• Home
  • Year 9
    • Unit 1 - Bronze Age Greece >
      • Lesson 1 - Minoa
      • Lesson 2 - Myths
      • Lesson 3 - Atlantis
      • Lesson 4 - The Mycenaeans
      • Lesson 5 - Troy
    • Unit 2 - Classical Greece >
      • Lesson 1 - Archaic Period >
        • End of Unit Test >
          • End of Unit Test - 1
      • Lesson 2 - Olympics
      • Lesson 3 - Athens
      • Lesson 4 - Democracy
      • Lesson 5 - Sparta
      • Lesson 6 - Greek Gods
      • Lesson 7 - Greek Legacy
      • End of Unit Test - 2
    • Unit 3 - Roman Republic >
      • Lesson 1 - Foundation
      • Lesson 2 - Republic
      • Lesson 3 - Hannibal
      • Lesson 4 - Julius Caesar
      • Lesson 5 - Rome
    • Unit 4 - Roman Empire >
      • Lesson 1 - Empire
      • Lesson 2 - Roman Nyon
      • Lesson 3 - Pompeii
      • Lesson 4 - Rise and Fall
      • Lesson 5 - Legacy
    • Unit 5 - The early Middle Ages >
      • Lesson 1 - Middle Ages?
      • Lesson 2 - Christianity
      • Lesson 3 - Monasteries
      • Lesson 4 - Justinian
      • Lesson 5 - Islam
      • Lesson 6 - Vikings
  • Year 11
    • Warfare - A study through time >
      • Lesson 1 - Introduction >
        • Warfare - Timeline activity >
          • Students' Timelines 2020
      • Lesson 2 - Medieval >
        • Case Study - 1066 - Battle of Hastings
      • Lesson 3 - Crusades >
        • Case Study - 1271 - Krak des Chevaliers
      • Lesson 4 - New World >
        • Case Study - 1532 - Battle of Cajamarca
      • Lesson 5 - Religion >
        • Case Study - 1572 - St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre
      • Lesson 6 - Napoleon >
        • Case Study - 1796 - Battle of Lodi
      • Lesson 7 - Industrial >
        • Case Study - 1859 - Battle of Solferino
      • Lesson 8 - World War 1 >
        • Case Study - 1915 - The Battle of Ypres
      • Lesson 9 - 1930s >
        • Case Study - 1937 - Nanjing Massacre
      • Lesson 10 - Vietnam >
        • Case Study - 1968 - Tet Offensive
    • Matu 1 - The American Revolution >
      • Lesson 1 - The Scientific Revolution
      • Lesson 2 - The Enlightenment
      • Lesson 3 - Enlightened Monarchs
      • Lesson 4 - Colonising America
      • Lesson 5 - Thirteen Colonies
      • Lesson 6 - Boston Massacre? >
        • Boston Massacre - The Play
      • Lesson 7 - Short-term causes
      • Lesson 8 - Why Britain lost
      • Lesson 9 - Consequences
      • Lesson 10 - How revolutionary?
    • Matu 2 - The French Revolution >
      • Lesson 1 - Introduction
      • Lesson 2 - Causes SE
      • Lesson 3 - Causes CP
      • Lesson 4 - Short term causes
      • Lesson 5 - The Bastille
      • Lesson 6 - 1789-91
      • Lesson 7 - 1793 Execution
      • Lesson 8 - The Terror
    • Matu 3 - Switzerland and Napoleon >
      • Lesson 1 - Ancien Regime
      • Lesson 2 - 1789
      • Lesson 3 - Napoleon's Rise
      • Lesson 4 - Napoleon in Art
      • Lesson 5 - Napoleon's Reforms
      • Lesson 6 - Switzerland 1798-1815
      • Lesson 7 - Napoleon's Europe
      • Lesson 8 - Napoleon: Hero or villain
  • S1 S2
    • Matu 4 - Industrial Revolution >
      • Lesson 1 - Why was Britain First?
      • Lesson 2 - Economics - Agriculture
      • Lesson 3 - Economics - Industry
      • Lesson 4 - Transport
      • Lesson 5 - Social Impact
      • Lesson 6 - Cultural Impact
      • Lesson 7 - Political Impact
      • Lesson 8 - Switzerland
    • Matu 5 - Nationalism >
      • Lesson 1 - Impact of French Revolution
      • Lesson 2 - Napoleon and Vienna
      • Lesson 3 - 1815-48 - Age of Revolution
      • Lesson 4 - Italian Unification - 1830-48
      • Lesson 5 - Switzerland 1815-48
      • Lesson 6 - Italian Unification - 1848-70
      • Lesson 7 - German Unification - 1848-71
      • Lesson 8 - The German Empire
    • Matu 6 - New Imperialism >
      • Lesson 1 - New Imperialism?
