SUBJECT NAME:HISTORY

GRADE 12 REVISION PROGRAMME

TOPIC:
PRESENTER (S) :G DICKSON
DATE: 01.FEBRUARY 2024
 WHAT ARE ESSAY REQUIREMENTS ?

• Essay questions require learners to take a stance and to develop a

relevant and coherent line of argument.
• The line of argument must be supported with relevant historical evidence,
that is organised and connected chronologically to the question posed.
 3 WAYS AN ESSAY QUESTION WILL BE SETUP

• CRITICALLY DISCUSS
[ APPROVE OR DISAPPROVE]
• DO YOU AGREE WITH THE ABOVE STATEMENT
[AGREE OR DISAGREE]
• EXPLAIN TO WHAT EXTENT
[TO A LESS OR GREATER EXTENT]
•
•
 INTRODUCTION

• Introduction should make it clear to the reader:

1. What is the direct response to the question

2. What is going to be discussed-content to be used

3. The line of argument that is going to be followed

in the rest of the essay/what is the essay going to prove

•
 INTRODUCTION

• If you read the first sentence of a paragraph or the first paragraph of a

longer piece of writing and you cannot work out clearly what the original
question was, then the introduction has failed in its primary purpose.
 THREE STEPS:

• Step one: Stance and refer to question [To agree or To a disagree with the
statement] [To a large extent or To a less extent]
• Step two: Reason [because]
• Step three: Orientation [provide historical evidence], which content is to be used
 BODY

• Contains all the relevant factual material/content and should be

explicitly linked to the line of argument [ PEEL METHOD]

• Should be well structured in a chronological and coherent manner,

displaying good synthesis of information

• Give examples to reinforce the stance taken

•
 HOW TO SUSTAIN LINE OF ARGUMENT: PEEL
● P ● Point: The candidate introduces the essay by taking a line of argument/making
a major point.
● Each paragraph should include a point that sustains the major point (line of
argument)
• that was made in the introduction.

● E ● Explanation: The candidate should explain in more detail what the main point
is about and how it relates to the question posed (line of argument).
● E ● Example: The candidates should answer the question by selecting content that
is relevant to the line of argument. Relevant examples should be given to
sustain the line of argument.

● L ● Link: Candidates should ensure that the line of argument is sustained

throughout the essay and is written coherently.
 EXTENSION OF COLD WAR

•
•
VIETNAM WAR
 OVERVIEW OF THE COLD WAR IN VIETNAM
Unit 2: Case Study: Vietnam War

§ 1957–1965 Struggle in Vietnam between the South Vietnamese army

• communist-trained rebels (also known as the Viet Cong)
and
§ 1965 –1969 North Vietnamese - USA struggle (include the nature of the
•
Vietnamese war against the USA)
§ The War from a Vietnamese and USA perspective
§ The War as a global issue
§ 1969 –1975 USA withdrawal from Vietnam
§ (impact on USA politics- student movements)
 EXTENSION OF THE COLD WAR: VIETNAM

• Unit 1.2:
The Extension of the Cold War
Case Study: Vietnam
How was a small country like Vietnam able to win a war
against the USA?
•
•
 THE GULF OF TONKIN INCIDENT: THE TRIGGER

§ August 1964 US patrols in the Gulf of Tonkin claimed to have been fired
upon
§ Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
§ Gave the president the power to take all necessary measures to prevent
further aggression or armed attacks against US forces

•
 WHY DID AMERICA GET INVOLVED ?
§ America said it wanted to ‘save’ the South Vietnamese people from the
evils of communism.
§ The Americans wanted to "contain"(stop) the spread of Communism in the
world (the Truman Doctrine).
§ The USA wanted to support non-Communist governments which were
threatened by Communists. It knew that the USSR and China, both
Communist-ruled, were sending aid to Communist North Vietnam.
 WHY DID AMERICA GET INVOLVED ?
• America believed that if one country becomes communist, all other
countries will follow suit. Therefore , USA wanted to curb the
spread of communism in Vietnam
•
•
•
•
 1965-1969 North Vietnamese-USA struggle
§ North Vietnam and Viet Cong
Strategies:
US Strategies: § Convince the people of South Vietnam to
•
Force North Vietnam to give up war get rid of their government
Make North Vietnam agree to a
•
settlement acceptable to US § Destroy the morale of the ARVN (South
Protect South Vietnam and win Vietnam army)
support of South Vietnamese § Inflict enough damage on US troops to
convince it to withdraw
South Vietnam § Fight until full national liberation and
government’s strategies unification of Vietnam
Remove Viet Cong from villages § was achieved
Defend South Vietnam from invasion
Rely on US money and support to
achieve objectives
 TET OFFENSIVE:TURNING POINT IN THE WAR 1968
• Viet Cong launched an attack on over 100 cities in South Vietnam (BBC)

