, and thus used vietnam to fight against each other’s interests.

however it dewelves deeper into how the war impacted both the US and Vietnam, and educated me on the vary and negative effects of the conflict, something i was. not very well versed in before studying this conflict

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I never really paid attention to those whose lives were devastated by the VN War. However, resource 4.2 had opened my eyes with pictures and photos of how lives of ordinary civilians, families, children, soldiers and future generations alike were damaged and severely affected by the happenings and aftermath of the War. Thus, now I believe that regardless of whether it is mentioned or not, the devastation of war is a very real truth that must be taken note of, and that no matter how "utilitarian" the call for battle may be, many people's lives will be lost and affected.

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i used to have limited knowledge on howthe US conceded to their defeat but however, through Resource 3.1, i learnt that international powers and the US advanced technology both played a huge part in getting the US to admit defeat. With the South Vietnamese government determined to win the war, they managed to pull the pacifist international community over to their side. This added an additional pressure for US to halt their invasion, in addition to the voices of the Vietnamese. Additionally, the US' advanced technology, the use of napalm and the advent of photography, backfired on them as images of war victims was exposed to the public. This shocked many and revealed the true atrocities that were happening throughout the war, bringing a larger attention to the US' involvement in the war.

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Before, I knew that the Tet offensive was the turning point of the Vietnam war as it tarnished the image of the US being a military super power that was unbeatable as they suffered heavy loses during this battle. Resource 3.3 strengthened my understanding of the impacts of the Tet ofensive and also gave me a bettwe understanding anding about how the North Vietnamese forces benefitted greatly politically and propaganda wise and how those involved in the US suffered greatly due to the huge backlash because of how costly the war was, with the government losing the support of its people in its continued war efforts.

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i used to think that the failure of the diem's regime have to do with the US that much as it only resulted the US increasing their military in South Vietnam. However resource 1.3 extended my thinking as it highlighted how the US tried to warn diem of his

action but he would not listen, reflecting

badly on the US and causing them to lose

control over diem and support of locals in

south Vietnam. Thus now i think that the US had a role to play in the failure of the Diem's regime which led to increased US military in South Vietnam.

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resource 5.4 has definitely broadened my thinking into seeing the importance of how different forms art can encapsulate the whole journey of the war. for example, the Vietnam II art piece by Leon Golub was created to reveal the truth of the US role in the War (similar to the pentagon papers we have viewed previously), sparking discussions in the public. additionally, photography was used in Malcolm Brown's Self-immolation photo that magnifies the awareness of the effects of the US backed South Vietnamese government in aiming to push for the need for major governmental reforms in Saigon. such pieces carry a powerful message and may even invoke more thought processes compared to written texts due to their realism.

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I used to think that most of the South Vietnamese were supportive of the democracy movement proposed by Diem, considering how eager the US was to use their military to support theirs, but resource 2.1 showed me that most of the south vietnamese locals were more supportive of Ho Chi Minh, and believed that the communist ideals were better than whatever the US supported. This extended my thinking because it highlighted how little the locals' ideas were considered in the war, and it was mainly political powers that engaged in all the warfare. It's actually quite obvious because the US had to bring its own people to Vietnam to fight, showing how disinterested the South Vietnamese were in fighting against communism (I'm not sure if this is completely accurate though)

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Resource 2.2

I used to think that the US withdrawal from the 2nd Indochina war was due to the major military costs and causalities as a result of warfare with the North Vietnamese forces and Viet Cong. Resource 2.2 extended my thinking because it highlighted how growing US domestic public opposition of US involvement in the war was a crucial actor in sparking US withdrawal. The rap lines in the 5th page of the script show many US citizens viewed US military actions as immoral because of the war's sheer devastation and violence caused war, and that the conflict was attacked Vietnamese independence, directly violating US ideology. It suggests how domestic US opposition against the war and the government directing it, in addition to diminishing belief in the success of the war and increasing views that resources were being wasted on funding this campaign, was the final straw that led to the US withdrawal from Vietnam.

Thus, I now think that public opinion was one of the most significant reasons that lead to US withdrawal from Vietnam nearing the end of the 2nd Indochina War.

