Kennedy institute, free university of berlin german historical institute washington, d. Morse believes that if nuclear weapons had been used, more than the war would have been lost by the americans. Jon mixon, who has studied military actions during war times, feels that the vietnamese war was lost by the americans because south vietnam was a product of frances loss during the indochina war. During the indochina war, the united states aided the french, but if we inspect france and united states relationship during world war ii, president franklin d. The us failures in vietnam was caused by several things including. Soon the country became officially unified as the socialist republic of vietnam. Westmoreland vii introduction no conflict in recent history has divided america as much as the war in vietnam. In essence, we got into the war to prevent the toppling of dominos in southeast asia, and we effectively succeeded, which was, in reality, a strategic victory. The vietnam war was a proxy war, which occurs when one or more opposing powers instigates a war and then uses third parties to fight on their behalf in this case, the.
Americas wars war years main causes concluding treaty major. Explaining americas lost war is an awardwinning historiography of this seminal conflict of the 20 th century. Clearly, the vietnam war was a result of the cold war. Request pdf on jan 1, 2010, martin grossheim and others published vietnam. The year 2015 marks the 50 th anniversary of the americanization of the vietnam war, a subject that has sparked intense and enduring debate. Vietnam was actually winning the war in 1961, but the united states failed to appreciate its success and build on it, thus snatching defeat from the jaws of victory for the revisionists the first of a number of such american lost victories in vietnam. Wishful thinking the vietnam war and its legacy books.
The vietnam war was a conflict, which the united states involved itself in unnecessarily and ultimately lost. America lost the vietnam war for a very simple reason. The united states in vietnam the reports in this novel are prefaced with a quote by robert shaplen, which sums up the feelings of. The cold war was a period of geopolitical tension between the soviet union and the united. This essay argues that european perspectives on the vietnam war were to a large.
Explaining americas lost war printerfriendly version pdf version. They have not been typeset and the text may change before final. Jack jacobs, a medal of honor recipient for conspicuous gallantry during the vietnam war returns to vietnam for the first time in over 40 years and meets his former adversary. Hess describes and evaluates the main arguments of schol. Most works are housed at the british library building at st pancras, london. At the time when the war started what america was doing was really important, and the stakes of how the united states were presenting in the eyes of the world seemed much higher than today. Coast guard squadron one, also known in official message traffic as cogardron one or ronone, was a combat unit formed by the united states coast guard in 1965 for service during the vietnam war.
In april of 1975 south vietnam surrendered to north vietnam. Accepted manuscript manuscripts that have been selected for publication. How america lost vietnam after winning the war against a. America s involvement in the vietnam war began in the late 1950s, when a handful of us military advisors were sent to help the south vietnamese government fight communist insurgents.
The fundamental reason for american involvement in indochina was the demonstration of commitment. The involvement of the united states in the vietnam war has been the most polarizing issue within post war american history. This information was televised in detail, sparking antiwar movements and weakening the morale of americans fighting in vietnam. Explaining americas lost war is the finest effort by any scholar to date to take stock of the voluminous historiography of the war, expose the central points of contention, and weigh the persuasiveness of competing claims in light of available evidence. Schulzinger s work is a welcome addition to general histories of america s involvement in the indochina conflict in the tradition of stanley karnow s vietnam. Even before the cold war fears of nuclear warfare, back in the 1930s and 1940s, a similar debate erupted about. Over the past four decades, legions of historians, analysts and pundits have put forth various reasons to explain why america lost the war in vietnam. Quai d orsay indeed sensed that merging both europe and the french union at the same. Westmorelands inappropriate combat tactics in the crucial years of 196468.
In a longawaited alternative to the lengthy and overly expensive texts on the vietnam war, charles neu presents americas lost war, a balanced, lively narrative account of that tragic conflict, one that sweeps across the whole timespan of the war and explores american, vietnamese, and international perspectives. Clearly examines the historiography of the vietnam war questions whether the vietnam war was lost due to poor strategy and leadership, or was inherently doomed to failure. The us had lost the vietnam war and also taken a major blow in the cold war. The lack of a truly comprehensive encyclopedia on the vietnam war has long been a problem for reference staff in academic, public, and school libraries. Americas different viewpoints on the war through the particular strip. The vietnam war the us suffered its most humiliating military defeat in 1975, when it was driven out of vietnam by the viet cong national liberation front and north vietnamese forces. Comics captured americas growing ambivalence about the vietnam war september 20, 2017 9. In march of 1945, and just five months before surrendering to the allies, japan did something with profound. Over 570 words of original text along with links to six websites that will provide additional information and documentation. This is history on a grand scale, and a book of overwhelming. Apr 29, 2015 by the end of the war in vietnam, the north had lost more than 2 million dead and was too weakened to pose a threat to any but its neighbors laos and cambodia. A wave of new books on the vietnam war, based on fresh archival evidence, is beginning to break. Vietnam war summaryoverview of the conflict history.