      • Lesson 2 - Africa
      • Lesson 3 - Congo
      • Lesson 4 - China
      • Lesson 5 - Japan
      • Lesson 6 - Legacy
      • Jared Diamond thesis
    • Matu 7 - World War 1 >
      • Lesson 1 - Introduction
      • Lesson 2 - Causes
      • Lesson 3 - 1914
      • Lesson 4 - Expectations
      • Lesson 5 - Reality
      • Lesson 6 - Total War
      • Lesson 7 - Switzerland
      • Lesson 8 - Defeat
      • Lesson 9 - Peace 1919
    • Matu 8 - Russian Revolutions >
      • Lesson 1 - Russia before 1917 >
        • Tim Marshall - Russia
      • Lesson 2 - 1905 Revolution
      • Lesson 3 - February Revolution
      • Lesson 4 - Marxism
      • Lesson 5 - Lenin
      • Lesson 6 - The Bolsheviks
      • Lesson 7 - 1917-18
      • Lesson 8 - Civil War
    • Matu 9 - USA 1919-41 >
      • Lesson 1 - 1920s boom
      • Lesson 2 - Roaring 20s?
      • Lesson 3 - Crash
      • Lesson 4 - 1932 Election
      • Lesson 5 - New Deal
      • Lesson 6 - Judging the New Deal
    • Matu 10 - Totalitarian States >
      • Lesson 1 - Modern Authoritarianism >
        • Is Trump's USA authoritarian?
      • Lesson 2 - Fascism
      • Lesson 3 - Mussolini - Rise to Power
      • Lesson 4 - Mussolini - Consolidation of Power
      • Lesson 5 - Mussolini - Aims and policies
      • Lesson 6 - Research presentations >
        • Hitler - Research presentations
        • Stalin- Research presentations
      • Lesson 7 - Hitler - Germany 1933-45 >
        • Hitler - Rise to Power
        • Hitler - Consolidation of Power
        • Hitler - Aims and policies
      • Lesson 8 - Stalin - USSR 1924-41 >
        • Stalin - Rise to Power
        • Stalin - Consolidation of Power
        • Stalin - Aims and policies
    • Exams and Revision
  • S3
    • Matu 11 - World War II >
      • Lesson 1 - WW1
      • Lesson 2 - LoN
      • Lesson 3 - Hitler
      • Lesson 4 - Appeasement
      • Lesson 5 - 1939-40
      • Lesson 6 - Japan
      • Lesson 7 - Russia
      • Lesson 8 - Total War
      • Lesson 9 - Defeat
      • Lesson 10 - Switzerland
    • Matu 12 - The Cold War >
      • Lesson 1 - Origins
      • Lesson 2 - Causes
      • Lesson 3 - Berlin
      • Lesson 4 - 1950s
      • Lesson 5 - 1960s
      • Lesson 6 - 1970s
      • Lesson 7 - 1980s
    • Matu 13 - Decolonisation and the Third World >
      • Lesson 1 - Factors
      • Lesson 2 - Case studies
      • Lesson 3 - Consequences
    • Matu 14 - Switzerland >
      • Swiss Politics
      • Swiss History
    • Exams and Revision
  • IB History
    • IB History - Paper 1 >
      • IB History - Paper 1 - Content
      • IB History - Paper 1 - Past paper questions >
        • Question 1a
        • Question 1b
        • Question 2
        • Question 3
        • Question 4
      • IB History - Paper 1 - Skills
    • IB History - Paper 2 >
      • IB History - Paper 2 past paper questions
      • IB History - 7. Industrialization >
        • IB History - Past paper questions - Industrialization
        • IB History - First and Second Industrial Revolution
        • IB History - Steven Johnson
        • Activity 1
      • IB History - 8. Independence movements >
        • IB History - Past paper questions - Independence movements
        • IB History - Revision Template - Independence movements >
          • IB History - Independence movements - Theme 1 - Origin and rise
          • IB History - Independence movements - Theme 2 - Methods
      • IB History - 10. Authoritarian States >
        • IB History - Emergence of authoritarian states
        • IB History - Consolidation and maintenance
        • IB History - Aims and policies
        • IB History - Past paper questions - Authoritarian states
        • IB History - Revision Template - Authoritarian states >
          • Hitler - Germany and Castro - Cuba - A comparative analysis (Part 1)
          • Hitler - Germany and Castro - Cuba - A comparative analysis (Part 2)
          • Hitler - Germany and Castro - Cuba - A comparative analysis (Part 3)
      • IB History - 11. Warfare >
        • IB History - Past paper questions - Warfare
      • IB History - 12. Cold War >
        • IB History - Past paper questions - Cold War
        • IB History - Revision essay plans - Cold War >
          • Cold War - 1943-49 - Rivalry, mistrust and accord
          • Cold War - 1947-79 - Rivalry, mistrust and accord
          • Cold War - 1980-91 - Rivalry, mistrust and accord
          • Cold War - Leaders, nations and Cold War crises.