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I used to think that during the Diem's regime the US had full control of the actions that they take as they heavily influenced South Vietnam and supported South Vietnam throughout the war but Resource 1.3 extended my knowledge as it states that "Even when the US tried to warn diem of his

action, he would not listen. This reflected

badly on the US and cause them to lose

control over diem and support of locals in

south Vietnam." Thus now I think that even though US heavily influenced and supported the War, some events that occurred were out of their control like this instances which progressively lead to them losing the war

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I used to think that the Chinese and the Russians were both on good terms during the time of the Vietnam war, but now i know that they was the sino soviet split and that they were not on that good of terms

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I used to think that the Tet Offensive only affected the US by providing visual and textual evidence of the public reaction to the Tet Offensive and its broader impact on the U.S. government and Vietnam War veterans. but it actually highlighted how the offensive led many Americans to lose faith in military and political leaders, causing a major shift in public opinion and sparking widespread anti-war protests letting me understand the true damage in the US caused by the Tet Offensive.

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1.3

I used to think that the battle of Dien Bien Phu did not have much significance in the next indochina war, however resource 1.3 showed me that this battle was the trigger that made the french negotiate peace terms and created the split along the 17th parallel, setting the stage for the future war through the confidence gained by the vietnamese nationalists

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i used to be unsure of the tet offensive's impact and role in the war but resource 3.3 extended my thinking as it highlighted how it was a turning point in the war as it led Americans to question the leaders who assured them that the war would be won soon resulting in winning the war

taken away as they realize that victory was not close, weakening US support for the war in Vietnam and causing protest to arise. Thus, now i think that the tet offensive had a huge impact in the rising protest against the war and played a huge role as a turning point in the war.

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I used to think that the Gulf of Tonkin incident was a turning point that led to the outbreak of the Second Indochina War due to American’s retaliation against the North. However, resource 3.2 extended my thinking as it highlighted how the incident also paved the way for US defeat as they launched many failed operations such as operation rolling thunder and the Tet offensive. Thus, i now think that the Americans set up their own downfall during the vietnam war, due to greed of obtaining influence over vietnam which led them to launch multiple attacks on vietnam but failed.

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I used to think that the US's motive: containing communism, was very clear cut but resource 2.4 (through its creative way of offering a 'safe' path that the US could have used to exit Vietnam at each point of time in which a significant decisions was made) extended my thinking because it highlighted how this goal soon blinded many of the US presidents into making terrible decisions (appointment of Diem) which eventually led to the tragic war. Thus, I now think that most of the US presidents at the time were trapped in an echo chamber, and their inability to see pass what they personally believed played a bigger role in the war than I previously thought.

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From resource 4.2, i am able to link my info to the suffering of the civilians as well as the people who fought the war. the photo essay captures the different viewpoints and perspective of people during the war, ranging from injured civilians, to soldiers. new ideas the broadened my perspective is war is conducted due to differences in people perspectives, but it shld not be the way things can be done as it has many negative consequences, such as the loss of lives, the impacts it has on the country and region, the impact it has for the future generations. One question that came to mind is that if these photos were not taken, would people be able to see light on the horrors of war and why we should avoid war.

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I used to think that the US involvement in the Vietnam War was driven mostly by deep-rooted fear (of Communism). However, resource 2.2 have extended my thinking because it not only highlighted the US's stubbornness (endlessly lying to the public and delivering speeches about non-existent wins) but also the willingness of the US to show off (bombing campaigns partially stem from US's insistence on impressing Hanoi with its determination to win the War), leading them to unintentionally act without thinking (bombing into empty jungles with no soldiers, failure of bombing campaigns). Thus, I now think that the US involvement in the Vietnam War not only stems from fear of Communism, but also ego from being a first world superpower with plenty of supplies and weapons to supposedly squander a small state such as North Vietnam.

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on the video in gallery 3…..

the video really helps show how this conflict was fundamentally unwinnable for the US. With the entire NV population participating in the war effort against the US in some form or another, as well as VC and VM sympathisiers in the south ( there were many ), it shows how a conventional colossus had no chance against the unbreakable determination on the vietnamese ( like how spurs still determined and actually won smth )

this helped to re-evaluate my understanding of this conflict. I initially thought it was a simple david vs goliath battle in which the vietnamese were david. However re-looking through this video was the true david the us, with their troops facing hate speech in their own homeland and going against the behemoth that was was the unwavering determination of the vietnamese ? This just shows how many layers there are to this conflict, and that one can keep one learning new stuff about it.

