Essay Examples on Vietnam War Essay Example

Essay Examples on Vietnam War Paper 1st Essay Sample on Vietnam War The Vietnam War, the nation’s longest, cost fifty-eight thousand American lives. Only the Civil War and the two world wars were deadlier for Americans. During the decade of direct U.S. military participation in Vietnam beginning in 1964, the U.S Treasury spent over $140 billion on the war, enough money to fund urban renewal projects in every major American city. Despite these enormous costs and their accompanying public and private trauma for the American people, the United States failed, for thefirst time in its history, to achieve its stated war aims. The goal was to preserve a separate, independent, noncommunist government in South Vietnam, but after April 1975, the communist Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) ruled the entire nation. The initial reasons for U.S. involvement in Vietnam seemed logical and compelling to American leaders. Following its success in World War II, the United States faced the future with a sense of moral rectitude and material confidence. From Washington’s perspective, the principal threat to U.S. security and world peace was monolithic, dictatorial communism emanating from he Soviet Union. Any communist anywhere, at home or abroad, was, by definition, and enemy of the United States. Drawing an analogy with the unsuccessful appeasement of fascist dictators before World War II, the Truman administration believed that any sign of communist aggression must be met quickly and forcefully by the United States and its allies. This reactive policy was known as containment. In Vietnam the target of containment was Ho Chi Minh and the Vietminh front he had created in 1941. We will write a custom essay sample on Essay Examples on Vietnam War specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Essay Examples on Vietnam War specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Essay Examples on Vietnam War specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Ho and his chief lieutenants were communists with long-standing connections to the Soviet Union. They were also ardent Vietnamese nationalists who foughtfirst to rid their country of the Japanese and then, after 1945, to prevent France from reestablishing its former colonial mastery over Vietnam and the rest of Indochina. Harry S. 2nd Essay Sample on Vietnam War Vietnam is located in Southeast Asia. It lies south of China. The size of this country, so you understand the space the U.S. was involved in when fighting the Vietnam War, is about the size of California. The history behind the Vietnam War started back when France governed this small country, during the 1890s Vietnam became a colony of France. The French hung onto Vietnam until World War II. At this time World War II occupied much of the forces for the French. The French basically deserted the Vietnamese people leaving them to govern on their own. When the war ended with the Japanese, being defeated in 1945. The French returned to Vietnam ready to control them again but, to their surprise the Vietnamese people refused to let them. As a result of this, tension grew and the Indochina War began in 1946. The French wasted no time in bombing cities. The city hit hardest was Haiphong, killing around six thousand Vietnamese people and civilians. Unprepared for this type of war the Vietnamese soldiers scattered into the jungle becoming guerrilla fighters. Waging guerrilla warfare, small, secret military bands lived and worked in the countryside. The Vietnamese harassed the French with a series of surprise attacks. Before the French could react, the Vietnamese would disappear into the mountains and jungles. This continued and the French poured more and more money and troops into the combat. In 1954, the French were determined to lure the Vietnamese out into the open at Dien Bien Phu. Dien Bien Phu was where the French had established an airstrip, for most of their supplies would arrive by helicopters or planes. This became the last battle in the Indochina War. The Vietnamese were determined and ready for this challenge. When this battle started there were huge casualties on both sides. The Vietnamese took out the airstripfirst, only allowing the French to drop supplies and food to the soldiers.