Vietnam War Mistake

The war effort in Vietnam was quite possibly one of the most controversial the United States has ever been involved in. Almost the entire country was divided over their thoughts, with the majority being against this war. The people of the United States weren’t always opposed to involvement in Vietnam, that is until the truth started leaking to the public. Over the course of roughly twenty years somewhere between one and two million Vietnamese lives alone were lost (Overview of the Vietnam War). The Vietnam war has become widely known as an American mistake. Over time the general population began to see the war for what it was: one of the deadliest, most corrupt, and hardest wars to fight that we’ve ever been involved in. Although America

The beginning and end of the war is still disputed over today, but it is widely seen to have started in November of 1955. Prior to this, Vietnam was colonized by the French and under their rule. The trouble in French Indochina began when Vietnam declared their independence and raged war against France. The anti-colonial war lasted from 1945 to 1954 with Americas monetary support (Overview of the Vietnam War). The French received 2.6 billion dollars from the U.S. but eventually lost the battle. The final French defeat was in Dien Bien Phu and was followed shortly by a peace conference that took place in Geneva (Overview of the Vietnam War). The entire French Indochina area had won independence, but North and South Vietnam had only just started a greater war. The two sides remained divided with the North being led by the communist regime. The guerrillas running the North were known as the Viet Cong, whose leader was Ho Chi Minh. South Vietnam was democratic and refused to unify with the North. The United States backed the south fully and even sent thousands upon thousands of

Many people did not think the war effort was worth it, considering Vietnam fell to communism anyways. This war was unexpected in all aspects, but especially to the soldiers who fought against the Viet Cong. This war was unlike any other war we’ve ever fought because it wasn’t fought like any of the others. The communist Viet Cong used tactics such as guerilla warfare, traps, and the soldiers were merely everyday villagers and children. The mental toll it took on soldiers was immense and unforgiveable in the eyes of many. Today, Americans are still rumored to be prisoners of war in Vietnam. The Vietnam era was a time of change and chaos in America, it destroyed millions of lives but it also brought about much needed change and activism amongst the American