    • IB History - IA - Internal Assessment
  • TOK
    • Critical Thinking >
      • Lesson 1 - Thinking >
        • Lesson 1 - Test
      • Lesson 2 - Language
      • Lesson 3 - Senses
      • Lesson 4 - Reason
      • Lesson 5 - Emotion
      • Assessment >
        • Movie perception test
        • Complete film
        • Student Films 2021
    • Core theme - Knowledge and the knower >
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    • Areas of Knowledge >
      • History >
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        • Scope in human science
        • Method and perspectives in human science
        • Ethics in human science
      • Natural Science >
        • Scope in natural science
        • Method and perspectives in natural science
        • Ethics in human science
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        • Scope in maths
        • Method and perspectives in maths
        • Ethics in maths
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        • Scope in the arts
        • Method and perspectives in arts
        • Ethics in the arts
      • Politics >
        • Scope in politics
        • Method and perspectives in politics
        • Ethics in politics
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        • Scope in technology
        • Method and perspectives in politics
        • Ethics in technology
      • Language >
        • Scope in language
        • Method and perspectives in language
        • Ethics in technology
    • Assessment >
      • TOK Exhibition >
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        • TOK Exhibition 2025
      • Essay
  • Film Workshop
  • About
International School History
  • Home
  • Year 9
    • Unit 1 - Bronze Age Greece >
      • Lesson 1 - Minoa
      • Lesson 2 - Myths
      • Lesson 3 - Atlantis
      • Lesson 4 - The Mycenaeans
      • Lesson 5 - Troy
    • Unit 2 - Classical Greece >
      • Lesson 1 - Archaic Period >
        • End of Unit Test >
          • End of Unit Test - 1
      • Lesson 2 - Olympics
      • Lesson 3 - Athens
      • Lesson 4 - Democracy
      • Lesson 5 - Sparta
      • Lesson 6 - Greek Gods
      • Lesson 7 - Greek Legacy
      • End of Unit Test - 2
    • Unit 3 - Roman Republic >
      • Lesson 1 - Foundation
      • Lesson 2 - Republic
      • Lesson 3 - Hannibal
      • Lesson 4 - Julius Caesar
      • Lesson 5 - Rome
    • Unit 4 - Roman Empire >
      • Lesson 1 - Empire
      • Lesson 2 - Roman Nyon
      • Lesson 3 - Pompeii
      • Lesson 4 - Rise and Fall
      • Lesson 5 - Legacy
    • Unit 5 - The early Middle Ages >
      • Lesson 1 - Middle Ages?
      • Lesson 2 - Christianity
      • Lesson 3 - Monasteries
      • Lesson 4 - Justinian
      • Lesson 5 - Islam
      • Lesson 6 - Vikings
  • Year 11
    • Warfare - A study through time >
      • Lesson 1 - Introduction >
        • Warfare - Timeline activity >
          • Students' Timelines 2020
      • Lesson 2 - Medieval >
        • Case Study - 1066 - Battle of Hastings
      • Lesson 3 - Crusades >
        • Case Study - 1271 - Krak des Chevaliers
      • Lesson 4 - New World >
        • Case Study - 1532 - Battle of Cajamarca
      • Lesson 5 - Religion >
        • Case Study - 1572 - St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre
      • Lesson 6 - Napoleon >
        • Case Study - 1796 - Battle of Lodi
      • Lesson 7 - Industrial >
        • Case Study - 1859 - Battle of Solferino
      • Lesson 8 - World War 1 >
        • Case Study - 1915 - The Battle of Ypres
      • Lesson 9 - 1930s >
        • Case Study - 1937 - Nanjing Massacre
      • Lesson 10 - Vietnam >
        • Case Study - 1968 - Tet Offensive
    • Matu 1 - The American Revolution >
      • Lesson 1 - The Scientific Revolution
      • Lesson 2 - The Enlightenment
      • Lesson 3 - Enlightened Monarchs
      • Lesson 4 - Colonising America
      • Lesson 5 - Thirteen Colonies
      • Lesson 6 - Boston Massacre? >
        • Boston Massacre - The Play
      • Lesson 7 - Short-term causes
      • Lesson 8 - Why Britain lost
      • Lesson 9 - Consequences
      • Lesson 10 - How revolutionary?