A shelfmark prefaced by dsc indicates that the work is held at boston spa, but may be read at st. The united states during the indochina war 979 words 4 pages. Among these is lind s book, which says the liberal cold warriors like lyndon johnson, mcgeorge bundy, and dean rusk were right about vietnam. Their case hangs on the assertion that south vietnam was actually winning the war in 1961, but the united states failed to appreciate its success and build on it, thus snatching defeat from the jaws of victory for the revisionists the first of a number of such american lost victories in vietnam. The problem is, that losing has been so indoctrinated into peoples head because the us didnt have a victory parade down ho chi minh boulevard in hanoi. Environmentalism grew from a greater understanding of the ongoing damage. What ideological differences were there between the united states and the soviet union. Now available in a revised and updated second edition, vietnam.
European perspectives on the war in vietnam german historical. Opposition to united states involvement in the vietnam war. Explaining americas lost war contesting the past 9781118948996. Squadron one, along with american and south vietnamese naval units assigned to the task force that assumed. As such, the book unquestionably deserves the careful attention of. Quai dorsay indeed sensed that merging both europe and the french union at the same.
Indeed the vietnam war was by far the most convulsive and traumatic of america s three wars in asia in the 50 years since pearl harbor. The vietnam war occurred in presentday vietnam, southeast asia. Why i am opposed to the war in vietnam april 30, 1967, riverside church, new york the time has come for america to hear the truth about this tragic war. The counterculture of the 1960s was an antiestablishment cultural phenomenon that. The shelfmark for all works is given in parentheses at the end of each citation. It was divisive at the time, both domestically and internationally, and debates continue to the present day. Great britain assumes responsibility for huge amount of territory. Hess describes and evaluates the main arguments of. Hess find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate.
Ron ridenhour letter to the us congress exposing my lai march 1969. Halfway around the world, another cold war conflict was. Oct 08, 2019 militarily, we lost the war of 1812, but, due to war weariness caused by napoleon, the british graciously gave us a peace and restored things as they were antebellum. Nearly half a century after the conflict in southeast asia ended, american writers are still fighting the vietnam war. A total of 58,000 americans were killed in the war, with 2,500 still unaccounted for. Finally, we will attempt to answer why the vietnam war has haunted america for over four decades, and how this war has affected certain foreign policy decision during this time. Questions remain regarding the johnson administrations policy of gradual response, the effectiveness of the search and destroy strateg y, and the americanization of the war. Our understanding of the process of decolonization has recently ben. The vietnam war historical analysis as world war i came to a close, a young vietnamese patriot named nguyen that thanh arrived in paris to speak with the powerful men negotiating the terms for peace. Other critiques of the consensus policy came from antivietnam war activists, the.
A few months later in march the final us troops were removed from vietnam. The communist party of the soviet union itself lost control in the soviet union and was. Capitalism, yet the conduct of the vietnam war was complex and strategic, and brought repercussions which had never been seen. Clearly examines the historiography of the vietnam war questions whether the vietnam war was lost due to poor strategy and leadership, or was. A viet cong member reflects on the movements approach to war 1985 robert mcnamara reflects on americas failures in vietnam 1995 a journalist reports on the fragging of american officers and ncos january 1972 the my lai massacre. Hess describes and evaluates the main arguments of scholars, participants, and journalists, both revisionist and orthodox in their approach, as they try to answer fundamental questions of the vietnam war. Instead, say the revisionists, the united states chose to interfere in. To be sure, britain never lost its skepticism toward american policy.
Comics captured americas growing ambivalence about the. Roosevelt did not approve of colonization, and wanted france to halt in suppressing vietnam. A major failure was the loss of 58,000 troops were killed. It represented a successful attempt on the part of the democratic republic of vietnam north vietnam, drv and the national front for the liberation of vietnam viet cong to unite and impose a communist system over the entire nation. In support of the landmark documentary series, the vietnam war, by film makers ken burns and lynn novick, bank of america employees have been sharing their own vietnam war stories from soldiers in the battlefield to a baby fleeing the country. America, the vietnam war, and the world comparative and international perspectives edited by andreas w.
1383 909 1548 639 478 1028 795 657 1435 931 304 1264 53 146 518 1261 124 1155 1476 1430 862 865 719 1614 294 1530 940 230 542 444 1106 952 334 75 955 1054 387