American involvement in Vietnam was eventually unsuccessful.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Oct/Nov 2022). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [1] A political and military group formed to fight the South Vietnamese/army/government.
2. [1] North Vietnam supported the Vietcong.
3. [1] They were also known as the National Liberation Front/Liberation Army.
4. [1] They were backed by the USSR and China.
5. [1] They were supported by the peasants in the South of Vietnam.
6. [1] They carried out attacks on US/South Vietnamese troops from behind US lines.
7. [1] They included South Vietnamese opponents of the government there.
8. [1] They were communists.
9. [1] They used guerrilla tactics.
10. [1] Two US warships were attacked.
11. [1] There was an election looming in the US and Johnson didn't want to be the first US President to lose a war.
12. [1] Johnson had asked Generals to prepare war plans before Tonkin.
13. [1] Congress supported the escalation of the war.
14. [1] To contain communism.
15. [Level 3/4 explanation example] Johnson increased involvement in Vietnam because of the Gulf of Tonkin incident. Two American warships were attacked by North Vietnamese gunboats. Congress gave Johnson the power to give armed support to South Vietnam. Ground troops were deployed and the bombing of North Vietnam began.
16. [1] The public was concerned about the high level of casualties.
17. [1] The public thought too much money was being spent.
18. [1] People began to protest and burned their draft cards.
19. [1] The public was upset by U.S. atrocities against the Vietnamese people.
20. [1] The Tet Offensive turned public opinion.
21. [1] North Vietnamese forces were very resilient.
22. [1] US had no effective weapon against guerrilla warfare.
23. [1] North Vietnamese tactics wore down US soldiers' morale.
24. [Level 3 explanation example - Public opinion more important] Public opinion was important because it increasingly turned against the war due to atrocities committed against the Vietnamese people. Americans were horrified by events in the village of My Lai, where 300 villagers, mainly women and children, were attacked by US troops. Americans began to protest about US involvement in the war which put pressure on the US government to withdraw.
25. [Level 3 explanation example - NVN tactics more important] North Vietnamese forces were important. They launched the Tet Offensive against US targets and South Vietnamese cities. This attack was deep inside South Vietnam and was a blow to US morale. North Vietnamese tactics continued to wear down US soldiers who began to realise that the war was unwinnable and what was the point of continuing.