    • Matu 2 - The French Revolution >
      • Lesson 1 - Introduction
      • Lesson 2 - Causes SE
      • Lesson 3 - Causes CP
      • Lesson 4 - Short term causes
      • Lesson 5 - The Bastille
      • Lesson 6 - 1789-91
      • Lesson 7 - 1793 Execution
      • Lesson 8 - The Terror
    • Matu 3 - Switzerland and Napoleon >
      • Lesson 1 - Ancien Regime
      • Lesson 2 - 1789
      • Lesson 3 - Napoleon's Rise
      • Lesson 4 - Napoleon in Art
      • Lesson 5 - Napoleon's Reforms
      • Lesson 6 - Switzerland 1798-1815
      • Lesson 7 - Napoleon's Europe
      • Lesson 8 - Napoleon: Hero or villain
  • S1 S2
    • Matu 4 - Industrial Revolution >
      • Lesson 1 - Why was Britain First?
      • Lesson 2 - Economics - Agriculture
      • Lesson 3 - Economics - Industry
      • Lesson 4 - Transport
      • Lesson 5 - Social Impact
      • Lesson 6 - Cultural Impact
      • Lesson 7 - Political Impact
      • Lesson 8 - Switzerland
    • Matu 5 - Nationalism >
      • Lesson 1 - Impact of French Revolution
      • Lesson 2 - Napoleon and Vienna
      • Lesson 3 - 1815-48 - Age of Revolution
      • Lesson 4 - Italian Unification - 1830-48
      • Lesson 5 - Switzerland 1815-48
      • Lesson 6 - Italian Unification - 1848-70
      • Lesson 7 - German Unification - 1848-71
      • Lesson 8 - The German Empire
    • Matu 6 - New Imperialism >
      • Lesson 1 - New Imperialism?
      • Lesson 2 - Africa
      • Lesson 3 - Congo
      • Lesson 4 - China
      • Lesson 5 - Japan
      • Lesson 6 - Legacy
      • Jared Diamond thesis
    • Matu 7 - World War 1 >
      • Lesson 1 - Introduction
      • Lesson 2 - Causes
      • Lesson 3 - 1914
      • Lesson 4 - Expectations
      • Lesson 5 - Reality
      • Lesson 6 - Total War
      • Lesson 7 - Switzerland
      • Lesson 8 - Defeat
      • Lesson 9 - Peace 1919
    • Matu 8 - Russian Revolutions >
      • Lesson 1 - Russia before 1917 >
        • Tim Marshall - Russia
      • Lesson 2 - 1905 Revolution
      • Lesson 3 - February Revolution
      • Lesson 4 - Marxism
      • Lesson 5 - Lenin
      • Lesson 6 - The Bolsheviks
      • Lesson 7 - 1917-18
      • Lesson 8 - Civil War
    • Matu 9 - USA 1919-41 >
      • Lesson 1 - 1920s boom
      • Lesson 2 - Roaring 20s?
      • Lesson 3 - Crash
      • Lesson 4 - 1932 Election
      • Lesson 5 - New Deal
      • Lesson 6 - Judging the New Deal
    • Matu 10 - Totalitarian States >
      • Lesson 1 - Modern Authoritarianism >
        • Is Trump's USA authoritarian?
      • Lesson 2 - Fascism
      • Lesson 3 - Mussolini - Rise to Power
      • Lesson 4 - Mussolini - Consolidation of Power
      • Lesson 5 - Mussolini - Aims and policies
      • Lesson 6 - Research presentations >
        • Hitler - Research presentations
        • Stalin- Research presentations
      • Lesson 7 - Hitler - Germany 1933-45 >
        • Hitler - Rise to Power
        • Hitler - Consolidation of Power
        • Hitler - Aims and policies
      • Lesson 8 - Stalin - USSR 1924-41 >
        • Stalin - Rise to Power
        • Stalin - Consolidation of Power
        • Stalin - Aims and policies
    • Exams and Revision
  • S3
    • Matu 11 - World War II >
      • Lesson 1 - WW1
      • Lesson 2 - LoN
      • Lesson 3 - Hitler
      • Lesson 4 - Appeasement
      • Lesson 5 - 1939-40
      • Lesson 6 - Japan
      • Lesson 7 - Russia
      • Lesson 8 - Total War
      • Lesson 9 - Defeat
      • Lesson 10 - Switzerland
    • Matu 12 - The Cold War >
      • Lesson 1 - Origins
      • Lesson 2 - Causes
      • Lesson 3 - Berlin
      • Lesson 4 - 1950s
      • Lesson 5 - 1960s
      • Lesson 6 - 1970s
      • Lesson 7 - 1980s
    • Matu 13 - Decolonisation and the Third World >
      • Lesson 1 - Factors
      • Lesson 2 - Case studies
      • Lesson 3 - Consequences
    • Matu 14 - Switzerland >
      • Swiss Politics
      • Swiss History
    • Exams and Revision
  • IB History
    • IB History - Paper 1 >
      • IB History - Paper 1 - Content
      • IB History - Paper 1 - Past paper questions >
        • Question 1a
        • Question 1b
        • Question 2
        • Question 3
        • Question 4
      • IB History - Paper 1 - Skills
    • IB History - Paper 2 >
      • IB History - Paper 2 past paper questions
      • IB History - 7. Industrialization >
        • IB History - Past paper questions - Industrialization
        • IB History - First and Second Industrial Revolution
        • IB History - Steven Johnson
        • Activity 1
      • IB History - 8. Independence movements >
        • IB History - Past paper questions - Independence movements
        • IB History - Revision Template - Independence movements >
          • IB History - Independence movements - Theme 1 - Origin and rise
