Peace Movement and End of Vietnam War - Essay Example

Did The Peace Movement Really Help End The Vietnam War The civil rights campaigns in the United s during the 1960's are among the most divisive phenomena or events that hit the super-power nation. The decade was characterized by numerous protests and civil movements that aimed to convince then President Lyndon B. Johnson to retract the United States' position in the Vietnam War. The so-called "Peace Movement" spurred great controversies in Mr. Johnson's presidency, and historians all agree to assertions that he is continually being judged by history. To date, Mr. Johnson is among the most unpopular United States president of all times. Diplomacy in a democratic country is believed to be a key driver for peace initiatives and unity. Following such notion, it would be rightful to assert that indeed, the Peace Movement truly helped end the Vietnam War. How the Peace Movement Helped End Vietnam War The Vietnam War is also known in history books as the Vietnam Conflict or the Second Indochina War that started in the later part of the 1950s. It was a war fought between the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, which is North Vietnam and the Republic of Vietnam, which is South Vietnam1. Truly, Vietnam War was nothing more but an internal conflict between power strugglers in a nation, which just won its independence from its colonizers ( in its case France). Other nations got involved when North Vietnam had the support of socialist country of Soviet Union and the communist China. The involvement of communist and socialist nations in the war prompted the involvement of the pro-democratic Western nations. Thus, the United States got involved in the war that should have been fought in the local front. The war officially started in 1957. By 1959, US troops were being sent, along with other military troops from other Western nations, which became allies of South Vietnam5. President Dwight D Eisenhower was then the US president when the country decided to show off its power against the non-democratic forces. Vietnam War was seen by analysts and historians as a perfect venue where the United States could show to the world how democracy could rule the world and how it could easily defeat the hard and authoritative ways of the socialists and the communists1. The US' involvement in the Vietnam War was also the main focus of the government of the popular and assassinated president of the United States, John F. Kennedy. Initially, Mr Kennedy's intention was only to provide Vietnamese troops assistance through trainings. He also wanted to battle out the threat of communism and socialism to countries especially in the east. Mr. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963. But the involvement of the United States to the Vietnam War went on until the entire duration of President Lyndon B. Johnson's term, which ran from 1963 to 1969. It was during this period that numerous protests and activist movements were staged throughout the country. The citizens of the United States then created a model that would eventually become the framework of other anti-war and peaceful protests not just in the country but also in the whole world2. The so-called Peace Movement in the United States was a clear and loud opposition to the government's firm stand to support South Vietnam on its fight to win and rule over the whole Vietnam. The Peace Movement was a series of protest rallies, demonstrations and mass assemblies that, for the first time in world history, involved Americans from all walks of life. The anti-war movement actually consisted of college students, middle-class citizens, labor unions and government institutions. The Peace Movement gained its prominence in 1965, then peaked and became mostly hyped and controversial in 1968. Encompassing political, racial, and cultural spheres, the anti-war Peace Movement exposed a deep schism within the American society during that time1. It was noted, moreover, that the Peace Movement also made way for several opposing groups to take a consensus for once and agree on one stand, that is to convince the government to withdraw its support and troops from the Vietnam War. Human rights advocates and activists also argued that the United States' stand on the war was a clear and apparent violation of human rights. The group of people claimed that the US government not only violated the rights of the Vietnamese civilians, who were involved and unintentionally affected, injured or killed by the physical battles in the country, but also to male US citizens, especially the young adults, who were forcefully sent to Vietnam as part of their commitment to the country as reserve corps or military personnel. In one instance, which provided a little comic relief or light break from the intense issue, Muhammad Ali, the well-known and famous boxer, was sued for his refusal to be enlisted in the military troops that were sent to the war. Mr. Ali, ironically was a champion boxer. Mr. Ali just defended his belief that the Vietnam War was not worth fighting for. For that, he was sentenced a jail term, but he certainly won the hearts, once again, of the supporters of the Peace Movement. Fortunately for Mr. Ali, he was able to overturn the court decision through an appeal. Practically, and logically, the Peace Movement was the silent but potent factor that helped end the Vietnam War in 1973. Through, the war still was prolonged and run through several years, many believe that without the imminent opposition of the Peace Movement, the United States' involvement in the war, and the Vietnam War as a whole, could have lasted more years further, killing more lives, both of innocent civilians and the military troops1. However, there are some people who remain skeptical about the impact of the Peace Movement on the government's stand on the Vietnam War. Clearly, it took some time before the government, who went under four presidents in the entire duration of the war, finally decided to pull out American troops from Vietnam. When the US troops decided to pull out from the war in 1973, it was considered a major victory. Modern history has it that the Vietnam War had its natural death. The US might have been awakened form the reality that the number of American casualties in the Vietnam War was significantly escalating. Moreover, the Vietnam War was long-fought and the forces that drove it, the Western allies and even the opposing communist and socialist supporters of North Vietnam, have fostered a feeling or conception that the Vietnam War itself could never be won2. Up until the American military pull out in 1973, the number of opponents or critics of the government's involvement in the Vietnam War , or those participating in the Peace Movement, was continually and constantly growing. Until now, the debate on whether the Peace Movement really helped bring the Vietnam War to its end still exists. To further illustrate how the Peace Movement accelerated the looming calls and government initiative to finally pull out its troops in Vietnam, it would be just appropriate to look back and analyze the events that transpired before the US backed out of the Vietnam War in 19733. By doing so, it would be clear to opponents and critics of the Peace Movement how the campaign apparently and clearly led to the