The_Vietnam_War

The Vietnam War was the longest war in United States History. It started in 1950 when the United States sent funding and troops to help the French, and ended in 1975 when the last of our troops came home from Thailand. Thousands of United States soldiers died in this time. There was an anti-war movement in the home land while the war was at its peak in Indo-China. The war caused a great unrest amongst students. Student Unrest The citizens of the United States did not understand our involvement in the affairs of the countries in Indo-China. The politicians believed that if Vietnam fell to communist rule, then there would be a “domino effect” with the surrounding countries. The citizens did not believe we had any business getting in the middle of it. When the draft was introduced, the student unrest began. Many students found it easy to use their schools to find members for their cause. They formed groups like the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) to stage protests and rally against the war. It was the Kent State Shootings that really set off the protests. On May 1st. 1970, a group of about 500 students gathered in the Kent State University commons area for a peaceful protest. When the police dispersed the crowd, they retreated to bars. Some bars were scared that the protests would get out of control, so they shut down. When the students began to gather in the streets and started rioting, the Mayor ordered all bars to close. The police finally dispersed the crowd. On May 2nd, the National Guard was called in. A couple of thousand students were gathered watching the ROTC building burn. No one was arrested for this arson. The police and firefighters were attacked with rocks and other objects while trying to put out the fire. On May 3rd, the Mayor announced that he would be implementing a curfew. Students gathered around 8:00 to rally and protest more. The National Guard came in around 11:00pm and announced that the curfew was in affect. They forced students to disperse using tear gas. On May 4th, 1970, students gathered in the commons area of the University to continue the protests from the days before. The National Guard was called in to disperse the crowd. They pushed the student s back over Blanket Hill. Once they were cornered, the National Guard retraced their steps back to the commons area, while the students followed. No one is quite sure what happened that day, but 67 rounds of ammunition were fired into a crowd of students in about 13 seconds. According to Lewis and Hensley (1998), four students were killed and nine others were wounded, including one that was paralyzed from the neck down. The events that took place at Kent State University caused protests and rallies to intensify across the nation. There was a student strike where over two million students participated. Schools were closed across the nation. Social Outcome There were many different social impacts of the Vietnam War. According to the Vietnam War Encyclopedia II (2010), the victory of the Communists and the war lead to increased emigration to the US, Canada, and many other countries. In the years following the war, over one million Southeast Asians immigrated to the United States. There were many different ethnicities. The merge of the ethnicities had a social impact. Also, the increased use of drugs like Heroin became very popular after the war. It is believed that United States troops had unlimited access to these drugs while in Southeast Asia. When the troops came home they introduced the drug to the streets of the United States. With this increased drug use, new laws and task forces were formed. This was all part of the social impact of the war. As Veterans came home from the war, they found themselves mistreated and shunned. They were labeled as drug addicts and many other things. They did not receive adequate health care for their post traumatic stress disorder. Many veterans ended up taking their own lives or living as a homeless on the streets. Political Impact The War Powers Resolution was introduced in 1973. This act stated that president could not commit United State troops to war without Congress’ approval. According to the Oxford Companion to the United States History (2003), the act required the president to consult with Congress “in every possible instance” before introducing armed forces “into hostilities or into situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances.” This act ultimately led to the veto of President Richard Nixon. His veto “signaled that American politicians and the public would no longer allow presidents to single-handedly dictate military policy as commander in chief of the armed forces (Encyclopedia of the New American Nation, 2010)”. Ultimately, the Vietnam War taught the United States citizens, government, and the world, that getting involved in other countries affairs can lead to massive bloodshed and civil unrest. The nation has grown into a better country with the experience of the Vietnam War. References Encyclopedia of the New American Nation (2010). The Vietnam War and its Impact – Political Lessons. Retrieved from http://www.americanforeignrelations.com on January 30, 2011. Lewis, J.M. & Hensley, T.R. (1998). The May 4th shootings at Kent State University: The search for historical accuracy. The Ohio Council for the Social Studies Review. 34.1, p 9-21. Retrieved from http://dept.kent.edu on January 30, 2011. Oxford Companion to the United States History. (2003). War Powers Act. Retrieved from http://www.encycloedia.com on January 30, 2001. Vietnam War Encyclopedia II (2010). Domestic Effests in the US. Retrieved from http://www.experience festival.com on January 30, 2011.