          • IB History - Independence movements - Theme 2 - Methods
      • IB History - 10. Authoritarian States >
        • IB History - Emergence of authoritarian states
        • IB History - Consolidation and maintenance
        • IB History - Aims and policies
        • IB History - Past paper questions - Authoritarian states
        • IB History - Revision Template - Authoritarian states >
          • Hitler - Germany and Castro - Cuba - A comparative analysis (Part 1)
          • Hitler - Germany and Castro - Cuba - A comparative analysis (Part 2)
          • Hitler - Germany and Castro - Cuba - A comparative analysis (Part 3)
      • IB History - 11. Warfare >
        • IB History - Past paper questions - Warfare
      • IB History - 12. Cold War >
        • IB History - Past paper questions - Cold War
        • IB History - Revision essay plans - Cold War >
          • Cold War - 1943-49 - Rivalry, mistrust and accord
          • Cold War - 1947-79 - Rivalry, mistrust and accord
          • Cold War - 1980-91 - Rivalry, mistrust and accord
          • Cold War - Leaders, nations and Cold War crises.
    • IB History - IA - Internal Assessment
  • TOK
    • Critical Thinking >
      • Lesson 1 - Thinking >
        • Lesson 1 - Test
      • Lesson 2 - Language
      • Lesson 3 - Senses
      • Lesson 4 - Reason
      • Lesson 5 - Emotion
      • Assessment >
        • Movie perception test
        • Complete film
        • Student Films 2021
    • Core theme - Knowledge and the knower >
      • Knowledge framework
    • Areas of Knowledge >
      • History >
        • Scope in history
        • Method and perspective in history
        • Ethics in history
      • Human Science >
        • Scope in human science
        • Method and perspectives in human science
        • Ethics in human science
      • Natural Science >
        • Scope in natural science
        • Method and perspectives in natural science
        • Ethics in human science
      • Maths >
        • Scope in maths
        • Method and perspectives in maths
        • Ethics in maths
      • Arts >
        • Scope in the arts
        • Method and perspectives in arts
        • Ethics in the arts
      • Politics >
        • Scope in politics
        • Method and perspectives in politics
        • Ethics in politics
      • Technology >
        • Scope in technology
        • Method and perspectives in politics
        • Ethics in technology
      • Language >
        • Scope in language
        • Method and perspectives in language
        • Ethics in technology
    • Assessment >
      • TOK Exhibition >
        • TOK Exhibition 2023
        • TOK Exhibition 2024
        • TOK Exhibition 2025
      • Essay
  • Film Workshop
  • About

Year 11 - Warfare: A study through time

Lesson 10 - Vietnam and after - Fourth generation war
Big questions and some more answers 

Last lesson we looked at the 'interwar years' leading up to the Second World War. This was the era of total war and 'third generation' warfare. Technologically the development of the bomber aircraft and fast moving tanks made possible the strategy of 'blitzkrieg' in which civilians as much as soldiers became legitimate targets of war. The aims of the war were also total. The fascist regimes with their racist ideologies demanded the subjugation or even extermination of whole peoples based on their ethnic origins. For those fighting fascism, whether in Spain in 1936, Stalingrad in 1942 or Iwo Jima in 1945, there could be no compromise. Unlike the end of the First World War there could not be a negotiated peace only the complete capitulation of the enemy. The war was finally brought to an end when the USA dropped the first two atomic bombs on Japan. ​But the atom bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the last time nuclear weapons would be used in warfare.
After the Second World War the world became divided between the victors, with capitalist states aligned behind the USA and communist states behind the USSR (Soviet Russia). In Western Europe at least, this post war rivalry began a period of unprecedented  peace which has lasted to the present day. It also ushered in a return to the earlier concept of limited war. By the 1950s a Cold War (Matu 12) had developed between two nuclear armed super powers - USA/USSR - who were able to guarantee that any 'total' war between them would result in Mutually Assured Destruction or MAD for short. This is not to say there was no further conflict between the superpowers. After 1945 war would be fought by 'proxy' through people fighting for capitalism or communism around the world: in China, Cuba, Hungary, Angola, Chile etc. and most famously in Vietnam. This is what this lesson will examine. ​​
Heritage object - Eddie Adams - Saigon Execution, 1968.
