The Vietnam War Politics

The Vietnam War

There was a connection between the students and the Vietnam War and it affected them as well. Before the Vietnam War began the American population held Congressmen, Universities, and all other official institutions in high regard. In the 1960s the views began to change, there were two simple view points between students. One side felt as though the U.S. didn’t need to get involved in the War at all, they felt as though it was a losing battle which continued to put burdens on both social and economic and the U.S. needed to back out. However there is always an opposing side and that side saw it fit for the U.S. to be in the War, the students felt that the U.S. got involved for a reason so they need to stay there and finish the job. A lot of protests for the War happened on college campuses. During the years of the War the draft to enlist in the War was instituted in 1942, which states that men and women from the baby boom era were able to go and fight in the War. The men soldier’s and the women nurse. This draft reinforced the concern of the U.S. being involved. Draft and exemptions were available to college students, which stated that if young men and women weren’t in college they could enlist. If students were trying to avoid the War just by attending college, were told about the injustice of the situation and protested as a way to communicate to the government. When graduated from college you could then also enlist in the draft to fight. Two million Americans fought in the War and fifty-eight thousand or more died. As the War continued finances in the U.S. grew. Students protesting showed the emotions of Americans and since there was a lack of support from Americans with protesting it made matters worse. The political and social outcomes of the Vietnam War, between the years of 1964 and 1968 there were a lot of changes of government in South Vietnam. With all the changes it made it impossible to accommodate any stability or reforming. There was an election being held in 1967 for a new South Vietnamese government. On the communist side the Vietcong the political arm over them was the National Liberation Front or (NLF) which was established in 1960. Their headquarters was in the jungle near the order of Cambodia. The Vietnam War cost the U.S. thirty billion dollars a year. Paris Peace Talks develop as well during this time. Paris Peace Talks were about finding ways to end the Vietnam War Politically. North Vietnam had shown no evidence of willing to negotiate, so March of 1968 President Johnson ordered more bombing on North Vietnam only on a specific area after that North Vietnam decided to negotiate. During this time the U.S. we’re preparing for their national elections. During the time of the elections the divided feelings about the war had become a political factor; it was affecting the U.S. position throughout the World. When President Johnson decided not to reelect it showed a reflection of the opposition to the War. In the year of 1969 the U.S. had a new president Richard M. Nixon who announced that he was pulling troops out of the War and implementing a new strategy which was called Vietnamization. This new strategy meant for the South Vietnamese troops would have to bear the burden of the War. In 1972 the rest of the U.S. ground combat troops left Vietnam. In the same year, North Vietnam set off an attack which overran South Vietnam, in a response to the attack the bombing of the north was resumed and Haiphong Harbor was mined. The Peace Talks continued and in January of 1973 there was an agreement signed, but neither North or South Vietnam wanted to stay true to the agreement with the military and political terms and because, of that they were unable to bring peace to Vietnam. December of 1974 North Vietnam persecuted a final attack on South Vietnam which to led the surrender of South Vietnam and the country was under communist control. The Vietnam War cost the lives of fifty-eight thousand Americans, some killed, some classified and then others are still missing in action to this day, after the war Vietnam suffered economically.
REFERENCES

www.oppapers.com/history
The new book of knowledge (pgs. 336 – 338)

References: www.oppapers.com/history The new book of knowledge (pgs. 336 – 338)