...“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 crucial was the blowback that the war would have on the nation itself. The extent to which a superpower can be influenced by a smaller struggling and weapon lacking society has never been more evident and recorded than in America-Vietnamese case. The American culture has been shaken to its core. The following piece however aims to analyze and simplify those reasons due to which scars amongst society are being healed even now so many years since the war ended. Twenty five years have passed since the United States officially relinquished their involvement in Vietnam. Not since the Civil war had the country been so divided. Every American family was impacted, losing husbands, sons and daughters. Over fifty thousand Americans were killed and many more of those who returned suffered and still suffer deep physical and emotional...
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...The Vietnam Conflict Introduction It is difficult to pinpoint the exact reasons why the U.S. became involved in the Vietnam Conflict. Perhaps one of the more convincing reasons can be attributed to the strong disdain most Americans had for Communism. The U.S. government feared that Communism, if not prevented, would spread throughout the nations. The federal government used President Eisenhower’s “domino theory,” which stated, “if one country in Southeast Asia collapsed to Communism then surrounding countries would soon fall” to rally support for their intentions to save Vietnam from Communism (Davidson, 2011, p. 839). The true reasons for U.S. involvement in the Vietnam Conflict is debatable, however one thing is clear, the war caused further division in a country already suffering from its own social issues. There had been conflict in the Vietnam long before the U.S. became involved in the conflict. Vietnam had been occupied by foreign countries for many years, and by 1940, Vietnam was under both French and Japanese rule. Ho Chi Minh, a Communist Vietnamese revolutionary leader, vowed to create a Vietnam that was independent of foreign rule (Davidson, 2011, p. 839). Ho Chi Minh established the Viet Minh whose main purpose was to liberate Vietnam from French and Japanese control. Northern Vietnam supported the Viet Minh efforts to create an independent Vietnam and joined forces with southern communist Vietcong to overthrow South Vietnam and unite Vietnam under one...
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...in the Vietnam Conflict was neither justifiable nor demonstrative of sound judgment by the American government. Many books, magazines, and other forms of commentary on the Vietnam War have surfaced in the half century since the war’s end. Historian and author Stanley Karnow suggests that such publications generally attempt to make sense of the horrific “war that nobody won” (Karnow 9). It is a subject that will continue endlessly to divide historians and others as they attempt to draw lessons from the conflict that might then be used to justify, condemn, or promote America’s involvement in modern day Vietnams. Because of the magnitude of complexities surrounding the war, some may find it difficult to formulate an unwavering opinion about the war’s causes and effects. According to Robert McNamara, who served as Secretary of Defense for Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, mankind has often struggled to find solutions to even simple problems related to the unification of values and ideologies spanning diverse cultures (McNamara 323). In order to fairly judge why the American government put our troops in the jungles, swamps, and fields of Vietnam, one might first closely examine why our government claims to have committed our troops to Vietnam. One of the reasons most adamantly advanced by our government to justify a full scale assault on the Vietcong of North Vietnam was an incident that is said to have occurred in the Gulf of Tonkin. The Gulf of Tonkin boarders Vietnam and was...
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...To what extent was America's involvement in the Vietnam Conflict the result of the wrong judgments of American policymakers? Abstract In this paper, I will discuss the policy of America during the Vietnam conflict and how this resulted in the unnecessary Vietnam War. I will discuss why the U.S. thought the domino theory would suit the American policies during this time period. Also, I will analyze why the domino effect was not suited well for America. America thought that if communism were to takeover Vietnam, then it would eventually leak out into the surrounding region. This was incorrect and in this paper, I will discuss why it was invalid information. This paper will also examine why American policymakers exaggerated the stakes of the Vietnam War and why this led to unnecessary involvement in the Vietnam conflict. Even as the US realized that the stakes had been exaggerated and that the domino theory was implausible, they continued their involvement in the war. As for sources, I will utilize the sources provided for us by the teacher. These sources are Chapter 10 from LeFeber and History in Dispute: Was US intervention in Vietnam justified? These sources will help me explain why the US’ tried to base their policies off of the domino theory and why this was not the best policy. Also, I will conduct my own research using the online database JSTOR. I will also utilize the Pentagon Papers, a source I found online. Together, all these sources will help me formulate and discuss...
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...insurgency. In April 1975, the U.S. fled the Republic of Vietnam, abandoning our allies to their fate at the hands of North Vietnamese communists. In 2007, Iraq’s grave and deteriorating condition offers diminishing hope for an American victory and portends risk of an even wider and more destructive regional war. These debacles are not attributable to individual failures, but rather to a crisis in an entire institution: America’s general officer corps. America’s generals have failed to prepare our armed forces for war and advise civilian authorities on the application of force to achieve the aims of policy. The argument that follows consists of three elements. First, generals have a responsibility to society to provide policymakers with a correct estimate of strategic probabilities. Second, America’s generals in Vietnam and Iraq failed to perform this responsibility. Third, remedying the crisis in American generalship requires the intervention of Congress. THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF GENERALSHIP Armies do not fight wars; nations fight wars. War is not a military activity conducted by soldiers, but rather a social activity that involves entire nations. Prussian military theorist Carl von Clausewitz noted that passion, probability and policy each play their role in war. Any understanding of war that ignores one of these elements is fundamentally flawed. The passion of the people is necessary to endure the sacrifices inherent in war. Regardless of the system of government, the people...
