Driving Force Throughout The Vietnam War example essay topic

All things in history have a place and time. In fact we are history. Had it not been for the previous events in world history, our existence could have been questionable. What would have happened if Hitler did take over the world? Would we be alive today?

What if the cold war turned hot at some point? All these doubts tend to help an individual realize that everything in world history happens for a specific reason and therefore everything has its own time and place. One significant event in United States history had been the Vietnam War. However, the Vietnam War that I speak of didn'A ≥ t last from the mid 1960'A ≥'s to early 1970'A ≥'s. Rather, the events that had lead up to the proceedings of the situation in Vietnam began on March 12, 1947 with the creation of the Truman Doctrine. Proceeding World War II, the threat of communism had been particularly high.

In fact, the US feared the spread of communism within many undeveloped regions throughout the world. Therefore, within the Truman Doctrine incorporated the policy of containment. The policy guaranteed immediate aid to Greece in Turkey, which had been in danger of falling under communistic influences. Within such, the policy stated they would provide military and economic help to a country that was underdeveloped and being endangered. In reality, the policy was designed to secure countries that would easily fall to a communistic regime. President Truman had established this to create a sense of security not for the US, but the world as a whole.

Truman believed that Russia was out to spread the sphere of influence in the east. In return, the US had been there to prevent such occurrences. Each country battled for its own beliefs. The policy of containment could be argued to be an initial yet distant spark for a happening in Vietnam.

Nonetheless, President Truman left his imposing mark on the world history with his Doctrine and policy. Many still continue to argue that all post 1945 US Foreign Policies were in some way or shape related to the tactics of containment. In 1954, the Presidential tide was turned and the US was fresh out of a 3-year war campaign in Korea. The threat of communism had been rather high. The fear that life in the US might never be the same hit the hearts of many Americans.

No American was prepared to give up their rights that had been fought for so hard in not one, but two devastating World Wars. In fact, no American was prepared to let anything or anyone between him and the American-Lifestyle. The average Joe had wanted to live a carefree life, in which he was protected. After the completion of the Korean War (1950-1953), President Eisenhower was quite concerned with communistic influences throughout the world. In fact, Eisenhower was reasonably apprehensive about communistic rule within Indochina particularly. On April 7, 1954, Eisenhower presented his views and thoughts on communism within Indochina to the people of the United States of America.

What Eisenhower had theorized had been what is known today as the Domino Theory. Eisenhower believed that if one region in Indochina fell under communistic rule, the others would be pressed to do so as well. In turn, this would cause a tumbling effect, which would cause all the countries in Indochina to fall under a communistic regime. This so called Domino Theory would be the driving force throughout the Vietnam War.

Precisely a month after Eisenhower brought forth his views on communistic influences within Indochina, the Vietminh (north Vietnamese communist resistance forces) had taken control of Dien Bien Phu (central base with an airstrip) on May 7, 1954. With Dien Bien Phu at hand, The Vietminh were able to take a controlling force at the Geneva Convention the following day. With Dien Bien Phu at hand, the Vietminh were able to create secure their own country north of the seventeenth parallel. This seventeenth parallel split Vietnam into a north and south region. With communistic influences in the North, the south had pretty much been subjected to rule from the Prime Minister Ngo Dinh Diem. With full support from Eisenhower, Diem went ahead and declared himself the president of Vietnam in 1955.

In addition, he organized the Republic of Vietnam as an independent nation. However, the Vietminh had also agreed to a Vietnam-wide election in 1956. Nevertheless, the Vietnamese leader Diem refused to hold the 1956 Vietnam-wide election. With Eisenhower'A ≥'s Domino theory effect, America had been shook and frightened. Many believed that communism should be avoided at any cost, even if it meant war. However, Eisenhower knew what war was and what war brought.

Eisenhower once said, 'A ^0'A. I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity. ' A With thus in mind, Eisenhower knew what lied ahead if he was to follow through with force. Therefore, he chose to take a less hostile perspective. In addition, Eisenhower finished off his presidency with little instigation.

The same could not be said for John F. Kennedy. On January 21, 1961, John F. Kennedy took office. Immediately, it had been evident that JFK was more of a risk taker than Eisenhower had been. In the following month, the US military began a buildup in Vietnam.

Furthermore, JFK followed up by saying that troops will respond if fired upon. With such hostility, JFK is considered by many to be the starter of the physical conflicts in the region. In fact, many have held him in charge for the Vietnam War in its entirety. JFK believed that Vietnam is where America would take a stand against global communism. He understood that Vietnam was the where the line was drawn. If he had not been stern with foreign policy and his involvement, Khrushchev and the Russians would ride him all the way out of his presidency.

Just as Eisenhower had done, Kennedy had backed up Diem to fullest extent as well. He believed that Diem played an intricate role in the success of the US presence within Vietnam. JFK knew that Khrushchev had overpowered him. However, that had not fazed him. JFK knew that this incident would not be based on leaders. It would heavily rely on counterinsurgency.

In fact, JFK based his whole foreign policy with Vietnam on counterinsurgency. JFK'A ≥'s strong tactics didn'A ≥ t help him though. Events such as the Bay of Pig'A ≥'s in April of 1961 merely embarrassed him in front of the Russians. In addition, after the June 1961 meeting between himself and Khrushchev, JFK felt quite overwhelmed by the Russian leader.

After returning home, JFK went ahead and called up the reserves, increased draft quotas, and ordered a civil defense program. With thus in mind, JFK had a very hot hand on everything. He seemed to be very pro-war after the meeting in Vienna. However, before his assassination, JFK called for an end to the hostility, and foresaw cooperation between Russia and the US. Nevertheless, JFK'A ≥'s life came to an abrupt end on November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas as Lee Harvey Oswald shot and killed JFK. The man to succeed JFK had been Lyndon B. Johnson.

Johnson quickly escalated the inherited war and called for a bear to arms. Johnson called for immediate action and 'A ^0 to take all measures'A to prevent further aggression. ' A With this in mind, LBJ organized an air offensive in 1965 called Rolling Thunder. However, Rolling Thunder proved to be inadequate due mostly in part of the US forces using a search destroy tactic on the ground, which had slowed the entire operation down.

In the end, LBJ was mostly unsuccessful in resolving the conflict within Vietnam. In 1968, LBJ declared he wouldn'A ≥ t run for office again and in addition ended Operation Rolling Thunder. With Richard Nixon now in office, the fate of the US lied within the hands of a politician once again. Nonetheless, Nixon'A ≥'s administration competently handled foreign policy with regards to Vietnam and the Cold War. In 1969, Nixon passed the Nixon Doctrine, in which he stated that US military presence would be reduced within Asia, but the US would not forget its worldwide responsibilities. Nixon and his administration had also been responsible for coming to a successful agreement between USSR about a Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT I).

In addition, on January 23, 1973 a peace agreement had come into effect. Nixon took a heavy hit with the treaty. The US had not been victorious and the causalities soared. In addition, the treaty allowed North Vietnamese presence in the south. Though many presidents took a role in the Vietnam War, few were successful.

In fact, JFK wasn'A ≥ t even given a real chance to show his true glory. The Vietnam War was a continuation of mishaps and misfortunes on both sides. As I live today, I can'A ≥ t help but see many similarities between the Vietnam War and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The same politicians with the same inhumane look on life. They say they want to save it. Well how do you make peace with bombs?