Picture
Eddie Adams was an American war photographer. On the 1st of February 1968 of police chief General Loan, summarily executed Nguyễn Văn Lém, a Vietcong prisoner.  At the moment the photograph is taken, the bullet is already in the head of the prisoner. 

For more about the importance of this photograph see the BBC and TimeLife. 

A bit of background 

In addition to the Cold War, the post-1945 period was also characterised by the period of decolonisation.  (Matu 13) ​As we have seen, in the late 19th century Western countries rushed to take control over  'underdeveloped' parts of the world in places like Africa and South-East Asia. With European countries caught up in the Second World War, many of these colonised territories began to assert their independence. One notable example was in the French controlled colony of Indo-China. Under the leadership of Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam fought a successful war of independence which culminated in the defeat of France at Dien Bien Phu in 1954.  At the peace settlement that followed, the USA ensured the division of Vietnam with American interest invested in a capitalist pro-American southern Vietnamese state. The war between capitalist south and communist north which followed was the most significant 'proxy war' of the Cold War period. The USA was gradually dragged into the conflict; supplying arms and 'advisors' to begin with, in 1964 the first US ground troops arrived. At its peak at the end of 1968, nearly 500,000 US personnel were in Vietnam. By the war's end and American defeat in 1975, nearly 50,000 Americans and two million Vietnamese had died. 

Fourth Generation War

​The concept of fourth generational war was invented by historians in the 1980s to describe the way that war has evolved in most recent times. Just as the battle of Solferino marked the transition from first to second generational warfare, so Vietnam marked the transition from third to fourth.  In fourth generational war, countries/states are not the only participants in battle. States are attacked by weaker non-state participants who use strategies of 'guerrilla war' and terrorism against their much more powerful state opponents. This is also known as asymmetrical warfare. Asymmetrical warfare refers to a type of conflict in which one side employs tactics and strategies that differ significantly from those of the other side (typically a stronger or more conventional force). These wars are long-lasting, unpredictable and target the political will of the state to continue fighting through the sophisticated use of propaganda. The current war in Gaza (2023) is a typical example of this type of warfare. In reality, it has been going on for years. See this article from 2012. 
War in the 21st Century
Swiss historian Daniele Ganser talks about the importance of the media in 21st century via the events of 9/11. 
Wars fought by killer robots are no longer hypothetical. See this article by the Graduate Institute of Geneva. 
American ​atmospheric scientist Brian Toon explains how even a small nuclear war could destroy all life on earth. 
Activities

​
1. Explain the concepts of 'Cold War' and 'Mutually assured destruction'.
2. What are the main characteristics of 'Fourth generation' warfare. 

Part 2 - Case study 1968 Tet offensive.​
The little sister of internationalschoolhistory.net - Richard Jones-Nerzic- Nyon, Switzerland 2025 
The views expressed on this website are those of the author and not necessarily endorsed by the author's employer. 
  • Home
  • Year 9
    • Unit 1 - Bronze Age Greece >
      • Lesson 1 - Minoa
      • Lesson 2 - Myths
      • Lesson 3 - Atlantis
      • Lesson 4 - The Mycenaeans
      • Lesson 5 - Troy
    • Unit 2 - Classical Greece >
      • Lesson 1 - Archaic Period >
        • End of Unit Test >
          • End of Unit Test - 1
      • Lesson 2 - Olympics
      • Lesson 3 - Athens
      • Lesson 4 - Democracy
      • Lesson 5 - Sparta
      • Lesson 6 - Greek Gods
      • Lesson 7 - Greek Legacy
      • End of Unit Test - 2
    • Unit 3 - Roman Republic >
      • Lesson 1 - Foundation
      • Lesson 2 - Republic
      • Lesson 3 - Hannibal
      • Lesson 4 - Julius Caesar
      • Lesson 5 - Rome
    • Unit 4 - Roman Empire >
      • Lesson 1 - Empire
      • Lesson 2 - Roman Nyon
      • Lesson 3 - Pompeii
      • Lesson 4 - Rise and Fall
      • Lesson 5 - Legacy
    • Unit 5 - The early Middle Ages >
      • Lesson 1 - Middle Ages?