• Some historians now argue that this offensive was a disaster for the Viet Cong
and that after Tet it was largely the North Vietnamese Army which led the
struggle in the south.

• USA also claimed a US victory. BUT… US public were horrified that Viet Cong
could launch such an attack which included seizing the US

embassy in Saigon.

• ‘What the hell’s going on here? I thought we were

• winning this war?’ (TV journalist Walter Conkite)

 WHAT WERE VIETCONG TACTICS
§
Guerrillas fight in small units, avoiding face-to-face fights with their enemy.
•

§ The Vietcong guerrillas used ambushes, planted mines and booby traps,
targeting isolated US and ARVN units.

§ They were experts at camouflage, blending into the countryside. They did not
wear a uniform.

§ They dug 250 km of tunnels to hide in; the tunnels contained kitchens, weapons
stores, hospitals and living quarters.

•
 WHAT WERE VIETCONG TACTICS
§ Vietcong guerrillas were helped by local people, but most of their supplies came down the Ho Chi Minh
Trail.

§ It was actually many different paths. Thousands of people organised it, enduring terrible conditions.

§ The Vietcong tried to win over the peasants in the South, but they did not hesitate to torture and murder
government officials and spies.

§ The Vietcong also carried out sabotage (usually bombs)

in South Vietnamese cities, especially Saigon and even inside

US bases.

•
 WHAT WERE USA TACTICS
7 Feb 1965: USA launched ‘Operation Rolling Thunder’:
- Widespread aerial bombing using cluster bombs and Chemical
• weapons (‘Agent Orange’ and Napalm used)
Search
• and Destroy missions on enemy units (used air
mobility to move troops)
Bomb and cut off supply routes from North Vietnam to Viet
Cong
Win hearts and minds (build trust) with
South Vietnamese
 WHAT WAS THE MY LAI INCIDENT ?
§ On 16th March 1968, nine helicopter gunships landed three US platoons
near the village of My Lai. The US troops were on a search and destroy
mission and My Lai was believed to be a Vietcong stronghold. Over a
two hour period, the Americans killed hundreds of men, women and
children - probably 300, but maybe more.

§ The truth about the massacre did not come out for eighteen months.

§ Only Lieutenant Calley was convicted of war crimes;

he only served three years of his life sentence.

 WHAT WAS THE MY LAI INCIDENT ?
§ Brutal attacks on innocent people in Mai Lai
 WHAT WAS THE MY LAI INCIDENT ?
§ Pictures of the massacre were shown around the word and
people were appalled. It was another reason why many
Americans began to turn against the war.

§ On the other hand, some Americans refused to believe the story,

and some even approved of the massacre.
•
•
 WHAT WAS VIETNAMIZATION
§ In 1968, Johnson decided to open peace talks following the Tet Offensive. However, he
then stood down as President – sick of the pressure of the War. Nixon won the next
election with a promise to end the war.

§ Nixon began the policy of Vietnamization. This meant taking American troops out of
Vietnam and leaving the South Vietnamese troops of the ARVN to do the fighting. The
USA would still help by giving arms and money and advice to the ARVN.

§ At the same time, Nixon continued peace talks as well as

continuing to bomb North Vietnam heavily to try to persuade

them to give up.

•
 WHAT HAPPENED AFTER1971
§ Nixon ordered the invasion of Cambodia in 1970 and then Laos in 1971. The aim was to
disrupt the Ho Chi Minh Trail and to destroy Vietcong bases in these countries.

§ The ARVN failed in their attempts, and this seemed to prove that they could not cope without
US troops.

