World War II vs. Vietnam

Probably the most dramatic difference between World War II and Vietnam is the way America felt about the wars after they were both over. At the end of World War, most Americans came out from the war convinced that they had won the “Good War.” (The American Promise pg.701) However, the same couldn’t be said about the Vietnam War. It is known that Vietnam was the longest and the second most costly of the wars fought by the United States. It has also shown that in U.S. Polls, two of three Americans judge the war as a “Mistake.” (www.members.aol.com/jmstarr/index.html) Even though people might disagree, listen to the facts and you will know why.

The Vietnam War is one of the most disgraceful periods in American history. Not only did an almost third-world nation best the greatest superpower in the world, but it also embarrassed them as well. Perhaps this war could have been won, or even prevented in the first place. The United States could have and should have won this war, with a combination of better weapons usage, better tactics, and better support from their home country.

Before the War, Vietnam was a hotly disputed territory. Many countries had taken Vietnam over, and after World War II, Vietnam were in the hands of France.

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This misconception also led Japan to confront the United States in 1941. Andrew Wheatcroft says in his book The Road To War, “ It is tempting to see Pearl Harbor as the crisis that Roosevelt was waiting for and did nothing to prevent”. ”

On December 6, 1941 the Japanese Airforce led a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, completely eradicating the port. Would the United States have been as prosperous as it is today had they intervened any earlier? They probably would have not because at that time in history America needed a boost to return to its earlier status of being economically stable which Germany and its allies so adequately provided. 24) Franklin Delano Roosevelt did think about the security of the republic and defended it magnificently. Congress approved the declaration of war with only one dissenting voice. Obviously, the Vietnamese wanted their own country, and their long history of being a colony prompted the oppressed people to fight for their independence in the French-Indochina war.

Probably the biggest difference between the two wars was the reaction of people back at home during both wars. In the beginning of World War II, America was looking for a way to become economically stable and found the war as a foundation to build the economy. Such that accounted for more than 58, 000 deaths of America’s men. Unless American interests were directly threatened, Roosevelt hesitated to “push the button. This reason was a valid one because it was the American policy to stay neutral in any affairs not having to with them unless American soil was threatened directly. People during World War II, especially woman, felt the impact of the war as they took up new responsibilities that had never been taken.

Approximate Word count = 1548
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

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