...The Vietnam War Before the war, almost all of Americans really trusted their Congressmen, their universities, and other official institutions. At the beginning of the 1960s that trust begin to change as the world around them changed as well. Two basic viewpoints began to evolve during this time. One group felt that though intentions had been good for getting into the conflict, it was a losing battle that carried too great of burden both socially and economically and at the United States needed to get out of Vietnam. The other group felt that we had gone to Vietnam for a purpose and we shouldn't leave until the job was done. Most of the large demonstrations to protest the war took place on college campuses. During the Vietnam War, the draft was instituted for the first time since 1942. This meant that men and women of the Baby Boom era were eligible to be sent off to fight in a conflict that was being questioned for the American involvement. Draft deferments and exemptions were available for college students and this meant that young men in the working class who did not go to college because they could not afford it far outnumbered those of the middle or upper class. Students who avoided the war by going to college were aware of the injustice of the situation and used protests as a way of communicating this to the powers-that-be. In addition, once the students graduated, they would then be eligible to be sent off to Vietnam. This gave them added incentive to protest and try...
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...The Vietnam War Vietnam is a small country in the Southeast Asia. It has a population of 80,000,000 people. The official language of Vietnam is Vietnamese. The capital city is Hanoi. Although the country has many strong points, it also has a bloody history that includes wars. One of the greatest wars that the country has been through is the Vietnam War-the War against the US. The war started in 1954 and ended in 1975. The Vietnam War was a great failure to the US on both warfare and domestic issues. The history dates back to the 1940s when Vietnam was fighting for its freedom from the colonial French. The not giving in policies of French triggered the anger in Vietnamese. In the beginning of the twentieth century many has joined numbers of movements to gain back freedom. Later Vietnamese from all over the country would gather under the leader of Ho Chi Minh, (Neu, 2005, p.2). The man who led the revolutionary army of Vietnam to fight for freedom was Ho Chi Minh. He had so much influence to the country and to the world. As Charles E. Neu said of Ho around the time he was a leader “Ho became one of the great revolutionary leaders of the twentieth century”, (Neu, 2005, p.3). He was the man behind all the actions. In 1941, the Viet Minh or the Independent of Vietnam were formed under the lead of Ho Chi Minh, (Neu, 2005, p.3). Through many battles and hundreds of thousands of lives has been taken, Vietnam finally emancipated from France. On May 7, 1954 the end of the battle of...
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...The Vietnam War The Vietnam War The Vietnam War was hard on all countries; one in particular was the United States. As Americans thought the end was near they soon found out that it all was going to begin with the Vietnam War. This particular war caused hardships for not only the financial aspect of the country, but for the citizens of it as well. To put it simply it divided much of the country. Student Unrest One of the main groups of people that the Vietnam War affected was college students. As the war escalated, the draft began. College students were affected by this mostly because of the military’s rules for joining. The poor and underclass usually could not pass the tests to get in the war and many others had jobs, such as teaching or engineering that was cause for the military to not draft them. This is when student unrest began. As time went on and the war continued to drag on, students all over the country began to question the war. Students began to question the president’s decisions when it came to the war, as well as began questioning what they were fighting for. Martina Bexte 2002 wrote that “People realized that the glowing reviews of the war effort their government had been releasing were “sanitized” and far from the truth.” Students all over the country began protesting against the war. They were angry at the president for what he was doing to the Vietcong’s, as well as the fact that Americans were fighting for a cause that no one believed in anymore...
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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 Vietnam War (Vietnamese: Chiến tranh Việt Nam), also known as the Second Indochina War,[32] and also known in Vietnam as Resistance War Against America (Vietnamese: Kháng chiến chống Mỹ) or simply the American War, was a Cold War-era proxy war[citation needed] that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955[A 1] to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War (1946–54) and was fought between North Vietnam—supported by the Soviet Union, China and other communist allies—and the government of South Vietnam—supported by the United States and other anti-communist allies.[37] The Viet Cong (also known as the National Liberation Front, or NLF), a South Vietnamese communist common front aided by the North, fought a guerrilla war against anti-communist forces in the region. The People's Army of Vietnam (also known as the North Vietnamese Army) engaged in a more conventional war, at times committing large units to battle. As the war wore on, the part of the Viet Cong in the fighting decreased as the role of the NVA grew. U.S. and South Vietnamese forces relied on air superiority and overwhelming firepower to conduct search and destroy operations, involving ground forces, artillery, and airstrikes. In the course of the war, the U.S. conducted a large-scale strategic bombing campaign against North Vietnam, and over time the North Vietnamese airspace became the most heavily defended in the world. The U.S. government viewed American...
