Facts About The Vietnam War

The longest recorded and arguably one of the most controversial wars in American history is the Vietnam war. In 1959, the communist government of North Vietnam had devised a guerrilla campaign in democratic South Vietnam. The government of North Vietnam had the goal of uniting both countries under a communist reign. The United States quickly became an ally with South Vietnam because they feared the spread of communism. The aftermath of the war resulted in sixty thousand American deaths and two million Vietnamese deaths. Today many people question the necessity and rationality of the war. It is still debated today if the American force in Vietnam was a blunder or a noble cause.

As the war raged on there was a rise of two groups in America, the Hawks and the Doves. The Hawks were a group of people that supported the war and wanted to increase the number of military troops fighting in North Vietnam. The Doves primarily consisted of college students, professors, anti-war protesters, and citizens that felt that the war was immoral. The Doves believed that the war had no benefits for the US, it was resulting in increased casualties among the troops and it was a waste of billions of dollars. The Doves felt that the war was a civil war between North and South Vietnam and the US should not of interfered. There are other reasons the Doves opposed the war including: the unfairly administered draft wartime tactics, the unwanted aid in Vietnam and the graphic scenes of the war broadcasted on television.

As the escalation of troops sent to Vietnam marked an all time high, there was an outbreak of anti-war protests and "teach-ins" taking place on college campuses. The Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) were college activists dedicated t...

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... war gave rise to the anti-war movement. The anti-war movement was fuelled by fellow musicians because they created songs conveying their feelings of the war. Their songs were so influential because it gave different views and opinions on the war. It raised important questions, like if the Vietnam war was necessary or if the US government was making the right choices in their battle plan. Ray Pratt states that “(...) music promotes establishment of sustaining relations of community and subculture (...)" (Pratt 14). This was shown when anti-war music stirred a variety of emotions from the citizens and the music gave people a cause for action against the Vietnam war. The effectiveness of the movement wasn't necessarily the music but the messages within the music. It was a form of communication and a uniting factor for the Americans that felt helpless during the war.