Vietnam Response

Jacqueline Kolkebeck
World Civ/HIST 102-02
2/27/2013
Vietnam Response
Vietnam War The motives causing the Vietnam War were the same as the motives that caused the Korean War. The Northern half of Vietnam, separated at the 17th parallel, wanted to unify Vietnam as a socialist country. The North was also allied with the Soviet Union. The Southern half of Vietnam was a non-communist. The United States involvement was from sending troops into Vietnam for supervision of the Soviet-Union’s ally. This war was lost by the United States because of the poor judgments made by the press on portraying the war to the people in America causing a lack of support for the war. The Vietnam War was similar to the Korean War in the opposing sides. The United States aided South Vietnam under Ngo Dinh Diem’s rule. North Vietnam, communists under Ho Chi Minh, were attempting to unify Vietnam as a socialist country. North Vietnam was an ally of the Soviet-Union, causing the United States to get involved in the conflict. The war was based on the Domino Theory. This theory states that if one Asian country falls under communist rule, the rest of the Asian countries will follow. The Vietnam War was one of the most gruesome wars that the United States was involved in. In total, there were 58,202 deaths throughout the Vietnam War. The fighting took place within the villages throughout Vietnam. Vietnamese civilians were killed or captured and held hostage. In addition to the war being gruesome, it was televised nationally throughout the United States. Families were able to watch the horrors from the comfort of their own living room. People being able to watch the war allowed Americans to see what it was like for the American soldiers. This was a mistake because it angered Americans to see the deaths, injuries, and tortures that the soldiers suffered as well as watching our soldiers torture the Vietnamese. This began an anti-war movement. Men no longer wanted to enlist in the military resulting in the need of a draft. A war cannot be won if the men fighting in the war have no ambition to be there. The American soldiers, as well as the citizens, lacked the will to fight in Vietnam. This is the main reason for the defeat of the United States. The United States needed to listen to the public and maintain the will of the good of the public rather than focusing on winning the war. The war lasted longer than necessary causing more deaths. The anti-war movement was in full effect when President Nixon decided to send 100,000 more troops. Since people did not agree with that decision, it fueled their anger towards the war. Without the support of the people, the ambition to win the war was gone. The defeat of the United States by the Viet Minh was not due to a poor military, but more so because the support and willpower to win the war was absent from the people in America.