The Vietnam War, The Differences And Reasons Behind The War

My report is on a book by Michael H. Hunt called Lyndon Johnson’s War written in 1996. Michael Hunt is a historian who works for the University of North Colorado and was also there during the Vietnam War. Hunt’s book was written to talk about former President Lyndon Johnson during the Vietnam war. The book’s purpose is to show us some of the causes and consequences of the Vietnam war on America and the Vietnamese people. It also shows us how resilient the natives were against the U.S. and their reasons for wanting to be a communist nation. The book is arranged chronologically from the 1945-1968, telling us how events like the Cold War brought to existence the Vietnam War.

As Eisenhower took office he and his Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles, chose to agree with the assessment of Ho Chi Minh as an “instrument of international communism”. This view would lock the United States once more in a policy driven by fear of communism. The administration set about bolstering a war-weary France with promises of additional aid, but also with demands on access to French battle plans. In March of 1954 the Vietminh’s successful assault on French Garrisons left the U.S. even more in doubt concerning France’s success.

Nationalist leader, Ho Chi Minh, declared independence from the French and the South Vietnamese forces. While the United States was not directly involved in battle at this time, President Harry S. Truman was providing covert military and financial aid to the French. President Truman also provided aid to Turkey and Greece, because he believed in the need to also contain communism in Europe. (“The Domino Theory” pg.2)

What could have prevented such carnage during the Vietnam War? Ironically, it would have been the past presidents. Prior to the Vietnam War, France wanted to use its land and people to help restore and

France was giving Vietnam the independence and self-determination that they were seeking, but the U.S would not agree to that because they could not risk having Vietnam turn communist. Consequently, Eisenhower chose to invent a government in South Vietnam, taking control over the French; thus more evidence that supports French Colonialism. By 1954, the U.S had invested nearly $3 billion dollars in funding France’s effort against the Viet Minh, who rapidly became U.S enemy. Once the Viet Minh became a direct U.S enemy, U.S efforts increased and their involvement grew more. After France’s withdrawal, concern about the stability of the region grew, and the U.S became directly committed to the war in

Since World War II, Conflicts in Asia have played a major role in the Cold War and American foreign policy. One conflict was the Vietnam War, the effects of this conflict were not only felt within the region of Southeast Asia, for example Norman Morrison was a Baltimore Quaker and performed the act of self-immolation at the age of 31 to protest the US’s involvement in Vietnam, this is an example of how it was felt even in the United States and not just in Vietnam. These repercussions had a great impact on American society and even our foreign policy.

The Vietnam War was one of U.S. history’s darkest times. It lasted roughly 20 years, from the autumn of 1955 until the spring of 1975. Because it recently became a new country, the North Vietnamese wanted Vietnam to have a social order that was based on Marxist ideas. The South Vietnamese disliked this dreadful idea, and enlisted the U.S.’s help to fight the North. As the years passed by, however, the U.S. slowly withdrew their soldiers due

The conflict concerning Vietnam can be dated back to the Cold War and the fight against widespread communism. The fear of a domino theory in Southeast Asia lies at the heart of U.S. involvement in Vietnam. Starting with president Truman and ending with Nixon, the Vietnam conflict continued to become progressively worse with time. Unlike previous wars, the Vietnam War tarnished America’s image as it was the first time in history the U.S. came out defeated while being far more advanced. However whether or not this conflict can be referred to as “Johnson’s War” is controversial. While Johnson is responsible for the escalation of the war, one man can not fully be at fault as this conflict was inherited by his predecessors and Johnson was within reach of acquiring a peace treaty until being interfered.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the true reason or reasons why the United States felt the need to fight in the The Vietnam War and to express whether the reason/s justify the consequences. This paper will explain how the U.S. struggled during this time of war, and furthermore, to inform the reader of the devastating tragedies that the Vietnam War left on the American people. This war was one of the least needed wars that the United States should have partaken in. In this research paper, I will walk you through several interesting facts that make this statement true. Starting with the primary reason, the fear of communism, this paper will give some actual events that took place during the war and how it impacted our country. And lastly,

Vietnam, arguably the most controversial war America started, the war that generated some of the largest opposition movements in American history and the war ended with America losing. The Vietnam War has become the subject of ongoing discussion and debate because it had so many aspects about it that shocked and confused the world. Some areas of debate regarding the war include the assumptions that caused its escalation and the argument about whether the war could have ended on different terms. According to historians George Herring and Loren Baritz, Americas limited war theory and their arrogant beliefs about themselves were the main assumptions that guided the escalation of the Vietnam war and are also the reason why the historians did not believe the war would have a different outcome.

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.

“Involvement in two world wars and the Cold War transformed America into a “crusader state” convinced of the superiority of its institutions and way of life and intent on imposing them on the outside world. ” Whether fought at home or abroad every war is to impact all parties involved. Such example of staggering influence on one country’s culture is no more evident then in America’s involvement in the Vietnam War. Upon entering the war the USA’s government was convinced and assured the public of its confidence in very quick and consequences free resolution to their problem on the other side of the world. However, what it failed to predict which later was to prove

Vietnam was part of a French colony known as French Indochina. Before 1954, the U.S. government financially supported French

Since the U.S were trying to prevent communism, they would try to support and “backed the return of the French in Vietnam” (Llewellyn). Though, some do not like the idea of returning Vietnam to French due to their hatred toward colonialism and believing that Asian nations should be free to govern themselves. But many would rather take the revival of French colonial-ism than a communist-ruled Vietnam. So America offered support for the French in Vietnam. Until in the late 1945, there was a formal position which was about one of the neutrality, but “by early 1947 the U.S. Government was tacitly supporting France” (Llewellyn). Later that year, President Harry Truman funded French War effort.

To this day, the Vietnam War remains as one of the most controversial subjects in modern American history. The main question that revolves around the Vietnam War, or any conflict that took place during the Cold War for that matter, was whether or not American efforts did actually help prevent the spread of Communism not just in Europe, but throughout the world. While other controversies around this time heavily revolved on whether or not the Americans were acting for the sake of others, or to fulfill their own intentions on preventing the spread of Communist rule on the other side of the world. This period in American history proved to be an interesting one given how you had men fighting abroad, yet at the same time you had your own set of