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...The Vietnam War The main connection between student unrest and the Vietnam War entails the armed forces draft. At the time of the Vietnam War, it was mandatory for every male student to register for the selective service on his eighteenth birthday. The male student would be qualified for draft two years after registering; as casualty’s amplified; the chance of being drafted increased. Although, as with mostly everything there is a loop hole, there was one way to momentary put off probability of being drafted - attending college. Younger men that attended school were not completely exempt from the draft, but they were deferred from draft until they had finished their schooling. Hence, as the men grew closer to graduation, reality set in that they would soon be leaving to go fight in the Vietnam War. So, they had a few choices. They could either one, evade the draft or two, run away to Canada or three, they could protest for the legislature stop the draft. There were thousands who fled the country and went to Canada, but most of the students choose to dispute. In bigger cities, like San Francisco, protesting turned very violent to the point where riots erupted; there were many people that protest against the war throughout the United States that lost their lives as a result of their involvement. While the war went on, casualty rates rapidly increased. It seemed as if the war would never end and this enraged the ones that were protesting the war, I mean let’s face it, nobody wants...
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...Most Americans sent to Vietnam were chosen by the draft. The Selective Service System, as it was called, favored the middle and upper classes. College students could avoid service, as could those in “critical” occupations, such as teachers and engineers. As the war escalated, the draft was changed so that some students were called up through a lottery system. Still, those who knew the medical requirements might be able to produce a doctor’s affidavit certifying a weak knee, flat feet, or bad eyes—all grounds for flunking the physical. Of the 1200 men in Harvard’s class of 1970, only 56 served in the military, and only 2 of them in V The poorest and least educated were also likely to escape service, because the Armed Forces Qualification Test and the physical often screened them out. Thus the sons of blue-collar America were most likely to accept Uncle Sam’s letter of induction. Once in uniform, the sons of Hispanic and black Americans who had fewer skills were more often assigned to combat duty. The draft also made it a relatively young man’s war. The average age of soldiers serving in Vietnam was 19, compared with the average of 26 for World War II. Most American infantry came to Vietnam ready and willing to fight. But physical and psychological hardships took their toll. An American search-and-destroy mission would fight its way into a Communist-controlled hamlet, clear and burn it, and move on—only to be ordered back days or weeks later because the enemy had moved in again...
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...Task - How significant was the Domino Theory as a reason for US involvement in the conflicts in Vietnam? Involve- * Bibliography * 1 Primary source – 1950’s/1960 * 5 books – Secondary sources * Watch films, documentaries and videos. * Historians point of views(opinions) Geneva Agreement – election to be held in 1956 to reunify Vietnam but did not happen because Ngo Dinh Diem cancelled it because he knew he would not win it. If Ho chi Minh wins 1956 elections: * Vietnam will re-unify as a communist country * Other surrounding countries will follow – communism will spread ‘Domino Theory’ (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma, Bangladesh, and India. Geneva Agreement – election to be held in 1956 to reunify Vietnam but did not happen because Ngo Dinh Diem cancelled it because he knew he would not win it. If Ho chi Minh wins 1956 elections: * Vietnam will re-unify as a communist country * Other surrounding countries will follow – communism will spread ‘Domino Theory’ (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma, Bangladesh, and India. Communist Communist Vietnam was split into North and South in 1954 – Geneva agreement officially split into North led by Ho Chi Minh and South ruled by Ngo Dinh Diem. Vietnam was split into North and South in 1954 – Geneva agreement officially split into North led by Ho Chi Minh and South ruled by Ngo Dinh Diem. Capitalist Capitalist Primary Sources Finally, you have broader considerations...
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...The Vietnam War Karthik Rao AP World History 3/28/14 The Vietnam War, fought between 1959 and 1975, was one of the most controversial and debated wars in American history. The war was the prolonged struggle between nationalist forces attempting to unify the country of Vietnam under a communist or democratic government. The Vietnam War was part of the Cold War, during which the United States and the Soviet Union were in a sustained state of political and military tension. U.S. involvement in Vietnam created tension among the America public, leading to debates about some of the horrific acts of war that the United States army committed against the civilian population of Vietnam. Authors Nick Turse and James Westheider, provide very different points of view regarding the war. Turse’s novel, Kill anything that moves: The Real American war in Vietnam, draws upon emotion and particularly sympathy for the Vietnamese civilians. His novel describes the unjust military actions that the U.S. army committed against the Vietnamese public. On the other hand, Westheider’s novel, The Vietnam War, provides a point of view showing sympathy for the United States soldiers fighting a war facing horrid conditions. Overall, both books provide different views of one of the most controversial wars fought in the 20th century. The war in Vietnam was perhaps one of the biggest military failures in the United States. Between 1954 and 1964, the United States was merely providing aid to the forces of...
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... The Vietnam War left many scars on the people of the United States and had an even greater effect on the country. The reputation of our country changed as people began to have different views on the government, people’s constitutional rights, and the proper role of the media. The changing of perspectives of the people led to the country being split and angry. The Vietnam War was a fight over the government’s power, the war itself, and the draft for the war. The Truman doctrine was created to make sure the South Vietnamese did not become communist. America began to send in massive amounts of money to Vietnam in hopes that it would not become communist. Vietnam was previously property of the French empire. During World War II the Japanese seized control of Vietnam. The communism of the Vietnamese was meant to be an opposition to the Japanese. France then later tried to take Vietnam back but failed. The United States had sent in money to France but when the Japanese defeated France the United States was forced to send money and military advisors to South Vietnam. By 1960, America sent in troops to Vietnam to fight in a war that eventually led to fifty-eight thousand Americans losing their lives. The subsequent loss on the Vietnamese side was even greater than that. The long standing war ended up costing $150 billion dollars. American intervention began in 1955 when the first military advisors came into power. Many of the government’s agencies became involved in the war at home...