      • Lesson 2 - Christianity
      • Lesson 3 - Monasteries
      • Lesson 4 - Justinian
      • Lesson 5 - Islam
      • Lesson 6 - Vikings
  • Year 11
    • Warfare - A study through time >
      • Lesson 1 - Introduction >
        • Warfare - Timeline activity >
          • Students' Timelines 2020
      • Lesson 2 - Medieval >
        • Case Study - 1066 - Battle of Hastings
      • Lesson 3 - Crusades >
        • Case Study - 1271 - Krak des Chevaliers
      • Lesson 4 - New World >
        • Case Study - 1532 - Battle of Cajamarca
      • Lesson 5 - Religion >
        • Case Study - 1572 - St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre
      • Lesson 6 - Napoleon >
        • Case Study - 1796 - Battle of Lodi
      • Lesson 7 - Industrial >
        • Case Study - 1859 - Battle of Solferino
      • Lesson 8 - World War 1 >
        • Case Study - 1915 - The Battle of Ypres
      • Lesson 9 - 1930s >
        • Case Study - 1937 - Nanjing Massacre
      • Lesson 10 - Vietnam >
        • Case Study - 1968 - Tet Offensive
    • Matu 1 - The American Revolution >
      • Lesson 1 - The Scientific Revolution
      • Lesson 2 - The Enlightenment
      • Lesson 3 - Enlightened Monarchs
      • Lesson 4 - Colonising America
      • Lesson 5 - Thirteen Colonies
      • Lesson 6 - Boston Massacre? >
        • Boston Massacre - The Play
      • Lesson 7 - Short-term causes
      • Lesson 8 - Why Britain lost
      • Lesson 9 - Consequences
      • Lesson 10 - How revolutionary?
    • Matu 2 - The French Revolution >
      • Lesson 1 - Introduction
      • Lesson 2 - Causes SE
      • Lesson 3 - Causes CP
      • Lesson 4 - Short term causes
      • Lesson 5 - The Bastille
      • Lesson 6 - 1789-91
      • Lesson 7 - 1793 Execution
      • Lesson 8 - The Terror
    • Matu 3 - Switzerland and Napoleon >
      • Lesson 1 - Ancien Regime
      • Lesson 2 - 1789
      • Lesson 3 - Napoleon's Rise
      • Lesson 4 - Napoleon in Art
      • Lesson 5 - Napoleon's Reforms
      • Lesson 6 - Switzerland 1798-1815
      • Lesson 7 - Napoleon's Europe
      • Lesson 8 - Napoleon: Hero or villain
  • S1 S2
    • Matu 4 - Industrial Revolution >
      • Lesson 1 - Why was Britain First?
      • Lesson 2 - Economics - Agriculture
      • Lesson 3 - Economics - Industry
      • Lesson 4 - Transport
      • Lesson 5 - Social Impact
      • Lesson 6 - Cultural Impact
      • Lesson 7 - Political Impact
      • Lesson 8 - Switzerland
    • Matu 5 - Nationalism >
      • Lesson 1 - Impact of French Revolution
      • Lesson 2 - Napoleon and Vienna
      • Lesson 3 - 1815-48 - Age of Revolution
      • Lesson 4 - Italian Unification - 1830-48
      • Lesson 5 - Switzerland 1815-48
      • Lesson 6 - Italian Unification - 1848-70
      • Lesson 7 - German Unification - 1848-71
      • Lesson 8 - The German Empire
    • Matu 6 - New Imperialism >
      • Lesson 1 - New Imperialism?
      • Lesson 2 - Africa
      • Lesson 3 - Congo
      • Lesson 4 - China
      • Lesson 5 - Japan
      • Lesson 6 - Legacy
      • Jared Diamond thesis
    • Matu 7 - World War 1 >
      • Lesson 1 - Introduction
      • Lesson 2 - Causes
      • Lesson 3 - 1914
      • Lesson 4 - Expectations
      • Lesson 5 - Reality
      • Lesson 6 - Total War
      • Lesson 7 - Switzerland
      • Lesson 8 - Defeat
      • Lesson 9 - Peace 1919
    • Matu 8 - Russian Revolutions >
      • Lesson 1 - Russia before 1917 >
        • Tim Marshall - Russia
      • Lesson 2 - 1905 Revolution
      • Lesson 3 - February Revolution
      • Lesson 4 - Marxism
      • Lesson 5 - Lenin
      • Lesson 6 - The Bolsheviks
      • Lesson 7 - 1917-18
      • Lesson 8 - Civil War
    • Matu 9 - USA 1919-41 >
      • Lesson 1 - 1920s boom
      • Lesson 2 - Roaring 20s?
      • Lesson 3 - Crash
      • Lesson 4 - 1932 Election
      • Lesson 5 - New Deal
      • Lesson 6 - Judging the New Deal
    • Matu 10 - Totalitarian States >
      • Lesson 1 - Modern Authoritarianism >
        • Is Trump's USA authoritarian?
