Impact of The Vietnam War on American Culture The Vietnam War was a tragic event that took place in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. The war lasted nearly 20 years and brought an impact on the American culture. The hippie movement was part of the impact the Vietnam War caused; and the movement was very powerful. People involved in the hippie movement began to change the typical American culture, and in turn, began reshaping the culture to what they felt was best. The hippie movement was very influential to the American music and art culture.
During the 1960s our nation was going through many important events. From the Vietnam War to national politics, and even civil rights, our country was changing a lot. In particular, the year 1968, was when our country went through a major turning point. The Vietnam War split the country, causing protest and unrest nation and worldwide. College campuses were a new place of protest and freedom.
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.
Firstly, the Vietnam war was undoubtedly a very significant factor in the increased protests during the 60's. For example, the excessive bombing of North Vietnam lead in 1965 lead to many student protests, as so many civilians including women and children were being purposefully killed in order to ultimately, win the was by flattening Vietnam. This caused outrage amongst the student rebels. In particular, the student rebel group called Students for Democratic Society (SDS) used the Vietnam war to suggest that the US government was corrupt. The cause struck a chord with those at university more so than other groups of people due to the immense number of students that were made to go and fight.
As the Cold War continued, the American public grew discontent with the handling of the disputes . They grew restless of the ongoing conflict and the injustices that were being committed by the American military towards these countries and the abuse that our American troops were experiencing at home. The Civil Rights movement again saw this as an opportunity to insert their agenda along with other injustices into the national picture. With the sentiment swaying against the established institution it was easier to gain public support for civil rights. The Cold War was fought to end the oppression and maltreatment of other countries citizens.
The Vietnam War changed America forever. Lasting 18 years, it was the longest war ever fought in the history of American wars. The war had also affected the lives of the American people. This was the first war that showed the disasters of the battlefield on television. This was the war that had etched permanent memories onto the minds of the people of the United States.
This evidence shows that the way people saw the war was changing. The people didn’t want to see their husbands, kids, friends, or their neighbors fighting in such a horrifying war. The media coverage changed the way people saw the war because it made them realize that there were thousands of Americans dying overseas in a war that they didn’t need to be involved in. The Vietnam changed people’s view about the war, “The Vietnam War was the most extensively covered war in history. This coverage was thought to have had a powerful influence on public opinion and therefore on political decision making”.
In comparing the seventies era with the present ; I have come to recognize similarities between events of today and the proceedings that occurred almost 40 years ago, both having impacted our nation . The Vietnam War, like the Iraq war, dragged on longer than expected. Because of this, the people within our country became polarized with extreme positions that ultimately divided our national focus. During the 2000‘s, many U.S. citizens expressed their opposition to the war in Iraq. Likewise this sentiment was shared by many politicians and political activist during the Vietnam War era, like the presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy and singer/songwriter John Dylan.
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.
The Vietnam War: Its Effects on Music and Culture | February 22 2013 | Lawrence Swader | Humanities 303 Professor Laukaitis | The Vietnam War: Its Effects on American Music and Culture The 60’s were a turbulent time in American history. The Vietnam War and the civil rights movement dominated the decade. The antiwar protest movement brought about changes not only in our society but also in the music and culture of the country. Although in some ways the impact on American music and culture was similar to other wars in many other ways it was much different. This paper will look at some of those differences from past wars and examine how the mood of the country at the time was reflected in the music and culture.