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resource 3.1 reinforces my knowledge of the strengths of the Viet Cong that aided them in their victory, such as the Vietnamese political policy that garnered nore support for them as the rallies magnified their achievements, also putting down US efforts by publicly criticising them. additionally, the Viet Cong's military strategy was highly advantageous as their guerilla tactics and their well-equipped troops were able to fight, but also strategically back away from battles they knew were risky, conserving their manpower. their alliance with the USSR and China can be said to be stronger than the US with the South Vietnamese, as much aid had been sent to them and they effectively leveraged on it, gaining them an equal playing field with the USA, opening a clear pathway for their victory from the very beginning.

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i used to have limited knowledge on the detrimental impacts that the Vietnam War had on the Vietnamese, as throughout my course of learning about the Vietnam War, more focus was placed on how the different actors such as the US, South Vietnamese forces and North Vietnamese forces played a role in contributing to the overall conflict. However, Resource 4.2 effectively extended my thinking on the impact that the Vietnamese people faced because through the use of photos and descriptions, it highlighted how the large number of Vietnamese people who had suffered major injuries or even lost their lives to the war, despite being innocent civilians. Thus, I am now more aware of the devastation and ruthlessness that the Vietnam War brought about to US military, Vietnamese military, and Vietnamese civilians alike.

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i used to think that the sole purpose of US' involvement in the Vietnam War was solely for the purpose of containing Communism but through Resource 2.4 , I learnt that their increased role that they played throughout, as well as their increased aggression, was also due to maintain and keep America's honour. Instead of choosing to negotiate peace settlements, the US chose to escalate the war further in order to prove to other countries that they were capable of containing communism even if they were not winning. Thus, they were afraid that other countries would view negotiating peace settlements as a form of "pulling out of the war", causing them to lose respect for the US and encourage even more communist takeovers. Thus, the reason for US' involvement and playing a more active role over the years is not 2-dimensional and is more complex than it seems as there are many factors that contributed to this.

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Resource 2.4:

I used to think that the reason for US persistent military involvement in the Vietnam war was to contain communism in the face of the Domino Theory. However, resource 2.4 made me realise that although eradicating the spread of communist spheres of influence was a contributing factor that made the US persist in the Second Indo-china war, another incentive was conserving US credibility and international reputation. By persisting and pushing North Vietnam to surrender, it would prove to other nations that the US was capable of containing communism despite not winning the war. After an extended period of spreading US political agendas and being strongly anti-communist, pulling out of the conflict would make other countries lose respect for US, and even encourage more communism takeovers. Hence, in the name of American honour, coupled with their ideological stance, these factors worked hand in hand in incentivising the US to persist in the warfare despite the high costs it came with.

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I used to think that the United States acted ethically during the Vietnam War, mainly focusing on defending democracy and stopping communism. However, after reading this source, I realized that their methods were far from purely moral. The use of Agent Orange a toxic herbicide dropped over large areas of Vietnam was shocking. It wasn’t just used to destroy crops and forest cover, but it also caused long term health issues and birth defects among both Vietnamese civilians and American soldiers. Learning this challenged my previous belief and made me question how far governments are willing to go during war, even at the cost of human suffering.

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I used to not understand why thousands of American troops were sacrificed to serve in a country they did not belong to despite there being easier measures they could have taken that required lesser manpower. But resource 2.4 extended my thinking because it highlighted how Kennedy was afraid that the domino theory would happen to Vietnam. Furthermore, the US were aware of the protests and coups being held against the Diem regime, and it shows how the citizens of South Vietnam had no incentives to fight in the war. More aid sent to their military would further lengthen the war they did not want to fight. Thus Kennedy had no choice but to have the Americans fight under South Vietnam’s name. Thus, now I understand why Kennedy wanted to send the US troops despite knowing that there would be large US casualties.

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I used to be unsure how different forms of media played a role in depicting the cruelty of the Vietnam war. Now I am aware about the impacts of different medias on how we ppercieve the war and how their depictions demonstrated the sentiment of those people affected by the war during that time.

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I used to think that the North Vietnam won the war through their creative Guerrilla warfare tactics, but Resource 3.1 extended my thinking because it highlighted how other smart moves such as the Vietnamese political policy which help them garner immense amount of support also heavily contributed to their eventual victory against the much more militarily strong Americans. Thus, I now think that the North Vietnamese were extremely foresighted.

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I used think that the Gulf of tonkin incident triggered the Vietnam war and caused the escalation of both parties but Resources 2.4 stated that " the reason behind the North Vietnamese torpedo boats’ attacks was because of an attack by US-led South Vietnam boats prior." Thus I think that even though the Gulf of tonkin was the event that was heavily publicized, it was the US initial attacks that triggered the war.

