The Vietnam War

What this page covers

The resources follow the war from its origins to its end. Several mind maps deal with causes: Reasons for US involvement in Vietnam and Anti -Communism and Vietnam War sit alongside flashcard decks on French colonisation, the Vietminh and the impact of the Second World War. Others cover how the war was fought and why the USA withdrew.

Where to start

Begin with the mind map Vietnam War. Its branches ask why America sent troops, what US tactics were, why the USA withdrew and how the war ended. It gives you the whole outline before you look at detail.

Then follow this order:

1. Read the Vietnam Timeline flowchart to fix the sequence of events.
2. Move to causes, using the notes on how the US got involved in the Vietnam war.
3. Study the fighting: American Strategy and Tactics-Vietnam War covers Operation Rolling Thunder and aerial bombing, while VietCong's Guerrilla Warfare covers tunnels, booby traps and hit-and-run attacks.
4. Finish with the Tet Offensive and the end of the war.

Maps and quizzes together

Use a map to learn a topic, then close it and take a quiz. The Tet Offensive has several maps. The Tet Offensive explains the attack on 36 provincial capitals and 5 major cities. Impact of Tet Offensive 1968 looks at its effect on confidence in the South Vietnamese government. Quizzes such as Vietnam 1964-1968, Nixon years in Vietnam and Vietnam War GCSE let you check what stuck. Wrong answers show you which map to reopen.

Where it fits

This unit belongs to the strand The Cold War and the Contemporary World, within History. Anti-communism and the Cold War framing run through many of the maps, so they link well with other topics in that strand.

Next step

Choose one map, work through it, and try a quiz on the same topic. Teachers can pick flashcard decks such as Vietnam - Escalation Part 1 to use with a class.