Vietnam War In An Effort example essay topic

The beginning of the century is characteristic for the massive migration - the number of European immigrants reached 13.000. 000 between 1900-1914. When Cuba revolted against Spain in 1895, American sympathies and interests led to war with Spain (1898). Victory brought the U.S. its first overseas territories (the Philippines, Puerto Rico). However, the U.S. had to pay for their great-power status.

Eventhough President Woodrow Wilson promised neutrality in World War 1., the U.S. was unable to remain outside the struggle. Its entry into the war in 1917 was decisive in bringing about an Allied victory and started American involvement in the Europe balance of power. The prosperity of the decade that followed World War I. came to a sudden end in 1929 when the stock market crashed and the Great Depression began in the era of President Franklin Roosevelt. His First Hundred Days and The Second Hundred Days legislation greatly helped the country's economy, but a full economic miracle was still not achieved until war production became massive on the eve of the World War II. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour brought the United Sates into World War II. on the side of Britain and the Soviet Union against the fascist nations of Germany, Japan, and Italy. In 1942 American and British ships landed in Algeria, the army was under the command of General Eisenhower who later became the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe.

The Allied victory in 1945 left the U.S. the leader of the western world. The 40-year-long rivalry with the Soviet Union became known as the Cold War. In 1947 Secretary of State George Marshall proposed an aid program to help rebuild the destroyed continent of Europe, the Marshall Plan. But the Soviets and their block rejected the offer. In 1949 the United States formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in an effort to counter the Soviet military presence in eastern Europe, and a Soviet-inspired attack on South Korea involved the U.S. in the Korean War (1950-53), which ended in stalemate.

The U.S. subsequently became involved in the Vietnam War (1955-75) in an effort to prevent communist North Vietnam from taking over South Vietnam. The prolonged and unsuccessful American war effort ended in the withdrawal of the U.S. from the conflict in 1973 and the fall of South Vietnam to the communists two years later. At home the 1960's experienced a succesful protest movement by American blacks lead by Martin Luther King to outlaw racial segregation and to obtain full voting rights in the South and other parts of the country. The Cold War ended with the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, leaving the United States the undisputed superpower on the world. The most serious challenges late in the 20th century were economic ones, however. Beginning in the 1970's, economic growth slowed and living standards stagnated as the American economy was forced to cope with increased foreign competition and the effects of massive budget deficits and a huge national debt.

The 1980's were characterized by the presidency of Ronald Regan. Among the most important problems in the 1990's was the fight against drugs, pollution, AIDS and terrorism. Undoubtedly the same problems will continue in the 21st century. Increasing violent protests against globalisation are also expected (the protesters believe that big enterprises, helped by international banks, destroy small competitors, exploit underdeveloped countries and devastate the enviroment). In 1991 the US at the head of a coalition of 28 states, including Czechoslovakia, defeated the Iraq army and liberated Kuwait in the Gulf War. After 1989, new political developments in CZ have led to closer political and economic relations between our countries.

In 1990 President Bush visited CZ as the first American president. Bill Clinton's presidency was troubled by some personal scandals. In spite of this, Democrat Clinton was very popular in his country. After Clinton, the Republican candidate Gero ge Bush Jr was elected in 2000 by very narrow margin. On September 11, 2001 the US and the whole world were's chocked by the air attacks against the World Trade Center in NYC and against Pentagon (the US Department of Defense) in Washington D.C. American retaliation led to a war on terrorism in Afghanistan and other countries.