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I used to think that the soldiers of the US forces were either willingly participating in the war or merely following orders, but resource 5.3 extended my thinking as it highlighted how the soldiers were humans with thoughts and emotions towards the war. Even though they all joined the war, many did not want the war to take place in the first place, including those who were supportive of the war. Every soldier’s experiences were different so they believed in different things. For example, from the interview with Paul Wisovaty, it could be seen that most soldiers grew up in an environment where everybody was telling them that communists were bad, so this believed was ingrained in their minds. Thus, i now empathise more with the soldiers and realise that many of them were forced or coerced into participating in the war.

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I used to think that the US had full control over what it wanted to do to fight against the communist forces in Vietnam and that it was completely the US's fault for any unsuccessful events, but resource 1.3 showed me that the US had to collaborate to a certain extent with South Vietnam, since the US had tried to warn Diem of weaknesses in their strategy, but Diem did not heed to them. Thus, now I think that even though the US had major influence behind the circumstances and major events of the war, South Vietnam still had some leverage in some events, and made some things out of the US's control.

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Resource 4.4 (Podcast)

I was aware that the Vietnamese people were significantly affected by the war campaigns, particularly the Buddhists who suffered persecution and discrimination under Diem Ngo Dinh's regime. Many were imprisoned for protesting against Diem.

Resource 4.4 extended my thinking because it highlighted how US used herbicides in replacement of chemical warfare to prevent breaking the 1925 Geneva Protocol. The herbicides were as harmful to humans and some contained carcinogen and arsenic, leading to contamination of air, food and water. According to the Vietnamese government, this resulted in an estimated 400,000 deaths and exposure to over 4.8 million people.

Thus, I now think that the scale that Vietnamese locals were affected by the war is much higher and the impact of the war was significantly severe and consequential.

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Resource 4.4

I used to think that extent of military involvement by the US only extended to carpet bombing, as seen in Operation rolling thunder. However, resource 4.4 made me realise that the US also resorted to chemical warfare, with the use of Rainbow Herbicides. With the use of such chemicals, the US allowed Vietnamese troops to be exposed in battle and thus easily targetted by US aggressors, as the Vietcong and North Vietnamese army tended to get the upper hand on the Americans by using the abundant foliage of Vietnam to hide themselves and their supply routes, especially in the infamous Ho Chi Minh Trail. Additionally, these herbicides would also help to kill crops that could act as sustenance for these enemies. Hence, this shows the extent to which the US went in their fright in the Vietnam war.

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4.2:

I used to think that civilians in the Vietnam war were not the main targets of the two sides but from the source i know understand how the various military forces all directly targeted civilians such as with the use of such as with the use of Agent Orange or other chemical bombs that destroyed crops, contaminated water supplies, and caused long-term health issues. These tactics show that civilians were not just caught in the crossfire, but were deliberately affected as part of broader military strategies aimed at weakening the enemy’s support base and morale.

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1.4

I used to think the US intended to get increasingly involved in the war, but 1.4 taught me that they intended "Vietnamization" and gradually shifting the fighting burden to the South Vietnamese army, showing that the US did not want to be so heavily involved in fighting

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I used to think that war photography was just about showing violence and destruction as most of the news and imagery about the Vietnam War was mostly about the damaging impact of the war, but Resource 4.2 extended my thinking because it highlighted what ordinary people went through during the war, showing their feelings, struggles, and hopes clearly in the pictures given.

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resource 1.4 has connected my understanding with what were some of the key turning points in the Vietnam War, specifically the Vietnamization policy. it was crucial in shifting the responsibility for fighting the war from the Americans to the South vietnamese, revealing the Americans true intentions to withdraw, possibly because fighting for any longer was a lost cause. primarily, it was the reason why the South were ineffective in their attempts to fight the much more strategic Northern troops. instead of garnering support for the War, it had sparked public disagreements and more people had opposed this policy as they knew the South themselves were incapable of emerging victorious.

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from resource 5.3, i am able to connect information know to the information of the vietnam war and how the US public and their soldiers felt abt the war. from the resource,i have broadened my thinking in the way that the US public and soldiers did not want to participate inn the war as they feel like it was a civil war and they had nothing to do with it

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Before, I thought that all the parties were involved in the Vietnam war were eager to establish significant influene in the war. But now i know that Kenedy was actually not that keen in getting into a war abroad and only provided some military aid to the south.

