...Vietnam War By Jennifer Rosenberg The Vietnam War was the prolonged struggle between nationalist forces attempting to unify the country of Vietnam under a communist government and the United States (with the aid of the South Vietnamese) attempting to prevent the spread of communism. Engaged in a war that many viewed as having no way to win, U.S. leaders lost the American public's support for the war. Since the end of the war, the Vietnam War has become a benchmark for what not to do in all future U.S. foreign conflicts. Dates of the Vietnam War: 1959 -- April 30, 1975 Also Known As: American War in Vietnam, Vietnam Conflict, Second Indochina War, War Against the Americans to Save the Nation Overview of the Vietnam War: Ho Chi Minh Comes Home There had been fighting in Vietnam for decades before the Vietnam War began. The Vietnamese had suffered under French colonial rule for nearly six decades when Japan invaded portions of Vietnam in 1940. It was in 1941, when Vietnam had two foreign powers occupying them, that communist Vietnamese revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh arrived back in Vietnam after spending thirty years traveling the world. Once Ho was back in Vietnam, he established a headquarters in a cave in northern Vietnam and established the Viet Minh, whose goal was to rid Vietnam of the French and Japanese occupiers. Having gained support for their cause in northern Vietnam, the Viet Minh announced the establishment of an independent Vietnam with a new...
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...United States continued to support South Vietnam even though they were under the repressive dictatorship of Ngo Dinh Diem. His family was appointed as government members by him and they were just as corrupt as he was. Ngo Dinh Diem was catholic and mistreated Buddhists and other religious sects. Also, he failed to introduce a workable land reform programme and used millions of dollars of economic aid from the United States to make himself and his family richer. Along with this he failed to hold the proposed 1956 elections. Diem was overthrown in 1963 in a military coup. Unfortunately, the men who took over were equally corrupt and were still unpopular with the people. The United States continual support of South Vietnam was clearly a desperate attempt to contain communism. There was a heavy struggle in Vietnam between the South Vietnamese army and the communist-trained rebels. This was caused by Diem’s actions which enraged the people of South Vietnam causing opposition to increase. Viet Minh members had established a base in the South and conducted low-level guerrilla activities against the...
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...American Involvement in the Vietnam War Late 1940’s: America began sending aid to the French fighting in Vietnam and the rest of Indochina. France was fighting the Communist rebels led by Ho Chi Minh. 1954: Ho Chi Minh defeated the French. America became officially involved trying to stop Communists in Vietnam. Financial aid and military advisors were sent to help the South Vietnamese fight Northern Communists as they fighting in the South. The U.S. worked with Ngo Dinh Diem and other leaders to set up a separate government in the South. The U.S. worked with Ngo Dinh Diem, the South Vietnamese Premiere, to create separate governments in the South. President Dwight Eisenhower expressed concerns over Domino Theory. He believed that if Vietnam fell completely to Communism, then Communism would spread elsewhere, like how if the first domino falls, the rest follow. The Domino Theory is the central reason for America’s involvement in Vietnam. 1954-1964: U.S. involvement in Vietnam continued to increase. Eisenhower sends military advisors to South Vietnam to train South Vietnamese Army. 1964: August: North Vietnam attacked the USS Maddox in international waters. Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution that allowed President Johnson to increase America’s military involvement. It allowed him to "take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack...and to prevent further aggression." 1965: Pleiku Raid: Viet Cong attacked a Marine barracks killing eight and injuring over a...
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...uninvolved during the cold war. In addition, the US tactics were frowned upon, being said that they were not intelligently layer out, and so they were defeated. Also, the support of two very strong countries, China and USSR, backed north Vietnam a great deal. USA failed to win the hearts and minds of the north Vietnamese, also failing to understand the situation. Diem was an unpopular individual, Ho Chi Minh was a praised and trustworthy character for the Vietnamese. I will examine the factors resulting the loss for the US, and extract the reason behind it. The type of US soldiers sent to Vietnam to fight are a factor for the loss of USA’s loss of the war. A number of the front line troops were conscripts and not professional troops. They were young, usually from lower social groups and frequently from Americas minority groups. These troops were usually trained in conventional warfare whereas the Viet Cog used guerrilla tactics-hitting the enemy and then running away; not wearing a standard uniform; merging into village life with ease etc. This are it difficult for the young American troops to low who was the enemy and who they could trust amongst the south Vietnamese population. In addition to this, many of the US soldiers were unwillingly fighting in the war. As a result, they became drug addicts and consequently were unable to fight with full concentration. The type of US soldiers is a...
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...An Analysis of A Rumor of War The Vietnam War was one of America’s greatest mistakes. Considered by most to be the only war that the United States has ever lost, Vietnam was a debacle from the start. Lieutenant Philip Caputo, who served in Vietnam throughout the war, shared his experiences in his 1977 memoir entitled A Rumor of War. Caputo, a soldier who narrowly avoided a court-martial for allegedly murdering innocent Vietnamese citizens, discusses his view on the dehumanizing atrocities of the war. Using Caputo’s book, this essay analyzes the reasons why American soldiers in Vietnam found themselves in unsustainable combat situations. In addition, it diagnosed how the lies told by those in command translated into confusion for the already...
