Defeat in Vietnam

Early in 1975, the North Vietnamese invaded South Vietnam. President Ford requested aid for South Vietnam, but was rejected by Congress. South Vietnam soon began to fall. The last Americans were evacuated on April 29, 1975.

This long and frustrating war ended with a whimper, not a bang This long and frustrating war ended with a whimper, not a bang. The estimated cost to America was $188 billion, with 56,000 dead and 300,000 wounded. America had lost face in the eyes of foreigners, lost its own self-esteem, lost confidence in its military power, and lost much of the economic strength that had made possible its global leadership after WWII.

Origin: Format: Political Cartoon, Author: Unknown, Time: Vietnam war, Place: Washington DC, Background: vietnam war Content: Displays a leaders all shifting responsibility Purpose: To point blame at leadership Value: Displays a satirical view of where responsibility for the Vietnam debacle should be laid. Limitations: Doesn’t take into account other factors, more prevalent during the time period

Origin: Format: Political Cartoon, Author: Doug Marlette, Time: Vietnam war, Place: Vietnam, Background: vietnam war Content: Displays a soldier trying to do drown in the quagmire Purpose: Display the negative impacts of the war Value: Shows how toxic the war is for soldiers and the type of environment they were living in Limitations: Not all soldiers’ experiences can be limited to one political cartoon

Origin: Format: Photograph Author: Unknown, Time: Vietnam war, Place: Vietnam, Background: soldier who fought in the vietnam war Content: Soldier with “i’m going home” written on his tank Purpose: Displays how long the war has been goin Value: Shows another side of the war Limitations: Only one soldier’s experience cannot generalize

Comparison Like Source B, Source A places blame. A on the leaders, but B on the Quagmire. In source A, each political leader is saying “not I,” denying their actions that had an impact on losing Vietnam. In source B, the Quagmire is drowning a soldier, who is trying his best to just survive and preserve his weapon. The responsibility is not claimed but it is also on the environment of Vietnam. Source B suggests the longevity and negativity of the war, while Source C displays hope and optimism of going home. Source B is a depiction of the war while source C is a realistic picture

Identify who is truly to blame for losing Vietnam. Describe how other countries viewed America after the war.