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i used to think that the soldiers fighting in the second indochina war, particularly the american soldiers, were fully interested in fighting against communism, similar to the beliefs of the government. However, resource 5.3 showed me that most of the US soldiers were sent there unwillingly, and that they were mostly fighting to END the war, not to just eradicate communism. Thus, I now think that this war was one that was not even necessary, to any extent and it was basically just a one sided conflict, where the US was trying to assert its anti-communist stance...

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I used to think that the corruption of the South VN government is only an important contributing factor to the start of the VN War. However, resource 1.3 has extended my thinking because it highlighted how Diệm's regime was so corrupt to the point that it undid progress from the time of emperor rule (Emperor Bảo Đại), causing many outraged ordinary citizens to support the opposing side and join the Việt Minh. Since the expansion of North VN forces contributed to the US's panic and ultimate military involvement in the war (Gulf of Tonkin incident), it can be said that the corruption of Diệm's government majorly accelerated the escalation of the VN War and indirectly turned the war from a local conflict to a one larger in scale.

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I used to think that the Paris Peace Accords did not contribute at all towards the overall de-escalation of the Vietnam War as I believed that it had no involvement towards the de-escalation of the war, and other more important factors contributed to its de-escalation instead, such as Vietnamization as well as the 1975 Spring Offensive. However, Resource 1.4 extended my thinking on the role of the Paris Peace Accords in the de-escalation of the war because it highlighted how it led to not only the withdrawal of American troops from Vietnam, but it also called for the release of prisoners of war in Vietnam. Thus, I am now more aware that despite the short-lived peace brought by the Paris Peace Accords, it ultimately did made contributions towards the de-escalation of the Vietnam War to a certain extent.

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i used be unsure of the impact of the Paris peace accords but resource 1.4 extended my thinking as it highlighted that it had a significant impact on the Vietnam War. They led to the withdrawal of American troops from Vietnam and also called for the release of prisoners of war, which was an important humanitarian issue, however the peace was short-lived and they still continued to fight and North Vietnamese forces captured Saigon causing the war to come to an end and The Paris Peace Accords did little to prevent this outcome. Thus, now i think that the Paris peace accords attempted to help but did not manage to prevent the fall of south Vietnam.

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I used to think that the Vietnam War was a relatively simple war in terms of combat strategies and military intervention between US and Vietnam and ended quickly after peace talks between the two, with no long lasting effects, but Resource 4.1 extended my thinking because it highlighted how the war had long-lasting effects on ordinary people, like the health problems caused by Agent Orange and the mental and physical trauma that still affects veterans and civilians today, as well as the length the US had gone to to affect the Vietnamese population.

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3.2

I used to think that China and USSR always had good relations due to having common enemies and their communist background, however 3.2 showed me that China and USSR fell out due to deviations in the beliefs of the new leaders, thus showing that countries still have their own initiatives against their fellow allies.

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3.1: I used to think that most people in the US supported the Vietnam War, but now I understand that many Americans were actually against it. There were huge protests, people refused to fight, and famous figures like MLK and muhammad ali. spoke out. As more people saw what was really happening in Vietnam, they started to question the war, and the government faced growing pressure to end it. Public trust erodd as the credibility gap between official statements and the actual events widened. This growing awareness sparked widespread protests, particularly among students and activists, and created a powerful anti war movement that placed increasing pressure on the presidents

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I used to think that when the Americans were aiding south Vietnam to fight against the north, they would have a proper and efficient plan to defeat the Vietcongs, however Resource 3.1 challenged my thinking as it states "The poor visibility meant that american bombs frequently fell on civilian targets and these villages could even be specifically targeted ed  in attacks out of suspicion of harbouring viet cong troops." This meant that the Americans did not have a proper plan to defeat the North and would do whatever they want to defeat the North despite many civilian live would be lost, hence this also led to they losing support from the civilliance

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resource 3.3 has confirmed my understanding that the significant of the Tet Offensive cannot be overlooked, mainly because its large scale had turned the tides of the War. Americans were questioning the authorities even though they assured them that the War would be over soon, and all forms of support were revoked. despite the initial success of the attacks, the Viet Cong forces failed to hold any territory but in turn achieved significant psychological victories, weaking public support for the war in the US

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i used to think that the tet offensive was an event that led to the weakening of the south vietnamese army, but resource 3.3 showed me that the tet offensive was actually incredibly significant in getting the US to pull out of the war due to public backlash. Thus i now think that it was not just the direct impact of fighting that caused south vietnam's military to be weaker than north vietnam's military, it was the public's opinion that heavily influenced the events of the war.

