Influence of Vietnam War on American Foreign Policy - Essay Example

INFLUENCE OF VIETNAM WAR ON AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY INFLUENCE OF VIETNAM WAR ON AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY In the year 1954, Southeast Asia initially troubled America, communism gained access to purchase in Vietnam. This made other surrounding nations surrender unwillingly to the communist tyranny. During this period, the United States military intervened, in order to try deal with the threat1. Convincingly, the American claimed that policies such as containment among others were essential to free world security. Under the control and the orders of Kennedy and Johnson, the American military expanded and took over most regions of Vietnam into war. When the Vietnam War turned into a political war, negotiations started between the Vietcong government and the Vietnamese South government2. The engagement of the US military enforced that the Thieu government is, ought to be discovered and declared the genuine government of the South Vietnam. On the other hand, the North Vietnam claimed that the US military should surrender, and the Thieu government should be replaced by the Vietcong government, which led to the slow progress of the negotiations. Consequently, there was a plan for the American military to withdraw from its involvement in the Vietnamese war that was going as per majority’s wish. However, the American refused to pull out due to some reasons, best known to the commander and the advisors3. One of the most critical reasons is that, the withdrawal would have been viewed as American admission to defeat, while the entire world had a different view of the country, as being the superpower. The defeat of the small Vietnam community would have attracted more troubles from the principal enemies of the United States. Another reason lies along the promise made by the American government, to support the Thieu government of the South Vietnam4. This was a moral dilemma to America since the government had to keep its promise to the south government. The government had to do so in order to display a good image to the entire world that only remembered that the government of the America would provide troops to help the South government. In addition to this, it was morally wrong for American to turn against the South Vietnam after so much struggle. They would be wrong morally, to leave the south government’s fate in the hands of the North Vietnamese and the Vietcong government. According to many Americans, leaving the war without a resolution would cause the efforts and the sacrifices made by the dead servicemen of the South Vietnam and the American military to be in vain5. The killed and the wounded in the defense of the South Vietnam government would appear nullified. On the other hand, the feeling of the American people had been clarified in that the death of many people and the suffering of many families was becoming in tolerable6. Evidently, the American community and the people were in full support of the involvement of the American military in the Vietnamese War. The decision and the thoughts of gradually withdrawing from the war gradually ended due to unavoidable reasons. The military provided their support and the other requirements of war to the South Vietnam government. Such conditions include money, training, advisors and weapons among others. The aim and the purpose of the war to the American were to establish an independent government in the South Vietnam. The plan and the entire operation was referred to as the Vietnamization of war. The national security adviser conducted secret negotiations with North Vietnam in the year 1969. The talks did not turn out as expected because of the pride and the confident that was in the North Vietnamese7. The secret talks of Kissinger, the adviser of the National Security ended up in more conflict instead of the resolution that was expected. Evidently, the North Vietnam were already into the war and could not withdraw under any circumstances. In contrary, if the North Vietnamese had accepted to resolve the conflict by accepting to recognize the South Vietnam government, the American government would not have engaged in the war. Some situations that could not be avoided were the reason; the American troops had to get involved in the war between the North and the South Vietnam. In the year 1971 during the war, there was some leakage of documents exposing the government’s real intentions in Vietnam during 1960. The documents known as the Pentagon papers claimed that the government has lied to the people8. The main reason the American government involved in the war was to deny defeat and not to reduce communism in Vietnam9. The Vietnam War is found to have the most impact on the foreign policy of the United States. The American government used the war to improve their value, as well as their status as the most superpower nation. The involvement of the American troops in the Vietnamese war led to cold war. When the World War II ended, both the United States and the Soviet had been fighting over who had more influence on the political, cultural and the ideological control over larger part of the world, ever since the end of the World War II. On the contrary, the two superpower have as well been fighting against any other country that would want to gain control over the world to their level. After the fall of the of the North Vietnam over communism in Asia, the two superpowers US and the Soviet, have been dedicated to stopping any spread of further communism all over the world10. Implementation of the policy would only be possible if there is subsidizing, recruiting and supporting the clients and dependents among others. It is necessary to arrange a coalition among modern states that are powerful and during the times of War. The intervention of the US in the Vietnamese war for the self-interest and not to eliminate communism as they claim. The war is between two communities that are ion the same country. The troops of the US engaging in this war was viewed as the unfair shot to the North Vietnam. After the war, the south got the victory but the US engagement as well gained much control over the world. Many regions in the world could not practice communism due to the involvement of the American government that would only claim that they are reducing communism yet, they are gaining control over the entire region11. As a result of the war, a movement of students group was formed. During the revolution period, the rights of civil movements had thrived. A generation of a large youth movement was established. The students had formed the SDS also known as the student’s democratic society. Many students were involved in the formation of the movement in the universities countrywide. During the war, students started protesting. When the resolution of the Vietnam War was happening, protests were done publicly. Most of the students ran away to Canada and other near countries to run away from the services of the military. More chaos were formed in the country through the protests they were conducting. Evidently, the group was formed to protest against the Vietnam War, and the chaos resulted from the war12. The troops found a situation, different from the one they had skilled for, during the cold war in Vietnam. The reason for this resentment was caused by the power void in France which was stepped by the previous colonial Vietnam power. The intervention made by the United States in the Vietnam War did not impress the USSR. The Leader of the National Security Johnson initially thought that the efforts and the obligation of the US troops that were sent to help the South Vietnam would eradicate communism13. He had and escalation policy that abolished the country together with the campaigns of bombing that were held. The tons of bomb used by the US military to destroy the North Vietnam were seven million more than the ones used during the World War II. In addition to this, all sides of the Vietnam War was staggering on all sides of the human ultimate cost. Many people died as a result of the conflict and war. The suffered include fifty-eight thousand American soldiers, 200, 000 South Vietnam soldiers, 1.1 million of soldiers from the North Vietnam and two million civilians from the entire Vietnam region among others14. In conclusion, the Vietnam War had impacted on the society and the culture of the American community. This incident happened for the first time where the Americans were involved. The press had a vital role in broadcasting the outcomes and the updates of the war. The America role in the entire world expanded. After the war, the Vietnam in the North were defeated, this created a good image to the American in terms of control over the global communities. The America used the period and the War to gain more control over many regions in the world. As the media reported, the American community was viewed by the entire world as a superpower country and had a role in resolving communist issues and other conflict issues. Bibliography 1Foner, Eric. 2014. Voices of freedom: a documentary history. President’s commission on civil right: How to secure these rights: p. 252-360 2Graham, Hugh Davis. The civil rights era: Origins and development of national policy, 1960-1972. Oxford University Press, USA, 1990. 3Welch, David A. Painful choices: a theory of foreign policy change. Princeton University Press, 2005. 4Kissinger, Henry, and Vera Welling’s. American foreign policy. Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind Tertiary Resource Service, 1969. 5Logevall, Fredrik. The origins of the Vietnam War. Routledge, 2014. 6McCormick, Thomas J. Americas Half-Century: United States Foreign Policy in the Cold War and After. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1995. 7Oberdorfer, Don. Tet! The turning point in the Vietnam War. JHU Press, 1971. Read More