World War 1 & 2 - Essay Example

At that time U.S. was working on its larger interest of “containment”. They want to prevent Communism from spreading. Though, United States’ involvement in this war is a extremely controversial subject. Vietnam War was the longest war fought in the history of United States, and had long lasting impact on American society. It was also termed as the first war that was lost by United States. AMERICAN INVOLVEMENT IN THE WAR Communism was viewed as the greatest threat in post WWII era. In December 1949, Chinese communist forces won civil war in China that worried U.S. and its western allies.

Allies felt that all of Southeast Asia now might fall to communism. The United States entered as a savior from the threat of communism in Southeast Asia. President of America feared that Communist powers now would take control of Vietnam. Afterwards, state after state might also fall to Communism. Economic and political system of communism was strongly opposed by U.S. Vietnam was separated in two parts in 1954, after fighting a war of independence against French. When French drew back, Communists took in control of Northern part of Vietnam while Southern part was under non-Communist government. . America started involving itself in this war initially by supporting South Vietnam with only military advisers.

They eventually increased number of advisers nearly about 17,000 initially started from 800, while John F. Kennedy was president of U.S. during the early 1960s. In 1965, after news from U.S. presidency that that United States Navy Ships came under near Vietnam’s coast. By the end of 1965, nearly 80,000 U.S. combatants were in Southern part of Vietnam this number increased to about 543,000 at the height war (1969).The most worried part of this war was when United States conducted 150,000 of air strikes in Northern Vietnam during a single year only.

This number is many times more than bombing done by U.S. during WWII. CONSEQUENCES OF AMERICAN PARTICIPATION At the end of the war American role in Vietnam was over. Communist North captured the South Vietnam. Humiliation caused by this defeat from a nation that was termed as a “fourth-rate power”. It has caused a great loss of self-confidence and pride in the mind and thinking of people who thought United States as unbeatable. It was estimated that about $167 billion were spent on the war.

A high political cost was paid by U.S. after Vietnam War. Public’s faith was weakened by it. The main consequence felt was that, after this war Americans never trusted nor respected public institutes. Americans seemed to stay away from the returning veterans rather to give them welcome parades. In this fight more than 2 million soldiers took part, out of whom 58,000 lost their life during the war, 300,000 were physically sounded and many who suffered psychological scars and the 2,387 were listed as missing.

Unfortunately nothing was done to support veterans and their families who required assistance in