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3.3

I used to think that citizens would appreciate the efforts by war veterans, but 3.3 shows how the US vietnam war veterans were shunned by the public and took the blame for losing the war and for the war crimes committed, showing that the US people greatly hated the Vietnam war.

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I used to think that all the US soldiers just went for the Vietnam war just because they were told to do so but I did not know that they had such strong feelings for the war as I mainly only studied about what led to the escalation of the war. But resource 5.3 extended my thinking by highlighting that some actually opposed the war because they wanted leave or felt that the US should not get involved in the Vietnam war. on June 1,1967, the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) was founded in New York after six Vietnam vets marched together in an anti-war demonstration for an end to the war. The group was organized to give voice to the growing opposition to the escalating war in Vietnam among people in the military. This clearly shows that there are soldiers who go to the war to oppose the escalation of the war. Thus now I know the soldiers' viewpoint on the war.

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i used to not take operation rolling thunder as serious but after reading source 4.4, i understood the horrors that the US did on the Vietnamese. They were very calculative and scheming, using backhanded and shady ways in order to win. From the source, it says that since chemical warfare was outlawed in the 1925 Geneva Protocol , the US found a loophole and instead produced chemicals that killed plants instead of actual human beings. By killing off these plants, the Vietnamese were unable to hide themselves amd their supply routes, making them easier targets. Furthermore, killing these plants would also cut the Vietnamese's source of sustenance, making it harder for them to sustain themselves. Additionally, even though it was not meant to harm people, they overlooked the fact that these chemicals were also harmful to humans, causing many bad side effects. Not only this, these chemicals also stay in the bloodstream, making generations of people affected by this. Thus through this source, i was further able to empathise with the vietnamese

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I used to think that Operation Rolling Thunder involved literal bombs and had a vague clue as to the chemical warfare employed alongside it. Resource 4.4 helped extent my understanding of the true extent of the operation, further broadening my knowledge of the true extent of harm of the chemicals used. An example of this is how the use of the chemicals lead to the death of much of the Vietnamese vegetation, which resulted in Vietnamese farmers losing their crops. Thus, I know understand that Operation Rolling Thunder not only took the lives of Vietnamese people, but also their livelihoods.

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4.3: I used to think the Vietnam War was simply a political conflict with clear sides and outcomes, but now I understand it was a deeply complex and tragic event that affected millions of lives in ways that still echo today. It divided families, lost friendships, and lasting pain that shaped generations.

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I used to think that North Vietnam won the war mostly because of their familarity with the terrain, their home advantage and their tenacity to hold up against the US, but Resource 3.2 extended my thinking because it showed how the help they got from bigger countries like China and Russia as well as their superior battle strategy and smart planning had allowed North Vietnam to win as the underdog.

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from resource 1.4, i am able to connect my inofrmation to the information on all the events leading to the war, such as the gulf of tonkin incident, the destabilisation of South Korea. i am able to broadened my thinking to how the ned of the Vietnam r came abt, with the Paris Peace accords as well as North Vietnamese forces fighting aft that to eventually sieze control of Saigon and ultimately taking control of Vietnam. One question that comes to mind is whether the US should have intervented and whether war was rly neccessary for reunification

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1:3

I used to think that the vietnam was a clear cut conflict between the US and the North VIetnamese. However after reading this resource I am above to discern that this was not the case as there was various levels of involvement from different parties to shift the tide of the war.

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resource 3.2 has allowed me to think in a different perspective in analysing how the North Viets were able to win against the US. their flexible protracted war strategy, backed by aid from their allies, were designed to wear down the American's will to fight and undermine their army's morale. the Americans were not "outfought" but rather outthought, and their strategic had fallen short the the North's as they were so focused on the victory but the moment they realised the North were just as capable, they easily gave up and implemented the Vietnamization policy, revealing that they may not have been such an effective external ally after all

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Before, I knew that americans were supportive of the war efforts but after a while they were not supportive. This resource supports this by showing that the Americans at firstwere really supportive of the war efforts as they beieved that it was a war against communism but after a while, they found out that that the American government did not make much progress with the war and that atrocities were carried out over in Vietnam by the troops, they started having growing dissatisfaction with the war efforts, caling for the government to pull out of the Vietnam war.

