1. Summarize the reasons that one individual might have been strongly opposed to the Vietnam War while another person from the same family or circle of friends may have supported the war. Many Americans were strongly opposed to the Vietnam war. These Americans had many reasons to resent the war effort occurring in Vietnam. One reason that many, especially young men, opposed the war effort was because of the draft. Though the draft only accounted for 1/3 the troops sent to Vietnam, it forced many young Americans to go to war, fight, kill, and even die for a cause that they didn’t believe in. Another reason that some Americans opposed the war was that they wanted the United States to leave Vietnam to itself.; they didn’t want the U.S. to act as an international policeman, preventing and solving political conflicts across the globe. Thirdly, many Americans realized the toll that the war was costing America. They believed that the billions …show more content…
Many Americans supported the war, seeing it necessary to stop the spread of communism. In the time of the war, events such as the McCarthyism era and the Red Scare were all too prevalent in American society. Thus, Americans readily rallied to a cause centered upon fighting communists and the spread of communism. On the other hand, one’s brothers, sisters, parents, and even best friends would develop differing views, opposing the war due to its devastating effects. Americans would oppose the war and the American government because of the draft, which forced them to fight in a war that they didn’t believe in. These Americans saw their friends, families, and neighbors return with injuries or in caskets and it would fuel their anger and distain for the war. This is why one individual might have been strongly opposed to the Vietnam War while another person from the same family or circle of friends may have supported the
Australia’s participation in the Vietnam war was not always widely opposed. As Australia’s commitment began to grow, conscription was starting to make up a large percentage of Australian men deployed and killed. Because the public believed they were losing the war, in the early 1970s over 200,000 Australians marched in the streets of Australia’s major city’s to protest Australia’s participation in the war. In this period the United States of America’s Government
The soldiers in the Vietnam war hated their involvement and many questioned why the united states stepped in the first place. According to Robert Peterson, “I guess I’m fighting for the continued freedom and prosperity of America. But then when i think about it, that doesn 't make much sense either….. To stop communism here or they’ll eventually take over America. That’s a bunch of… bullshit!
Another group opposing the war were universities. The students first reaction to the announcement was mixed as some people supported war and some didn’t. At first the students who opposed the war had a cautious approach and mainly protested by sending open letters to newspapers, encouraging the government to negotiate with Viet Cong and North Vietnam. However when conscription was introduced the students really began to come out in force against the war. As the war went on, the wider community also had a lot of opposers, even though majority of the community were supporters at first.
War is the medicine for a bad foreign policy and with the side effects of death and mental illness. The united states joined the Vietnam due to the domino theory. The Unites States was trying to contain communism from spreading. The Vietnam war was one of the wars the United States joined that failed to stop the spread of communism. The Vietnam war brought a lot of deaths of American soldiers.
The war was based on lies and misinformation. The United States government had no right to send young men to fight abroad for a cause that was unclear. The war caused immense suffering, both for the soldiers and the Vietnamese people, and many people believed it was a violation of human rights. Draft dodging was a way to refuse to participate in this unjust war and stand up for what was right. Draft dodgers risked jail time and public backlash
In this part of the project, I chose to take actual field trip to Little Saigon, which is the heart of Vietnamese community in the United States of America. However, before I took I actual trip, I had chosen to look up some official information regarding Vietnamese community and why they moved to the United States so that I have an overview about my topic. After the Vietnam War ended in April 30, 1975, hundred thousands of Southern Vietnamese people fled to America with the hope to find a new, safe place for their settlement. Taking responsibility for being involved in the Vietnam War, American Congress passed different Acts such as the Indochina Refugee Act in 1975, the Refugee Act in 1980, and the Amerasian Homecoming Act in order to aid
As with all legislature, there are always opposing views. The institution of the Northern Draft of 1862 came as a shock to many, due to something of this magnitude never being previously put into action. During the World War I period, the reinstitution of the draft was not as shocking to the American people. It was more justified in 1917 due to such an unprepared peacetime army with low numbers, so it was reasonable for a draft to occur. People were also more willing to accept the draft in this time period due to a shockwave of patriotism travelling through America with the use of strong and blunt anti-German propaganda posters throughout America.
Rough Draft: The Things They Carried The Vietnam War, was a nightmarish place. It caused paranoia, and made some soldiers insane. Death could come at any moment in any place leaving men in constant fear knowing they could be next. Some men feared it so much they would self inflict wounds in hopes of getting discharged, and others would change their viewpoints on the war and change their actions completely.
During World War II, Japan had invaded Vietnam. The Viet Minh was created by Ho Chi Minh in order to combat against Japan and French colonial administration. While Japan pulled back their forces in 1945, the French were still in control of Vietnam. In the 1950s, the United States became involved due to fear that the Vietnamese rebellion would lead to a spread in global Communism. This domino effect theory was the belief that if a country became communist, surrounding countries would follow suit.
Vietnam war occurred many years before I was even born, but I have gained some perspective on the event through history and talking with people who either served in the war or were old enough to remember the war. This is a very controversial and divisive issue, one thing we should all agree on, is no matter how much we disagree with the war or the "justification" of it, we must honor and be proud of our troops that serve and are sent into battle. I honestly don't think we helped our standing the world be engaging in this conflict. At that point I'm not sure communism was really as a significant threat as it was made out to be.
The development against U.S. inclusion in the Vietnam War started small–among peace activists and liberal intelligent people on school campuses–but increased national noticeable quality in 1965, after the United States started bombarding North Vietnam decisively. Hostile to war walks and different challenges, for example, the ones sorted out by Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), pulled in an augmenting base of backing throughout the following three years, topping in mid 1968 after the effective Tet Offensive by North Vietnamese troops demonstrated that war's end was no place in sight. The counter war development started for the most part on school grounds, as individuals from the radical association Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) started sorting out "instruct ins" to express their resistance to the route in which it was being directed. In spite of the fact that by far most of the American populace still bolstered the organization arrangement in Vietnam, a little however frank liberal minority was making its voice heard before the end of 1965.
The American public has deeply mixed feelings about the war. I believe we have all been so wrapped up in the Cold War, in military spending, in anti-Communism, in which, it was perceived that Vietnam was being a threat to our way of life, as being an extension of Soviet imperialism. The governments refusal to understand that it was a nationalist movement that was very difficult to defeat by foreign occupation. I believe now is the time for you to focus more on our domestic issues, starting with poverty, unemployment and tensions with race and civil liberties. If not, many thousands of diversified Americans will continue to protest against these issue that continue adding friction with local police forces around the country who were trying to keep the
The Vietnam War started when French invaded Vietnamese territory and took it as their colony in 1887. Later in 1954, Vietnam was officially split into North(communist) and South(capitalist) Vietnam. The Viet Minh was the communist group who wanted to declare independence from France. The U.S did not want communism to be spread and that was the reason why they joined the war and supported the South. For the United States, a communist Vietnam meant the spread of the Soviet Union influence abroad the Asia’s territory (domino theory).
The Vietnam war was preceded by a very turbulent time in our history with problems here in the states such as racism, women’s rights, and a president being shot. But in Vietnam they were going through a civil war, which they had done before, but not to this extent, this time they got the U.S.S.R. involved. It was communist Russia and North Vietnam against South Vietnam. The U.S. started to get
1. What problems did the United States face in the Vietnam War? As the United States struggled against communism in Vietnam, it would face many problems. In the late 1950’s President Eisenhower and later President Kennedy sent military supplies and advisers to South Vietnam. Despite the American aid the Vietcong grew stronger with support from North Vietnam.