The Socio-political Effects of the Vietnam War Axia College of the University of Phoenix The Vietnam War was the most controversial and politically unsettling events in American history. While the war had many dramatic effects on society, the distrust in the American government and politicians that it generated has had a lasting effect on some of today’s citizens and advocacy groups. This attitude shaped many individuals political beliefs which have been passed down to younger generations. While this distrust does not affect all members of society, it is important to realize the strong emotions that the Vietnam War ignited and understand the impact it had on certain generations. There were several factors that created this general distrust.
Question B – Why did the USA become increasingly involved in Vietnam between 1964 and 1968? The USA became increasingly involved in the Vietnam War between 1964 and 1968 for a number of different reasons. After Kennedys reign of presidency, Lyndon Johnson took hold of a difficult situation in Vietnam. The South Vietnamese government was very corrupt, the Viet Cong were making large gains in rural areas of South Vietnam and guerilla tactics were proving very hard to combat. One key reason why the US became progressively involved in Vietnam was the fear of the Domino theory.
Over the past eight decades American views on war have varied. After WWI and WWII the soldiers were hailed as heroes and the country rallied around the war efforts. The Vietnam War was an entirely different story, the country was at odds with the the United States involvement and therefore did not show the same level of support for the soldiers. Affield and Pyle aide readers as they strive to understand the relationship between America and Vietnam. Affield’s memoir illustrated the very real and raw aspects of war.
Vietnam War Carrie E. Christ (McManus) DeVry University Contemporary History Professor Jones Fall 2013 Vietnam War Thesis The Vietnam War is significant to American History because the United States participated in this war, as allies, with South Vietnamese, against North Vietnam and their southern allies, the Viet Cong. This war began because of a dispute that began in 1954, and was the cause of over three million deaths, half of which were Vietnamese civilians, and included the deaths of 58,000 Americans (A&E History). American citizens, divided on their thoughts in regards to support of this war, did not give the respect, nor honor to the veterans that they deserved, many of them shamed. The government, whom gave resolution to enact the war, did not provide support for the wounded veterans, and many suffered physical, emotional, as well as psychological injuries. Many Vietnam Veterans still suffer today because of this war; many whom have never spoke about it since returning to America.
However, Johnson believed that it was important to end the conflict in Vietnam. According to him, if such disputes were allowed to continue, the whole world would not be peaceful. This reveals that his desire to end the Vietnam conflict was aimed at ensuring global peace. His critics state that during this time the United States experienced domestic problems, which would have been the priority for the president. The crime rate in the United States soured during the Vietnam War with numerous street protests.
Richard Nixon’s election to Presidency of the United States in 1968, marked a turning point in American foreign policy and a new strategic approach to the war in Vietnam. It was a war he had inherited from his predecessor, Lyndon Johnson. Domestic support for the war had diminished significantly, with national outpourings of opposition. This prompted Nixon to make his famous ‘silent majority’ speech, where he outlined his position on Vietnam, “After all, we became involved in the war while my predecessor was in office. I could blame the defeat which would have been the result of my action on him and come out as Peacemaker…But I had a greater obligation than to think only of the years of my administration and of the next election.
There were a variety of factors that influenced President Johnson’s decision to send ground troops into Vietnam in 1965. At the heart of this decision was the reality that South Vietnam’s regime was unraveling both politically and militarily, and thus the presence of U.S. Troops in Vietnam to protect against the spread of communist influence was essential. Additionally, most of President Johnson’s advisors favored U.S. military escalation in Vietnam for reasons of both national welfare and individual political preservation. Related to this aspect was the preoccupation of U.S. political elites with the reputation of America as a respected world power.
U.S. History Essay The Civil War was one of the largest and terrifying wars in the United States. This war brought a lot of consequences and changes to the nation. Which consequences or changes were the most important? After the war, the federal government ran out of money, so they had to begin an income tax to raise money. It was the first time in the American history.
Jozeph Kaddissi EN 102 Composition 2 (1:15-2:30) 21 February 2011 Vietnam War: The Fight against Social Injustice The war in Vietnam occurred at a period when the United States perceived communism as a serious threat to democracy, capitalism, American peace of society, and the civilized world. During this period, the USSR and the United States were deeply engrossed in the cold war. The war in Vietnam is only one among the many proxy wars between the communist countries led by the USSR and the capitalistic countries led by the United States. The communist North Vietnam had embarked on a war campaign against the south. Motivated by the need to deter the spread of communist ideology, America felt obligated to intervene to preserve the sovereignty of South Vietnam and possibly to end any further communist incursions in the north.
To what extent was the Vietnam part of the Cold War? | | | | | | | | The Vietnam War can be seen to be part of the Cold War due to the Americans acting upon their policy of containment and their fear of the Domino Theory. This idea relates to many events in the Cold War. For example the Korean War, where the Americans became involved due to their fear of the Domino Theory, as communism had already spread in China and Indo-China, and now the Soviet-occupied North Korea had attacked the South. The US felt they had no other choice but to act on their policy of containment and fear of the Domino Theory.