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I used to think that the US wanted to be increasingly involved in the war due to their fear of communists ideologists overtaking vietnam, however, resource 1.4 extended my thinking as it highlighted how the US was shifting their responsibilities in the war to the South Vietnamese army and did not want to get heavily involved

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i used to think that most of the soldiers were forced into battling in the war as they did not have a choice but resource 5.3 extended my thinking as it highlighted that some soldiers had different beliefs and wanted to fight in the war for many reasons such as "I want to go serve my country honorably in the best way I can." and also how a us veteran fought in the war partly for revenge. Thus now i think that there are some soldiers who wanted to battle in the war and was not forced.

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I used to think that the US's main reason for stepping out of the war due to public backlash was to save their own reputation. However, resource 5.4 extended my thinking as it highlighted how much people were detached from the actual happenings of the war. The fact that many people learnt about the brutality of the war through art showed how concealed war efforts were from the general public. Thus I now think that this guilt of causing harm to so many people, personified through evocative pieces such as Vietnam II, was a turning point in the public's perception of the war.

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I used to think that the gulf of Tokin incident was a tigger in the war and gave the Americans a reason why they should be involved in the war but resource 3.2 challenged my thinking as they said that "We are unsure if it happened — declassified

documents after the war had evidence that US officials distorted the truth." This means that the US might have fabricated there reason as to why they should be involved in the war and triggered the start of the war despite no factual reason to do so but rather to stop the spread of communism in Vietnam and in Asia.

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I used to not think much of the emotional harm brought to victims of the war, however Resource 4.4 highlighted the cruelty of the war, including the violent and corrupt deeds that he south regime committed, which further deepened my empathy towards victims and families of the war.

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I used to think that the US withdrawal from the 2nd Indochina war was abrupt and made without significantly preparing the South Vietnamese troops to fight without US assistance, but Resource 1.4 extended my thinking on “Vietnamization”, highlighting that the US tried to increase support for the south Vietnamese military and increase the number of troops, aiming for the South Vietnamese capability to take over the fight and for their government to not collapse after losing direct support from the US. However, the burden of war was ultimately too heavy for the South Vietnamese military to handle alone, enabling the victory of the communist North Vietnamese forces in the war. Thus, I now think that the US had anticipated that the South Vietnamese military may be insufficient to win the war, and did not withdraw for the war out of the blue.

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I used to not know about the impact of Tet Offensive on the US citizens as I only knew about it being a coordinated series of attacks on South Vietnam. However, resource 3.3 extended my thinking by stating that the the Tet Offensive led Americans to question the military and political leaders who assured them that the war would be won soon. The public realised that there was not going to be an end and victory is not close hence weakening US support for the war in Vietnam and causing protest to arise. Moreover, the public viewed Vietnam war veterans as violent symbols of war and was hotile towards them. Many were disgusted and hated them for losing the war and sees them as traitors. There was little to zero emotional support given to them by the public. This made me realised how much of an impact the public has on the war and on thr people involved in the war.

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3.2

I used think that there was a basic level of communist assistance from china in that they simply provided matèrial to help bolster the North VIetnamese. However after reading this resource I understand that the soviet union also polayed an integral role in this conflict, firstly by giving their word as they were the leading communist power and as such their approval was taken as a good thing. Secondly there were tensions between the chinese and soviet union. This can be seen by Khruschev’s condemnation of Maoism. However I believe that the Inforgraphic could also incorporate some tactical and operational elements that the North Vietnamese possessed in-order to win the war. For example, the usage of ambushes to catch American troops off-guard and the constant rotation between villages were key tactics utilised to overcome the goliathan American Military.

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I learned more about the horrifics of the war from resource 4.1. I learned about the My Lai Massacre and the macabre killings and rapes of local Vietnamese women and children. I know now more about the true horrors of the Vietnamese war and can better understand the tragedy of the Vietnam War

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This is rather unrelated to the VN War itself, but more or less it is linked to the extended conflict between North and South VN when the conflict was still localised.