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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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...with superior force, but by connecting with the people through emotional and intellectual appeals. The Viet Cong were more effective than both the Republicans and the Americans by winning the “hearts and minds” of the Vietnamese through various actions and mentalities. The Viet Cong won the support of the Vietnamese people because of their political, social, military, and financial choices throughout the war. The choice to pick a leader was clear for the Vietnamese people. The Vietnamese people chose to support the force that had the same goals for the war as they did. America’s goal was to prevent communism from spreading to South Vietnam. America’s plan to prevail was tainted because the Vietnamese people had no concept of democracy and thought how “absurd it would be for so large and wealthy a nation [America] to covet our poor little country for its rice fields, swamps, and pagodas” (Hayslip, XIII). The people didn’t understand America’s interest in Vietnam and thus saw them as outsiders attempting to divide their cherished land and dictate their lives. The Republican’s goal was to stabilize the nation with America’s financial and political assistance. The Republicans became less credible and legitimate because of their associations with America. The Viet Cong’s goal was to obtain freedom, independence, and happiness through the Vietnamese perspective. The Viet Cong represented the Vietnamese people because of their shared goals for their nation. In comparing America...
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...say that the Tet Offensive of 1968 was the most important reason for US withdrawal from Vietnam? There are many reasons that lead to the US withdrawing from Vietnam, like the Tet Offensive which can be seen as the most crucial turning point in the war for America as it was the first wide-scale organised attack by the Viet Cong and raised doubt among American public about the causes and the outcome of the war. However it is not the only reason that could have led to withdrawal; the election of the tough President Nixon, the media’s unflattering coverage of US forces and influencing public opinion, the process of withdrawal and the decreased threat of communism due to the Sino-Soviet split. Without any one of these major events or situations I don’t think withdrawal from Vietnam would have been in 1973 but possibly later. The Tet offensive was extremely significant as it was first and foremost a moral boost for the NVA who saw the success if short-lived of strategic surprise on the US troops and bases in the South. The US troops did not understand the willingness the NVA were to die for their cause and so it was in huge contrast to their own feelings about fighting in Vietnam- the Viet Cong weren’t going to give up easily. It was more of a shock to Americans than a defeat as Tet is a national holiday in Vietnam and was typically a truce but using their large numbers and weapons; the Viet Cong did not succeed in maintaining any control in the Southern cities. Yet it was the year...
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...Vietnam War Notes · The U.S got involved in Vietnam becuase Vietnam had become communist and at the time the U.S was fighting a war against the spread of communist. The domino theory. · Vietnam had been colonized by France before WW2, but was defeated when they tried to come back after WW2. Vietnam was under going a civle war to decided to be a communist country or not. The civle war divied the country into south and north. The U.S in fear of the domino theory step in and supported the south in the fight against communist. · In the Gulf of Tokin a few U.S ship claimed to be fired apon by the Viet Cong. Once this happened the Prisendent decided to start bombing raids on the north. Not long after we invaded. · Some of the most horriable weapons were used during the Vietnam War, weapons like napom, white phospagen and agent orange, these weapons had huge lasting impact not only on the people but the ecosystem in Vietnam was destroyed and by pisioning the ecosystem and messing with water that people drank, many kids were born with birth defects. · Nixon was eleted President in 1968, his slogan was "Peace in honor." Nixon increase bombing raids and also invaded Cambodian. · The CIA were doing operation like operation Phonix which was designed for soldiers to go into villages in Vienam and kill the silvians in the village because the CIA thought they were helping the Viet Cong. The orders were to kill anything that moved. · The Tet Offensive was a huge operation run by the...
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...of Hue City was one of the most fierce and brutal battles in the Vietnam War. Three Marine Battalions totally fewer than twenty-five thousand men attacked and successfully defeated over ten thousand enemy troops liberating Hue for South Vietnam. The City of Hue was located in central Vietnam and was the country’s cultural capital for that reason is was spared from the horrible effects of the war until 1968. During Tet a lunar New Year’s holiday celebrated all over Vietnam the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong launch a massive attack on South Vietnam. Second Battalion Fifth Marines fought alongside the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, supported my Army Calvary units to take over Hue City block by block. Hue City was an insanely brutal battle to say the least. Enemy soldiers were pulled out there homes and other buildings they found cover in and eliminated. This battle lasted twenty-six days the longest battle since the battle for Seoul during the Korean War. Major Ron Christmas was quoted saying “fighting house-to-house is the dirtiest of all fighting. . . Just as a rat must be drawn from his burrow to be eradicated, an enemy soldier, burrowed in a building, must also be pulled from his hiding place to be eliminated. Normally, he will not come out without a fight. The attacker must go in and dig him out.” The battle began early January 31, 1968 and by 0800 the North Vietnamese had raised there red and blue Viet Cong flag with its gold star in the citadel tower. It was not until the...
