Teaching Guide to “The Most Dangerous Man in America”

January 10, 2023 | Educational Resources, Featured, Film

Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers

This teaching guide was prepared for middle school, high school, and college classrooms to enhance student understanding of the issues raised in the film The Most Dangerous Man in America. The lessons are appropriate for U.S. history, government, and language arts classrooms. The guide was developed by the Zinn Education Project in collaboration with the filmmakers Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith.

Written by

Bill Bigelow
Sylvia McGauley
Tom McKenna
Hyung Nam
Julie Treick O’Neill

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

1972: 50 Years Ago

March 30-July 1972 The PAVN (People’s Army of Viet Nam) and the NLF begin a major offensive. The goal of Easter Offensive, officially known as The 1972 Spring – Summer Offensive, (also called the Nguyen Hue (Nguyễn Huệ) offensive) was to win a decisive victory in 1972 or at least improve the revolutionary position for future peace talks. The 3-pronged attacks began in the north, center, and south of the country. Massed North Vietnamese Army artillery open a shattering barrage, targeting South Vietnamese positions across the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Upwards of 20,000 PAVN troops cross the DMZ, forcing the South Vietnamese units into a retreat. The Southern defense is thrown into complete chaos. Intelligence reports had predicted a Northern attack, but no one had expected it to come across the DMZ. A week after the launch of the offensive, Nixon decides to respond with a massive air campaign against the North. The campaign was by far the largest and most comprehensive of the war, using a wide variety of aircraft as well as new ‘smart’ bombs. The US committed 74 tactical squadrons to the attack. In addition, six aircraft carriers were assigned to the bombing mission as well as over 100 B-52 bombers. For the first time, the US places mines in Haiphong Harbor to cut off the North Vietnamese from foreign support.

The South Vietnamese with heavy American air support are able to turn back the attack after a month and a half. The city of Loc Ninh (Lộc Ninh), located close to the Cambodian border subsequently became the capital of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of South Vietnam (PRGSVN), a distinction it held until it was disbanded after the war. While US bombing and a stiffened ARVN defense was able to turn back the PAVN and NLF offensive, it remains politically impossible to reintroduce sufficient U.S. combat troops to stem the PAVN drive. With his policy of Vietnamization at stake, Nixon implements a massive buildup of air power in Southeast Asia and a broadening of the eligible targets.

Teaching Guide to “The Most Dangerous Man in America”

Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Mission statement

Sign Up for Updates

50 Years of Resistance In & Out Of Uniform

Like Us on Facebook

1972: 50 Years Ago

2016 National Book Award Finalist, Viet Thanh Nguyen:

Agent Orange Awareness