Summary
Why did the United States send troops to Vietnam? Well, it's complicated. The conflict in Vietnam was part of the Cold War, a 50-year struggle between the U.S. and the Soviet Union over who would control the world. The Soviet Union was communist, and U.S. presidents feared that if Vietnam became communist, the Soviets would take control of all of Asia. American involvement in Vietnam spanned five presidencies, cost tens of thousands of American lives, and killed millions of Vietnamese. By the end of the war, U.S. involvement had become extremely unpopular back home. Huge protests called for it to end, and American veterans returning from the conflict were often attacked. Press "play" to learn more about this difficult and divisive time in American history.
Viewer safety
Our rating is a quick teacher-to-teacher guide — preview before showing.
Teaching resources
Discussion questions
A few questions to talk through after watching Vietnam War:
- What is one new thing you learned about vietnam war?
- Can you explain it to a partner in your own words?
- Where might you see this in the real world?
- What is one question you still have?
Quick work-a-long
Try it:
- Write one sentence explaining vietnam war.
- Draw or give one example of your own.