VIETNAM
French
Colonialism in Vietnam (5:46): This clip documents the impact of the
French on traditional Vietnamese society and the rise of a nationalistic
Vietnamese elite under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh. (Source: PBS Series Vietnam: A Television
History: Episode 3 "America's Mandarin").
Buddhist Opposition to Ngo Dinh Diem (3:09): This clip shows the growing opposition to Diem's regime among Buddhist monks, including several who burned themselves in protest, and ends with a television interview with "Madame Diem," as Diem's wife was known, referring to these incidents as "Buddhist Barbecues." (Source: PBS Series Vietnam: A Television History: Episode 3 "America's Mandarin").
The Gulf of Tonkin Incident (8:02): This lengthy clip discusses the incident off the coast of North Vietnam in 1964 that led to the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and an escalation of US involvement in the war. It includes a US Navy newsreel of the incident and interviews with CIA operatives and North Vietnamese leaders. It ends with a famous press statement by Senator Wayne Morse, one of only two Senators who voted against the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. (Source: PBS Documentary Series Vietnam: A Television Series).
The Tet Offensive (1:16): This brief clip is on the Tet Offensive undertaken by the Vietcong during the Buddhist New Year in 1968. It lists the cities targeted by the communist forces and emphasizes the psychological impact of the offensive, especially with regard to Vietnam's ancient capital city Hue. (Source: Learning Channel Documentary Eastern Philosophy and the Art of War).
Music
from the Vietnam Era (0:42): Country Joe McDonald singing his well known
Vietnam era song "What are we fighting for?" with background footage of anti-war
protests during the years of the Johnson administration. (Source: CNN Documentary Series Cold War,
Episode 11 "Vietnam").