1. Explain how the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution affected the powers of Congress and the presidency.
A: The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution authorized the president to "take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression." Hence, the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution took war powers from Congress and hand them over to the president, giving him power to take military action in Vietnam.
2. What tactics did the United States adopt to fight the Vietcong?
A: To fight the Vietcong, the United States adopted a series of tactics. American troops went on “search and destroy” missions in which they tried to find enemy troops, bomb their positions, destroy their supply lines, and force them into the open. American forces also sought to take away the Vietcong’s ability to high in the thick jungles by literally destroying the landscape. American planes dropped napalm, a jelled gasoline that explodes on contact. They also used Agent Orange, a chemical that strips leaves from trees and shrubs, turning farmland and forest into wasteland.
3. Why did the United States use napalm and Agent Orange in its fight against the Vietcong?
A: The United States used napalm and Agent Orange in its fight against the Vietcong because they were both quick and effective means to destroying the thick jungles that the Vietcong often hid in.
4. Why was the Vietnam War the first "television" war?
A: The Vietnam War was the first "television war because it was the first war whose horrors were shown on television to the American people in their homes. It was also the first war war in which television acted as the major medium of news for most people at home.
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