I used to not be so aware about the flaws of the Northern regime. However, after a while reading the resources, I have noted how the North VN government made a major mistake with their land reform that showed their true nature. Before the escalation of the VN War, land reform was conducted by the Hồ Chí Minh government from 1953 to 1956. To put it simply, thousands of innocents were executed with no basis of accusation and this land reform (Cải cách ruộng đất) remained as one of the few dark marks in the VN Communist government's history that the present day regime is keen to cover up. Resource 1.4 has also brought to my attention how the South VN's regime, however corrupted it later came to be, had partial success with their land reform (Cải cách điền địa) (they only failed because of the assassination of Ngô Đình Diệm, causing the initiative to come to a hiatus). Now, I have come to understand that the VN War is a complex conflict, with no clear "good side" or "bad side" (the North VN was just as, if not more corrupt than the South -- covering up horrific truths to maintain reputation, killing thousands and lying to thousands of others for their own benefit). The side that won is not necessarily fair nor virtuous, the only thing that can be concluded is that they were more strategic, more clever, more opportunistic (nature of war).

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From Resource 2.4, i am able to connect my information to the information to whether the US made the right decision to ente the world. one idea that broadened my thinking was that the US had many instances where they could pull out of the war and not make the consequences as severe, however, they did not take that route and perhaps in an attempt to save their honor they decided to go deeper in the war, which ultimately still ended in a loss. One question that comes to mind is if the US should have learn from past experiences in the Korean War

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i used to be unsure on how the north vietnam was able to win the war but resource 3.2 extended my thinking as it highlighted how it was due to us miscalculations and domestic pressure such as the tet offensive and the media portrayal of the war which led to American government deciding to conclude the war and promising to continue providing South Vietnam with military aid but did not which resulted in North Vietnam being able to win the weakened South forces and winning the war. Thus now i think that North Vietnam were able to win the war due to the withdrawal of the US army.

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Before, I did not know about how the American sentiments turned so fast. Now i know that it was the US emphasis on the use of technology like photography that showed pictures which displayed the atrocities of the war uncensored, breaking through the high of the Americans winning the Korean war and WW2.

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I used to not know as much about the extent of the impacts of Operation Rolling Thunder on the both the Vietnam War, as well as neighbouring countries like Cambodia and Laos, as I believed that it did not hold much significance over the course of the war. However, Resource 2.1 extended my thinking on the extent of the impacts of Operation Rolling Thunder because it highlighted how the US, with their aim of forcing North Vietnam into surrendering, placed a large number of bombs on the Ho Chi Minh trail, which passed through Cambodia and Laos. The US also underwent a series of intense bombings across Cambodia, in an attempt to weaken the VietCong forces. This led to many innocent lives lost not only in Vietnam, but also in Cambodia, who had no relation whatsoever to the Vietnam War. Thus, I now think that the Operation Rolling Thunder was an extremely significant event as it not only impacted North and South Vietnam, but also its neighbouring countries, Cambodia and Laos.

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i used to not know much about sino-soviets involvement in the vietnam war besides providing aid, but through source 3.2, i was able to gain insights on why ussr and china played such an active role in the vietnam war. besides the obvious reason of spreading communist ideology in asia, their involvement was also due to china and ussr internal conflicts where mao was distrustful of stalin in private. This was because during the Korean War, China heavily aided North Korea militarily, causing them to lose a lot. Whereas, the USSR's involvement was linited to only air support and aircrafts. This had latge costs to China's already steuggly economy, leading Mao to feel exploited and betrayed as Stalin was the one who initially pushed for his cause in Asia. Furthermore, their ideological divisions and attitudes towards the west also added on to these tensions, leading to the Sino-Soviet split. From here on, they were competing as to who would be the leader in the Communist world. Hence, due to them competiting for the leader of the Communist World, it led them to compete to see who could provide more aid to North Vietnam in order to prove who was more superior. Therefore, from this source, i understand that there were also personal factors that led to the USSR and China's heavy involvement in the Vietnam war

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Resource 1.3

I used to think that the factor that cemented the division of Vietnam into north and south regions was solely due to their ideological conflicts. However, this resource extended by learning as it made be realise that the peace talks initiated by the French government after Vietnam Minh’s military confrontations with French forces was what led to the agreement to divide vietnam along the 17th parallel in the first place. The competing strands of Vietnamese ideology between the 2 regions of Vietnam was what led to a growing conflict between the 2 regions that ultimately into the 2nd Indochina war.

because… but resource extended by thinking as it highlighted how…

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resource 4.3 extended my thinkign from different perspectives as it highlighted the emotional burden brought to the families of those involved in the vietnam war and the great impact that the war has on our modern day. It made me grateful for the era that we are in and understand the hardships that soldiers and victims have been through during the era of war.