The Vietnam War: The Most Argued War.
The Vietnam War is one the most unique wars that the United States has ever fought in. The war fought was more than 10,000 miles away and never had a true beginning or end. It was very different than America's past wars. Guerilla warfare, mass civilian casualties, and fierce jungle combat were all found in this war. The war had involved the strongest military, the United States, and an untrained militia, the Vietnamese. The Viet Cong were not the only enemies of the war as harsh weather and the substantial amount of thick jungles grew into a frustrating factor. Many questions still remain regarding the involvement of the U.S. in the war. The psychological scarring and the harsh responses to soldiers all helped show the distaste for the U.S. involvement in the war back on the home front. I see the Vietnam War as a political stand for maintaining democracy and foreign involvement, but I do not see the necessity after the effects were revealed. The Vietnam War has its place in history; the purpose and reasoning many will never know.
The Vietnam conflict began in the late 19th century when the French conquered Vietnam. For the next forty years, Vietnam would not see peace. The League for the Independence of Vietnam, the Viet Minh, was formed in 1941 against the French. In 1945, Ho Chi Minh proclaimed Vietnam independent. The French fought back and finally, surrendered. Soon later, there was a conference held in Geneva to divide Vietnam using the 17th parallel. The north was supported with Ho Chi Minh and communism. The United States and France supported the south. The communist rebels that still remained in the south were called the Viet Cong. Ngo Dinh Diem ruled the south and the north wanted to unify the country into one. The U.S. began to aid the south after realizing how Ho Chi Minh wanted to change the country to communism. At this time, the U.S. was not officially involved physically.