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...| |Vietnam War | | | | | |Samantha Crofford | |Steven Harn | |10/31/2010 | | | The Vietnam War is considered by some scholars to be a black spot on the United States’ white shirt. There is no doubt that it raised countless controversial issues. There were people who supported the War; there were people who protested the War. A specific group of people who protested the War was college students. During this time period, there was a high level of student unrest. However, there were also other factors that resulted from the Vietnam War....
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...Thomas Zervas Vietnam Wars 4/29/12 Final Essay Winning The Vietnam War When most people think about winning a war they usually base their opinions on death counts and conquered territories. When looking at the Vietnam War, it is clear to see that the Vietnamese had a larger death count, however this does not mean that the United States was victorious. The United States entered the war to reach an objective, and that objective was to stop communist expansion. The goal was not achieved; therefore, the United States lost the war. True, there were more casualties in the North, but that does not determine whether or not they lost, especially when considering the superior technology and training of United States forces. When looking at the Vietnam proxy war fought between the United States and Soviet Union, the United States was impacted a number of ways, both domestically and internationally. There was a huge lack of public support for the stagnating war effort combined with a lack of support for soldiers that adversely affected the morale of the troops. There were body bag counts on the evening news showing the large numbers of lost soldiers to the population. There were also many protests, which created much tension and heavy scrutiny on the United States government. On a global scale, the United States began to look weaker than the Soviet Union, which created many more issues for the United States. The North Vietnamese won the Vietnam War through a combination of factors...
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...The Vietnam War The Vietnam War was a time in American history still spoken of with strong emotions today. The events of the era helped to spawn countercultures that helped to mold the country. There was strife and violence, fear and wounds, but mostly there was a quiet moment when the country’s college students moved from childhood into adulthood. This growth gave them the power to speak out against a war they did not believe in and were forced to send their brothers, boyfriends, and husbands to die in. In the eight years that America fought the Vietcong, more than 58,000 American soldiers died and America changed in ways the citizens never thought possible that are still felt in the world politic policy of today. In the early 1960s America was disrupted by the Civil Rights movement. Black, white, right, wrong; these were the ideals that the college students of the day were concentrating on. In the background, the United States was becomming involved in the civil conflict in Vietnam. Students turned their attention to this conflict as Presidents Lyndon Johnson then President Richard Nixon sent more soldiers to fight despite promises for peace (Coltrane, n.d). The college students became alarmed about how many American men were dying in a war that had nothing to do with them. Once the draft was reinstated and more men were sent to Vietnam, demonstrations, teach-ins and rallies were held on many campuses around the country protesting the war. The draft seemed to be the keystone...
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...Vietnam War Taylor Davis MLS 2006 McDonough Vietnam War The Vietnam War was a disaster from the start for America. America was outnumbered and did not have a clear strategy going into the war. Technically, congress never declared war on Vietnam, so America nor did win or lose the war (Triebwasser). Neither America nor Vietnam won the war as it is still considered as stalemate. As Stewart said, “Meanwhile, the war appeared to be in a state of equilibrium. Only an extraordinary effort by one side or the other could bring a decision” (Stewart, 2010, pg. 330). This war did not go according to plan and the outcome of this war did not favor America. Many men were killed in this war and other injured from enemy fire and gases that were used during the war. America lost the fight (war) in Vietnam. Between the Government and the landscape of Vietnam made it difficult for America to win the war. There are many reasons why America did not succeed in Vietnam and lost the war. The effect of the Cold War was the Vietnam War. The war was to stop Vietnam from becoming a communist nation. America was out to stop communist from spreading into other countries. The effect of Vietnam becoming a communist country would not affect anyone in the world except Vietnam itself. As Pagel stated, “The actual value of Vietnam as a territory, economy or political presence on the world stage was insignificant” (Pagel, 2012). As an outcome of the war, Vietnam is still a communist nation. America failed...
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...The Vietnam War was the war that most young Americans in the United States did not understand. The Americans did not understand why thousands of men were being killed over there and what was being accomplished for these deaths. The Vietnam War dragged out from 1960 – 1975 and many young adults was scared about their outcome in the end. The major connection between the Vietnam War and student unrest was that it was the first and only time that there was a military draft. On a young man’s eighteen birthday, he was required to register for the selective service and would be eligible for a draft for two whole years. With casualty rates, increasing every day, these young men had a better chance to be drafted and this scared them even more. There was only one way to have a temporary postpone chance of being selected, if you were attending college. This did not mean that young men that attended college were exempt from the draft but that as soon as they finished college they would be drafted. As young men grew closer and closer to graduation, they realized they were going to have to go to Vietnam and fight. These young men were left with only two options, either they dodge the draft and flee to Canada or they could protest for Congress to end the draft. These young men were scared, running out of options since college is for four years, and the war lasted fifteen years they did not know what to do. Thousands of young men fled to Canada, but the majority of the students...
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