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...military service in the Vietnam War. Only men were put into the draft lottery, receiving a random number that corresponded with their birthdays. The men with the lower numbers were called to serve in the war first . This meant many of our soldiers were young and not trained well. Many people were not in favor of the war in Vietnam. People believed the United States were fighting for a losing cause....
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...3004 The Battle of Hue City is quite possibly one of the fiercest battles fought in the Vietnam War. In this battle the American and South Vietnamese forces were up against a North Vietnamese force that was close to triple their size. Another item to mention was that the Marine Battalions involved were low on men, and also worn down by previous battles. Moreover the American and South Vietnamese forces were attacking the North Vietnamese in a city that was very well reinforced. This battle is important because it was the first time combat was carried out in an urbanized environment. The strategic value of Hue City is because it was a distribution point for resupply efforts. A railroad and major highway passed through the city, connecting the Marine Corps command at Da Nang to the Demilitarized Zone; the Perfume River was used by US Navy supply boats moving to and from the mouth of the river and the South China Sea. If the city fell to the North Vietnamese, the US effort in Vietnam would suffer a major blow. Additionally, our forces utilized the effects of combined tactical elements such as timing, heavy gunfire support, armor, communications, and geographic obstacles to help overcome the North Vietnamese in this momentous battle. The Battle of Hue City began on the night of January 30, 1968 during the Vietnamese lunar New Year, called Tet, a holiday and celebration in Vietnam. Because of this, many of the South Vietnamese military were on leave, and because a truce usually...
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...The Vietnam War “I saw courage both in the Vietnam War and in the struggle to stop it. I learned that patriotism includes protest, not just military service.” This quote from John. F Kerry shows the reality of the Vietnam War. This war persisted for almost 20 years, and it ended in stalemate. Many Americans were protesting the war at home. Protests occurred all throughout the war, but many of the people in the United States were not aware what the war was like until the media covered Hamburger Hill. Even after ten days of bloody battle, the UN forces decided to abandon the hill, and it was later reclaimed by North Vietnam. Many American citizens thought of the war as pointless, as the troops had no place in this civil war between North and...
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...Ho Chi Minh, an advocate for the freedom of Vietnam...and communism. Yea I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel about it either. My topic, Ho Chi Minh, was basically the sole reason that the Vietnam war happened, because of him trying to take leadership of Vietnam. Then, Ho Chi Minh, “He Who Enlightens”, became a symbol of Vietnam’s struggle for unification. Ho Chi Minh helped found the Indochinese Communist Party in the 1930s after he learned about Communism from studying in France(History.com/ Fitgerald, Brian). He then brought it back to his home country, Vietnam, with good intentions to spread his newfound political system. But America saw that as dangerous because Russia’s leading system, Communism, and at the current time America’s biggest enemy happened to be Russia. It’s kinda ironic that because America thinks of Ho Chi Minh as the enemy, even though his name means “He who enlightens”. Ho Chi Minh saw it has his goal to bring independence to Vietnam (NYtimes.com). But his idea of peace was to turn Vietnam into a communistic state. America didn’t think too fondly of that because they feared that Communism would take over the majority of all systems on earth. America took it in their own hands and went to Vietnam to stop Ho...
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...improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2010) | Battle of Huế | Part of the Tet Offensive, Vietnam War | US Marines fighting in Hue | Date | January 30 – March 3, 1968 | Location | 16°28′30.9″N 107°34′33.6″E / 16.47525°N 107.576°E / 16.47525; 107.576Coordinates: 16°28′30.9″N 107°34′33.6″E / 16.47525°N 107.576°E / 16.47525; 107.576 Huế, South Vietnam | Result | Tactical South Vietnamese and US victory[1] | | Belligerents | South Vietnam United States | North Vietnam Viet Cong | Commanders and leaders | Ngô Quang Trưởng Foster LaHue | Trần Văn Quang | Strength | 11 ARVN battalions 2 U.S Army battalions 3 U.S Marines battalions | 10 PAVN and NLF battalions | Casualties and losses | ARVN: 452 killed 2,123 wounded U.S.: 216 killed 1,584 wounded[2] Total: 663 killed 3,707 wounded | PAVN figures: About 2,400 killed and 3,000 wounded (from 30-1 until 28-3)[3] MACV estimate: 8,113 killed[4] 98 captured[5] | 844 civilian deaths and 1,900 injuries due to accident of battle, 4,856 civilians and captured personnel executed by communists or missing according to the South Vietnamese government[6] | [show]v · d · e Military engagements of the Vietnam War | | | Laos - Sunrise – 1st Ap Bac – Go Cong – Hiep Hoa – Chan La – 34A – Long Dinh – Kien Long – Quyet Thang 202 – Nam Dong – Thanh Hóa – An Lao – Bình Gia – Pleiku airbase – Thanh Hoa Bridge – Song Be – Ba...
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