The Vietnam War And The Long Arms Of American History

The Vietnam War is the longest war fought in America’s history (1954-1973). The Vietnam War occurred because North Vietnam followed Communist ideas and the United States followed democratic ideas. The North wanted to interfere with the South into becoming Communist but the U.S did their best to reduce or eliminate the North interference in South Vietnam. The Vietnam War was the first ever war to be shown on television. Although the U.S won the battle, the T.V exposed the horrors and struggles of the war. It seemed like the U.S was just killing random people for no reason. It made a lot of people question whether the U.S was the good or bad side. During the war, there was a theory “Domino Effect/Theory, that basically meant that once one fell under communism than the others would fall too. This war was extremely difficult because they were fighting in a forest. There were trees and bushes and everything would block the sight of the soldiers. So there was Guerilla Warfare which meant unconventional fighting, surprise attacks and ambush. Helicopters were extensively used. It was a fast in and an easy out. After the Tet Offensive, people started to distrust the government and increased the number of protests. There were war-hawks and doves. They were two completely different groups. One was anti-war and the other was pro-war. The war made a drastic impact in American Culture. Especially with the American people. The Vietnam War created division. (History.com)

The Vietnam War is widely regarded as the lowest point in the history of U.S. foreign affairs. It mercilessly dragged an unwilling country on a fatal ride for twenty years, all while receiving low approval ratings and high funding. The Vietnam conflict served as an optimum environment for the virus of controversy. No one has more experience with controversy than Heinz Alfred Kissinger. He is the ultimate pragmatist, as embodying his philosophy of realpolitik, a diplomatic ideology based on utilitarianism rather than international ethical standards. When one’s political calling card downplays the role of ethics in diplomacy, that individual is bound to garner a high profile reputation. Kissinger himself has lamented the national predicament during this conflict—squeezed between the ultimate rock, his duty to keep peace, and hard place, his duty to act with the approval of the American people. This predicament was rooted in an omnipresent opposition to Communism, as was America’s role in the entire Cold War. Cold War politics were politics of fear. That fear drove competition, which bred a certain variety of leader – a logical, calculating politician with regard for nothing but his country’s success. To avoid an uncontrollable spread of Communism through the westernized world, some moral casualties were strewn about the wayside. However, the American public had no trouble rolling up their collective sleeves to back this forward-thinking activist. In more recent years, some

The Vietnam War was perhaps one of the most controversial and disputed wars in American history. Initially sparked by a communist uprising in northern Vietnam, the war quickly became a scramble for the containment of communism by America and other anti-communist nations. After the communists in North Vietnam defeated the French and relinquished their control over the country, a now independent Vietnam split into two opposing sides, with South Vietnam fighting alongside numerous anti-communist nations in a struggle to prevent the spread of communism. During what seemed to be the final stages of the war, efforts were made to restore peace and temporarily appease North and South Vietnam until some more solid decisions could be made about the fate of the country. These efforts included the Geneva Accords, which were later thwarted, and the signing of the Paris Peace Accords.

The Vietnam War was the longest war in U.S history and the most unpopular American war, which resulted in about 60,000 American soldiers losing their lives. As public became more aware of the war realities, a large section of public felt that there was no need for this war and America is not going gain anything. However, despite the growing protests and self- realization none of the three Presidents under whom this war took place showed the courage to declare the war close.

Vietnam in 1954 was a country that had nationalism flowing in their veins after the decades of being under French and for a short time the Japanese rule. All the Vietnamese wanted was to be its own country. The North started fighting back the French and did whatever they could to take back their homeland. The French were beginning to feel this under the numerous attacks the Vietnamese started against them. A number of nations met to determine how the French could peacefully withdraw. The Geneva Accords came from the meetings and a cease fire was initiated. The French left and their was a temporary division along the 17th parallel. A democratic election was to be held in 1956 that would reunite the country under one government.

