Assess US involvement in
Vietnam from the 1950s through the 1970s. Consider: Containment policy, Diem's assassination, the Gulf of Tonkin
Resolution, Tet Offensive, the policy of gradual escalation, the bombing campaign, Vietnamization, and the role of Presidents Eisenhower through Nixon. These topics are jumping off points, there is MUCH more to consider.
In what ways did the Vietnam
War heighten social, political, and economic tensions in the United States?
Remember to READ all the posts before posting your own... you will not get credit for restating something that someone else has posted. You must also respond to a posting from a classmate. Time to post to this topic will expire at midnight on Jan. 31.
Remember to READ all the posts before posting your own... you will not get credit for restating something that someone else has posted. You must also respond to a posting from a classmate. Time to post to this topic will expire at midnight on Jan. 31.
The Vietnam War heightened economic tensions in the United States due to the war manufacturers (jet plane producers, missiles, bombs, etc.) , who were doing well, receiving bad press for doing as well as they were. The press interviewed soldiers who were against the war, and they stated how they were instructed to be viciously unbiased in their views. These companies soon experienced anti-war protesters on their properties.
ReplyDeleteThe Vietnam War heightened political tensions in the United states due mainly to the military draft. Politicians sons were often not drafted, which enraged anti-war protestors and just everyday people who were losing sons daily to the draft. Then, when the sons of the politicians began to be placed into the war, the politicians immediately recanted their pro-war views and began speaking out for the end of the war.
The social tensions that came from the war were directly from the two issues I stated above. 1. The Anti-War/ Pro-War beliefs which divided the nation, and 2. The unfairness of the draft.
There was a government agency called the Selective Service that took the name of all males between the age of 18 to 26. When their names were drawn they were to report to their local draft board for evaluation in which many were filled with community members that had political ties. They could decide whether or not a deferment, a delay of military service, was to be given to them.
DeleteThe Vietnam War heightened social tensions in the United States as the war came to a close in April, 1975 and thousands of troops flooded back into the United States. The troops had faced unspeakable horror, watching their fellow troops be blown up by hidden landmines, whole villages burn, and skin melt from chemical warfare like Agent Orange. These horrors left many troops with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and drug addictions.This illness caused many social tensions, along with the development of a small population of anti-war protestors who promoted peace and love known as 'hippies'. The divide between hippies, who used drugs and were known for their promotion of love, not war, and the 'Silent Majority' of the American middle class also heightened social tensions.
ReplyDeletePolitical tensions were raised by Congress's passing of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which handed massive amounts of power to the president, who was Lyndon B. Johnson at the time of the issuance in 1964. The resolution was known as 'Grandma's Night-Shirt' because it covered everything Johnson would need to "win" the war in Vietnam and stop the spread of communism. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution led to tensions in Congress as in became clear that a huge shift of power had taken place, giving the president new powers. Political tensions also rose as drafts were instituted and thousands of people were called into action.
Economic tensions after the Vietnam War were heightened by the burden of returning soldiers. Millions returned, now with no employment, placing great strain on the economy which was focused on war manufacturing. The economic tension was only relieved by the creation of G.I. Bill (or the Servicemen's Readjustment Act) of 1944, which provided loans for entrepreneurs and money for veterans to go to college. However, without the creation of the G.I. Bill, the pressure almost 9 million returning veterans would have put on the economy would have been too great, and the US would have spiraled into a depression.
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution also expanded social tensions. When it was issued, Johnson used the powers given to him to expand the war - adding 200,000 troops by year's end. Anti-war sentiments spread, and in the same year (1965) 22,000 Americans demonstrated in Washington, D.C. in an effort to end U.S. involvement in the war.
DeleteOne way in which the Vietnam War heightened social tensions in the United States occurred in 1968. When the Vietnamese New Year struck, so did the North Vietnamese in what came to be know as the Tet Offensive. Prior to this attack, Americans had been told that they were winning the war, but afterwards, disillusionment spread, and with it, increased social unrest.
ReplyDeletePolitically, the Vietnam War sent ripples throughout American politics. This is evidenced both by Johnson's decision not to run for re-election, which was the result of the Tet Offensive, and the 1973 passage of the War Powers Act by Congress, which limited a president's power to go to war.
Economic tensions, at least in part, resulted from war expenditures. Like all wars, the Vietnam War cost money, totaling some $200 billion by the war's end. Thus, the nation's debt was vastly expanded, undoubtedly by the borrowing of money from foreign nations.
