The Failure of the Vietnam War
The struggle in Vietnam failed for many reasons. Many historians agreeon the fact that many of the troubles began in Washington for lack of aclear plan of action. The war became more problematic when American troopswere not prepared for the tactics and the determination of the NorthVietnamese. In addition, as the war dragged on without any success or endin sight, the American public reacted with a fury that could not be As with all wars, the intention for an American presence in SouthVietnam was to prevent the spread of Communism. While many believed thewar was wrong in that it promoted imperialism, others believed that the warwas an opportunity to restore law and order. While many things were unclearabout the war, the one thing that did seem clear was the fact that Americacould not keep the war at arm's length any longer. Support and aid werenot going to be enough and when the American presence was felt, things Things in Washington became worse when Johnson's Secretary of Defense,John McNamara became uncomfortable with how things were unfolding inVietnam. The president halted bombing for a short period of time in 1968
Johnson was not just facing anegative reaction from the public, he was facing failure in Vietnam, whichultimately meant failure in the next election. Cooper asserts that it did render one "major, unanticipated result"(512), which was political rather than military. The Vietnam was a failure socially becauseAmericans could not be assured that they were "winning" the war. Indeed, South Vietnamwould fall and the United States would finally realize that it could notfight every battle or war in the name of democracy. While America certainly had technologyon its side, it was not enough to prepare them for the tenacity andresilience of the Vietcong. There were other complications that created contention in Washington. One of themost famous incidents involving Vietnam occurred at Kent State University. This act was onethat was intended to prevent a larger war from breaking out. The lengthof the war couple with an obvious lack of direction spurred a public outcrythat intensified matters. (Karnow 611) It is important to notethat in both circumstances, the protesters were unarmed. The news of this event triggered other protests and atJackson State, policemen killed two students and injured 12, in a similarcircumstance. They were not familiar with guerilla tacticsand almost every step they took was taken with their fear of booby traps. Lastly, the war failed ultimately because thegoal was not achieved. In addition to the lack of guidance in Washington, the soldiers inVietnam had problems of their own.
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