long-awaited and long-due conclusion of one of the most prolonged and well-fought war of all time. Between the summer of 1965 and the fall of 1966, the United States' military initiative and support in the Vietnam War was further spurred by then President Johnson's decisions, which are rather viewed by political analysts and historians as impulsive, harsh and desperate. During that time, the number of air assaults launched against North Vietnam increased again to 79,000 in 1966 from 25,000 in 1965. Just imagine how massive and destructive the assaults could have been1. By 1967, the United States' military force was practically starting to break apart. It was considered the worst year for the government of President Johnson. Not only that, the year was also considered the most turbulent and tumultuous year in all of the United States' rich history, and it all fired up because the Peace Movement never faltered, nor did it soften its fight to help bring the Vietnam War into its end2. The United States clearing its military of the assault and war operations in Vietnam would literally translate to the long-awaited termination of the war, which at the time had been lasting for more than a decade already. Apparently, the United States was fighting two wars at the same time, and it was really hard fighting in these wars. The first war was the war it was not really directly involved in, in the first place---it was the Vietnam War. The second war, the government later conceded, was the heavier one. It was the war fought in the home front. It was a war at home in the streets and the campuses. The year 1967 witnessed more urban riots, the most deadly of which took place in Detroit. It was the year of the hippies, the drugs, and a wholesale assault on morality and domestic and national values. The power of media was clearly demonstrated. The events were magnified by the media and soon, the government was the most hated institution in the country, spurring protest rallies left and right that sometimes turned out violent and ending in bloodsheds1. Indeed, there were casualties in Vietnam. Inevitably, there were also casualties back at home. The matters became worse and worse as the government remained firm on its stance to support the war in Vietnam. The hard-hitting punch of all these events was felt by Mr. Johnson's presidency, which was already being crippled and paralyzed, along with the leadership that was supposed to unify and lead the whole nation. During the time, the number of demonstrations and the number of Peace Movement supporters and participants was starting to build up, slowly, but in a constant and controlled pace, which was found very alarming and threatening by the Johnson government. If President Johnson did not view the Peace Movement as a threat or as an increasing call against the United States' participation in the Vietnam War, why did he imposed a ban on picketing around the White House For obviously security reasons, yes, the mob could become unruly and could be carried out by sentiments as soldiers and civilians alike were killed in Vietnam. Analysts think otherwise. The alarmingly rising number of critics in the media and in the streets affected the government, the economy and the well-tarnished image President Johnson liked to maintain in the world map. The government then tried to prevent and stop picketing around White House by filing legal and illegal harassment suits against the protesters. The practice of filing for rally permits was started then. President Johnson was bombarded by protest rallies, that reportedly, he had sleepless nights. That was because the Peace Movement and its cause became the focus of every issue hounding the country by that time1. The Vietnam War and the Peace Movement was everywhere, practically. From the television news, to radio broadcasts to newspaper headlines, the story seemed unending. The call was really starting to get heard because everyone in the US was having opinions on it, and surveys during that time revealed that the majority of sentiments were against the government initiative. Theorists and social scientists assert that the staunchest and most effective measure to mobilize the government and authorities into action would be to stage protests. Truly, the 'voice of the people is the voice of God.' When people speak, the government should listen. Practically governments are instituted by people, to serve people and protect people's interests. In the case of the United States' participation and involvement in the Vietnam War, critics were questioning what the real agenda and goal of the government was for using capital and people's tax to buying weapons, supporting manpower and other expenses for the war that would not significantly benefit the nation. It could be a showcase of political and military prowess between the Western alliance and the socialist and communist sides. But, was the war worth it There were soldiers and civilians killed in Vietnam. Surprisingly, there were also a number of civilians, mostly protesters and concerned citizens, who shed their blood for the cause of preventing further bloodsheds of people and yet unborn people in the war-torn and fresh new nation of Vietnam. The government finally started taking notice of the rising number of Peace Movement volunteers when President Johnson's term was ending in 1968. Sources claim that Mr. Johnson initially aimed at seeking a reelection, but he drew back, because he knew how majority of the people would like to crucify him instead1. Reelections and election terms are, indeed, one venue where people can take revenge on scrupulous and hardheaded leaders who do not care to heed on people's calls for action. The Peace Movement played a major role in electing a new president after Mr. Johnson. In 1968, at the height of the anti-war movement and during the end of his presidency, Richard Nixon was elected the next president of the United States. He was an ardent supporter of the Peace Movement, no wonder2. Not known to many, President Nixon assumed the office with the ultimate goal of taking heed at the Peace Movement's call to abruptly end the Vietnam War. But the process was tedious and it took some time before the plans were executed. Mr. Nixon was instrumental in helping end the war, but alas, he was forced to resign from office in 1974 due to another scandal that could be another subject for another issue in American history3. Conclusion The Peace Movement was clearly instrumental in bringing an end to the bloody and prolonged Vietnam War in the 1960s to the early part of the 1970s. The movement was a trendsetter, a social model that became the framework for numerous and succeeding social movements that convinced governments to take actions. "The voice of the people is the voice of God," they say. Indeed, it is true. The Peace Movement may have failed to abruptly and directly end the United States' participation in the war that never really directly involved it. The process and the road that the Peace Movement had to take to realize its goals may have had rough, hard, challenging and prolonged, but the consequences have been striking. The Peace Movement has served its purpose, for sure. Amazingly, the movement still never fails to move and inspire people who call for peace, the kind that requires no bloodshed or violence. Read More