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...Vietnam War IP2 Alicia Stephens AIU Abstract In this paper it discusses the Vietnam War and some consequences of it. It also provides information about the war and the impact that it had on the United States, the reason for the war and the results of it. It also discusses the outcome weather it was beneficial or detrimental to the United States. It also describes details about the war and things that happened during this war/conflict. Vietnam War The Vietnam War was the longest most unpopular war in American History, The toll they paid wasn’t just monetary, it cost the people involved dearly, physically and mentally; causing suffering, sorrow and national turmoil because of bad press meant that Americans divided (History.com/Vietnam war). During the Vietnam War the U.S. forces were made up of draftees, whose average age was 19 years old. They were inexperienced and unwilling to fight; they would spend about a year in Vietnam and then return home. During the war over 200,000 were killed. Vietnam went from a major exporter of rice; to a country that couldn’t feed itself. Large areas of countryside were ruined. Many traps were left, and still are there in many cases (History.com/Vietnam War). Staggering influence on one country’s culture is no more evident than in America’s involvement upon entering the war the United States government were convinced and assured the public of its confidence in very quick and consequences free resolution to their problem...
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...THE KOREAN WAR * The Korean War lasted from 1950-1953. * The peninsula was divided after World War Two into a Russian-backed north (The People’s Democratic Republic) and the American-backed south (the Republic of Korea). Each claimed the right to the other half in an effort to unify both. The division was the result of the occupation of Korea by the communists after the end of the war with the country eventually being divided at the 38th parallel. * In June 1950, the North Koreans launched a surprise attack against the south and the capital Seoul fell in just three days. * The United Nations Security Council (which was being boycotted by Russia at this time) asked for UN states to send troops to the region under a UN flag. The huge bulk of the troops sent were American (15 nations sent troops) and command of them was given to Gen. Douglas MacArthur. * By the end of August 1950 only Pusan in the south-east corner of South Korea had not fallen to the North. * In September, MacArthur took the huge risk of launching an amphibious landing at Inchon 200 miles behind enemy lines and from here he launched an attack against the North Koreans at Pusan. * The North Koreans had no choice but to retreat as they faced being cut in two. * MacArthur chose to ignore his orders and advanced north towards the Chinese border at the Yalu River. This provoked the Chinese to launch a massive attack against the UN forces and South Korea. A Chinese army of 180,000 men supported...
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...largest anti-war protest in America’s history against the Vietnam war shows just how powerful people’s voices can be. The anti-war movement that occurred during the Vietnam War rose up out of the shadows that they were previously covered by in 1964-65, mainly because of Operation Rolling Thunder, otherwise known as the bombing campaign of North Vietnam. When news of this broke out in the States,anti-war protests and riots began popping up all over the nation. The most well-known protest took place on October 21, 1967 in front of the Lincoln Memorial and involved at least 100,000 demonstrators. Once the veterans had returned home from the war, they were treated as if they were lower than dirt by anti-war leaders. The Washington protest, followed by many more lesser known demonstrations, has wedged its way into U.S history and has left a large effect on the remaining time that the Vietnam war lasted (USHistory.org)....
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...HIS 204 Week 4 DQ 2 Cold War To Buy This material Click below link http://www.uoptutors.com/his-204-ash-new/his-204-week-4-dq-2-cold-war After the Second World War, the US embarked on what came to be known as the Cold War against the Soviet Union. Although the two sides never fought against each other directly, the Cold War nonetheless erupted into violence at times in places like Vietnam, Korea, and Afghanistan. As the US grew more activist and interventionist in its foreign policy, the domestic government also grew in power and in its role in the people’s lives. Explain the origins of the Cold War and describe how different presidential administrations, from Truman to Nixon, handled Cold War affairs. Address the ways in which the presidents responded to the perceived threat of Soviet expansion, and explain how these approaches involved the US in conflicts in Vietnam and Korea. Consider, also, the ways in which the US intervened in the affairs of smaller nations such as Iran. Finally, explore how the Cold War changed America’s domestic society, focusing on issues such as the role of the government in people’s lives, the Red Scare, the return of domesticity, and growing distrust toward the federal government. Summarize your thoughts on the issues above by answering the following questions: a. Why did the Cold War start and how did it develop over its first three decades? b. What were its most important effects at home and abroad? When responding to these prompts,...
