A History of the United States: Chapter 30: The Vietnam War

One method Kennedy employed to deal with the challenges of the Cold War was to improve the country's ability to respond to threats abroad.

They did not wage war in the way armies had in World War II or in Korea. Instead, they used guerrilla warfare, fighting with small groups of soldiers and using tactics such as ambush.

Needing a way to fight guerrilla wars, Kennedy introduced a plan called flexible response. It provided help to nations fighting Communist movements.

The invasion began on April 17, 1961, when about 1,500 Cuban exiles landed at the Bay of Pigs on the south coast of Cuba. It did not go well. Many blunders occurred.

Kennedy responded to the buildup by ordering the U.S. Navy to blockade, or close off, Cuba until the Soviets removed their missiles.

The roots of the Vietnam War can be traced back to World War II.

The Diem regime, or government, had the support of the United States.

President Johnson began to escalate U.S. involvement in Vietnam in 1965.

Both sides used planes to drop napalm, an explosive that burned intensely, to destroy jungle growth.

One chemical, Agent Orange, is believed to have harmed many Americans and Vietnamese, causing serious health problems.

Some opposition to the war came from the counterculture, a movement that rejected traditional American values.

Draft boards had the power to give men deferments, which excused them from the draft temporarily.

Some protesters became conscientious objectors, claiming that their moral or religious beliefs prevented them from fighting.

Some protesters became conscientious objectors, claiming that their moral or religious beliefs prevented them from fighting.

Major newspapers and magazines openly criticized the conduct of the war.

The Johnson administration developed a credibility gap—fewer people trusted what the administration said about the war.

Antiwar Democrats felt angry and excluded from the convention.

Kissinger was given wide authority to use his skills in diplomacy to end the conflict.

The growing desire by Americans to end the war was reflected in a new round of antiwar demonstrations beginning in late 1969. In October, more than 300,000 people took part in an antiwar protest in Washington, D.C.

Ohio's governor declared martial law—emergency military rule. He ordered 3,000 National Guard troops to Kent State.