§ The invasions also led to more protests against the war back in the USA. It seemed as if
Nixon was escalating the war, not trying to bring about peace.

§ 4 American students were shot dead by police in a demonstration at Kent State University.
This made even more people angry about

US involvement in Vietnam.
•
 HOW DID THE WAR COME TO AN END?
•Eventually, in October 1972, a peace agreement was reached.

•The South Vietnamese President, Thieu, was furious because he believed the peace
agreement would leave his country at the mercy of North Vietnam.

•A few months later, in 1973, the last American troops left Vietnam, leaving the ARVN to fight
the communists on their own.

•The USA had promised to keep providing aid to South Vietnam but started to decrease the
amount they sent. Thieu was even more angry!

•North Vietnam then invaded the South and, by July 1976,

Vietnam was one country again – ruled by the communists.

•
•
 WHAT WAS THE IMPACT OF THE WAR ON VIETNAM?
§ Many villages and communities were destroyed during the
fighting.
§ Civilians suffered brutal treatment including torture, rape and
murder. About two million Vietnamese are thought to have
died during the conflict.
§ The war left hundreds of thousands of orphans and wounded
civilians and soldiers to be cared for after the war.
•
•
 WHAT WAS THE IMPACT OF THE WAR ON VIETNAM?
§ The economic effects of the war were devastating fields, animals, crops
and forests were destroyed, making a poor country even poorer. The
Vietnamese were soon unable to feed their population.
§ The environment was badly damaged, littered with crashed planes,
§ vehicles and guns and a landscape pitted with unexploded bombs,

shells and mines.

•
•
 WHAT WAS THE IMPACT OF THE WAR ON AMERICA?
THE OHIO NATIONAL GUARD
ANTI-VIETNAM WAR KILLED 4 ANTI-WAR
PROTESTS, OHIO STATE PROTESTERS AT KENT STATE
UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY

the Ohio National Guard killed 4 anti-war

protesters at Kent State University
 WITHDRAWAL OF USA IN VIETNAM

§ 1969: ‘Nixon Doctrine’ stated that US would help those who helped
themselves – ‘Vietnamisation’ phase of war began

§ 27 January 1973 ceasefire agreed withdrawal of all US troops from

Vietnam

§ The Civil war continued until March 1975 when

North Vietnam took control of Saigon, renamed it

Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam was re-united

 ESSAY QUESTION
• …All the military might of a superpower could not defeat a small
nation of peasants.’
• Do you agree with the above statement. Use relevant examples to
support your answer. [50]
•
•
 WHAT TYPE OF INTRODUCTION IS EXPECTED?
It can be agreed that all the military might of a superpower, like the USA could
Even though the USA had superior military might they failed to win not defeat
the small peasant nation of South Vietnam. the win support of the Vietnamese
people and underestimated their combat techniques. Coupled with the
increasing anti-war sentiments back home the might of the American army was
not enough to win the war.

This essay critically discusses, [the afore-mentioned

statement in light of] America’s involvement in Vietnam

between 1965 and 1975.

 CONTENT WITH THE PEEL METHODE
§ (Point) On 16th March 1968, nine helicopter gunships landed three US platoons near the village of My Lai. The
US troops were on a search and destroy mission and My Lai was believed to be a Vietcong stronghold.

§ (Explain) Over a two hour period, the Americans killed hundreds of men, women and children - probably 300,
but maybe more.•The truth about the massacre did not come out for eighteen months. Only Lieutenant
Calley was convicted of war crimes he only served three years of his life sentence.

§ (Example/Evidence)Pictures of the massacre were shown around the world

and people were appalled. It was another reason why many Americans began to turn against the war. On the other
hand, some Americans refused to believe the story and some even approved of the massacre.

§ (Link) This is one of the reasons why the USA couldn’t defeat the Vietcong
•
•
Conclusion
• In conclusion to the above essay,the military might of a superpower, like
the USA could. Even though the USA had superior military might they
failed to win not defeat the small nation. The Vietcong had support from
the Vietnamese people and underestimated their combat techniques.
Coupled with the increasing anti-war sentiments back home the might
of the American army was not enough to win the war. This explains why
it was impossible for them to defeat the Vietcong.
•
•

THANK YOU