The United States intervention in Vietnam is seen by the world as America’s greatest loss and longest war. Before the start of the war in Vietnam, the thought of the United States losing this war was unheard of because America was technologically superior, no country in south East Asia could contend with them. Lyndon B. Johnson announced that he would not be the president to allow South East Asia to go Communist . Why the United States lost the war has been a huge debate since the end of the war, because there were so many factors affecting why they lost; the war was a loss politically, after losing support from not only the American public but also the South Vietnamese and losing a political mandate for the war by 1973, when the last United States soldier left; they lost militarily, not achieving their core goals and underestimating the North Vietnamese tactic and economically spending 20 billion dollars a year on the war causing a failure in social reform. This assignment will focus on these core factors which are seen as the reason for the United States losing in Vietnam.
Politically the United States failed when it came to Vietnam. Although the presidential election of Lyndon B. Johnson gave his government public support for the firm stance they would take. The Government eventually lost support from the populace, due to the atrocities within Vietnam, which were shown to the world through the media showing the aftermath of operation rolling thunder. At the height of the war America were losing 300 troops a week which also caused outrage within America since almost everyone had lost a relative or a friend. During Lyndon B. Johnsons presidency Anti-War movements became popular among the young people , demonstrations and sit-in...
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... communist; 1975 also saw Laos and Cambodia become communist . The outcome helped the United States to seek a new policy when it came to dealing with the cold war. To conclude the United States lost the Vietnam War because of many different reasons which are all important in contributing towards the inevitable defeat. The main reason the United States losing the war was internal division and losing support from the population of not only America and Vietnam but the world.
Works Cited
Anderson, David, The Vietnam War (Longman, New York; 2005)
C. B. Jones, Understanding the Cold War (Bookpoint Ltd, London; 2010)
Anderson, David L. The Columbia Guide to the Vietnam War (Columbia University Press, New York; 2002)
Hess, Garry R. Vietnam: Explaining America’s Lost War (Blackwell Publishing, Oxford; 2009)
Roberts, Pricilla, The Cold War (Sutton Publishing, Stroud; 2000
The Vietnam War: A Concise International History is a strong book that portrays a vivid picture of both sides of the war. By getting access to new information and using valid sources, Lawrence’s study deserves credibility. After reading this book, a new light and understanding of the Vietnam war exists.
Fussell, Paul. "Vietnam." The Bloody Game: An Anthology of Modern War. Ed. Paul Fussell. London: Scribners, 1991. 651-6.
The Vietnam War was the most publicized war during its era; moreover, this was the most unpopular war to hit the United States. All over the country riots began to rise, anti-war movement spread all over the states begging to stop the war and chaos overseas. This truly was a failure on the political side of things. For the public, all they saw was a failed attempt in a far away country. Events such as the Tet Offensive where the North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong established an all out attack on key locations around Vietnam, and although the Viet Cong was virtually wiped out, this still had a large affect psychologically on the troops as well as the populist back in the United States.
Tim O’Brien’s book, The Things They Carried, portrays stories of the Vietnam War. Though not one hundred percent accurate, the stories portray important historical events. The Things They Carried recovers Vietnam War history and portrays situations the American soldiers faced. The United States government represents a political power effect during the Vietnam War. The U. S. enters the war to prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam. The U.S. government felt if communism spreads to South Vietnam, then it will spread elsewhere. Many Americans disapproved of their country’s involvement. Men traveled across the border to avoid the draft. The powerful United States government made the decision to enter the war, despite many Americans’ opposition. O’Brien’s The Things They Carried applies New Historicism elements, including Vietnam history recovery and the political power of the United States that affected history.
In conclusion, I think that the United States became increasingly involved in the Vietnamese War because of the policies they had made as a promise to fight communism, and because they had sorely underestimated Vietcong’s ability to fight back using Guerrilla warfare. They refused to pull out of the war in fear of losing face before the world, but this pride factor scored them massive losses in the war. In the end, with both side sustaining heavy losses, the US were still seen as mutilators in the war, with advanced showing what their intervention had costed, and Vietnam was still fully taken over by Communism – they had achieved nothing and lost a lot.
"Overview of the Vietnam War." Digital History. Digital History, n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2014. .
The failure came from inside the United States. There were a lot of protests against the war. Those protests included moms who had their sons on the battle field, the people who found war was a waste of their tax revenue and the people who favored peace. That was too much for a president to calm down his citizens, and be in charge in a war in another country at the same time. The war did not get enough support from the Americans. Another matter was that the United States did not have the right strategy in this war. They took actions slowly and indecisively. Instead of fighting North Vietnam andVietcong by itself, which might lead to victory, the U.S wasted their effort on the weak Saigon government. The failure in the Vietnam War proves that the power and influence of the United States is not limitless. The United States has its steady place in the world order, but there is nothing for sure in this world of diversity. Therefore, the United States has to adapt itself to the development of the world not as a flawless country, but as a developed
Only in the Vietnam War was the United States’ participation criticized. This is such a gigantic change from prior wars that it bears study as to why it happened, and better yet, should have it happened. This paper will discuss the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War, by asking the simple question, Should have the United States’ gotten involved in the first place? This paper will prove that, in fact, America should not have gotten involved in the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War took place between 1947- 1975.
The Vietnam War was the longest and most expensive war in American History. The toll we paid wasn't just financial, it cost the people involved greatly, physically and mentally. This war caused great distress and sadness, as well as national confusion. Everyone had that one burning question being why? Why were we even there? The other question being why did America withdrawal from Vietnam. The purpose of this paper is to answer these two burning questions, and perhaps add some clarity to the confusion American was experiencing.
- Dougan C. & Lipsman S. 1984 The Vietnam Experience: A Nation Divided. Boston: Boston Publishing
This book would be an excellent source for anyone wanting to understand this period of the entrance into the Vietnam War. It is a great look into the character of each of the participants. It also would benefit those who are studying and learning how to develop strategy and policy for future wars that the United States may involve itself.
It is understandable that some Americans strongly opposed the United States getting involved in the Vietnam War. It had not been a long time since the end of World War II and simply put, most Americans were tired of fighting. Mark Atwood Lawrence is one of the people who opposed our involvement in the Vietnam War. In his essay, “Vietnam: A Mistake of Western Alliance”, Lawrence argues that the Vietnam War was unnecessary and that it went against our democratic policies, but that there were a lot of things that influenced our involvement.
“In July 1965, Lyndon Johnson chose to Americanize the war in Vietnam.” Although Johnson chose to enter America into the war, there were events previous that caused America to enter and take over the war. The South Vietnamese were losing the war against Communism – giving Johnson all the more reason to enter the war, and allowing strong American forces to help stop communism. There were other contributing factors leading up to the entrance of the war; America helped assist the French in the war, Johnson’s politics, the Tonkin Gulf Incident, and the 1954 Geneva Conference. President Johnson stated, “For 10 years three American Presidents-President Eisenhower, President Kennedy, and your present President--and the American people have been actively concerned with threats to the peace and security of the peoples of southeast Asia from the Communist government of North Viet-Nam.”
Anderson, D. (2002). The Columbia guide to the Vietnam War. New York: Columbia University Press.
Willbanks, James H. "The Real History of the Vietnam War." ARMCHAIR GENERAL Nov. 2007: 54-67. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 3 Apr. 2014.