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DeleteThis disillusionment from the Vietnam war was also evident in the army, which seemed to the public very telling: if the soldiers did not believe in the cause for which they were fighting, why should anyone? This anti-war sentiment was embodied by 'the Fort Hood three'. The Fort Hood Three were three soldiers of the US Army –David Samas, and Dennis Mora, and James Johnson – who refused to be deployed to Vietnam in 1966. They were stationed together at Fort Hood, Texas. When they found out they were to be sent to Vietnam, they prepared a statement which they had originally intended to deliver during a press conference they would hold together in New York, but had to be delivered by Mora when Johnson and Samas were arrested for draft dodging, like many other would-be soldiers were during the Vietnam war.
DeleteGeneral MacArthur, famous for his actions and disobedience during the Korean War, said of the growing disillusionment '“Our government has kept us in a perpetual state of fear—kept us in a continuous stampede of patriotic fervor—with the cry of grave national emergency. Always there has been some terrible evil at home or some monstrous foreign power that was going to gobble us up if we did not blindly rally behind it by furnishing the exorbitant funds demanded. Yet, in retrospect, these disasters seem never to have happened, seem never to have been quite real." This was the feeling of many during the Vietnam War.
After the Tet Offensive a majority of middle-class American citizens known as the "Silent Majority" were against the war and Lyndon B. Johnson. They turned to a new candidate, President Nixon, in the 1968 election to hopefully end the war many did not support. To end the US involvement in Vietnam Nixon employed Vietnamization, which worked to decrease the number of US troops and mobilize the South Vietnam army.
DeletePolitical effects, of Vietnam War, was tarnishing America’s image to foreign powers. World opinion grew hostile since a mighty superpower devastating an underdeveloped country was indecent. Many nations expelled American Peace Corps volunteers, along with Charles de Gaulle withdrawing France from NATO in 1966, along with ordering all American troops out of the country. This all came forth early in the war due to America’s involvement.
ReplyDeleteSocial issues created by American involvement in the Vietnam War were that of antiwar beliefs. Beginning early on in 1965 with small scale campus “teach-ins”, these demonstrations grew to enormous proportions. As the draft tightened, thousands of draft registrants fled to Canada, seeking to avoid fighting in a war they did not have a stake in.
Economically the war forced America a huge sum of money ($118 billion to be exact). Much of this went to aircraft, tanks, and other munitions, some of which were left behind for South Vietnamese forces in 1973 when the US withdrew from Vietnam.
Also the U.S. was "lost face" w/ foreigners when America lost the war. America had also lost self-esteem, confidence in its military powers, and lost lots of its economic lead that had made it possible for its global leadership. American power had evidently declined.
DeleteMrs. Ariemma I cannot get the reply button to work to I will type it here. For Sarah D's post: One of the most famous anti-war demonstrations around this time was the one at Kent State University in Ohio. It was similar to protests nationwide, albeit jittery National Guard members fired into the crowd, killing four and wounding many others.
ReplyDeleteThe Vietnam War served to heighten social tensions in the United States by not only creating controversy over the war's continued existence, but also through creating more fear of the expanding influence of Communism. During the 1950s and 60s, the US was readying for any attack by communist powers, and another war to stop their spread only increased these tensions. The Vietnam War, justified by Kennan's Containment and the US Domino Theory regarding communism, showed to the general public just how much of a threat the government considered Communism to be- it would involve itself in a war halfway around the world to stop its spread. Coming just after the height of the Second Red Scare and Joseph McCarthy’s fear-mongering tactics, rather than reassuring the public that the US would prevail it just alarmed them more. Schools had frequent ‘Duck and Cover Drills’ in the event of an air raid by Communist forces, and some even distributed dog tags like those given to soldiers during WWI. Bomb shelters and Air Raid shelters were erected across the continent, just in case. If the US had denied involvement in the Vietnam war, the anti-Communist hysteria would have been less extreme, because it would not have seemed like such a threat.
ReplyDeleteThe the Vietnam War heightened political tensions the longer it dragged on. The Domino Theory during this time persuaded the U.S. To finally take action. The idea was that if communists were allowed to take over the country then all of the neighboring countries would follow. This scared the U.S. Because they would loses the influence in internal affairs. On August 2nd 1964 the U.S.S. Maddox was attacked by Vietnam patrol boats. After this incident President Lyndon B. Johnson was given The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution which gave him the right to take necessary measures to repel any attack against the forces of the United States. Even though the Maddox was not harmed it gave American leaders motivation to take action.