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...interpretation that the main reason America began and continued its involvement in Vietnam was to defend democracy All of the sources provide differing interpretations for the reasons for America’s involvement in Vietnam. Sources A and D provide evidence that supports the interpretation that America’s involvement in Vietnam was to ‘defend democracy’ while sources B and C provide evidence that refute it. Source A shows a letter from the formidable source of President Dwight Eisenhower to Diem the President of South Vietnam at the time. The letter shows Eisenhower expresses his support and his concerns for the new South Vietnamese government. The letter mentions the US sending aid to Diem and emphasises their support for the relocation of Vietnamese people away from places ‘ruled by a communist ideology they hate’. Source A emits the idea the US began its involvement in Vietnam for quite noble causes such like the aiding the protection Vietnamese to rescue them from a communist regime they despise. The letter portrays the US supporting Diem out of the goodness of their hearts shown in the final sentence: ‘I am glad that the United States is able to assist this humanitarian effort’ as far as this letter is concerned it would appear that US just wants to help a struggling democracy with no apparent benefits towards them .Eisenhower was a firm believer in ‘Domino theory’ and thought it as vital to prevent Vietnam from becoming yet another Asian communist state and to halt the spread of communism...
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...How successful was the USA’s policy of containment? The policy of containment was not a success, As after the war, The USA aimed to quarantine communism to the only place it existed, Russia. However soon despite this, communism spread and communist dictatorship controlled most of Eastern Europe, soon after this the most populated state on earth, China, fell to a communist regime, as well as the creation of communist states in Vietnam and Korea. This consistent creation of communist states and the failure of the USA to prevent this, shows how ultimately, despite apparent success in some of Europe and Asia, the Policy of Containment failed in its primary function, to contain and prevent the spread of communism and therefore it was not a success. However it is arguable that in some ways the USA’s Policy of Containment was a great success in preventing the spread of communism early on during the Cold War. One piece of evidence that supports the argument that the USA had early success with their policy of containment is The Greek Civil War. The USA’s decision to intervene due to the “strategic significance of Greece in the Balkans and the Mediterranean” arguably was successful. With this clear threat of communist expansion into Western Europe, Truman called for congress to uphold the Truman Doctrine and provide funding to aid the battle against the spread of communism that clearly threatened the USA’s interests in Europe. This resulted in $400 million dollars of funding being...
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...interested. War movies don’t excite me that much, and I did not want to go out of the way to watch it. I’m not a violent person so watching this movie would be out of characteristic for me. However, when this research paper was assigned, it seemed to be destiny that I would finally watch this movie. I gave in, and decided this would be a great way to kill two birds with one stone- I would satisfy my friend, and be able to complete this assignment. Little did I know at the time, I was in for something truly special. While most men would be satisfied serving their team in war and returning home, the same could not be said for Benjamin Willard. After fighting in Vietnam, Willard found that he did not fit in back in America. He was miserable and desired to return to battle, so he did. A highly regarded man, Willard was given the task of finding and killing Walter E. Kurtz, a murderer who is stationed in Cambodia with the Montagnards, who view him as a god. To reach Kurtz, Willard joins the crew of a Navy river patrol boat who are to ferry him up a fictional river up to Cambodia. The boat’s crew consists of four men: Chief, Chef, Lance, and Clean. With help from Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore and the Ninth Air Cavalry, the men are able to make the trip successfully and continue further with their journey. Several memorable scenes occurred. The first occurred in the jungle where Chef began exploring to find mangos. The area is dense with trees and wilderness, and the crew did not...
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...the abundance of soldiers, military personnel claimed that there was a shortage of soldiers, and a draft would benefit the war effort (Thompson and Zabriskie, par. 7). Fortunately, the draft was not enacted and still remains...
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...Discuss why each area was important to American empire building (political, economic, and social). - KRISTY • Explain America’s expansionist ideals. What were some of the factors that justified American imperialist actions? • Identify the current political status of these places in relation to the United States. Age of Imperialism: 1870 to 1914 Place (Michele Stafford) Why was there interest? (KRISTY) U.S. actions Status today Samoa America was interested in the small islands located across the Pacific. A territory of the United States/ Of American Samoa. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1842.htm Hawaii Expanding the American forces using the Island as a naval base, and entering the sugar can market allowing for the product to exported making a big profit. Small amount of white sugar planters revolted on 1893 with America’s military that would assist. August 18, 1959, Hawaii was admitted to the Union. Hawaii is a state. http://www.hawaii-nation.org/statehood.html Latin-America America wanted to take over the control of the outside business being conducted. America wanted to succeed in opening new businesses in and out of Latin America Many challenges remain, but Latin America has changed forever. Most important: citizens believe it, too. United States is changing toward Latin America. http://www.cfr.org/mexico/us-latin-america-relations/p16279 Cuba Defeating the Spanish Army within the country and make Cuba a place where America...
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...The Vietnam War started in 1955 after the Ho Chi Minh rose to power. More than three million people died in the war (History). The Vietnam War proceeded over a long period of time. The war changed the United States’ role in the world because it was the first time that people argued that Americans “lost” (English). Soldiers all over America either volunteered or were drafted into the war. It was a war between North and South Vietnam. The United States was trying to keep the South from becoming communist. The Vietcong were successful because they were on their homeland, the United States had not jungle combat experience, and the Vietcong were skilled at using Guerilla Warfare and booby traps. At first, Americans thought it was a good idea to...
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