      • Lesson 2 - Fascism
      • Lesson 3 - Mussolini - Rise to Power
      • Lesson 4 - Mussolini - Consolidation of Power
      • Lesson 5 - Mussolini - Aims and policies
      • Lesson 6 - Research presentations >
        • Hitler - Research presentations
        • Stalin- Research presentations
      • Lesson 7 - Hitler - Germany 1933-45 >
        • Hitler - Rise to Power
        • Hitler - Consolidation of Power
        • Hitler - Aims and policies
      • Lesson 8 - Stalin - USSR 1924-41 >
        • Stalin - Rise to Power
        • Stalin - Consolidation of Power
        • Stalin - Aims and policies
    • Exams and Revision
  • S3
    • Matu 11 - World War II >
      • Lesson 1 - WW1
      • Lesson 2 - LoN
      • Lesson 3 - Hitler
      • Lesson 4 - Appeasement
      • Lesson 5 - 1939-40
      • Lesson 6 - Japan
      • Lesson 7 - Russia
      • Lesson 8 - Total War
      • Lesson 9 - Defeat
      • Lesson 10 - Switzerland
    • Matu 12 - The Cold War >
      • Lesson 1 - Origins
      • Lesson 2 - Causes
      • Lesson 3 - Berlin
      • Lesson 4 - 1950s
      • Lesson 5 - 1960s
      • Lesson 6 - 1970s
      • Lesson 7 - 1980s
    • Matu 13 - Decolonisation and the Third World >
      • Lesson 1 - Factors
      • Lesson 2 - Case studies
      • Lesson 3 - Consequences
    • Matu 14 - Switzerland >
      • Swiss Politics
      • Swiss History
    • Exams and Revision
  • IB History
    • IB History - Paper 1 >
      • IB History - Paper 1 - Content
      • IB History - Paper 1 - Past paper questions >
        • Question 1a
        • Question 1b
        • Question 2
        • Question 3
        • Question 4
      • IB History - Paper 1 - Skills
    • IB History - Paper 2 >
      • IB History - Paper 2 past paper questions
      • IB History - 7. Industrialization >
        • IB History - Past paper questions - Industrialization
        • IB History - First and Second Industrial Revolution
        • IB History - Steven Johnson
        • Activity 1
      • IB History - 8. Independence movements >
        • IB History - Past paper questions - Independence movements
        • IB History - Revision Template - Independence movements >
          • IB History - Independence movements - Theme 1 - Origin and rise
          • IB History - Independence movements - Theme 2 - Methods
      • IB History - 10. Authoritarian States >
        • IB History - Emergence of authoritarian states
        • IB History - Consolidation and maintenance
        • IB History - Aims and policies
        • IB History - Past paper questions - Authoritarian states
        • IB History - Revision Template - Authoritarian states >
          • Hitler - Germany and Castro - Cuba - A comparative analysis (Part 1)
          • Hitler - Germany and Castro - Cuba - A comparative analysis (Part 2)
          • Hitler - Germany and Castro - Cuba - A comparative analysis (Part 3)
      • IB History - 11. Warfare >
        • IB History - Past paper questions - Warfare
      • IB History - 12. Cold War >
        • IB History - Past paper questions - Cold War
        • IB History - Revision essay plans - Cold War >
          • Cold War - 1943-49 - Rivalry, mistrust and accord
          • Cold War - 1947-79 - Rivalry, mistrust and accord
          • Cold War - 1980-91 - Rivalry, mistrust and accord
          • Cold War - Leaders, nations and Cold War crises.
    • IB History - IA - Internal Assessment
  • TOK
    • Critical Thinking >
      • Lesson 1 - Thinking >
        • Lesson 1 - Test
      • Lesson 2 - Language
      • Lesson 3 - Senses
      • Lesson 4 - Reason
      • Lesson 5 - Emotion
      • Assessment >
        • Movie perception test
        • Complete film
        • Student Films 2021
    • Core theme - Knowledge and the knower >
      • Knowledge framework
    • Areas of Knowledge >
      • History >
        • Scope in history
        • Method and perspective in history
        • Ethics in history
      • Human Science >
        • Scope in human science
        • Method and perspectives in human science
        • Ethics in human science
      • Natural Science >
        • Scope in natural science
        • Method and perspectives in natural science
        • Ethics in human science
      • Maths >
        • Scope in maths
        • Method and perspectives in maths
        • Ethics in maths
      • Arts >
        • Scope in the arts
        • Method and perspectives in arts
        • Ethics in the arts
      • Politics >
        • Scope in politics
        • Method and perspectives in politics
        • Ethics in politics
      • Technology >
        • Scope in technology
        • Method and perspectives in politics
        • Ethics in technology
      • Language >
        • Scope in language
        • Method and perspectives in language
        • Ethics in technology
    • Assessment >
      • TOK Exhibition >
        • TOK Exhibition 2023
        • TOK Exhibition 2024
        • TOK Exhibition 2025
      • Essay
  • Film Workshop
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