History vietnam war - Essay Example

Order 537100 Topic: History Vietnam War The Vietnam War began somewhere in the year 1959 and ended on April 30, 1975. It is also known as the waragainst the Americans to save the Nation, from the point of view of the people of Vietnam. Americans arrived at a later stage; the war has been going on for decades earlier, only the parties involved in the war were different. Japan invaded a part of Vietnam in 1940 and before that Vietnam was under French colonial rule for about six decades. In the year 1941, two alien powers were on the soil of Vietnam, trying to outsmart each other to gain territorial control.

Ho Chi Minh arrived back to his native country in the same year after being in several countries during his sojourn for nearly three decades. His sole aim was to free the country from the foreign occupation. His headquarters were in a cave in northern Vietnam. He gained popular support soon, and on 2-9-1945, he declared the establishment of an independent Vietnam with a new government named as the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. The French fought back, with determination to retain the territory.

Ho was with the US in the initial stages for strategic reasons. He supplied intelligence input to them about the Japanese during World War II. He wanted the US support against the French. But to challenge and contain the spread of Communism was the main goal of the US, as part of its international policy. So Ho’s strategy to get aligned with US, did not work, as US feared about the Communist influence on Vietnam. It supported the French. It sent military aid to the France to defeat Ho in the year 1950.

In 1954, the French suffered a massive defeat at Dien Bien Phu, and decided to pullout from the soil of Vietnam. The ceasefire would follow the temporary division of Vietnam, amongst the communist and non-communist supporters. A general election would be held in 1956 to reunite the country and bring it under one government. US opposed this move fearing the communist takeover. Elections were held only in South Vietnam with the help of US. Ngo Dinh Diem was elected but he was killed in 1963 in a US supported coup.

Communist supporters in South Vietnam established the National Liberation Front (NLF), (Viet Cong) in 1960 and used the tactics of guerilla warfare against the South Vietnamese. The war between Viet Cong and the South Vietnamese escalated and US involvement also increased and it sent advisers to South Vietnam. When the North Vietnamese attacked two US ships in international waters on 2nd and 4th August, 1964, US responded aggressively and President Lyndon Johnson authorized US grounds troops in Vietnam in March 1965 and it was a no holds barred approach in the war against the North Vietnamese.

US wanted to strengthen the South Vietnamese, so that that it can take over the administration of the whole country. But against the determined forces of Ho, the plan misfired. The US availed the tough option of the limited war from 1965 to 1969. The aerial bombings for strategic reasons were conducted in the North but the fighting was limited to South Vietnam. The military had no authority to attack the North, the stronghold of the communists and with this perimeter US could not achieve success as for their objectives.

The US failed in the tough jungle war challenge of the Viet Cong. Karl writes (2011, p.5) about the dangerous conditions in which the US soldiers were fighting the war in the jungles thus, through the experience of a soldier: “Three leaches had still managed to get through on the left leg. Two were attached and there was a streak of dried blood where a third had engorged itself and dropped off.” The war efforts of Viet Cong consisted of men, women and even children. The morale of the US forces was low, the fighting conditions were unfavorable and many took to drugs.

Explaining the mental condition of one of the US soldiers, Karl writes, “He had never actually envisioned being in a combat in a war none of his friends thought was worth fighting.”(p.6) US had no chances to win the war. With the struggle prolonging, American public began to oppose the war and protests took place. The US learnt many lessons through this war, that interference in the internal affairs of a country is not a welcome feature in all foreign conflicts. Under President Nixon’s regime, the withdrawal of US troops commenced in July 1969 and the final withdrawal was on March 29, 1973.

Works Cited Marlantes, Karl; Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War; Grove Press; Reprint edition, May 10, 2011)