On the Tiger's Back: The United States at War, 1965-1967

Identifications

Strategy of attrition
Amany flags" campaign
Agent Orange
Operation ACedar Falls
Honolulu Communiqué

Revolutionary Development Program
AFourteen Points
J. William Fulbright
Howard Levy
San Antonio formula
Operation Chaos

Questions for Consideration:

1		What was the mindset of the Americans as represented by the statements of the journalists on the Ranger and Philip Caputo? How does it help explain how the Americans chose to prosecute the war?
2		Why does the author conclude that Athe manner in which airpower was used in Vietnam virtually ensured that it would not achieve its objectives?
3		How did the NLF and North Vietnamese benefit from Soviet and Chinese assistance? Were they puppets of the two major Communist superpowers?
4		How does the author assess the effectiveness of U.S. ground operations in the period, 1965-67? What were the Aserious flaws of the war of attrition that the author notes?
5		What were the successes and failures of the pacification program?
6		Why does the author emphasize that Aprogress in the critical areas of national building was thus even more limited than on the battlefield?
7		Why does the author emphasize that Athe steady expansion of the war spurred strong international and domestic pressures for negotiation, but the military stalemate produced an equally firm diplomatic impasse?
8		Who composed the anti-war movement? Were they a homogenous group? If not, why not? What were their goals and methods?
9		Why does the author assert that the Apublic mood-tired, angry, and frustrated-posed perhaps a more serious threat to the administration than did the antiwar movement?
10		What were the Aincreasingly sharp divisions within the government by 1967?
11		Why does the author believe that AJohnson's decisions of 1967, even more than those of 1965, were improvisations that defied military logic and did not face, much less resolve, the contradictions in American strategy?