Vietnam War And Its Effects On America

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The Vietnam War and Its Effects on America One of the most influential wars in American history was the Vietnam War. It changed the course of American foreign affairs, domestic politics, as well as cultural and social history. To date, it is the longest war the United States of America has been a part of, and the only war we have lost. As all wars, the Vietnam War didn’t just begin one day, there were of course events that triggered it. As stated by historian and professor James Willbanks, the French wanted to colonize Indochina starting in 1945,although America did not approve of a French colonial domination, it was better than the alternative communist regime led by Ho Chi Minh. Later that year marked America’s first involvement in Vietnam as they gave limited resources to the French. In December 1946, fighting began between the French and the Vietnamese; America continued French support but did not send troops until August 1950. Then in May 1954 the French surrendered at the battle of Dien Bien Phu leaving America to try to halt the communist direction that Vietnam was taking. According to ABC-CLIO American History Database, the fighting between the United States and the North Vietnamese began on December 22, 1961. The fighting then continued on for fourteen long and violent years, with both sides winning important battles and the advantage switching off between sides often. However in the end the North Vietnamese came out on top and handed America its first ever defeat in a war. The Vietnam War had many important effects that still influence us today. Although most of the effects from Vietnam are negative they can be viewed in a positive light because we learned many valuable lessons (Willbanks). As stated by historians Mongrain and Karap, the media’s role in domestic policies was drastically changed. After President Lyndon B. Johnson lied about actions
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