Media- The Vietnam war was one of the most publicized wars in history. Many photographers went to Vietnam to capture the true nature of war. Authors such as C. Douglas Elliot were famous with there combat photography. This gave the people at home a true perspective of what these young men went through.
Values/ Beliefs- The Vietnam war started from many roots and causes. Symptoms from the cold war is what really caused the uneasiness in Vietnam to occur. American thought that communism would soon spread throughout South East Asia. After WW11 when the Japanese people left Vietnam Ho Chi Minh started his own government. But in 1946, French wanted to reclaim the northern side of Vietnam, this led to a war between Viet Minh and the French. Viet Minh started to receive help from China and France got hep from us, thus leading to the classic cold war.
Tactics- The warfare tactics used by America and Vietnam were very different. The Vietcong used Guerrilla Warfare to give them an edge. However the training regimen for the Vietcong's were far less intensive than America military training. To make up for the loss in training Vietcong made many tunnels to move through the jungle efficiently. They were also masters of bobby traps and rocket propelled grenades.
Home front/ Protests- Back in America protest began to erupt about leaving Vietnam. One of the most famous boxers of all time Muhammad Ali protested against the draft. Anti war protest took place mostly on college campuses due to the SDS organizing teach ins. Teach ins is were people would talk about their opposition towards the war. Around 40,000 young men were called into service each month. With all these men gone many women had to step up and keep the economy steady.
Propaganda- One of the most popular uses of propaganda was through posters. The posters were not just meant to unify people but to show people the awful nature of war. These posters were often used in tandem with protests. Propaganda was common use in both Vietnam and America. These would rally the people and cause them to join into service.
Economics- In America the economic backlash was quite great. It is estimated that America spent around $168 billion into the war. That's just the cost , not including the loss of life that the Vietnam war contributed to. Also many of the women in the economy had to step up as well. The Vietnam war veteran have the lowest unemployment rate out of all the other groups of veterans.
Government/ Foreign policy- After the war the government created a volunteer only army without the draft. The war powers resolution was also passed. This meant that the president can only send so many troops without congressional approval. The war also caused America to more cautiously intrude into other countries problems. This war gave all of our policies a chin check.
The Draft- This was a huge part of the Vietnam war and how we would handle wars in the future. The draft age is 18 between 25 for only males. On average a third of all the troops that fought in the Vietnam war were drafted into service. The average age of an American troop during the war was 22 years old. This draft caused major hysteria and protest across America. The draft also lowered the national voting age to 18 years of age.
Reintegration in society- With the one million troops coming back society was unsure on what to do. The suicide and drug problem rates for the Vietnam veterans were far higher than veteran today. The reason being PTSD was still a newer concept with little studies done. Around 15 to 25 percent of the veterans suffered from stress induced trauma. The veterans were trying to fit in a society that has already moved on.
Purpose- The US got involved in the Vietnam war to aid Frances efforts in keeping south Vietnam from being taken over. The northern part of Vietnam was predominantly communist ruled. The Northern side threatened to capture the southern side once in for all. In the end the war was settled with a peace treaty signed by both parties.
Work Cited
- http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Asian-American-vets-can-t-forget-Vietnam-War-3090545.php
- http://www.americanforeignrelations.com/O-W/The-Vietnam-War-and-Its-Impact-American-veterans.html
- http://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/vietnam-war-history
- http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/vietnam-war/the-causes-of-the-vietnam-war/
Credits:
Created with images by manhhai - "Vietnam War 1972 - Photo by Bruno Barbey" • Ronile - "statue of liberty new york ny" • nutbird - "untitled image"