However, America did not want to try and stop Communism but just to seize control over the growing movement. After the battle of Dien Bien Phu, America, the USSR, France, China and Vietnam gathered in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1954. The Vietminh wanted early elections due to the fact they defeated the French, the gathered the Vietnamese would elect them to form a Communist Government. This concerned America greatly therefore to prevent this Government formation they suggested the elections were delayed so the people of Vietnam had time to choice a Government wisely. As a result of the conference, Vietnam was split into North and South Vietnam along the 17th parallel. North Vietnam would be ruled by Ho Chi Minh and the South ruled by Ngo Dinh Diem who was anti communist. America’s fears of Communism spreading across the West and taking control over the world was one the reason why they chose to increase their

The Vietnam War was one of the bloodiest wars in American history.The Vietnam War was one of the longest wars in American History. It persisted from 1955 to 1973. This war was the first wars to ever be broadcasted on live televison. The Vietnam War had a big impact on america, over three million people were killed. This war was faught in South Vietnam, North Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. By looking at "Reaching Out ' by Larry Burrows one can see the explicit and implicit which is important because to be able to fully analyze the

The Vietnam War was marked by brutality, death, protests, and psychological tolls. No war caused such great division among the American people like the Vietnam War. The war was extremely costly, and it left long-term effects on people all over the world. As a whole, the American people agree that the Vietnam War was a waste of time, money, and life.

The Vietnam War was the longest war in the history of the United States it lasted from 1959-1975. Billions of dollars was spent trying to win and unwinnable war. Countless of lives were lost and America failed to achieve its objective. The origins of the war stem from the Indochina wars that occurred in the late 40s and early 50s. After many years of colonial war, the Viet Minh a communist group led by Ho Chi Minh sought independence for Vietnam. The French were not reluctant to let go of their crowning jewel without a fight. The French were aided militarily by the Unites States who sought the membership of France to the NATO and were willingly to provide as much aid to ensure that they won the war and Vietnam did not fall to communism. This led to an eight year war which culminated with the defeat of the French at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. A cease fire was issued and peace agreements known as the Geneva Accords where drawn during the 1954 Geneva Conference. The agreement issued a temporary division of Vietnam along the 17th parallel which created a Communist North Vietnam led by Ho Chi Minh and a democratic South Vietnam led by prime minister Ngo Dinh Diem. Vietnam was supposed to unify after the nationwide election of 1956 which Diem refuse to acknowledge.

The Vietnam War was one of the bloodiest wars in the history of Vietnam. Vietnam use to be a peaceful country until the idea of communism started spreading across Vietnam. Many wanted to stay democratic but saw what happened to the Germans and started to lean towards communism. Many also wanted to stay democratic and still had it hopes high that it will soon get their lives and economy back on track.

“Nixon Wins By Thin Margin” read the front page of the New York Times on Thursday November 7th, 1968, two days after Election Day. Richard Nixon won about 4 times the margin he lost to John F. Kennedy in 1960. The craziness that occurred during the election went hand in hand with the chaos of 1968. In this election, there were three candidates: Richard Nixon of the Republican Party, Hubert Humphrey of the Democratic Party, and George Wallace of the American Independent Party. The candidates did not know it at the time, but they would become part of the Presidential Election that would help shape American Politics to what they are today. The election of Richard Nixon in 1968 marked a turning point in the American political ideology,

Americans believed that there is such a thing as a domino effect and they thought that if South Vietnam fell to communism the neighboring

The Vietnam was the longest war in American history and the most unpopular American war. The result of the war was over 2 million deaths. 60,000 Americans died and an estimated 2 million Vietnamese died. Even to this day many Americans still ask whether the effort and resources put into the war in Vietnam was a necessary war and worth it. During the 1950s and 1960s the united states of America fought wars to stop communism in their belief that the communism would spread.

Riding on the democratic stallion of equality with triumphant fervor from World War II, the United States of America prioritized the containment of communism as its foreign policy outlined by the Truman Doctrine in 1947. The U.S eventually found itself in the middle of rising communist nations in the Pacific and European theaters. In an increasingly expensive and hopeless effort to prevent communist Ho Chi Minh unifying Vietnam under the red flag of the hammer and sickle, America officially sent troops to the Southeast Asian nation in 1965, though Congress never legitimately declared war on Vietnam. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, the ongoing Vietnam War had substantial repercussions on the society and economy of America that resulted in a loss in global authority. Economically, inflation became conspicuous because of a monetary imbalance of higher exports compared to imports. Socially, soldiers were psychologically damaged from their experiences, while citizens actively protested against the war with success.

---After WWII and until 1955, France fought hard to regain their former territories in the region, but with a poorly organized army and little determination among the troops, their efforts soon collapsed. The French were finally defeated at Dien Bien Phu on the 8th of May 1954 by the communist general Vo Nguyen Giap. The French troops withdrew, leaving a buffer zone separating the North and South and set up elections in order to form a government in the South. The communist regime set up its headquarters in Hanoi under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh. Many North Vietnamese left the country and fled south where the self-proclaimed president, Ngo Dinh Diem had formed the Republic of Vietnam.