ReplyDeleteEconomically it heightened financial aid. President Johnson wanted the Great Society and in 1964 he signed into law the Economic Opportunity Act that gave almost one billion dollars to fight poverty. Elementary and Secondary Education Act was the first program of federal aid to education, but because of the inflation in 1971 it could not help anyone. The massive funding that was supporting the Great Society and the Vietnam War had fueled this inflation. To get rid if this President Nixon froze wages, prices and rent for 90 days and after sent limits for their increase.
Socially it heightened the morale value for many. Stories like the My Lai massacre created anti war sentiments. American units had grown frustrated when they could not pin down any enemy and began killing innocent women and children. This became a huge problem when it was told that the government had tried to hide it for 20 months. In 1966 Stokley Carmichael called for blacks to assert their power in order to be free from white oppression. A group known as the Black Panthers had the ideas if denouncing political parties and wanted to change the system.
The Vietnam War heightened social, political, and economic tensions in the U.S. by the formation of antiwar movements protesting america's policy in Vietnam, americans had to be evacuated and 140,000 south vietnamese rescued, the U.S. "helped" the southern vietnamese by sending weapons and amo. and machinery which was an estimated $118 billion w/ 56,000 dead and 300,000 wounded american soldiers. America did not "loose" the war in Vietnam but the Southern Vietnamese did. The U.S. provided for the Southern Vietnamese but w/drew it's troops in 1975 and the last of them by helicopter on April 29, 1975. These Vietnamese who were rescued and brought over to America were put through rigorous learning boot camps to learn english and theAmerican ways and were later despersed to Iowa, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New York, Washington, and California.
ReplyDeleteUnited States involvement in the Vietnam War was mainly because America felt the need to contain communism which meant they would whatever it took to stop the spread of it. The US became involved in 1961 (Kennedy 's presidency), but increased the amount of troops tremendously in 1964 after the Gulf of Tonkin accident when the US accused North Vietnam of going after US ships. Congress then issued a blank check in order to pay for the war's escalation. In 1967, half a million troops were in South Vietnam. When Nixon took over presidency, the US involvement further increased until the Paris Peace Accords were signed in 1973. The US withdrew their troops shortly after.
ReplyDeleteThis post is from Sam, not from me...He has experienced some technical difficulty in posting.
DeleteThe Tet Offensive heightened Social, Political, and economic tensions because up until this point the U.S. was considered the dominating force and was seeing in site a quick victory. However, when the Viet Cong army decided to attack during the 2 day cease fire, that being during the Tet new year or year of the monkey, by attacking over 100 villages, effectively broke the American moral and opened their eyes to the realization that this war was going to be a very expensive, and unpopular war to come. The Viet Cong achieved this because of the magnitude level of attack they did by using over 60,000 troops on one day in the largest scale surprise attack of the war. This attack was heralded as a sucker punch to the American gut and made them furious with the american politicians and truly drained the social moral. Where as, economically this attack cost millions of dollars to the U.S. and the lasting implications of it would be priceless, not just economically but in all aspects it was trulya devastating surprise attack and turning point in the war. So, the Tet offensive truly did heighten social, political, and economic tensions in the U.S.
During the Vietnam War, President Richard Nixon came up with the policy of Vietnamization. This policy stated the the US wasn't involved in the war itself, but the US troops were to train the South Vietnamese to be as good as their troops. With this in mind, the US began extracting its troops little by little until the Air Force was left there. This effected the United States socially by returning the soldiers to their homes and when they returned, most of them were looked down upon because of their efforts in the war. Politically, this almost made Nixon look good. But his withdraw from the war didn't make him look any better. But economically, many of the soldiers coming back didn't have jobs. So there were a lot of jobless people running around.
ReplyDeleteIn what ways did the Vietnam War heighten social, political, and economic tensions in the United States?
ReplyDeleteThe American people were very wary about the government’s intentions of sending more and more young Americans to Vietnam as tensions grew dramatically. When Lyndon B. Johnson took office in 1963 in place of John F. Kennedy, he instantly put more troops into Vietnam with the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution of 1964 and “by the end of 1965, 184,000 Americans were in the field; a year later, 385,000; after another year, 485,000”. People were appalled by the amount of young Americans put into the war effort and spoke out against it.
In the US, economic tensions were up due to the war producing manufactures Jet Aircraft production, missile production, Riverine Boat production, Tank & Armored Personnel Carrier Production, Ammunition, Artillery Shell, Bombs, Hand Grenades, etc, were inherently doing well, but receiving bad press in television, newspapers, magazines. The production of these goods created more jobs for the public.
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